إِذا استيقظتْ نائباتُ الزمان

إِذا استيقظتْ نائباتُ الزمان

فكنْ في طوارقها في المنام

فكنْ في طوارقها في المنام

When the calamities of time awaken,

When the vicissitudes of fate awaken

be asleep amid their night-time visitations.

Be among their dawns in a dream

وبادرْ بلذاتكَ الحادثاتِ

وبادرْ بلذاتكَ الحادثاتِ

فإِن الزمانَ كثيرُ العُرامِ

فإِن الزمانَ كثيرُ العُرامِ

And forestall misfortunes with your pleasures,

And anticipate with your pleasures the events

for time is full of violence.

For time has many turbulences

وقمْ واجلُها من بناتِ الكُرو

وقمْ واجلُها من بناتِ الكُرو

مِ عذراءَ يفتضُّها ابنُ الغمامِ

مِ عذراءَ يفتضُّها ابنُ الغمامِ

And rise and unveil her, one of the daughters of the vines,

Arise and face them, daughters of anxiety

a virgin whom the son of the clouds deflowers.

A maiden whose defender is the son of clouds

مخدّرةً فارقتْ خِدرَها

مخدّرةً فارقتْ خِدرَها

فباتتْ ملثّمةً بالفِدامِ

فباتتْ ملثّمةً بالفِدامِ

A secluded maiden, she left her curtained chamber,

Stupefied, she left her numbness

then spent the night veiled in a straining cloth.

Thus she slept, masked in redemption

وصارتْ من الناسِ في كِلَّةٍ

وصارتْ من الناسِ في كِلَّةٍ

مكلَّلةً باللآلي التُّؤامِ

مكلَّلةً باللآلي التُّؤامِ

And she was screened from people within a canopy,

And became wretched among the people

crowned with twin pearls.

Crowned with matching pearls

جعلنا اللَّهى والنُّهى مهرَها

جعلنا اللَّهى والنُّهى مهرَها

فلم نحظَ منها بغيرِ الحرامِ

فلم نحظَ منها بغيرِ الحرامِ

We made wealth and reason her bridal payment,

We made her dowry guidance and restraint

yet gained nothing from her but what is forbidden.

Yet we got from her nothing but the forbidden

وصِحْ بندامايَ والمسمعين

وصِحْ بندامايَ والمسمعين

وأحورَ كالبدر ليلَ التمامِ

وأحورَ كالبدر ليلَ التمامِ

And call for my drinking companions and the singers,

Regain consciousness, o heedful one,

and a dark-eyed one, like the moon on the night it is full.

And the full moon on the night of perfection

فقد صاحَ ذو الرعثاتِ الصدوح

فقد صاحَ ذو الرعثاتِ الصدوح

وبشَّرنا بانحسارِ الظَّلامِ

وبشَّرنا بانحسارِ الظَّلامِ

For the loud-voiced, wattled rooster has crowed,

For the owner of glorious merits has shouted

and brought us glad tidings of darkness receding.

And brought us the glad tidings of fading darkness

وأحرقَ نار الصباحِ الدُّجَى

وأحرقَ نار الصباحِ الدُّجَى

فأحرق همومي بنار المُدامِ

فأحرق همومي بنار المُدامِ

And the fire of dawn has burned away the darkness;

And the fire of morn has burned the shadows

so burn away my cares with the fire of wine.

Thus burning my worries with the fire of wine

ومهِّد لنا في عريشِ الكُروم

ومهِّد لنا في عريشِ الكُروم

فَثمَّ لعمري عروشُ الكرامِ

فَثمَّ لعمري عروشُ الكرامِ

And prepare a resting place for us in the vine arbor,

And paved for us, in the canopy of vineyards

for there, by my life, are the thrones of the noble.

The canopies of the generous abound therein

ودعني ورائي فإِنَّ الخطوبَ

ودعني ورائي فإِنَّ الخطوبَ

ورائي وما أتَّقيهِ أمامي

ورائي وما أتَّقيهِ أمامي

And leave me behind myself, for calamities

Leave me be, for worries

are behind me, and what I dread lies before me.

Are behind me, and I fear not what is before me

وخذ صفوَ دُنياكَ ما أسعفتْ

وخذ صفوَ دُنياكَ ما أسعفتْ

فإِنَّكَ فيها قليلُ المقامِ

فإِنَّكَ فيها قليلُ المقامِ

And take the best of your world while it favors you,

Take the choicest of your life while it grants favor

for your stay in it is brief.

For your stay therein is brief