أَطلِع الكاسَ كوكبا في اِزدِهاءِ

أَطلِع الكاسَ كوكبا في اِزدِهاءِ

وَأَدِرها في هالَةَ النُدماءِ

وَأَدِرها في هالَةَ النُدماءِ

Raise the cup as a star in splendor,

Raise the goblet like a disdainful star

and circulate it within the halo of drinking companions.

And swirl it in the haze of remorse

اسقِنيها حتّى ترانيَ لا أَف

اسقِنيها حتّى ترانيَ لا أَف

هَم نصحا يَمَلُّه إِصغائي

هَم نصحا يَمَلُّه إِصغائي

Give it to me to drink until you see me no longer understanding

Serve me until you see me cease to care

advice that my listening grows weary of.

For any advice my hearing would endorse

عاطِنيها صِرفا ولا تُطفىء النّو

عاطِنيها صِرفا ولا تُطفىء النّو

ر الذي زان حُسنَها بِالماء

ر الذي زان حُسنَها بِالماء

Pass it to me unmixed, and do not extinguish

Give it to me undiluted, and do not dim

with water the light that graced its beauty.

The light that graced its beauty with water

وَأَدِرها خدّا وَحيِّ النَدامى

وَأَدِرها خدّا وَحيِّ النَدامى

بِعذارِ الريحانِ وَاِغنَم ثنائي

بِعذارِ الريحانِ وَاِغنَم ثنائي

Pass it round as a cheek, and greet the drinking companions

And swirl it gently, revive the regrets

with the cheek-down of basil, and earn my praise.

With basil's coquetry, heed my chatter

مجلسٌ فيه ماجلا صَدَأَ السَم

مجلسٌ فيه ماجلا صَدَأَ السَم

عِ وَقَرّت به عيونُ الرائي

عِ وَقَرّت به عيونُ الرائي

A gathering with what has scoured the rust from hearing

A gathering where rust flaked off of swords

and given delight to the beholder's eyes:

And satisfied the eyes of spectators

من مُغَنّ يغزو الهمومَ بِأَوتا

من مُغَنّ يغزو الهمومَ بِأَوتا

رٍ فيَحوى أَعنَّةَ الأَهواءِ

رٍ فيَحوى أَعنَّةَ الأَهواءِ

a singer who assails cares with strings

With a minstrel who invades woes with lutes

and so holds the reins of passions;

And calms the tumult of passions and fevers

وَغزالٍ أَحلى من الأَمنِ يَسعى

وَغزالٍ أَحلى من الأَمنِ يَسعى

بِكئوسِ الغرام وَالصَهباء

بِكئوسِ الغرام وَالصَهباء

and a gazelle, sweeter than safety, moves about

A gazelle sweeter than safety frolics

with cups of love and tawny wine.

In the meadows of love and of embers

مُذ رَأت خدَّه المُدامُ علاها

مُذ رَأت خدَّه المُدامُ علاها

عرقٌ من حبابِها وَالصهباء

عرقٌ من حبابِها وَالصهباء

Since the wine saw his cheek, it was covered

Since her cheek saw the ruby, it blushed

with the sweat of its bubbles. By the tawny wine,

With droplets of dew and of embers

هل رَأَيتَ الوردَ النَضير على الغُص

هل رَأَيتَ الوردَ النَضير على الغُص

نِ تَحَلّى بِلُؤلُؤ الأَنداءِ

نِ تَحَلّى بِلُؤلُؤ الأَنداءِ

have you seen the fresh rose upon the bough

Have you seen the blooms, pink upon stems?

adorned with pearls of dew?

Adorned with pearls and glittering splendors

هو بَينَ الملاح يشبه إِسما

هو بَينَ الملاح يشبه إِسما

عيل بين الأَقيال وَالعظماء

عيل بين الأَقيال وَالعظماء

He among beauties is like Ismail

Amid the salt, it resembles Ismail

among kings and the great.

Among giants, a man of grandeur

أَيُّ أنس وافى لِمصرَ وقد وا

أَيُّ أنس وافى لِمصرَ وقد وا

فى لها فَخرُها وَأيُّ صفاء

فى لها فَخرُها وَأيُّ صفاء

What joy has come to Egypt, now that

What comfort visited Egypt while its

her pride has come to her—and what serenity!

Pride and serenity went missing?

عادَ وَالسَعدُ يقتَفيه فكانا

عادَ وَالسَعدُ يقتَفيه فكانا

ف يالتزامٍ كَالشَمس وَالحِرباء

ف يالتزامٍ كَالشَمس وَالحِرباء

He returned, with good fortune following him, so the two were

Saad returned, and fortune chased him

in an embrace, like the sun and the chameleon.

