دَعني مِنَ الدارِ أَبكيها وَأَرثيها

دَعني مِنَ الدارِ أَبكيها وَأَرثيها

إِذا خَلَت مِن حَبيبٍ لي مَغانيها

إِذا خَلَت مِن حَبيبٍ لي مَغانيها

Spare me weeping over the dwelling and mourning it,

Stop speaking to me of the ruins, weeping over them and mourning,

when its grounds stand empty of a beloved of mine.

If their dwelling-places are empty of a beloved of mine.

ذَرِ الرَوامِسَ تَمحو كُلَّما دَرَسَت

ذَرِ الرَوامِسَ تَمحو كُلَّما دَرَسَت

آثارُها وَدَعِ الأَمطارَ تَبكيها

آثارُها وَدَعِ الأَمطارَ تَبكيها

Let the sand-bearing winds erase, whenever they fade,

Let the burying winds erase whatever traces have faded,

its traces, and let the rains weep for it.

And leave the falling rains to weep over them.

إِن كانَ فيها الَّذي أَهوى أَقَمتُ بِها

إِن كانَ فيها الَّذي أَهوى أَقَمتُ بِها

وَإِن عَداها فَإِنّي سَوفَ أَقليها

وَإِن عَداها فَإِنّي سَوفَ أَقليها

If the one I love is there, I stay there;

If the one I desire were there, I would have remained,

but if he leaves it, then I shall loathe it.

But since he has passed them by, I shall surely loathe them.

أَحَقُّ مَنزِلَةٍ بِالتَركِ مَنزِلَةٌ

أَحَقُّ مَنزِلَةٍ بِالتَركِ مَنزِلَةٌ

تَعَطَّلَت مِن هَوىً عِلقٍ لِأَهليها

تَعَطَّلَت مِن هَوىً عِلقٍ لِأَهليها

The dwelling most deserving of abandonment is one

The dwelling most deserving of abandonment is one

bereft of a love dear to its people.

That has become void of a precious love for its inhabitants.

أَمكَنتُ عاذِلَتي في الخَمرِ مِن أُذُنٍ

أَمكَنتُ عاذِلَتي في الخَمرِ مِن أُذُنٍ

يُغني صَداها جَواباً مَن يُناديها

يُغني صَداها جَواباً مَن يُناديها

I lent the woman who chides me for wine an ear

I lent my scolding critic an ear regarding wine

whose echo is answer enough for whoever calls to it.

Whose hollow echo simply sings back to whoever calls.

أَقولُ لَمّا أَدارَ الكَأسَ لي قُثَمٌ

أَقولُ لَمّا أَدارَ الكَأسَ لي قُثَمٌ

الآنَ حينَ تَعاطى القَوسَ باريها

الآنَ حينَ تَعاطى القَوسَ باريها

I said, when Qutham passed the cup to me:

I said when Qutham circulated the cup to me:

Now is the moment: the bow's maker has taken it up!

"Now the bow has been placed in the hands of its master."

يا أَلبَقَ الناسِ كَفّاً حينَ يَمزُجُها

يا أَلبَقَ الناسِ كَفّاً حينَ يَمزُجُها

وَحينَ يَشرَبُها صِرفاً وَيَسقيها

وَحينَ يَشرَبُها صِرفاً وَيَسقيها

O most deft-handed of all people, when you mix it,

O most skillful of hands when mixing the draught,

and when you drink it neat and serve it!

And when drinking it pure or serving it to others!

قَد قُمتُ فيها عَلى حَدٍّ يُوافِقُنا

قَد قُمتُ فيها عَلى حَدٍّ يُوافِقُنا

وَهَكَذا فَأَدِرها بَينَنا إيها

وَهَكَذا فَأَدِرها بَينَنا إيها

I have settled on a measure of it that suits us;

You have settled upon a blend that suits us perfectly;

and thus, pass it round among us—go on!

Just so, pass it around between us—come on!

إِن كانَتِ الخَمرُ لِلأَلبابِ سالِبَةً

إِن كانَتِ الخَمرُ لِلأَلبابِ سالِبَةً

فَإِنَّ عَينَيكَ تَجري في مَجاريها

فَإِنَّ عَينَيكَ تَجري في مَجاريها

If wine is a robber of minds,

If wine is truly a thief of reason,

then your eyes run in its channels.

Then your eyes surely flow in its very channels.

في مُقلَتَيكَ صِفاتُ السِحرِ ناطِقَةٌ

في مُقلَتَيكَ صِفاتُ السِحرِ ناطِقَةٌ

بِاللَفظِ واحِدَةٌ شَتّى مَعانيها

بِاللَفظِ واحِدَةٌ شَتّى مَعانيها

In your pupils the qualities of sorcery speak,

In your eyes, the attributes of magic speak clearly;

one in expression, yet manifold in their meanings.

Singular in expression, yet diverse in their meanings.

