وَإِذا رامَ نَديمٌ عَربَدَه

وَإِذا رامَ نَديمٌ عَربَدَه

فَاِقرَعَن بِالصِرفِ مِنهُ كَبِدَه

فَاِقرَعَن بِالصِرفِ مِنهُ كَبِدَه

And if a drinking companion seeks a drunken brawl,

When a boon companion boasts vaingloriously,

And should a drinking companion seek to pick a quarrel,

then be sure to strike his liver with unmixed wine.

Strike his liver with wine, undiluted.

Then strike his liver with wine, pure and unmixed.

كَرِّرِ الخَمرَ عَلَيهِ بَحتَةً

كَرِّرِ الخَمرَ عَلَيهِ بَحتَةً

كَي تُقيمَ الخَمرُ مِنهُ أَوَدَه

كَي تُقيمَ الخَمرُ مِنهُ أَوَدَه

Give him wine again and again, undiluted,

Pour the wine down his throat without respite,

Keep pouring the sheer liquor upon him repeatedly,

so that the wine may straighten his crookedness.

So that wine will disable his limbs.

That the wine might straighten out his crookedness.

ثُمَّ وَسِّدهُ إِذا ما غَلَبَت

ثُمَّ وَسِّدهُ إِذا ما غَلَبَت

سَورَةُ الراحِ عَلَيهِ عَضُدَه

سَورَةُ الراحِ عَلَيهِ عَضُدَه

Then lay his head, when he is overcome

Then, when faintness from drink overcomes him,

Then make him pillow his head, once the wine’s assault

by wine's surge, upon his own upper arm.

And he collapses, his shoulders bowed over,

Has overcome him, upon his own arm.

خَلَّتا سوءٍ تَشينانِ الفَتى

خَلَّتا سوءٍ تَشينانِ الفَتى

حَيثُ ما كانَ الخَنا وَالعَربَدَه

حَيثُ ما كانَ الخَنا وَالعَربَدَه

Two evil traits disgrace a young man,

Two evils disgrace a young man –

Two evil traits bring shame upon a young man,

wherever he may be: obscenity and drunken brawling.

Brawling and vainglory wherever they occur;

Wherever they exist: foul speech and rowdiness.

وَشَياطينٌ مِنَ الإِنسِ هُمُ

وَشَياطينٌ مِنَ الإِنسِ هُمُ

أَحدَثوا القَتلَ غُواةً مَرَدَه

أَحدَثوا القَتلَ غُواةً مَرَدَه

And they are devils among humankind,

Evil spirits in human form

They are devils from among mankind,

who caused bloodshed—wayward rebels.

Who roused him to rashness in his drunkenness.

Rebellious tempters who have brought about murder.

قَد سَقَيتُ الخَمرَ حَتّى ثَمِلوا

قَد سَقَيتُ الخَمرَ حَتّى ثَمِلوا

لَيلَةً ذاتَ رِياحٍ صَرِدَه

لَيلَةً ذاتَ رِياحٍ صَرِدَه

Indeed, I gave them wine until they were drunk,

I served wine until they were drunk

I served them wine until they were thoroughly intoxicated,

on a night of chill winds.

One night when the biting winds howled.

On a night possessed of biting, cold winds.