وَلاحٍ لَحاني كَي يَجيءَ بِبِدعَةٍ

وَلاحٍ لَحاني كَي يَجيءَ بِبِدعَةٍ

وَتِلكَ لَعَمري خُطَّةٌ لا أُطيقُها

وَتِلكَ لَعَمري خُطَّةٌ لا أُطيقُها

And a reprover reproached me, seeking to offer a novel notion;

A jester pestered me to bring innovation

A censor scolded me, seeking to introduce a strange innovation,

And that, by my life, is a course I cannot bear.

That, I swear, is a scheme beyond my ability

And that, by my life, is a plan I cannot bear.

لَحانِيَ كَي لا أَشرَبَ الراحَ إِنَّها

لَحانِيَ كَي لا أَشرَبَ الراحَ إِنَّها

تُوَرِّثُ وِزراً فادِحاً مَن يَذوقُها

تُوَرِّثُ وِزراً فادِحاً مَن يَذوقُها

He reproached me so that I would not drink wine, for it

Pestering me not to drink wine, for it

He blamed me so I would not drink the wine, claiming

Brings a grievous burden of sin upon whoever tastes it.

Bequeaths a mighty sin upon the taster

It leaves a heavy burden of sin on the one who tastes it.

فَما زادَني اللاحونَ إِلّا لَجاجَةً

فَما زادَني اللاحونَ إِلّا لَجاجَةً

عَلَيها لِأَنّي ما حَيّتُ رَفيقُها

عَلَيها لِأَنّي ما حَيّتُ رَفيقُها

So the reprovers only made me cling more stubbornly

So the jester increased my determination

But the censors only increased my stubborn persistence

To it, for I am its companion as long as I live.

For I haven’t lived as its companion in life

For it, since I remain its companion as long as I live.

أَأَرفُضُها وَاللَهُ لَم يَرفُضِ اسمَها

أَأَرفُضُها وَاللَهُ لَم يَرفُضِ اسمَها

وَهَذا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ صَديقُها

وَهَذا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ صَديقُها

Shall I reject it, when God has not rejected its name,

Shall I reject it when Allah hasn’t rejected its name?

Shall I reject it when God has not rejected its name,

And this Commander of the Faithful is its friend?

And this is the Commander of the Faithful, its friend

And this, the Commander of the Faithful, is its friend?

هِيَ الشَمسُ إِلّا أَنَّ لِلشَمسِ وَقدَةً

هِيَ الشَمسُ إِلّا أَنَّ لِلشَمسِ وَقدَةً

وَقَهوَتُنا في كُلِّ حُسنٍ تَفوقُها

وَقَهوَتُنا في كُلِّ حُسنٍ تَفوقُها

It is the sun, except that the sun has a burning heat,

It is the sun except the sun has embers

It is the sun, except that the sun has a burning blaze,

And our wine surpasses it in every kind of beauty.

While our coffee surpasses it in every goodness

While our wine surpasses it in every grace.

فَنَحنُ وَإِن لَم نَسكُنِ الخُلدَ عاجِلاً

فَنَحنُ وَإِن لَم نَسكُنِ الخُلدَ عاجِلاً

فَما خُلدُنا في الدَهرِ إِلّا رَحيقُها

فَما خُلدُنا في الدَهرِ إِلّا رَحيقُها

So, though we do not dwell in Paradise now,

So we, even if we don’t reside in eternity now

So even if we do not dwell in Paradise straight away,

Our paradise in this life is nothing but its nectar.

Our eternity in time is naught but its extract

Our paradise in this age is nothing but its nectar.

فَيا أَيُّها اللاحي اسقِني ثُمَّ غَنِّني

فَيا أَيُّها اللاحي اسقِني ثُمَّ غَنِّني

فَإِنّي إِلى وَقتِ المَماتِ شَقيقُها

فَإِنّي إِلى وَقتِ المَماتِ شَقيقُها

So, O reprover, give me a drink, then sing to me;

O jester, serve me then sing to me

So, O blamer, pour me a drink, then sing to me,

For until the hour of death, I am its brother.

For I’m unto the time of death its boon friend

For I am its sworn brother until the time of death.

إِذا مِتُّ فَادفِنّي إِلى جَنبِ كَرمَةٍ

إِذا مِتُّ فَادفِنّي إِلى جَنبِ كَرمَةٍ

تُرَوّي عِظامي بَعدَ مَوتي عُروقُها

تُرَوّي عِظامي بَعدَ مَوتي عُروقُها

When I die, then bury me beside a grapevine;

When I die, bury me next to a grapevine

When I die, bury me beside a grapevine,

Its roots will water my bones after my death.

To water my bones after death with its roots

That its roots may quench my bones after my death.