إِنَّ الَّذي ضَنَّ بِقِرطاسِهِ

إِنَّ الَّذي ضَنَّ بِقِرطاسِهِ

أَوحَشَني مِن بَعدِ إيناسِهِ

أَوحَشَني مِن بَعدِ إيناسِهِ

Indeed, he who was stingy with his writing paper

He who was stingy with his paper,

The one who has grown stingy with his parchment,

left me lonely after his companionship.

Distanced me after being close.

Has cast me into loneliness after his gentle grace.

آذَنَني بِاليَأسِ مِن وَصلِهِ

آذَنَني بِاليَأسِ مِن وَصلِهِ

وَالقَلبُ مَشغوفٌ عَلى ياسِهِ

وَالقَلبُ مَشغوفٌ عَلى ياسِهِ

He let me know there was no hope of union with him,

He signaled despair of union,

He has heralded despair of ever joining with him,

yet the heart is love-struck despite its despair.

While my heart is infatuated with his friendship.

Yet the heart remains impassioned despite its hopelessness.

وَماجِدٍ في الفَرعِ مِن هاشِمٍ

وَماجِدٍ في الفَرعِ مِن هاشِمٍ

إِذا اِنتَمى طارَ بِعَبّاسِهِ

إِذا اِنتَمى طارَ بِعَبّاسِهِ

And a noble man from a branch of Hashim—

A glorious ancestor of Hashim,

A noble soul, branching from the line of Hashim,

when he declared his lineage, he soared with his Abbas—

When associated with Al-‘Abbas, he soared.

Who, when tracing his roots, soars on the wings of Abbas.

نازَعتُهُ القَهوَةَ في فِتيَةٍ

نازَعتُهُ القَهوَةَ في فِتيَةٍ

كُلُّهُمُ زَينٌ لِجُلّاسِهِ

كُلُّهُمُ زَينٌ لِجُلّاسِهِ

I shared the wine with him among young men,

I competed with coffee amongst youths,

I shared the dark wine with him among a band of youths,

each an adornment to his companions.

All of them adornment of their session.

Each one an ornament to those who sit beside him.

سُنَّتُهُم في شُربِها بَينَهُم

سُنَّتُهُم في شُربِها بَينَهُم

مَن رَدَّها صُبَّت عَلى راسِهِ

مَن رَدَّها صُبَّت عَلى راسِهِ

Their custom when drinking it together was:

Their custom of passing it between them,

Their custom in the rounds of drink is strictly kept:

whoever refused it had it poured over his head.

Whoever declined, it was poured on his head.

Whoever turns away the cup shall have it poured upon his head.

إِذا حَساها بَعضُهُم لَم يَدَع

إِذا حَساها بَعضُهُم لَم يَدَع

ما يَغمُرُ الذَرَّةَ في كاسِهِ

ما يَغمُرُ الذَرَّةَ في كاسِهِ

When one of them sipped it, he would not leave

When one of them felt it was enough,

And when one quaffs the draught, he leaves behind

enough to cover a tiny ant in his cup.

He did not leave what submerges the peas in his cup.

Not a drop enough to drown a speck within his glass.

يا لَكِ مِن تُفّاحَةٍ غَضَّةٍ

يا لَكِ مِن تُفّاحَةٍ غَضَّةٍ

طَيَّبَها حِبّي بِأَنفاسِهِ

طَيَّبَها حِبّي بِأَنفاسِهِ

Oh, what a fresh, tender apple you are!

Oh, you are a juicy apple,

O what a marvel you are, fresh and tender apple,

My beloved perfumed it with his breath.

My love made it fragrant with his breath.

Which my beloved has perfumed with his very breath.

فَزادَ طيباً ريحَها طيبُهُ

فَزادَ طيباً ريحَها طيبُهُ

فَطابَ مِنها ريحُ جُلّاسِهِ

فَطابَ مِنها ريحُ جُلّاسِهِ

So his fragrance made its scent sweeter,

So the fragrance of its fragrance increased,

His essence increased the fragrance of its own,

and from it his companions' scent grew sweet.

Thus the smell of the session became good.

Sweetening the air for all who sat around him.

وَطابَتِ الكَأسُ وَإِبريقُنا

وَطابَتِ الكَأسُ وَإِبريقُنا

مِن مَوضِعِ التَقبيلِ مِن كاسِهِ

مِن مَوضِعِ التَقبيلِ مِن كاسِهِ

And the cup and our pitcher grew fragrant

The goblet and our pitcher became fragrant,

And the goblet and our pitcher turned divine,

from the kissed spot on his cup.

From the place of kissing the cup.

From the spot where his lips had kissed the cup.