وصاحِبٍ ماجد خلائِقه

وصاحِبٍ ماجد خلائِقه

لا يَذخَر المالَ خائِفاً لغد

لا يَذخَر المالَ خائِفاً لغد

And a companion, noble in his character,

He is a man of high morals

Who does not hoard wealth in fear of tomorrow.

Who does not hoard money out of fear for tomorrow.

طَليق وَجه جَمِّ المَكارِمِ في الذِّر

طَليق وَجه جَمِّ المَكارِمِ في الذِّر

وَةِ وَالعِزِّ من بَني أَسد

وَةِ وَالعِزِّ من بَني أَسد

Bright-faced, rich in noble deeds, at the summit

He is open-faced, gathering all perfections,

And in glory, one of the sons of Asad.

And a pillar of strength and honor among the tribe of Asad.

نبّهتُه وَالصَّباح مُحتَجِب

نبّهتُه وَالصَّباح مُحتَجِب

وَاللَّيلُ واهي الأَطناب وَالعَمَد

وَاللَّيلُ واهي الأَطناب وَالعَمَد

I awakened him while dawn was veiled,

I woke him while the dawn was still hidden

And night’s tent ropes and poles were giving way.

And the night was languid, leaning on its staff.

قُم بِأَبي أَنتَ قَد رَقَدتَ عَن الكَأ

قُم بِأَبي أَنتَ قَد رَقَدتَ عَن الكَأ

سِ فَداوِ السَّقامَ بِالسُّهُد

سِ فَداوِ السَّقامَ بِالسُّهُد

Rise—may my father be your ransom! You have slept, neglecting the cup;

"Arise my father, you have dozed off from the cup -

So cure sickness with sleeplessness.

Cure the sickness with vigilance!"

فَقامَ عَن نَعسة تجاذَبَه

فَقامَ عَن نَعسة تجاذَبَه

يَجُرّ ذَيلا إِلَيّ ذا أَوَد

يَجُرّ ذَيلا إِلَيّ ذا أَوَد

So he rose from a doze that tugged at him,

So he arose from a slumber that dragged him along,

Dragging a crooked hem toward me.

Trailing a tail back to me, gentle and affectionate.

وَاللَّيلُ يَقظان وَالكَواكِب في ال

وَاللَّيلُ يَقظان وَالكَواكِب في ال

آفاقِ حَيرى كَاللُؤلُؤ البَدَد

آفاقِ حَيرى كَاللُؤلُؤ البَدَد

And night was wakeful, and the stars in the

The night was wakeful and the stars in the horizons

Horizons were bewildered, like scattered pearls.

Wandered like scattered pearls.

أَريتُه الكَأس بَعد بَهجَتِها

أَريتُه الكَأس بَعد بَهجَتِها

مَسلوبَةً فَاِستَوى وَلَم يَكَد

مَسلوبَةً فَاِستَوى وَلَم يَكَد

I showed him the cup, after its splendor

I showed him the cup, deprived of its joy -

Had been stripped away; he straightened up, though barely.

He straightened it and barely hesitated.

وَقامَ طَيّابُها فَأَسرَجَها

وَقامَ طَيّابُها فَأَسرَجَها

بِكَفّه وَاِستَقَلّها بِيَد

بِكَفّه وَاِستَقَلّها بِيَد

And its perfumer rose and set it aglow,

The perfumer anointed it with his hand

In his palm, and lifted it with one hand.

And steadied it with his fingers.

ثُم عَلاها بِالماءِ فَاِضطَربَت

ثُم عَلاها بِالماءِ فَاِضطَربَت

وَطَيَّرَت بِالحباب وَالزَبَد

وَطَيَّرَت بِالحباب وَالزَبَد

Then he topped it with water, and it trembled,

Then he topped it off with water and it was disturbed,

And sent bubbles and foam flying.

Bubbling and foaming with froth.

حَتّى الأَباريق فَوق أَكؤُسِها

حَتّى الأَباريق فَوق أَكؤُسِها

كَما اِنحَنى والِد عَلى وَلَد

كَما اِنحَنى والِد عَلى وَلَد

Even the ewers above their cups

Until the decanters hovered over their cups

Were like a father bending over a child.

As a father bends over his son.

فَخِلتُ فيها ماءَ السَّحاب إِذاً

فَخِلتُ فيها ماءَ السَّحاب إِذاً

يا بَردَ تذكاره عَلى كَبدي

يا بَردَ تذكاره عَلى كَبدي

So I fancied within it, then, the water of the clouds—

So it seemed to me like the water of rain clouds -

Oh, how cool its memory is upon my liver!

Oh, how cool its memory is to my inner self!