كَأسٌ مِنَ الدُنيا تُدار

كَأسٌ مِنَ الدُنيا تُدار

مَن ذاقَها خَلَعَ العِذار

مَن ذاقَها خَلَعَ العِذار

A cup from the world is passed around;

The cup of life circulates

whoever tastes it casts off the bridle.

Whoever tastes it sheds inhibition

اللَيلُ قَوّامٌ بِها

اللَيلُ قَوّامٌ بِها

فَإِذا وَنى قامَ النَهار

فَإِذا وَنى قامَ النَهار

Night is its tireless attendant;

The night endures through it

and when it flags, day takes its place.

And when it fades, daybreak rises

وَحَبا بِها الأَعمارَ لَم

وَحَبا بِها الأَعمارَ لَم

تَدُمِ الطِوالُ وَلا القِصار

تَدُمِ الطِوالُ وَلا القِصار

And lifespans were endowed with it; neither

Through it, lives grew fond

the long nor the short endured.

Neither short nor long persisted

شَرِبَ الصَبِيُّ بِها وَلَم

شَرِبَ الصَبِيُّ بِها وَلَم

يَخلُ المُعَمَّرُ مِن خُمار

يَخلُ المُعَمَّرُ مِن خُمار

The child drank from it, and

The boy drank it, not refraining

the long-lived was not free of a hangover.

Nor the aged from intoxication

وَحَسا الكِرامُ سُلافَها

وَحَسا الكِرامُ سُلافَها

وَتَناوَلَ الهَمَلُ العُقار

وَتَناوَلَ الهَمَلُ العُقار

And the noble sipped its choicest wine,

The noble tasted its draft

and the rabble took the wine.

And the ignoble took the dregs

وَأَصابَ مِنها ذو الهَوى

وَأَصابَ مِنها ذو الهَوى

ما قَد أَصابَ أَخو الوَقار

ما قَد أَصابَ أَخو الوَقار

And the man of passion received from it

The love-struck obtained from it

what the man of dignity had received.

What even the dignified obtained

وَلَقَد تَميلُ عَلى الجَما

وَلَقَد تَميلُ عَلى الجَما

دِ وَتَصرَعُ الفَلَكَ المُدار

دِ وَتَصرَعُ الفَلَكَ المُدار

And indeed, it bears down upon inanimate

It tilts over the universe

matter, and fells the revolving sphere.

And topples the revolving orbit

كَأسُ المَنِيَّةِ في يَدٍ

كَأسُ المَنِيَّةِ في يَدٍ

عَسراءَ ما مِنها فِرار

عَسراءَ ما مِنها فِرار

Death’s cup is held in a hand,

The cup of death in a rough hand

a left hand; there is no escape from it.

From which there is no escape

تَجري اليَمينَ فَمَن تَوَل

تَجري اليَمينَ فَمَن تَوَل

لى يَسرَةً جَرَتِ اليَسار

لى يَسرَةً جَرَتِ اليَسار

It runs to the right; if anyone turns

It flows right, so whoever inclines

left, it runs to the left.

Left, it flowed to the left

أَودى الجَريءُ إِذا جَرى

أَودى الجَريءُ إِذا جَرى

وَالمُستَميتُ إِذا أَغار

وَالمُستَميتُ إِذا أَغار

He has perished, bold whenever he charged,

The audacious perished when he raced

and death-defying whenever he raided—

The desperate when he attacked

لَيثُ المَعامِعِ وَالوَقا

لَيثُ المَعامِعِ وَالوَقا

ئِعِ وَالمَواقِعِ وَالحِصار

ئِعِ وَالمَواقِعِ وَالحِصار

the lion of battle’s tumult and of

Predator of hopes, chances, sieges

battles, battlefields, and siege;

Remnant of the groups that

وَبَقِيَّةُ الزُمَرِ الَّتي

وَبَقِيَّةُ الزُمَرِ الَّتي

كانَت تَذودُ عَنِ الذِمار

كانَت تَذودُ عَنِ الذِمار

and the remnant of the bands that

Used to defend from enemies

used to defend their honor.

