بها غيرَ مَعْذُولٍ فَداوِ خُمَارَهَا

بها غيرَ مَعْذُولٍ فَداوِ خُمَارَهَا

وَصِلْ بِعَشِيّاتِ الغَبوقِ ابْتِكارَهَا

وَصِلْ بِعَشِيّاتِ الغَبوقِ ابْتِكارَهَا

Cure its hangover with it, without reproach,

With unmatched grace, offer your veil as ransom

And join its morning draught to the evening draughts.

And reach out to create your wonders at dusk's fall

وَنَلْ مِنْ عَظيمِ الوِزْرِ كُلَّ عَظيمةٍ

وَنَلْ مِنْ عَظيمِ الوِزْرِ كُلَّ عَظيمةٍ

إِذا ذُكِرَتْ خافَ الحَفيظانِ نَارَهَا

إِذا ذُكِرَتْ خافَ الحَفيظانِ نَارَهَا

And commit every enormity of grievous sin,

Attain from bearing heavy burdens, every great woman

At whose mention the two recording angels fear its fire.

When mentioned, the two guardians dread her fire

وقُمْ أَنْتَ فاحْثُثْ كَأْسَها غَيْرَ صاغِرٍ

وقُمْ أَنْتَ فاحْثُثْ كَأْسَها غَيْرَ صاغِرٍ

ولا تَسْقِ إِلاَّ خَمْرَها وَعُقَارَهَا

ولا تَسْقِ إِلاَّ خَمْرَها وَعُقَارَهَا

And rise yourself; then hurry its cup along, unbowed,

So stand, and stir her cup without humbling yourself

And pour only its wine and its heady vintage.

And only pour her wine and its essence

فقامَ تكادُ الكَأْسُ تَحْرِقُ كَفّهُ

فقامَ تكادُ الكَأْسُ تَحْرِقُ كَفّهُ

مِنَ الشّمْسِ أَوْ مِنْ وَجْنَتَيْهِ اسْتَعَارَهَا

مِنَ الشّمْسِ أَوْ مِنْ وَجْنَتَيْهِ اسْتَعَارَهَا

So he rose, the cup almost burning his palm;

So he stood, the cup nearly burnt his palm

He had borrowed it from the sun, or from his cheeks.

From the sun or from the flush of his cheeks it borrowed its heat

ظَلْلِنا بأَيدينا نُتَعْتِعُ رُوحَها

ظَلْلِنا بأَيدينا نُتَعْتِعُ رُوحَها

فَتأْخُذُ مِنْ أَقْدامِنَا الرَّاحُ ثَارَهَا

فَتأْخُذُ مِنْ أَقْدامِنَا الرَّاحُ ثَارَهَا

We kept shaking its spirit with our hands,

Our shade, with our hands we disturb its spirit

So the wine takes its revenge on our feet.

So the wind takes from our feet its revenge

مُوَرَّدةٌ مِنْ كَفِّ ظَبْيٍ كأنّما

مُوَرَّدةٌ مِنْ كَفِّ ظَبْيٍ كأنّما

تَناوَلَها مِنْ خَدِّهِ فَأدَارَها

تَناوَلَها مِنْ خَدِّهِ فَأدَارَها

Rose-red, from a gazelle's palm, as though

Crimson from the palm of a gazelle, as if

He had taken it from his cheek, then passed it round.

He took it from his cheek and turned it around