فَاِشرَب لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَحظى بِسَكرَتِها

فَاِشرَب لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَحظى بِسَكرَتِها

فَالشَأنُ إِن ساعَدَتنا سَكرَةٌ فيها

فَالشَأنُ إِن ساعَدَتنا سَكرَةٌ فيها

So drink; perhaps you may enjoy its intoxication,

So drink, that you might perhaps attain its intoxication,

for what matters is whether a drunken stupor aids us in this.

For our goal is that a drunkenness therein might aid us.

وَمُخطَفِ الخَصرِ في أَردافِهِ عَمَمٌ

وَمُخطَفِ الخَصرِ في أَردافِهِ عَمَمٌ

يَميسُ في حُلَّةٍ رَقَّت حَواشيها

يَميسُ في حُلَّةٍ رَقَّت حَواشيها

And a slender-waisted one, full in the haunches,

And many a slender-waisted one, whose buttocks are full,

sways in a robe whose hems are delicate.

Swaying in a garment with delicate borders—

إِذا نَظَرتُ إِلَيهِ تاهَ عَن نَظَري

إِذا نَظَرتُ إِلَيهِ تاهَ عَن نَظَري

فَإِن تَزَيَّدتُ دَلّاً زادَني تيها

فَإِن تَزَيَّدتُ دَلّاً زادَني تيها

When I look at him, he turns proudly from my gaze;

If I look at him, he haughtily turns from my gaze;

and if I grow more coquettish, he shows me more disdain.

And if I feign indifference, he treats me with greater pride.

عاطَيتُهُ وَضِياءُ الصُبحِ مُتَّصِلٌ

عاطَيتُهُ وَضِياءُ الصُبحِ مُتَّصِلٌ

بِظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ أَو قَد كانَ يُضويها

بِظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ أَو قَد كانَ يُضويها

I shared with him, while dawn's light was joined

I shared the cup with him while the light of dawn was joined

to night's darkness, or was already thinning it,

To the darkness of night—or perhaps the wine was illuminating it—

كَأساً كَأَنَّ دَبيبَ النَملِ فَترَتُها

كَأساً كَأَنَّ دَبيبَ النَملِ فَترَتُها

لَديغُها يَشتَفي مِن نَفثِ راقيها

لَديغُها يَشتَفي مِن نَفثِ راقيها

a cup whose languor was like the creeping of ants;

A cup whose languor creeps like the crawling of ants;

one stung by it finds healing in its charmer's breath.

Its victim finds the cure in the breath of the charmer.

فَلَم نَزَل نَتَعاطى الكَأسَ مُذهَبَةً

فَلَم نَزَل نَتَعاطى الكَأسَ مُذهَبَةً

كَأَنَّ طَوقَ جُمانٍ في نَواحيها

كَأَنَّ طَوقَ جُمانٍ في نَواحيها

And we went on passing the gilded cup,

We ceased not to pass the golden cup between us,

as though a necklace of pearls lay round its sides,

As if a necklace of pearls encircled its rim.

حَتّى إِذا أَلبَسَتهُ الكَأسُ حُلَّتَها

حَتّى إِذا أَلبَسَتهُ الكَأسُ حُلَّتَها

وَنامَ شارِبُها سُكراً وَساقيها

وَنامَ شارِبُها سُكراً وَساقيها

until, when the cup had clothed him in its robe,

Until, when the cup had clothed him in its raiment,

and its drinker and its cupbearer slept, drunk,

And both its drinker and its server slept in intoxication,

كَتَبتُ في غَيرِ قِرطاسٍ بِلا قَلَمٍ

كَتَبتُ في غَيرِ قِرطاسٍ بِلا قَلَمٍ

في حاجَةٍ عَرَضَت لي لا أُسَمّيها

في حاجَةٍ عَرَضَت لي لا أُسَمّيها

I wrote on something other than paper, without a pen,

I wrote upon something other than paper, without a pen,

concerning a need that arose for me, which I will not name.

Of a sudden need that seized me—one I shall not name.

فَقامَ يوسِعُني شَتماً وَأوسِعُهُ

فَقامَ يوسِعُني شَتماً وَأوسِعُهُ

حِلماً وَقَد بَلَغَت نَفسي أَمانيها

حِلماً وَقَد بَلَغَت نَفسي أَمانيها

Then he rose and showered me with abuse, while I showered him

He rose to shower me with insults, while I showered him

with forbearance, my soul having attained its desires.

With forbearance, for my soul had attained its desires.

صَنائِعُ الخَمرِ عِندي غَيرُ ضائِعَةٍ

صَنائِعُ الخَمرِ عِندي غَيرُ ضائِعَةٍ

حَتّى يَقومَ بِها شُكري فَيَجزيها

حَتّى يَقومَ بِها شُكري فَيَجزيها

Wine's favors are not lost on me,

The favors bestowed by wine are never wasted on me,

until my gratitude does them justice and repays them.

For my gratitude stands ready to repay them in full.