Soldiers of the Caliphate, the Sultan’s troops

جُندُ الخِلافَةِ عَسكَرُ السُل

جُندُ الخِلافَةِ عَسكَرُ السُل

طانِ حامِيَةُ الدِيار

طانِ حامِيَةُ الدِيار

The caliphate’s troops, the army of the

Guardians of the homelands

sultan, the defenders of the land.

Their mountain passes narrowed

ضاقَت كَريدُ جِبالُها

ضاقَت كَريدُ جِبالُها

بِكَ يا خَلوصي وَالقِفار

بِكَ يا خَلوصي وَالقِفار

Crete’s mountains were too narrow

With you, O Solitude and wastelands

for you, O Khulusi, and its wilderness too.

Your days in them, though

أَيّامُكُم فيها وَإِن

أَيّامُكُم فيها وَإِن

طالَ المَدى ذاتُ اِشتِهار

طالَ المَدى ذاتُ اِشتِهار

Your days there, though

Long the distance of renown

the years stretch on, are renowned.

The enemy knew you are

عَلِمَ العَدُوُّ بِأَنَّكُم

عَلِمَ العَدُوُّ بِأَنَّكُم

أَنتُم لِمِعصَمِها سِوار

أَنتُم لِمِعصَمِها سِوار

The enemy knew that you

Bracelets for its strongholds

yourselves were a bracelet for her wrist.

You stared at its den

أَحدَقتُمُ بِمَقَرِّهِ

أَحدَقتُمُ بِمَقَرِّهِ

فَتَرَكتُموهُ بِلا قَرار

فَتَرَكتُموهُ بِلا قَرار

You encircled his headquarters,

Leaving it no rest

so you left him no repose,

Until the lost found guidance

حَتّى اِهتَدى مَن كانَ ضَل

حَتّى اِهتَدى مَن كانَ ضَل

لَ وَثابَ مَن قَد كانَ ثار

لَ وَثابَ مَن قَد كانَ ثار

until those who had strayed found guidance,

And the rebellious repented

and those who had rebelled returned.

A pillar of authority that had crumbled

وَاِعتَزَّ رُكنٌ لِلوِلا

وَاِعتَزَّ رُكنٌ لِلوِلا

يَةِ كانَ مُنقَضَّ الجِدار

يَةِ كانَ مُنقَضَّ الجِدار

And a pillar of the government grew strong—

Was honored again

one whose wall had collapsed.

Live for glory and pride, O best

عِش لِلعُلا وَالمَجدِ يا

عِش لِلعُلا وَالمَجدِ يا

خَيرَ البَنينِ وَلِلفَخار

خَيرَ البَنينِ وَلِلفَخار

Live for greatness and glory, O

Of sons, and for esteem

best of sons, and for distinction.

I cry for your tears flowing

أَبكي لِدَمعِكَ جارِياً

أَبكي لِدَمعِكَ جارِياً

وَلِدَمعِ إِخوَتِكَ الصِغار

وَلِدَمعِ إِخوَتِكَ الصِغار

I weep for your flowing tears,

And for your younger brothers' tears

and for the tears of your little brothers.

And I wish you were men like

وَأَوَدُّ أَنَّكُمُ رِجا

وَأَوَدُّ أَنَّكُمُ رِجا

لٌ مِثلَ والِدِكُم كِبار

لٌ مِثلَ والِدِكُم كِبار

And I wish that you may be

Your father, grown

great men, like your father.

And I want your house an edifice

وَأُريدُ بَيتَكُمُ عَما

وَأُريدُ بَيتَكُمُ عَما

راً لا يُحاكيهِ عَمار

راً لا يُحاكيهِ عَمار

And I wish your house such prosperity

Unparalleled in its foundation

as no other prosperity can match.

From which no grace departs

لا تَخرُجُ النَعماءُ مِن

لا تَخرُجُ النَعماءُ مِن

هُ وَلا يُزايِلهُ اليَسار

هُ وَلا يُزايِلهُ اليَسار

May blessings never depart from

Nor does left fortune abandon

it, nor affluence ever forsake it.