كأْسٌ تدارُ عَلَى هوى الأحبابِ

كأْسٌ تدارُ عَلَى هوى الأحبابِ

شفة تعللُ راشفاً برضاب

شفة تعللُ راشفاً برضاب

A cup passed round as loved ones please,

A cup passed around among beloved friends

A lip beguiling a sipper with saliva.

A lip made ruby by the wine it sips

وَلها وَللإبريقِ حين تناجيا

وَلها وَللإبريقِ حين تناجيا

لغوٌ وَقهقهةٌ وَهمس خطاب

لغوٌ وَقهقهةٌ وَهمس خطاب

And it and the jug, when they whispered together,

The cup and jug converse in whispers, laughters, murmurs

Had idle talk, peals of laughter, and murmured speech.

Words games and whispers of sweet fellowship

بعثتْ بأحلام تجددُ صبوتي

بعثتْ بأحلام تجددُ صبوتي

وَبذكرياتٍ للشباب عِذاب

وَبذكرياتٍ للشباب عِذاب

It stirred dreams that renew my youthful passion,

It brought dreams that renewed my youth

And sweet memories of youth.

And memories that tormented my past

فوجدتني ملآن من مرحٍ بها

فوجدتني ملآن من مرحٍ بها

والعجبُ والخيلاءُ ملءَ إهابي

والعجبُ والخيلاءُ ملءَ إهابي

So I found myself full of mirth through it,

I found myself filled with joyous mirth

And vanity and pride filled my very skin.

Pride and happiness filled my being

عادتْ بي الذكرى إلى عهدِ الصِبا

عادتْ بي الذكرى إلى عهدِ الصِبا

فكأنَّها ردَّتْ عليَّ شبابي

فكأنَّها ردَّتْ عليَّ شبابي

Memory carried me back to the days of youth,

The memory brought me back to the days of youth

And it was as though it had restored my youth to me.

As though it gave me back my youth anew

وَصبيحةٍ تختال في بردِ الصِبا

وَصبيحةٍ تختال في بردِ الصِبا

والحسن سوداء الفروع كعاب

والحسن سوداء الفروع كعاب

And a fair maiden, swaying proudly in the mantle of youth

A morn strutting in the chill of youth

And beauty, black-tressed, with budding breasts,

Beauty, branches black as ebony

قالت وَقد رأتِ المشيبَ بلمَّتي

قالت وَقد رأتِ المشيبَ بلمَّتي

لوددتُ لو أنَّ البياضَ خضابي

لوددتُ لو أنَّ البياضَ خضابي

Said, having seen the gray in my locks:

It said, seeing the white in my hair

"I truly wish that whiteness were my dye!

I wish the whiteness was but dyed hair

فالبحرُ في إزباده والغصنُ في

فالبحرُ في إزباده والغصنُ في

إزهارِه أدعى إلى الإعجاب

إزهارِه أدعى إلى الإعجاب

For the sea in its foaming, and the bough in

For the sea in its ebb and the branch in

Its blossoming, are more apt to inspire admiration."

Its blooming invite more wonder

بتنا عَلى حكم الكؤوسِ وَطالما

بتنا عَلى حكم الكؤوسِ وَطالما

قَدْ عوَّدتنا منَّةَ الوهّاب

قَدْ عوَّدتنا منَّةَ الوهّاب

We spent the night under the cups' rule, and often

We continued by the rule of cups and long

They had accustomed us to the Bestower's bounty.

accustomed were we to the Giver's grace

وَهبتْ لبعضٍ بعضنا وَترفَّقتْ

وَهبتْ لبعضٍ بعضنا وَترفَّقتْ

وَتعفَّفتْ إلاّ عن الأَسلاب

وَتعفَّفتْ إلاّ عن الأَسلاب

They gave some of us to others, and dealt gently,

We granted each other and were gentle

And showed restraint, save in taking spoils.

And restrained but not to excess

كنا نعدُّ كؤوسنا حتى إذا

كنا نعدُّ كؤوسنا حتى إذا

كثرتْ شربناها بغيرِ حساب

كثرتْ شربناها بغيرِ حساب

We counted our cups until at last

We counted our cups until when

They grew many; then we drank them without reckoning.

Their number increased, we drank without heed

وَبدا لنا أن الشفاهَ وَرشفَها

وَبدا لنا أن الشفاهَ وَرشفَها

أَروى عَلى ظمإِ من الأكواب

أَروى عَلى ظمإِ من الأكواب

And it seemed to us that lips and sipping them

It seemed to us the lips and the sipping

Quenched thirst more fully than the cups.

Were more gratifying than other vessels

ما زال من عَرَقِ العناقِ وَطيبه

ما زال من عَرَقِ العناقِ وَطيبه

بعد التفرُّقِ عقبةٌ بثيابي

بعد التفرُّقِ عقبةٌ بثيابي

Of the embrace's sweat and fragrance, there still remains

The savor of embraces and their perfume

After parting, a lingering trace in my clothes.

Lingered after parting on my clothes