غَنِّنا بِالطُلولِ كَيفَ بَلينا

غَنِّنا بِالطُلولِ كَيفَ بَلينا

وَاِسقِنا نُعطِكَ الثَناءَ الثَمينا

وَاِسقِنا نُعطِكَ الثَناءَ الثَمينا

Sing to us of the ruins—how we have worn away;

Sing to us of past revels and delights,

Sing to us of the ruins, and how we withered away,

And give us drink—we will offer you precious praise—

And pour the wine, we'll praise it as is right.

And pour us wine; in exchange, we offer precious praise.

مِن سُلافٍ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ شَيءٍ

مِن سُلافٍ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ شَيءٍ

يَتَمَنّى مُخَيَّرٌ أَن يَكونا

يَتَمَنّى مُخَيَّرٌ أَن يَكونا

Of pure, first-run wine, as though it were everything

A vintage it's like nothing ever known,

Of a vintage choice, seemingly encompassing all things,

One given a choice might wish to be.

All that one could desire in draughts is shown.

Whatever a distinctive soul might wish to become.

أَكَلَ الدَهرُ ما تَجَسَّمَ مِنها

أَكَلَ الدَهرُ ما تَجَسَّمَ مِنها

وَتَبَقّى لُبابُها المَكنونا

وَتَبَقّى لُبابُها المَكنونا

Time consumed whatever in it had substance,

Time has consumed its outward form and dress,

Time has devoured all its corporeal form,

And its hidden essence remained.

Its essence pure alone did time impress.

Leaving behind only its hidden, spiritual core.

فَإِذا ما اِجتَلَيتَها فَهَباءٌ

فَإِذا ما اِجتَلَيتَها فَهَباءٌ

يَمنَعُ الكَفَّ ما يُبيحُ العُيونا

يَمنَعُ الكَفَّ ما يُبيحُ العُيونا

So when you behold it, it is fine dust,

Grasp it, mere vapor 'twixt your hands will stay,

When you gaze upon it, it is but scattered light,

Withholding from the palm what it grants the eyes.

The eyes see what the hands cannot hold or sway.

Denying the hand what it freely grants the eyes.

ثُمَّ شُجَّت فَاِستَضحَكَت عَن لَآلٍ

ثُمَّ شُجَّت فَاِستَضحَكَت عَن لَآلٍ

لَو تَجَمَّعنَ في يَدٍ لَاِقتُنينا

لَو تَجَمَّعنَ في يَدٍ لَاِقتُنينا

Then it was diluted and burst into laughter, revealing pearls;

Then from a cheek like ruby it will smile,

Then, when mixed, it laughed to reveal bright pearls,

If they were gathered in a hand, they would be treasured.

As if all beauty in a palm compile.

Which, if gathered in a hand, would be treasures to keep.

في كُؤوسٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ نُجومٌ

في كُؤوسٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ نُجومٌ

جارِياتٌ بُروجُها يَبدينا

جارِياتٌ بُروجُها يَبدينا

In goblets, as though they were stars,

In cups like stars that circle in the sky,

In goblets that shimmer as if they were stars,

Gliding, their zodiacal houses appearing [uncertain reading],

Their mansions passing as they journey by.

Drifting along, their celestial houses revealed.

طالِعاتٍ مَعَ السُقاةِ عَلَينا

طالِعاتٍ مَعَ السُقاةِ عَلَينا

فَإِذا ما غَرَبنَ يَغرُبنَ فينا

فَإِذا ما غَرَبنَ يَغرُبنَ فينا

Rising above us with the cupbearers;

They rise o’er us with cupbearers in train,

Rising upon us in the hands of the cupbearers,

And when they set, they set within us.

And when they set, set they within our brain.

And when they set, they set deep within us.

لَو تَرى الشَربَ حَولَها مِن بَعيدٍ

لَو تَرى الشَربَ حَولَها مِن بَعيدٍ

قُلتَ قَومٌ مِن قِرَّةٍ يَصطَلونا

قُلتَ قَومٌ مِن قِرَّةٍ يَصطَلونا

If you saw the drinkers around it from afar,

From far you'd think, seeing them circle round,

Were you to see the drinkers around it from afar,

You would say, “People warming themselves at a fire against the cold.”

A tribe in comfort and repose is found.

You would say: a people frozen, warming themselves by a fire.

وَغَزالٍ يُديرُها بِبَنانٍ

وَغَزالٍ يُديرُها بِبَنانٍ

ناعِماتٍ يَزيدُها الغَمزُ لينا

ناعِماتٍ يَزيدُها الغَمزُ لينا

And a gazelle passes it round with fingertips,

A fawn the cup bears with her gentle wrist,

And a gazelle who passes the cup with fingertips,

Tender, made softer still by a squeeze.

Her dimples add to motions soft and brisk.

So soft, that merely touching them increases their grace.

كُلَّما شِئتُ عَلَّني بِرُضابٍ

كُلَّما شِئتُ عَلَّني بِرُضابٍ

يَترُكُ القَلبَ لِلسُرورِ خَدينا

يَترُكُ القَلبَ لِلسُرورِ خَدينا

Whenever I wished, he gave me another draught of sweet saliva,

Call me with nectar whenever you insist,

Whenever I wished, he refreshed me with sweet kisses,

That leaves the heart an intimate companion of joy.

Leaving the heart to happiness unkissed.

Leaving my heart a constant companion to joy.

ذاكَ عَيشٌ لَو دامَ لي غَيرَ أَنّي

ذاكَ عَيشٌ لَو دامَ لي غَيرَ أَنّي

عِفتُهُ مُكرَهاً وَخِفتُ الأَمينا

عِفتُهُ مُكرَهاً وَخِفتُ الأَمينا

That was life—if only it had lasted for me! But I

A life it was, and had it longer stayed,

That was a life—had it only lasted for me!—but I,

Shunned it under compulsion, and feared al-Amin.

I would have spurned it and the world obeyed.

Abandoned it against my will, in fear of the Trustee.

أَدِرِ الكَأسَ حانَ أَن تَسقينا

أَدِرِ الكَأسَ حانَ أَن تَسقينا

وَاِنقُرِ الدَفَّ إِنَّهُ يَلهينا

وَاِنقُرِ الدَفَّ إِنَّهُ يَلهينا

Pass the cup round; it is time to give us drink.

Turn you the cup, the time for drink is due,

Pass the cup around; the time has come to pour for us,

And tap the frame drum, for it diverts us.

Beat you the drum, it stirs the heart anew.

And strike the tambourine, for truly it beguiles us.

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ لِلطُلولِ إِذا ما

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ لِلطُلولِ إِذا ما

دارَتِ الكَأسُ يَسرَةً وَيَمينا

دارَتِ الكَأسُ يَسرَةً وَيَمينا

And leave off talk of the ruins whenever

Speak not of days of mirth now turned to rue

And cease the mention of the ruins, whenever

The cup goes round to left and right.

When cups went round both left hand and right hand too.

The wine cup circles to the left and to the right.