ذرِ اللوم فالعين لا ترقدُ

ذرِ اللوم فالعين لا ترقدُ

عشية عنَّ لها المرقد

عشية عنَّ لها المرقد

Leave reproach, for the eye does not sleep

Cease blame, for the eye finds no rest

that evening, when its resting place appeared before it,

In the evening, though to it belongs the bed.

أو الكاس يمزج لي صرفها

أو الكاس يمزج لي صرفها

بعذب لماه الرشا الأغيد

بعذب لماه الرشا الأغيد

or when the cup’s unmixed wine is blended for me

Or the cup mixes its pure draught for me

by the graceful gazelle with the sweetness of his dusky lips.

With cool sweet water fresh and limpid.

سبى العقل أحور ساجي اللحاظ

سبى العقل أحور ساجي اللحاظ

يبيت يغازلهُ الفرقد

يبيت يغازلهُ الفرقد

A dark-eyed beauty with languid glances has captured my reason;

Passion has captured my sober mind,

the Farqad star spends the night courting him.

My glances sleep to be caressed by languor.

دع الأسد الورد من ذي الغضا

دع الأسد الورد من ذي الغضا

غزال الصريمة مستأسد

غزال الصريمة مستأسد

Leave aside the tawny lion from Dhu al-Ghada;

Leave the rose to the lion with angry growl,

the thicket’s gazelle is fierce as a lion.

The roe-deer of the meadows turns lion.

غزالُ غدا القلب مرعىً له

غزالُ غدا القلب مرعىً له

على أن دمعي له موردُ

على أن دمعي له موردُ

A gazelle for whom the heart has become a pasture,

The roe-deer's heart has become its pasture,

though my tears are his watering place.

Though my tears for it are sources of water.

رقيقُ حواشي الخدود الرقاق

رقيقُ حواشي الخدود الرقاق

ولكنَّ أحشاءه جلمد

ولكنَّ أحشاءه جلمد

Soft are the contours of his delicate cheeks,

Slender are the pages of its cheeks,

but his inward being is hard rock.

But its entrails are hard as rock.

تطلع يفتق أكمامه

تطلع يفتق أكمامه

بوجه هو الطالع الأسعد

بوجه هو الطالع الأسعد

He appeared, bursting his buds open,

It rises, rending its sleeves,

with a face that is the most auspicious rising star.

With a face that is the happiest rising star,

تلفع بالغار منه الغوير

تلفع بالغار منه الغوير

واعشب في رنده الفدفدُ

واعشب في رنده الفدفدُ

Through him, al-Ghuwayr cloaked itself in laurel,

It is clothed in the clouds' garment,

and amid his laurels the barren plain grew green.

While dew drops gleam on its coat.

أحباي والبين ملقى الجران

أحباي والبين ملقى الجران

على القرب بالبعد لا تبعدوا

على القرب بالبعد لا تبعدوا

My beloveds—separation has laid its neck down

O my friends, we are thrown to the wild,

upon nearness—do not grow distant through estrangement.

Do not abandon nearness for farness,

إذا لم تجودوا بوصلٍ عدوا

إذا لم تجودوا بوصلٍ عدوا

فيا ربما ينفع الموعد

فيا ربما ينفع الموعد

If you will not grant union, promise it;

If you are not generous with union,

for, oh, perhaps a promise will help.

Then fulfil the promise at least.

ويا ليتما علَّلوا المستهام

ويا ليتما علَّلوا المستهام

بقرب المزار وإن أبعدوا

بقرب المزار وإن أبعدوا

And oh, if only they would soothe the lovesick one

O would that you excused my passion

with a visit near at hand, even if they stay far away.

Because of a visit though far off.

عسى الكاس تعقب حمراءها

عسى الكاس تعقب حمراءها

فيبيضُّ باللون ما سوَّدوا

فيبيضُّ باللون ما سوَّدوا

May the cup bring forth its red wine,

Maybe the cup will follow its redness

so that, through its color, what they blackened turns white.

With a whiteness that heals their blackness.