يا رُبَّ صاحِبِ حانَةٍ قَد رُعتُهُ

يا رُبَّ صاحِبِ حانَةٍ قَد رُعتُهُ

فَبَعَثتُهُ مِن نَومِهِ المُتَزَمِّلِ

فَبَعَثتُهُ مِن نَومِهِ المُتَزَمِّلِ

Ah, many a tavern-keeper have I startled,

O Lord of the tavern keeper I have awakened

Oh, many a tavern owner have I startled,

and roused him from his sleep as he lay wrapped up.

So I sent him from his deep slumber

Rousing him from his sleep, wrapped in blankets.

عَرَفَت ثِيابَ الطارِقينَ كِلابُهُ

عَرَفَت ثِيابَ الطارِقينَ كِلابُهُ

فَيَبِتنَ عَن سَنَنِ الطَريقِ بِمَعزَلِ

فَيَبِتنَ عَن سَنَنِ الطَريقِ بِمَعزَلِ

His dogs recognized the clothes of night-time visitors,

His dogs knew the clothes of those knocking

His dogs recognized the clothes of the night-visitors,

so they spend the night apart, away from the road.

And they distance themselves from the path's ways

So they spent the night keeping clear of the path.

ما زِلتُ أَمتَحِنُ الدَساكِرَ دونَهُ

ما زِلتُ أَمتَحِنُ الدَساكِرَ دونَهُ

حَتّى دُفِعتُ إِلى خَفِيِّ المَنزِلِ

حَتّى دُفِعتُ إِلى خَفِيِّ المَنزِلِ

I kept searching the hamlets before reaching him,

I kept examining the patrols around him

I kept testing the roadside taverns in his stead,

until I was led to one whose dwelling was secluded.

Until I was pushed to the hidden house

Until I was driven to the hidden abode.

فَعَرَفتُهُ وَاللَيلُ مُلتَبِسٌ بِنا

فَعَرَفتُهُ وَاللَيلُ مُلتَبِسٌ بِنا

بِرَفيفِ صَلعَتِهِ وَشَيبِ المِسحَلِ

بِرَفيفِ صَلعَتِهِ وَشَيبِ المِسحَلِ

I recognized him, with night enfolding us,

So I recognized him while the night was ambiguous upon us

I knew him, though the night enveloped us,

by the gleam of his bald pate and the grey upon his cheek.

With the rustling of his baldness and graying hair

By the gleam of his bald head and his graying beard.

يا صاحِبَ الحانوتِ لا تَكُ مَشعِياً

يا صاحِبَ الحانوتِ لا تَكُ مَشعِياً

إِنَّ الشَرابَ مُحَرَّمٌ كَمُحَلَّلِ

إِنَّ الشَرابَ مُحَرَّمٌ كَمُحَلَّلِ

O shopkeeper, do not be over-scrupulous:

O owner of the shop, do not be a lamplighter

O master of the shop, do not be an informer,

for forbidden wine is just like permitted wine.

Verily, wine is forbidden like what is made lawful

For drink is forbidden, though [sought] like the lawful.

فَدَعِ الَّذي نَبَذَت يَداكَ وَعاطِني

فَدَعِ الَّذي نَبَذَت يَداكَ وَعاطِني

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ مِن نَبيذِ الأَرجُلِ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ مِن نَبيذِ الأَرجُلِ

So leave what your hands have steeped, and give me—

So leave what your hands have fermented and give me

So leave what your hands have brewed and serve me—

God bless you!—some wine trodden by feet,

For God's sake, your pressed grape juice

God bless you!—the wine pressed by feet,

مِمّا تَخَيَّرَهُ التُجارُ تَرى لَها

مِمّا تَخَيَّرَهُ التُجارُ تَرى لَها

قَرصاً إِذا ذيقَت كَقَرصِ الفُلفُلِ

قَرصاً إِذا ذيقَت كَقَرصِ الفُلفُلِ

from what the merchants selected; you find in it

Of what the merchants have chosen, you see it has

From what the merchants have chosen; you find in it

a bite, when tasted, like the bite of pepper.

A bite when tasted like a chili bite

A bite when tasted, like the sting of pepper.

وَلَها دَبيبٌ في العِظامِ كَأَنَّهُ

وَلَها دَبيبٌ في العِظامِ كَأَنَّهُ

قَبضُ النُعاسِ وَأَخذُهُ بِالمِفصَلِ

قَبضُ النُعاسِ وَأَخذُهُ بِالمِفصَلِ

And it creeps through the bones, as though it were

It has a tingle in the bones as if it is

It creeps through the bones as though it were

the grip of drowsiness and its hold upon the joints.

The grip of drowsiness taking the joints

The grip of drowsiness seizing the joints.

عَبِقَت أَكُفُّهُم بِها فَكَأَنَّما

عَبِقَت أَكُفُّهُم بِها فَكَأَنَّما

يَتَنازَعونَ بِها سِخابَ قَرَنفُلِ

يَتَنازَعونَ بِها سِخابَ قَرَنفُلِ

Their palms grew fragrant with it, so it was as though

Their palms smell of it as if they are competing

Their palms are fragrant with it, as if

they were passing, with those hands, a necklace of cloves.

Over its vapors like vying over cloves

They were vying over a necklace of cloves.

تَسقيكَها كَفٌّ إِلَيكَ حَبيبَةٌ

تَسقيكَها كَفٌّ إِلَيكَ حَبيبَةٌ

لا بُدَّ إِن بَخِلَت وَإِن لَم تَبخَلِ

لا بُدَّ إِن بَخِلَت وَإِن لَم تَبخَلِ

A hand dear to you gives you the wine to drink—

A beloved hand serves it to you

A hand beloved to you pours it out,

dear without fail, whether it withholds or not.

No doubt, reluctantly or freely

Inevitably, whether it gives sparingly or freely.