وَلَستُ بِقائِلٍ لِنَديمِ صِدقٍ

وَلَستُ بِقائِلٍ لِنَديمِ صِدقٍ

وَقَد أَخَذَ النُعاسُ بِمُقلَتَيهِ

وَقَد أَخَذَ النُعاسُ بِمُقلَتَيهِ

And I would not tell a faithful drinking companion,

I do not say to a sincere friend

I am not one to say to a true drinking companion,

when drowsiness has taken hold of his eyes,

When sleep has seized his eyelids,

When drowsiness has seized his eyes:

تَناوَلها وَإِلّا لَم أَذُقها

تَناوَلها وَإِلّا لَم أَذُقها

فَيَأخُذُها وَقَد ثَقُلَت عَلَيهِ

فَيَأخُذُها وَقَد ثَقُلَت عَلَيهِ

“Take it, or else I will not taste it,”

“Take it,” lest he does not relish it

"Take this, or else I shall not taste it,"

so he takes it, though it has become a burden to him.

And takes it when it burdens him.

So that he takes it though it weighs heavy upon him.

وَلَكِنّي أُديرُ الكَأسَ عَنهُ

وَلَكِنّي أُديرُ الكَأسَ عَنهُ

وَأَصرِفُها بِغَمزَةِ حاجِبَيهِ

وَأَصرِفُها بِغَمزَةِ حاجِبَيهِ

Instead, I turn the cup away from him,

But I turn the cup from him

But rather, I turn the cup away from him,

and turn it aside at a twitch of his eyebrows.

And divert it with a raise of my eyebrows,

And divert it at the mere signal of his brows,

وَأَحبِسُها إِلى أَن يَشتَهيها

وَأَحبِسُها إِلى أَن يَشتَهيها

وَآخُذُها بِرِفقٍ مِن يَدَيهِ

وَآخُذُها بِرِفقٍ مِن يَدَيهِ

And I withhold it until he desires it,

And withhold it until he desires it,

And I withhold it until he desires it again,

and take it gently from his hands.

And give it to him gently from my hand.

And I take it gently from his hands.

فَهَذا ما حَيِيتُ لَهُ وَإِنّي

فَهَذا ما حَيِيتُ لَهُ وَإِنّي

أَبَرُّ بِمِثلِهِ مِن والِدَيهِ

أَبَرُّ بِمِثلِهِ مِن والِدَيهِ

So this I do for him as long as I live; and indeed I

Thus I act as long as I live,

This is my way with him as long as I live, for I

am kinder to one like him than his parents are.

And I am kinder to him than his parents.

Am kinder to the likes of him than his own parents.