قد رقَّ من نفسِ الصباح نسيمُ

قد رقَّ من نفسِ الصباح نسيمُ

إذهبَّ من سُكرِ المُدامِ نَدِيمُ

إذهبَّ من سُكرِ المُدامِ نَدِيمُ

From the breath of dawn, a breeze has grown gentle,

The morning breeze blew gently,

As a drinking companion awoke from wine's intoxication.

As the drunkenness of wine faded away.

قُم فاسقنيها قهوةً مثمولَةً

قُم فاسقنيها قهوةً مثمولَةً

قد لَذَّ مِنها مشرَبٌ وشميمُ

قد لَذَّ مِنها مشرَبٌ وشميمُ

Rise, then give it to me to drink—intoxicating wine,

Rise and serve me some brewed coffee,

Its taste and fragrance have grown delightful.

Whose taste and aroma are delightful.

أمَّا كَأنَّ الدهرَ أرضِعَ ثَديَها

أمَّا كَأنَّ الدهرَ أرضِعَ ثَديَها

فكأنَّما كَفلَتهُ وهوَ يَتيم

فكأنَّما كَفلَتهُ وهوَ يَتيم

Indeed, it is as though Time were suckled at her breast,

It's as if time itself suckled it,

And as though she had fostered him while he was an orphan.

And raised it as an orphan.

نَحُلَت وأنحلَتِ الزُّجاجَ كَأنَّها

نَحُلَت وأنحلَتِ الزُّجاجَ كَأنَّها

في صدرِ شارِبِها الهَوى المَكتُومُ

في صدرِ شارِبِها الهَوى المَكتُومُ

It grew thin and thinned the glass, as though it were

It melted and dripped like glass,

The hidden passion in its drinker's breast.

Concealing passionate love in the drinker's heart.

لا مَت على شُربِ المُدامِ عصابَةٌ

لا مَت على شُربِ المُدامِ عصابَةٌ

أدلي بعُذرٍ واضح وتَلُومُ

أدلي بعُذرٍ واضح وتَلُومُ

A band reproached me for drinking wine;

Let not the forbidder forbid drinking wine,

I offer a clear excuse, yet they reproach me.

Justifying with flimsy excuses and blame.

ما حقُّ مثلي أن يُحَرَّمَ شُربَها

ما حقُّ مثلي أن يُحَرَّمَ شُربَها

أو تَعرِفُ الشُّعَرَاءُ ما التحريمُ

أو تَعرِفُ الشُّعَرَاءُ ما التحريمُ

It is not right to forbid one like me to drink it;

It's not right that one like me be deprived of it,

Or do poets know what prohibition is?

Nor should poets know what is forbidden.

فَوَددتُ لَو أنَّ النُّجُوم أبَارِقٌ

فَوَددتُ لَو أنَّ النُّجُوم أبَارِقٌ

والقَطرَ خَمرٌ والسَّحابَ كُرُومُ

والقَطرَ خَمرٌ والسَّحابَ كُرُومُ

So I wished the stars were ewers,

I wish the stars were flashing lights,

And the rain wine, and the clouds vineyards,

The rain was wine, and the clouds were vineyards,

حتى تكونَ مُباحةً موجودةً

حتى تكونَ مُباحةً موجودةً

تنفي الهُموم فلا يُرى مَهمُومُ

تنفي الهُموم فلا يُرى مَهمُومُ

So that it might be permitted and available,

So it would be permissible and available,

Driving away cares, so no careworn soul would be seen.

Dispelling sorrows, no troubled one in sight.

وينوبُ عن شربِ الزلالِ شرابها

وينوبُ عن شربِ الزلالِ شرابها

كَرَماً فخيرُ الناسِ إبراهيمُ

كَرَماً فخيرُ الناسِ إبراهيمُ

And drinking it would replace drinking clear water,

Its drinking would replace pure water,

Out of generosity—for the best of men is Ibrahim.

For the best of people is Ibrahim.

يا فارسَ العُربِ الذي فخرَت به

يا فارسَ العُربِ الذي فخرَت به

أددٌ وغيضت يَعرُبٌ وتميمُ

أددٌ وغيضت يَعرُبٌ وتميمُ

O knight of the Arabs, in whom pride was taken

O knight of the Arabs, pride of

By Udad, while Ya'rub and Tamim were diminished.

Adad, Ya'rub and Tameem.

لولاكَ لم ينتج مشايخُ يَعرُبٍ

لولاكَ لم ينتج مشايخُ يَعرُبٍ

ولقيلَ في اليمنِ الوَلُودِ عَقيمُ

ولقيلَ في اليمنِ الوَلُودِ عَقيمُ

But for you, Ya'rub's elders would have begotten no offspring,

Were it not for you, the elders of Ya'rub

And fertile Yemen would have been called barren.

Would not have emerged, said to be barren in Yemen.

فإذا مدحتُ بمدحة لسواكم

فإذا مدحتُ بمدحة لسواكم

غير الأنامِ فإنني مَذمُومُ

غير الأنامِ فإنني مَذمُومُ

So if I offer a panegyric to anyone but you,

When I praise, if not you,

O one unlike humankind—then I am blameworthy.

Then I am the one blamed.