ما لِلمَولَّهِ مِن سُكرِهِ لا يُفيق

ما لِلمَولَّهِ مِن سُكرِهِ لا يُفيق

يا لَه سَكران

يا لَه سَكران

What ails the love-bewildered one, that he does not sober from his drunkenness?

What intoxication has the poet from his ecstasy that will not fade away!

Oh, how drunk he is,

Oh, how drunk he is

مِن غَيرِ خَمرٍ يا للكَئيبِ المَشوق

مِن غَيرِ خَمرٍ يا للكَئيبِ المَشوق

يَندُبُ الأَوطان

يَندُبُ الأَوطان

without wine! Alas for the sorrowful, yearning one,

Without wine, oh how the melancholy one yearns

who laments his homelands.

For homelands

هَل تُستَعادُ أَيّامُنا بِالخَليج

هَل تُستَعادُ أَيّامُنا بِالخَليج

وَلَيالينا

وَلَيالينا

Can our days at al-Khalij be restored,

Can we bring back our days in the gulf

and our nights?

And our nights

إِذ يستَفادُ مِنَ النَسيم الأَريج

إِذ يستَفادُ مِنَ النَسيم الأَريج

مِسكَ دارينا

مِسكَ دارينا

When from the fragrant breeze was drawn

When the gentle breeze’s musk

the musk of Darin,

Would revive our home

وَإِذ يَكادُ حُسنُ المَكانِ البَهيج

وَإِذ يَكادُ حُسنُ المَكانِ البَهيج

أَن يُحيينا

أَن يُحيينا

and when the beauty of the delightful place almost

When the place’s stunning beauty

brought us to life.

Nearly brought us back to life

نَهرٌ أَظَلَّهُ دوحٌ عَلَيهِ أَنيق

نَهرٌ أَظَلَّهُ دوحٌ عَلَيهِ أَنيق

مورِق الأَفنان

مورِق الأَفنان

A river shaded by lovely spreading trees above it,

A river shaded by a graceful palm tree

their branches leafy.

With glistening branches

وَالماءُ يَجري وَعائِمٌ وَغَريق

وَالماءُ يَجري وَعائِمٌ وَغَريق

مِن جَنى الرَيحان

مِن جَنى الرَيحان

And the water flows, with some afloat and some drowned

The water flows, with boats and those who’ve sunk

from the harvest of fragrant herbs.

From the gardens’ basil

أَو هَل أَديب يَحيي لَنا بِالغروس

أَو هَل أَديب يَحيي لَنا بِالغروس

ما كانَ أَحلى

ما كانَ أَحلى

Or can a cultivated man revive for us, with plantings,

Or can a poet revive for us with saplings

what once was so sweet?

What was most beautiful

مَعي الحَبيبُ وَصافِيات الكُؤوس

مَعي الحَبيبُ وَصافِيات الكُؤوس

فَاِسقِني وَاِملا

فَاِسقِني وَاِملا

With me are the beloved and the clear cups;

With me is the beloved and pure goblets

so give me drink, and fill them!

So serve me and fill me up

عَيشٌ يَطيب وَمَنزَهٌ كَالعَروس

عَيشٌ يَطيب وَمَنزَهٌ كَالعَروس

عِندَما تجلى

عِندَما تجلى

A life grown sweet, and a pleasure garden like a bride

A life is beautiful and a meadow like a bride

when she is unveiled.

When she shines

عَيشٌ لَعَلَّهُ يَعودُ مِنهُ فَريق

عَيشٌ لَعَلَّهُ يَعودُ مِنهُ فَريق

كَالَّذي قَد كان

كَالَّذي قَد كان

A life of which, perhaps, a portion will return,

A life that may return from it a group

as it once was.

Like what once was

أَضغاثُ فِكرٍ تَحدو بِهِ وَتَسوق

أَضغاثُ فِكرٍ تَحدو بِهِ وَتَسوق

هذِهِ الأَلحان

هذِهِ الأَلحان

A tangle of thoughts, urged onward and driven

Scattered thoughts it leads and drives

by these melodies.

To these melodies

يا صاحِبيّا إِلى مَتى تَعذِلاني

يا صاحِبيّا إِلى مَتى تَعذِلاني

أَقصِرا شيّا

أَقصِرا شيّا

O my two friends, how long will you reproach me?

Oh my friend, until when will you torture me

Both of you, desist a little!

Lighten up a bit

قَد مِتُّ حَيّاً وَالمُبتَلى بِالغَواني

قَد مِتُّ حَيّاً وَالمُبتَلى بِالغَواني

مَيِّتٌ حَيّا

مَيِّتٌ حَيّا

I have died while living, and one afflicted by beauties

I’m dead alive, and the one afflicted with love

is dead while alive.

Is dead while alive

جَنى عَليّا عَذبَ اللَمى وَالمَعاني

جَنى عَليّا عَذبَ اللَمى وَالمَعاني

عاطِرٌ رَيّا

عاطِرٌ رَيّا

The one of sweet dusky lips and charms has wronged me,

He reaped from me the sweetest torment and meaning

fragrant in scent:

A scent that spreads

هِلالٌ كُلُّهُ غَزال إِنسٍ يَفوق

هِلالٌ كُلُّهُ غَزال إِنسٍ يَفوق

سائِرَ الغِزلانِ

سائِرَ الغِزلانِ

a crescent moon in every part, a human gazelle surpassing

A crescent whose gazelle outshines

all other gazelles.

All other gazelles

يا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لي إِلَيهِ طَريق

يا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لي إِلَيهِ طَريق

أَو إِلى السلَوان

أَو إِلى السلَوان

Oh, if only I knew: is there a path for me to him,

Oh, if only I knew if I have a way

or to solace?

To it or the palm trees

مَن يَميلُ كَأَنَّهُ في التَثَنّي

مَن يَميلُ كَأَنَّهُ في التَثَنّي

غُصنُ البانَه

غُصنُ البانَه

One who sways as though, in his bending,

One who leans as if he were in his gentle swaying

he were a branch of the ban tree.

A banana tree branch

خَلقٌ جَميلٌ عَلَيهِ مِن كُلِّ حُسنٍ

خَلقٌ جَميلٌ عَلَيهِ مِن كُلِّ حُسنٍ

رَونَقٌ زانَه

رَونَقٌ زانَه

A lovely form, bearing from every kind of beauty

A beautiful being with every charm

a radiance that adorns him.

Gracing him

خودٌ تَقول لَيسَت كَأُخرى تُغَنّي

خودٌ تَقول لَيسَت كَأُخرى تُغَنّي

وَهيَ سَكرانَه

وَهيَ سَكرانَه

A maiden unlike any other says, singing,

Cheeks that say they are unlike any others that sing

while she is drunk:

While drunk

نَعَم ياللَهِ يَعشَقُني وَأَنا عَشيق

نَعَم ياللَهِ يَعشَقُني وَأَنا عَشيق

وَنَحنُ صِبيان

وَنَحنُ صِبيان

Yes, O God, he loves me, and I am in love,

Yes, by God, he loves me while I’m a lover

and we are children.

Since we are youths

لَس بِاللَهِ نَدري دَع كُلَّ حَد مَعَ رَفيق

لَس بِاللَهِ نَدري دَع كُلَّ حَد مَعَ رَفيق

إِش يَكونُ إِن كان

إِش يَكونُ إِن كان

By God, we do not know—let each one be with a companion—

By God we don’t know, let each one be with their companion

what will happen, if anything does.

Whatever happens if it happens