اِسقِني إِن سَقَيتَني بِالكَبيرِ

اِسقِني إِن سَقَيتَني بِالكَبيرِ

مِن لَذيذِ الشَرابِ لا بِالصَغيرِ

مِن لَذيذِ الشَرابِ لا بِالصَغيرِ

Give me drink—if you give me drink—from the large cup,

Quench me, if you quench me, with a great cup

Pour for me, if you must pour, from the great vessel,

of delicious wine, not from the small one;

Of delicious drink, not a small one,

Of the luscious drink, and never from the small;

مِن مُدامٍ مُعَتَّقٍ أَخرَسَتهُ

مِن مُدامٍ مُعَتَّقٍ أَخرَسَتهُ

حِقبَةُ الدَهرِ بَعدَ طولِ الهَديرِ

حِقبَةُ الدَهرِ بَعدَ طولِ الهَديرِ

of well-aged wine, made mute

Of matured wine which silence has hushed

From an aged vintage silenced by the passing eras,

by a long span of time after its prolonged roaring.

For an epoch of time after prolonged murmuring,

Stilled by time after its long, thundering ferment;

بابِلِيٌّ صافٍ مُؤَنَّثَةٌ طَو

بابِلِيٌّ صافٍ مُؤَنَّثَةٌ طَو

راً وَطَوراً تَهُمُّ بِالتَذكيرِ

راً وَطَوراً تَهُمُّ بِالتَذكيرِ

Babylonian and clear, feminine at times,

Babylonian, pure, feminine, bending

A clear Babylonian wine, appearing feminine at times,

and at times inclined toward the masculine;

Now this way, now that, inclined to masculinity,

Yet at others, it asserts a masculine strength;

في أَباريقَ سُجَّدٍ كَبَناتِ ال

في أَباريقَ سُجَّدٍ كَبَناتِ ال

ماءِ أَقعَينَ مِن حِذارِ الصُقورِ

ماءِ أَقعَينَ مِن حِذارِ الصُقورِ

in prostrate pitchers, like daughters of the

In decanters of prostration like the water jars

Served in pitchers bowed low like water-birds,

water, crouching for fear of falcons.

Fearfully sheltering from the hawks,

Crouching down in terror of the falcons;

فَإِذا ما الكُؤوسُ دارَت عَلَينا

فَإِذا ما الكُؤوسُ دارَت عَلَينا

قَذَفَت في أُنوفِنا بِالعَبيرِ

قَذَفَت في أُنوفِنا بِالعَبيرِ

Then, when the cups pass round among us,

So when the cups circulated amongst us,

And when the cups circulate among us,

they fling perfume into our nostrils.

They blew into our noses the fragrance,

They cast a heady perfume into our breath;

وَلَدَينا المُهَذَّبُ اِبنُ رَبابٍ

وَلَدَينا المُهَذَّبُ اِبنُ رَبابٍ

عِصمَةُ المُعتَفينَ بَحرُ البُحورِ

عِصمَةُ المُعتَفينَ بَحرُ البُحورِ

And with us is the refined Ibn Rabab,

And with us was the refined son of Rabab,

For with us is the refined Ibn Rabab,

the refuge of those seeking gifts, the sea of seas.

Guardian of those who confess, an ocean of oceans,

The sanctuary of seekers, the sea of all seas;

صاغَهُ رَبُّهُ عَلى الجودِ وَالحِل

صاغَهُ رَبُّهُ عَلى الجودِ وَالحِل

مِ وَما شِئتَ مِن حَياءٍ وَخَيرِ

مِ وَما شِئتَ مِن حَياءٍ وَخَيرِ

His Lord fashioned him with generosity and forbearance,

Fashioned by his Lord for generosity and forbearance

His Lord fashioned him from generosity and forbearance,

and whatever you wish of modesty and goodness.

And whatever you wish of modesty and goodness.

And whatever you might desire of modesty and virtue.