لَستُ أَرى لَذَّةً وَلا فَرَحا

لَستُ أَرى لَذَّةً وَلا فَرَحا

وَلا نَجاحاً حَتّى أَرى القَدَحا

وَلا نَجاحاً حَتّى أَرى القَدَحا

I see no pleasure or joy,

I see no pleasure nor joy,

I find neither pleasure, nor joy, nor fulfillment, until I behold the brimming cup.

nor success, until I see the cup.

Nor success until I see the wine flask.

For aged wine is the finest shield a youth possesses when sorrow strikes or cares run wild.

نِعمَ سِلاحُ الفَتى المُدامُ إِذا

نِعمَ سِلاحُ الفَتى المُدامُ إِذا

ساوَرَهُ الهَمُّ أَم بِهِ جَمَحا

ساوَرَهُ الهَمُّ أَم بِهِ جَمَحا

Wine is an excellent weapon for a young man when

Fine is liquor for a young man when

Indeed, wine is such that, were it fashioned into a key for a miser's lock, it would surely open.

worry assails him or runs wild with him.

Grief besieges him or stirs his passion.

There is no life but in the wine I quaff, sometimes at dusk, and again at the break of dawn.

وَالخَمرُ شَيءٌ لَو أَنَّها جُعِلَت

وَالخَمرُ شَيءٌ لَو أَنَّها جُعِلَت

مِفتاحَ قُفلِ البَخيلِ لَاِنفَتَحا

مِفتاحَ قُفلِ البَخيلِ لَاِنفَتَحا

And wine is a thing that, were it made

And wine is something that if it were made

O friend, I shall never abandon the drink, nor heed the counselor's words concerning love.

the key to the miser's lock, the lock would open.

The key to a miser's lock, his lock would open.

لا عَيشَ إِلّا المُدامُ أَشرَبُها

لا عَيشَ إِلّا المُدامُ أَشرَبُها

مُغتَبِقاً تارَةً وَمُصطَبِحا

مُغتَبِقاً تارَةً وَمُصطَبِحا

There is no life but wine; I drink it

No life except liquor which I drink

sometimes in the evening, and sometimes in the morning.

Sometimes hugging the bottle, sometimes sober.

يا صاحِ لا أَترُكُ المُدامَ وَلا

يا صاحِ لا أَترُكُ المُدامَ وَلا

أَقبَلُ في الحُبِّ قَولَ مَن نَصَحا

أَقبَلُ في الحُبِّ قَولَ مَن نَصَحا

O friend, I will not forsake wine, nor

Oh friend, I shall not leave liquor nor

accept, in love, the words of anyone who offers counsel.

Accept in love the word of one who admonishes.