أَما وَصُدودِ مَخمورٍ

أَما وَصُدودِ مَخمورٍ

بِعَينَيهِ عَنِ الكاسِ

بِعَينَيهِ عَنِ الكاسِ

Indeed, by a drunken man's averting

The drunkard closed his eyes

Nay, by the feigned refusal of one languid with drink,

his eyes from the cup—

To the wine cup, fearing reproach

Turning his eyes away from the cup;

فَلَمّا خَشِيَ الإِلحا

فَلَمّا خَشِيَ الإِلحا

حَ مِن صَحبٍ وَجُلّاسِ

حَ مِن صَحبٍ وَجُلّاسِ

then, when he feared insistence

From boon companions.

Yet when he feared the relentless urging

from friends and drinking companions,

He pretended to sip the wine,

Of companions and seated guests,

وَأَلّا يَقبَلوا عُذراً

وَأَلّا يَقبَلوا عُذراً

تَحَسّاها مَعَ الحاسي

تَحَسّاها مَعَ الحاسي

and that they would accept no excuse,

Lifting the cup with languid eyes,

And saw that they would accept no excuse,

he sipped it alongside the drinker,

With slow, weak hands.

He sipped the wine alongside the drinker,

بِكَفَّي فاتِرِ اللَحظِ

بِكَفَّي فاتِرِ اللَحظِ

رَخيمِ الدَلِّ مَيّاسِ

رَخيمِ الدَلِّ مَيّاسِ

from the two hands of one languid of gaze,

From the hands of one with heavy-lidded gaze,

gentle in his coquetry, swaying gracefully.

His eyes and head promised us

Soft in coquetry, swaying with grace.

لَنا مِنهُ مَواعيدٌ

لَنا مِنهُ مَواعيدٌ

بِعَينَيهِ وَبِالراسِ

بِعَينَيهِ وَبِالراسِ

We have promises from him,

That he would drink.

We hold secret promises from him,

made with his eyes and his head.

If you are called Abbas,

Given by his eyes and the nod of his head.

لَئِن سُمّيتَ عَبّاساً

لَئِن سُمّيتَ عَبّاساً

فَما أَنتَ بِعَبّاسِ

فَما أَنتَ بِعَبّاسِ

Though you are called Abbas,

You are no Abbas!

If indeed you were named Abbas [the Stern],

you are not stern-faced

You are no man of generosity,

You show no sternness of face

لَدى الجودِ وَلَكِنَّ

لَدى الجودِ وَلَكِنَّ

كَ عَبّاسٌ لَدى الباسِ

كَ عَبّاسٌ لَدى الباسِ

in generosity; and yet

Rather an Abbas of meanness.

In times of generosity, but truly

you are stern-faced in battle.

You deserve distinction,

You are stern as a lion in the heat of war.

وَبِالفَضلِ لَكَ الفَضلُ

وَبِالفَضلِ لَكَ الفَضلُ

أَبا الفَضلِ عَلى الناسِ

أَبا الفَضلِ عَلى الناسِ

And in excellence, yours is preeminence,

Father of distinction above all mankind!

And by virtue, all virtue belongs to you,

Abu al-Fadl, over all people.

O Abu al-Fadl [Father of Virtue], above all mankind.