وَلَيلة بتُّ بها مُنادماً

وَلَيلة بتُّ بها مُنادماً

أَهيفَ ما الَبدرُ سوَى طَلعتهِ

أَهيفَ ما الَبدرُ سوَى طَلعتهِ

And a night I spent carousing

And a night in which I sat companioned,

with a slender-waisted one—the full moon is but his face.

Is the full moon naught but its rising?

يُديرُها صفراءَ عَسجديَّةً

يُديرُها صفراءَ عَسجديَّةً

أَغنى الوَرى من هيَ في قَبضتهِ

أَغنى الوَرى من هيَ في قَبضتهِ

He passes it round, yellow and golden;

She whirls it yellow like an old brocade,

the richest of mortals is he who holds it in his grasp.

None in the world richer than she in her grasp,

كأَنَّها سَبيكةٌ من ذَهبٍ

كأَنَّها سَبيكةٌ من ذَهبٍ

أضافَها الكأس إلى فضَّتهِ

أضافَها الكأس إلى فضَّتهِ

As though it were an ingot of gold

As if it were an ingot of gold

the cup had added to its silver.

Added by the goblet to its silver,

جاءَ بها يَكسرُ جَفنا مُودِعاً

جاءَ بها يَكسرُ جَفنا مُودِعاً

نِشاطَهُ الزَّائدَ في فَترته

نِشاطَهُ الزَّائدَ في فَترته

He brought it, half-closing an eyelid, placing

She brought it to break my eyelid bidding farewell,

his surplus vigor in its languor.

Its surplus liveliness in its slackening,

قَد كَفلَت منهُ لهُ كَسرتُهُ

قَد كَفلَت منهُ لهُ كَسرتُهُ

بِكُلِّ ما يطلُبُ من نُصرتهِ

بِكُلِّ ما يطلُبُ من نُصرتهِ

Its droop had guaranteed him

She shouldered for him his tipsiness

all the aid he sought from it.

With all he seeks of her help,

فَبتُّ حتَّى ذَبُلت سَوسنةُ ال

فَبتُّ حتَّى ذَبُلت سَوسنةُ ال

لَّيلِ وَوَلَّى الفجرُ عن وَردتهِ

لَّيلِ وَوَلَّى الفجرُ عن وَردتهِ

So I stayed until there withered the lily of the

So I sat till the lily of night wilted

night, and dawn turned away from its rose,

And dawn turned away from its rose,

أَشربُ صَهباوَين مَخمورُهُما

أَشربُ صَهباوَين مَخمورُهُما

ليسَ يُفيقُ الدَّهرَ من سَكرَتهِ

ليسَ يُفيقُ الدَّهرَ من سَكرَتهِ

drinking two amber wines—whoever is drunk on them

I drink two intoxicated goblets

never, through all time, sobers from his drunkenness—

The ages never awaken from their drunkenness,

من نَرجسينِ نَرجِسٍ في يَدهِ

من نَرجسينِ نَرجِسٍ في يَدهِ

وَنَرجسٍ آخرَ في مُقلَتهِ

وَنَرجسٍ آخرَ في مُقلَتهِ

from two narcissi: a narcissus in his hand,

Of two narcissus flowers in his hand

and another narcissus in his eye.

And another narcissus in his eyelid,

فيالَها من لَيلَةٍ ما شانَها

فيالَها من لَيلَةٍ ما شانَها

إلاَّ انقضاءُ الوَقتِ في سُرعَتهِ

إلاَّ انقضاءُ الوَقتِ في سُرعَتهِ

And oh, what a night! Nothing marred it

What a night it was, its affair being

but the swift passing of time.

Only the passing of time in its fleetness,

أَسفرَ من قَبلِ غُروبِ الشَّمسِ لي

أَسفرَ من قَبلِ غُروبِ الشَّمسِ لي

فيها ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ عن غُرّتهِ

فيها ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ عن غُرّتهِ

Before the sun had set, there shone for me

It dawned before sunset

that night, the light of dawn from his radiant brow.

Its morning lightness relieving its darkness for me.