وَمُتَرَّفٍ عَقَلَ الحَياءُ لِسانَهُ

وَمُتَرَّفٍ عَقَلَ الحَياءُ لِسانَهُ

فَكَلامُهُ بِالوَحيِ وَالإيماءِ

فَكَلامُهُ بِالوَحيِ وَالإيماءِ

And a pampered man—modesty had bound his tongue,

The refined man's modesty held back his tongue

A pampered soul whose tongue was bound by shyness,

So his speech came through hints and gestures.

So he spoke by gestures and divine inspiration

So that his speech became mere signals and gestures.

لَمّا نَظَرتُ إِلى الكَرى في عَينِهِ

لَمّا نَظَرتُ إِلى الكَرى في عَينِهِ

قَد عَقَّدَ الجَفنَينِ بِالإِغفاءِ

قَد عَقَّدَ الجَفنَينِ بِالإِغفاءِ

When I saw drowsiness in his eye—

When I saw the drunkenness in his eyes

When I gazed upon the slumber in his eyes,

It had already bound both eyelids shut with slumber—

As he knitted his eyelids with drowsiness

Which had sealed his eyelids fast in sleep,

حَرَّكتُهُ بِيَدي وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِنتَبِه

حَرَّكتُهُ بِيَدي وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِنتَبِه

يا سَيِّدَ الخُلَطاءِ وَالنُدَماءِ

يا سَيِّدَ الخُلَطاءِ وَالنُدَماءِ

I shook him with my hand and said to him, 'Wake up,

I shook him with my hand and said to him, awaken

I stirred him with my hand and said to him, "Awake,

O master of companions and drinking fellows,

O master of the mixed company and the regrets

O master of close companions and drinking partners,

حَتّى أُزيحَ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِشُربَةٍ

حَتّى أُزيحَ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِشُربَةٍ

تَسمو بِصاحِبِها إِلى العَلياءِ

تَسمو بِصاحِبِها إِلى العَلياءِ

So I may dispel your care with a draught

Until the worry is lifted from you with a drink

That I may banish your sorrow with a draught

That lifts its drinker to the heights.'

That elevates its drinker to the highest

That ascends with its drinker to the sublime."

فَأَجابَني وَالسُكرُ يَخفِضُ صَوتَهُ

فَأَجابَني وَالسُكرُ يَخفِضُ صَوتَهُ

وَالصُبحُ يَدفَعُ في قَفا الظُلَماءِ

وَالصُبحُ يَدفَعُ في قَفا الظُلَماءِ

So he answered me, drunkenness lowering his voice,

He answered me as drunkenness lowered his voice

He answered me—while intoxication hushed his voice,

And dawn pressing at the nape of darkness:

And the dawn pushed away the darkness

As dawn pushed against the nape of the night—

إِنّي لَأَفهَمُ ما تَقولُ وَإِنَّما

إِنّي لَأَفهَمُ ما تَقولُ وَإِنَّما

رَدَّ التَعافي سَورَةُ الصَهباءِ

رَدَّ التَعافي سَورَةُ الصَهباءِ

'I do understand what you say; it is only that

I do understand what you say but

"I truly comprehend what you are saying, yet

The surge of tawny wine has held back my recovery.'

Sobriety has turned away the surge of tipsiness

The surge of wine has driven off sobriety."