قُل لِمَن حَيّا فَأَحيا

قُل لِمَن حَيّا فَأَحيا

مَيِّتاً يُحسَبُ حَيّا

مَيِّتاً يُحسَبُ حَيّا

Tell the one who greeted and thereby revived

Tell the one who revived the dead and made him live,

a dead man thought to be alive:

Would a dead man be thought alive?

ما الَّذي ضَرَّكَ لَو أَب

ما الَّذي ضَرَّكَ لَو أَب

قَيتَ في الكَأسِ بَقِيّا

قَيتَ في الكَأسِ بَقِيّا

What harm would it have done you if you

What harm in lasting as a residue in the cup?

had left a little in the cup?

Do you see me as being or not as such however portrayed?

أَتَراني مِثلَ أَو لا

أَتَراني مِثلَ أَو لا

كَيفَما قَد قيلَ فِيّا

كَيفَما قَد قيلَ فِيّا

Do you find me so, or not,

My friend, serve me coffee, somewhat warm.

as I have been described?

Be it right, so right, or be it wrong, so wrong,

يا خَليلَيَّ اِسقِياني

يا خَليلَيَّ اِسقِياني

قَهوَةً ذاتَ حُمَيّا

قَهوَةً ذاتَ حُمَيّا

O my two dear friends, give me to drink

The night has turned from us,

wine of fiery potency.

And the tomb has covered it obscure.

إِن يَكُن رُشداً فَرُشداً

إِن يَكُن رُشداً فَرُشداً

أَو يَكُن غَيّاً فَغَيّا

أَو يَكُن غَيّاً فَغَيّا

If it is wisdom, then wisdom;

As dawn shone from beneath the burial mound,

or if it is folly, then folly.

A king arrived in a crown ransomed and restored to life.

قَد تَوَلّى اللَيلُ عَنّا

قَد تَوَلّى اللَيلُ عَنّا

وَطَواهُ القُربُ طَيّا

وَطَواهُ القُربُ طَيّا

The night has turned away from us,

and nearness has folded it away completely.

وَكَأَنَّ الصُبحَ لَمّا

وَكَأَنَّ الصُبحَ لَمّا

لاحَ مِن تَحتِ الثُرَيّا

لاحَ مِن تَحتِ الثُرَيّا

And it was as though the dawn, when

it shone from beneath the Pleiades,

مَلِكٌ أَقبَلَ في تا

مَلِكٌ أَقبَلَ في تا

جٍ يُفَدّى وَيُحَيّا

جٍ يُفَدّى وَيُحَيّا

were a king approaching in a

crown, for whom lives are pledged and who is hailed.