أخاف الشعر أن يبقى

أخاف الشعر أن يبقى

I fear that poetry may stay

I fear that poetry will remain

معي للعالم الثاني

معي للعالم الثاني

with me into the other world.

with me into the next world.

لقد هاجته في الدنيا

لقد هاجته في الدنيا

The diversions of this world have stirred it,

Indeed, in this world it was stirred

ملاهيها فعناني

ملاهيها فعناني

and it, in turn, has tormented me.

by its diversions, and so it wearied me.

فكم في الحسن أسهرني

فكم في الحسن أسهرني

How often it has kept me wakeful over beauty,

For how often it kept me awake amid beauty,

وكم في الصبح غناني

وكم في الصبح غناني

and how often at dawn it has sung to me!

and how often it sang to me at dawn.

فكيف إذا أهاجتهذ

فكيف إذا أهاجتهذ

What then, when it is stirred by

What, then, when it is stirred by

مجالي الروح والجان

مجالي الروح والجان

the realms of the spirit and the erring self?

the vistas of the spirit and the jinn,

وجنات وفيها الحسن لم

وجنات وفيها الحسن لم

And gardens where beauty no human

and gardens, where beauty has never

يسبق لإنسان

يسبق لإنسان

has ever known before;

before been known to any human,

وفيها الخمر أنهار

وفيها الخمر أنهار

where wine flows in rivers,

and in them are rivers of wine,

وحورٌ إثر ولدان

وحورٌ إثر ولدان

and a houri comes in the wake of youthful attendants.

and houris following young boys?

هناك يكون لي شعري

هناك يكون لي شعري

There, my poetry will become for me

There my poetry will be for me

هو الخمار في الحان

هو الخمار في الحان

the wine-seller in the tavern,

the wine-seller in the tavern.

فيعرض ما يمتعنى

فيعرض ما يمتعنى

offering whatever delights me,

Then it offers what delights me,

فيسقسيني فيسهاني

فيسقسيني فيسهاني

giving me drink and making me forget.

then gives me drink and makes me forget.