As if the sun's heat trails the Pleiades

وَتحلَّت بالنور مصرُ فلم نَد

وَتحلَّت بالنور مصرُ فلم نَد

رِ أَنقَضى لِلأَرضِ أم لِلسّماء

رِ أَنقَضى لِلأَرضِ أم لِلسّماء

And Egypt adorned herself with light, so we did not

Egypt was lit with light, we couldn't tell

know whether we were destined for earth or for heaven.

If the illumination was earthly or heavenly

جاء من بَعد أَن تحكَّمَ فَرطُ الشَو

جاء من بَعد أَن تحكَّمَ فَرطُ الشَو

قِ فينا فَلَمَّ شَملَ الهَناء

قِ فينا فَلَمَّ شَملَ الهَناء

He came after overwhelming longing had held sway

After the domination of the far east

over us, and reunited joy's scattered company.

His leadership mended our joy

وَلو انَّ الأَخبارَ لم تَأتِ بِالعَو

وَلو انَّ الأَخبارَ لم تَأتِ بِالعَو

دِ عَرَفنا مجيئه بِالضِياء

دِ عَرَفنا مجيئه بِالضِياء

And even had the news not brought word of his return,

Without the news we'd have known of his return

we would have known his coming by the radiance.

By the glow, the shine of his brilliance

طابَ رَوضُ السرور حتّى سمعنا

طابَ رَوضُ السرور حتّى سمعنا

فيهِ من مدحِه غِنا الوَرقاء

فيهِ من مدحِه غِنا الوَرقاء

The garden of joy grew sweet, until we heard

The garden of joy flourished until we heard

within it the gray dove's song in his praise.

In it, the palms' song of his praises

وَحوى بِالفَرمانِ ما حازه الفَر

وَحوى بِالفَرمانِ ما حازه الفَر

مانُ منه مِن عِزَّةٍ وَسَناء

مانُ منه مِن عِزَّةٍ وَسَناء

And through the firman he gained what the firman

The command contained what commands contain

gained from him in honor and splendor.

Of glory and eminence from him

وَحَوت من سَناه دُهم اللَيالي

وَحَوت من سَناه دُهم اللَيالي

ما تَمَنَّت من غرَّةٍ غَرّاء

ما تَمَنَّت من غرَّةٍ غَرّاء

And the black nights gained from his radiance

And it encompassed from his eminence

what they had wished for—a radiant brow.

The dark nights' wished-for moons

نطق الحالُ باِعتِلاه فماذا

نطق الحالُ باِعتِلاه فماذا

تنظِم الآن أَلسُنُ الشُعراء

تنظِم الآن أَلسُنُ الشُعراء

Circumstance proclaimed his exaltation; what, then,

The state speaks of his absence- what can

can the tongues of poets compose now?

The tongues of poets utter now?

فهل النيل كان ناذرَ نَذرٍ

فهل النيل كان ناذرَ نَذرٍ

ثمَّ وَفّاه إذ أَتى في بَهاء

ثمَّ وَفّاه إذ أَتى في بَهاء

Did the Nile, then, make a vow

Was the Nile mere spittle, only to

and then fulfill it when he came in splendor,

Fulfill it when he arrived in splendor?

وَدرى بِالتَقصير منه فَأَضحى

وَدرى بِالتَقصير منه فَأَضحى

من حياءٍ بوَجنَةٍ حمراء

من حياءٍ بوَجنَةٍ حمراء

and, aware of his own shortcomings, become

It knew its shortcoming, so it blushed

red-cheeked with shame?

Out of shyness, red in its demeanor

لِلرَعايا منك الذي تَتَمَنّى

لِلرَعايا منك الذي تَتَمَنّى

وَلك الشُكر ملحَقاً بِالثَناء

وَلك الشُكر ملحَقاً بِالثَناء

Your subjects receive from you what they desire,

For your subjects, anything you wish

and yours is gratitude joined to praise.

For you, gratitude and acclamation

دُم دوامَ الزَمان في أُفقِ سعدٍ

دُم دوامَ الزَمان في أُفقِ سعدٍ

موليا أَنعُما بدون اِنتِهاء

موليا أَنعُما بدون اِنتِهاء

Endure as long as time, in a horizon of good fortune,

May the days persist in a horizon of bliss

bestowing blessings without end.

With you presiding, ever bounteous