قُمrise بِناwith us أَيُّهاO you الحَبيبthe beloved
قُم بِنا أَيُّها الحَبيب
ننتشقwe breathe in نَسمةa breeze السحرthe predawn hour
ننتشق نَسمة السحر
Come, beloved, let us rise,
Rise with us, O beloved,
And breathe in the predawn breeze;
Let us breathe in the predawn breeze.
وَاِستمعand listen شدوَsong عَندليبa nightingale
وَاِستمع شدوَ عَندليب
طالَماso often لِلنهىfor the intellect سَحرenchanted
طالَما لِلنهى سَحر
Listen to a nightingale’s song—
And listen to a nightingale’s song,
Long has it enchanted discerning minds.
That has so often enchanted the mind.
باكرtake early الراحthe wine ياO نَديمdrinking companion
باكر الراح يا نَديم
وَاجتلِand unveil البكرthe virgin wine بالفَرحwith joy
وَاجتلِ البكر بالفَرح
Greet the wine at dawn, boon companion,
Take wine early, O drinking companion,
And joyfully unveil the virgin vintage.
And unveil the virgin wine with joy.
إِنّindeed لَيلnight العَناsuffering بَهيمpitch-dark
إِنّ لَيل العَنا بَهيم
فَاِقتَدحso kindle جَذوةan ember القَدحthe goblet
فَاِقتَدح جَذوة القَدح
For the night of suffering is pitch-dark;
Indeed, the night of suffering is pitch-dark;
So strike from the goblet a glowing spark.
So kindle the goblet’s ember.
خَمرةwine شَكلهاits appearance الوَسيمhandsome
خَمرة شَكلها الوَسيم
يُذهبdispels الهَمَّworry وَالترحand sorrow
يُذهب الهَمَّ وَالترح
A wine of lovely form
A wine whose lovely appearance
That dispels care and grief.
Dispels worry and sorrow.
ماwhat تَرىyou see الطالعthe apparition العَجيبwondrous
ما تَرى الطالع العَجيب
يدهشَastounds الجنّthe jinn وَالبَشَرand humankind
يدهشَ الجنّ وَالبَشَر
Do you not see the wondrous rising vision,
What you see—the wondrous apparition—
Astonishing jinn and humankind?
Astounds jinn and humankind.
هَذِهِthis الشَمسthe sun فيat المَغيبthe setting
هَذِهِ الشَمس في المَغيب
أَشرَقَتshone forth فيin يَدhand القَمرthe moon
أَشرَقَت في يَد القَمر
Here is the sun at its setting,
This sun, at its setting,
Shining from the moon’s hand.
Has shone forth in the moon’s hand.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَهيفa slender-waisted one حصونchaste
بِأَبي أَهيف حصون
مالhe swayed كَالنجمlike the star إِذwhen هَوىit fell
مال كَالنجم إِذ هَوى
My father be his ransom—a slender, guarded beauty,
May my father be ransom for a slender, chaste beloved,
Who swayed like a star as it fell.
Who swayed like a star when it fell.
وَاِنثَنىand he bent قالَتsaid الغُصونthe boughs
وَاِنثَنى قالَت الغُصون
كُلّناall of us فيin الهَوىlove سوىalike
كُلّنا في الهَوى سوى
And when he bent, the branches said,
And as he bent, the boughs said:
“In love’s sway, we are all alike.”
“We are all alike in love.”
آهah ياO فاترlanguid الجُفونthe eyelids
آه يا فاتر الجُفون
مُهجَتيmy heart أَحرَقhas burned الهَوىlove
مُهجَتي أَحرَق الهَوى
Ah, you of languid eyelids,
Ah, O you with languid eyelids,
Passion has burned my very soul.
Love has burned my heart.
ياO هِلالاًa crescent moon عَلىupon قَضيبa bough
يا هِلالاً عَلى قَضيب
لاحَshone فيin غَيهَبdeep darkness الشَعرthe hair
لاحَ في غَيهَب الشَعر
O crescent upon a bough,
O crescent moon upon a bough,
Gleaming in the pitch-darkness of hair!
That shone in the deep darkness of hair,
هَلis there? لِعَينfor the eye الشَجيthe sorrowful one نَصيبa share
هَل لِعَين الشَجي نَصيب
مِنof جَنىfruit وَردةa rose الخفرmodesty
مِن جَنى وَردة الخفر
Has the sorrowing lover’s eye a share
Is there a share for the sorrowing one’s eye
In plucking the bashful rose?
Of the fruit of modesty’s rose?
اِلثمkiss الثَغرthe lips إِنwhether أَباحhe grants
اِلثم الثَغر إِن أَباح
منيةdesire القلبthe heart أوor أبىhe refuses
منية القلب أو أبى
Kiss the mouth, whether it grants
Kiss the lips, whether he grants
The heart’s desire—or refuses.
The heart’s desire or refuses.
واِعتنقand embrace كَوكبa star الصَباحthe morning
واِعتنق كَوكب الصَباح
وَاِنتشقand breathe in نسمةa breeze الصباthe east wind
وَاِنتشق نسمة الصبا
Embrace the morning star,
And embrace the morning star,
And breathe in the zephyr of youth;
And breathe in the east wind’s breeze.
واِنتهزand seize فُرصةَan opportunity الرباحgain
واِنتهز فُرصةَ الرباح
وَاِقتطفand pluck زهرةa flower الربىthe hills
وَاِقتطف زهرة الربى
Seize the winning chance,
And seize the chance for gain,
And pluck the flower of the hills.
And pluck the flower of the hills.
حَبّذاhow lovely غُصنهاits bough الرَطيبfresh and tender
حَبّذا غُصنها الرَطيب
نزهةa delight القَلبthe heart وَالنَظَرand sight
نزهة القَلب وَالنَظَر
How lovely its tender bough,
How lovely its tender bough,
A delight to heart and eye.
A delight to heart and eye!
طابَhas become sweet وَالغُصنand the bough لاnot يَطيبis sweet
طابَ وَالغُصن لا يَطيب
إِنif خَلاis devoid مِنof حلىadornments الثَمرfruit
إِن خَلا مِن حلى الثَمر
It has grown lovely—but no bough is lovely
It is sweet; yet a bough is not sweet
If bare of the ornaments of fruit.
If it lacks the adornment of fruit.