وَمُستَرِقِ النُخامَةِ مُستَكينٍ

وَمُستَرِقِ النُخامَةِ مُستَكينٍ

لِوَقعِ الكَأسِ مُختَلِسِ البَيانِ

لِوَقعِ الكَأسِ مُختَلِسِ البَيانِ

And many a man who furtively spits phlegm, cowed

The stealthy drinker of wine, in poverty submerged,

by the cup’s impact, furtive in his speech—

Who keeps his drinking secret, his words disguised,

حَلَفتُ لَهُ بِما حَجَّت قُرَيشٌ

حَلَفتُ لَهُ بِما حَجَّت قُرَيشٌ

وَكُلِّ مُشَعشَعٍ مِل خَمرِ آنِ

وَكُلِّ مُشَعشَعٍ مِل خَمرِ آنِ

I swore to him by that to which Quraysh made pilgrimage,

By the Kaaba I vowed, and all the idols there,

and by every watered draught of mature wine:

By every image worshipped with offerings of wine,

لَتَصطَبِحَن وَإِن أَعرَضتَ عَنها

لَتَصطَبِحَن وَإِن أَعرَضتَ عَنها

وَلَو أَنّي بِحيبَتِهِ سَقاني

وَلَو أَنّي بِحيبَتِهِ سَقاني

You shall surely drink in the morning, even if you turn away from it.

You'll face the morning soon, though now you turn away,

And even had I been in his distress, he would have given me drink.

And if love's fever burned me, its cure was your wine,

فَطافَت طَوفَتَينِ فَقالَ زِدني

فَطافَت طَوفَتَينِ فَقالَ زِدني

وَدَبَّت في الأَخادِعِ وَالبَنانِ

وَدَبَّت في الأَخادِعِ وَالبَنانِ

Then it went round twice, and he said, “Give me more.”

You drank two rounds, and said, “Give me more and pour!”

And it crept through the neck veins and fingertips.

The wine flowed into veins and arteries,

فَلَم أَعرِف أَخي حَتّى اِصطَبَحنا

فَلَم أَعرِف أَخي حَتّى اِصطَبَحنا

ثَلاثاً فَاِنبَرى خَذِمَ العِنانِ

ثَلاثاً فَاِنبَرى خَذِمَ العِنانِ

So I did not know my brother until we had drunk in the morning

I knew not where it led, until the morn we woke,

three draughts; then he sprang forth, swift at the reins.

And the third round galloped off with reason's rein,

فَلانَ الصَوتُ فَاِنبَسَطَت يَداهُ

فَلانَ الصَوتُ فَاِنبَسَطَت يَداهُ

وَكانَ كَأَنَّهُ في الغُلِّ عانِ

وَكانَ كَأَنَّهُ في الغُلِّ عانِ

Then his voice softened, and both his hands opened wide.

Then voices rose, and hands reached out to serve,

And he had seemed like a captive in fetters.

As though we sat enthralled by wine again,

وَراحَ ثِيابُهُ الأَولى سِواها

وَراحَ ثِيابُهُ الأَولى سِواها

بِلا بَيعٍ أُمَيمَ وَلا مُهانِ

بِلا بَيعٍ أُمَيمَ وَلا مُهانِ

And he left in clothes other than his original ones,

All garments gone but one, no sale, no shame,

without a sale, O Umaym, and without being humiliated.

A clanless orphan, stripped of honor's robe.