تَعَلَّقتُها وَإِناءُ الشَبا

تَعَلَّقتُها وَإِناءُ الشَبا

بِ يَطفَحُ مِن جانبَيهِ طِفاحا

بِ يَطفَحُ مِن جانبَيهِ طِفاحا

I fell in love with her while the vessel of youth

I clung to her though the wine flask

was overflowing from both its sides in profusion.

Overflowed from both its sides,

وَلا مَيعَةٌ حَجَرَت حُبَّها

وَلا مَيعَةٌ حَجَرَت حُبَّها

وَلا الشَيبُ أَنساكَها حينَ لاحا

وَلا الشَيبُ أَنساكَها حينَ لاحا

Nor did youthful exuberance restrain love for her,

No shame restrained her love,

nor did gray hair make you forget her when it appeared.

Nor did old age make you forget her when it appeared.

وَكَم مِن مُحِبٍّ أَجَنَّ الهَوى

وَكَم مِن مُحِبٍّ أَجَنَّ الهَوى

فَوَدَّ مِن الغَمِّ لَو كانَ باحا

فَوَدَّ مِن الغَمِّ لَو كانَ باحا

And many a lover concealed his passion,

And how many lovers has passion weakened,

then wished, in his anguish, that he had spoken openly.

Who wished out of grief that he could weep,

وَآخَر غُمَّ بِأَسرارِهِ

وَآخَر غُمَّ بِأَسرارِهِ

فَباحَ بِمَكتومِهِ وَاِستَراحا

فَباحَ بِمَكتومِهِ وَاِستَراحا

And another was stifled by his secrets,

And another grieved with his secrets,

so he revealed what he had hidden and found relief.

So he revealed his hidden sorrows and found relief.

وَإِنّي وَتَركي نَدى الأَكرمين

وَإِنّي وَتَركي نَدى الأَكرمين

وَقَدحِي بِكَفّيَّ زَنداً شِحاحا

وَقَدحِي بِكَفّيَّ زَنداً شِحاحا

And I, forsaking the bounty of the most generous,

As for me, I left the bounty of the generous

and striking with both my hands a fire-stick stingy with sparks,

And took my cup in my hands a miserly sip.

كَتارِكَةٍ بَيضَها بِالعَراءِ

كَتارِكَةٍ بَيضَها بِالعَراءِ

وَمُلبِسَةٍ بَيض أُخرى جَناحا

وَمُلبِسَةٍ بَيض أُخرى جَناحا

am like a bird that leaves her eggs in the open

Like a bird who laid her eggs in the wilderness

and covers another bird’s eggs with her wing.

And clothed other eggs with wings.