وَكُنا إذا ما لزمْنا الوقَارَ

وَكُنا إذا ما لزمْنا الوقَارَ

فلا نتجَاوزُ ما حَدهُ

فلا نتجَاوزُ ما حَدهُ

And whenever we held fast to dignity,

When duty called for serious mien,

we would not overstep the bounds it set.

We kept within decorum's bound.

هَجرْنا لهُ الكأسَ هجرًا كمَنْ

هَجرْنا لهُ الكأسَ هجرًا كمَنْ

يرَى أن في ترْكِها رُشْدَهُ

يرَى أن في ترْكِها رُشْدَهُ

For its sake we forsook the cup, like one

As one who deems it sin to drink,

who sees his right course in forsaking it.

We wine's delights completely shunned—

إلى أن دَعانا لها شَادِنٌ

إلى أن دَعانا لها شَادِنٌ

مِنَ الإنْسِ لمْ نسْتطعْ رَدهُ

مِنَ الإنْسِ لمْ نسْتطعْ رَدهُ

Until a young gazelle invited us to it—

Until a comrade, drinking deep,

one of humankind, whom we could not refuse.

Besought us join him on the ground.

وقدْ زادت الراحُ إقْلاقَهُ

وقدْ زادت الراحُ إقْلاقَهُ

لَنا بعْدَما هَصَرتْ قَدهُ

لَنا بعْدَما هَصَرتْ قَدهُ

And wine had heightened the unrest he stirred

So joy unlocked sad wisdom's hold;

in us, after it had bent his slender form.

His wine assuaged our fevered brow

فما زالَ يُرْشِفُنا ثَغْرَهُ

فما زالَ يُرْشِفُنا ثَغْرَهُ

مِرارًا ويُلْثِمُنَا خَدهُ

مِرارًا ويُلْثِمُنَا خَدهُ

So he kept offering us his lips to sip,

His flowing cup refreshed our souls,

again and again, and his cheek to kiss.

And intertwined our arms allowed.

فَكانَ شَفِيعًا لها عنْدَنا

فَكانَ شَفِيعًا لها عنْدَنا

وكانتْ شَفِيعا لنا عِنْدهُ

وكانتْ شَفِيعا لنا عِنْدهُ

So he interceded for it with us,

Thus he pled the wine's grace to us,

and it interceded for us with him.

And it for us pled grace with him.