إِذا خَطَرَت فيكَ الهُمومُ فَداوِها

إِذا خَطَرَت فيكَ الهُمومُ فَداوِها

بِكَأسِكَ حَتّى لا تَكونَ هُمومُ

بِكَأسِكَ حَتّى لا تَكونَ هُمومُ

When cares stir within you, cure them

When worries occur to you, cure them

If worries cross your mind, then cure them all

with your cup, until no cares remain.

With your cup until they are no longer worries

With your cup, until no trace of care remains.

أَدِرها وَخُذها قَهوَةً بابِلِيَّةً

أَدِرها وَخُذها قَهوَةً بابِلِيَّةً

لَها بَينَ بُصرى وَالعِراقِ كُرومُ

لَها بَينَ بُصرى وَالعِراقِ كُرومُ

Pass it around and take it—a Babylonian wine,

Make it coffee from Babylon

Pass it round and take it, a vintage of Babylon,

whose vineyards lie between Bosra and Iraq.

It has vineyards between Busra and Iraq

Born of vineyards found 'twixt Busra and Iraq.

وَما عَرَفَت ناراً وَلا قِدرَ طابِخٍ

وَما عَرَفَت ناراً وَلا قِدرَ طابِخٍ

سِوى حَرَّ شَمسٍ إِذ تَهيجُ سَمومُ

سِوى حَرَّ شَمسٍ إِذ تَهيجُ سَمومُ

It has known neither fire nor a cook's pot,

It has known no fire nor a cooking pot

It has known no fire, nor the cauldron of a cook,

only the sun's heat when the scorching wind rises.

Except the heat of the sun when poisons boil

Only the sun's heat when the scorching simoom blows.

لَها مِن ذَكيِّ المِسكِ ريحٌ ذَكِيَّةٌ

لَها مِن ذَكيِّ المِسكِ ريحٌ ذَكِيَّةٌ

وَمِن طيبِ ريحِ الزَعفَرانِ نَسيمُ

وَمِن طيبِ ريحِ الزَعفَرانِ نَسيمُ

It has a fragrant scent of strong musk,

It has the scent of fine musk

It holds the sharp fragrance of the purest musk,

and a waft of saffron's sweet aroma.

And the breeze of the smell of saffron

And a breath of the sweet, soft scent of saffron.

فَشَمَّرتُ أَثوابي وَهَروَلتُ مُسرِعاً

فَشَمَّرتُ أَثوابي وَهَروَلتُ مُسرِعاً

وَقَلبِيَ مِن شَوقٍ يَكادُ يَهيمُ

وَقَلبِيَ مِن شَوقٍ يَكادُ يَهيمُ

So I hitched up my robes and hurried at a trot,

So I rolled up my sleeves and hurried

So I gathered my robes and hastened my pace,

while my heart almost went mad with longing.

With my heart almost wandering from yearning

While my heart, from longing, was nearly astray.

وَقُلتُ لِمَلّاحي أَلا هَيِّ زَورَقي

وَقُلتُ لِمَلّاحي أَلا هَيِّ زَورَقي

وَبِتُّ يُغَنّيني أَخٌ وَنَديمُ

وَبِتُّ يُغَنّيني أَخٌ وَنَديمُ

And I told my boatman, ‘Come, ready my skiff!’

And I said to the sailor, come on, make my boat ready

I called to my boatman, "Make ready my skiff!"

And I spent the night with a brother and drinking companion singing to me,

While a brother sings to entertain me

While a brother and boon-companion sang through the night.

إِلى بَيتِ خَمّارٍ أَفادَ زِحامُهُ

إِلى بَيتِ خَمّارٍ أَفادَ زِحامُهُ

لَهُ ثَروَةً وَالوَجهُ مِنهُ بَهيمُ

لَهُ ثَروَةً وَالوَجهُ مِنهُ بَهيمُ

bound for a wine-seller's house, whose crowds had brought

To the house of a wine-seller, his crowd was beneficial

To a vintner's abode, where the thronging crowds

him wealth, while his face was jet-black.

He has wealth while his face was shiny

brought him wealth, though his visage was dark and grim.

وَفي بَيتِهِ زِقٌّ وَدَنٌّ وَدَورَقٌ

وَفي بَيتِهِ زِقٌّ وَدَنٌّ وَدَورَقٌ

وَباطِيَةٌ تُروي الفَتى وَتُنيمُ

وَباطِيَةٌ تُروي الفَتى وَتُنيمُ

And in his house were a wineskin, a wine jar, and a flagon,

And in his house were raisins, jars and carafes

Inside were wineskins, casks, and clay jugs,

and a drinking bowl that quenches a youth's thirst and puts him to sleep.

And red wine that gives drink to the young lad and lulls him to sleep

And a flagon to quench a youth and lull him to sleep.

فَأَزقاقُهُ سودٌ وَحُمرٌ دِنانُهُ

فَأَزقاقُهُ سودٌ وَحُمرٌ دِنانُهُ

فَفي البَيتِ حُبشانٌ لَدَيهِ وَرومُ

فَفي البَيتِ حُبشانٌ لَدَيهِ وَرومُ

His wineskins were black, and his wine jars red;

So I went to the youths I used to serve, so I praised them

His skins are black and his casks are red—

so in his house he had Abyssinians and Byzantines.

And I found no defect among the servants

As if Abyssinians and Romans dwelt in his hall.

وَدَهقانَةٍ ميزانُها نُصبَ عَينِها

وَدَهقانَةٍ ميزانُها نُصبَ عَينِها

وَميزانُها لِلمُشتَرينَ غَشومُ

وَميزانُها لِلمُشتَرينَ غَشومُ

And a Persian proprietress had her scales before her eyes,

I entertained myself and the servants with drinking it

And a mistress of wine, with her scales in plain sight,

and her scales were unjust to buyers.

So this was an adversity that passed me, and bliss

Yet her balance deals falsely with those who buy.

فَأَعطَيتُها صُفراً وَقَبَّلتُ رَأسَها

فَأَعطَيتُها صُفراً وَقَبَّلتُ رَأسَها

عَلى أَنَّني فيما أَتَيتُ مُليمُ

عَلى أَنَّني فيما أَتَيتُ مُليمُ

So I gave her gold coins and kissed her head,

By my life, if Allah does not forgive her sin

I gave her gold coins and kissed her head,

though I was blameworthy in what I did.

Then my punishment in the Reckoning will be painful

Though surely I bear blame for the deed I had done.

وَقُلتُ لَها هُزّي الدَنانَ قَديمَةً

وَقُلتُ لَها هُزّي الدَنانَ قَديمَةً

فَقالَت نَعَم إِنّي بِذاكَ زَعيمُ

فَقالَت نَعَم إِنّي بِذاكَ زَعيمُ

And I said to her, ‘Shake the jars of aged wine.’

"Shake the ancient casks for me," I implored,

She said, ‘Yes, I vouch for that.

And she answered, "Yes, I am master of this."

أَلَستَ تَراها قَد تَعَفَّت رُسومُها

أَلَستَ تَراها قَد تَعَفَّت رُسومُها

كَما قَد تَعَفَّت لِلدِيارِ رُسومُ

كَما قَد تَعَفَّت لِلدِيارِ رُسومُ

Do you not see how their markings have been effaced,

"Do you not see how their markings have faded,

just as the traces of dwellings have been effaced?

Just as the traces of desert camps fade away?"

يَحومُ عَلَيها العَنكَبوتُ بِنَسجِها

يَحومُ عَلَيها العَنكَبوتُ بِنَسجِها

وَلَيسَ عَلى أَمثالِ تِلكَ يَحومُ

وَلَيسَ عَلى أَمثالِ تِلكَ يَحومُ

The spider circles over them, spinning its web,

"The spider has woven its web all around them,

yet it does not circle over the likes of those.

A veil it spins not for common things."

ذَخيرَةُ دَهقانٍ حَواها لِنَفسِهِ

ذَخيرَةُ دَهقانٍ حَواها لِنَفسِهِ

إِذا مَلِكٌ أَوفى عَلَيهِ وَسيمُ

إِذا مَلِكٌ أَوفى عَلَيهِ وَسيمُ

A Persian landowner's reserve, which he kept for himself,

"A treasure the merchant preserved for himself,

for when a handsome king should call upon him.

Awaiting the visit of a handsome king."

وَما باعَها إِلّا لِعُظمِ خَراجِهِ

وَما باعَها إِلّا لِعُظمِ خَراجِهِ

لِأَنَّ الَّذي يَجبي الخَراجَ ظَلومُ

لِأَنَّ الَّذي يَجبي الخَراجَ ظَلومُ

He sold it only because his land tax was so heavy,

"He sold it but to pay his heavy tax,

for the man who collects the land tax is oppressive.’

For the collector of tithes is a tyrant unjust."

فَقُلتُ بِكَم رِطلٌ فَقالَت بِأَصفَرٍ

فَقُلتُ بِكَم رِطلٌ فَقالَت بِأَصفَرٍ

فَحُزتُ زِقاقاً وِزرُهُنَّ عَظيمُ

فَحُزتُ زِقاقاً وِزرُهُنَّ عَظيمُ

So I asked, ‘How much for a pound?’ She said, ‘A gold coin.’

I asked, "How much for a measure?" She said, "One gold coin."

So I acquired wineskins whose burden of sin was great.

So I seized the skins, though their burden of sin was vast.

وَرُحتُ بِها في زَورَقٍ قَد كَتَمتُها

وَرُحتُ بِها في زَورَقٍ قَد كَتَمتُها

وَمِن أَينَ لِلمِسكِ الذَكِيِّ كُتومُ

وَمِن أَينَ لِلمِسكِ الذَكِيِّ كُتومُ

And I went off with it in a skiff, having concealed it—

I departed by boat, attempting to hide it,

yet how can fragrant musk be concealed?

But how can the scent of pungent musk be concealed?

إِلى فِتيَةٍ نادَمتُهُم فَحَمِدتُهُم

إِلى فِتيَةٍ نادَمتُهُم فَحَمِدتُهُم

وَما في النَدامى ما عَلِمتُ لَئيمُ

وَما في النَدامى ما عَلِمتُ لَئيمُ

to young men I drank with and praised;

To youths I caroused with—men worthy of praise—

and among those drinking companions, to my knowledge, none was base.

For among my companions, I knew not a soul who was base.

فَمَتَّعتُ نَفسي وَالنَدامى بِشُربِها

فَمَتَّعتُ نَفسي وَالنَدامى بِشُربِها

فَهَذا شَقاءٌ مَرَّ بي وَنَعيمُ

فَهَذا شَقاءٌ مَرَّ بي وَنَعيمُ

So I delighted myself and my companions by drinking it;

I delighted myself and my friends with the draught;

such were the misery and bliss that came my way.

Such was the hardship I passed, and such the bliss.

لَعَمري لَئِن لَم يَغفِرِ اللَهُ ذَنبَها

لَعَمري لَئِن لَم يَغفِرِ اللَهُ ذَنبَها

فَإِنَّ عَذابي في الحِسابِ أَليمُ

فَإِنَّ عَذابي في الحِسابِ أَليمُ

By my life, if God does not forgive the sin of drinking it,

By my life, if God does not pardon this sin,

then my torment at the Reckoning will be painful.

Then truly my torment at the Reckoning shall be sore.