أَلا هَتَفَتْ بِالأَيْكِ سَاجِعَةُ الْقُمْرِ

أَلا هَتَفَتْ بِالأَيْكِ سَاجِعَةُ الْقُمْرِ

فَطُفْ بِالْحُمَيَّا فَهْيَ رَيْحَانَةُ الْعُمْرِ

فَطُفْ بِالْحُمَيَّا فَهْيَ رَيْحَانَةُ الْعُمْرِ

Lo! A cooing turtledove has called in the grove.

Alas! The moon called out to her beloved in agony

So make the rounds with potent wine: it is life's sweet basil.

So wander among the sand dunes, for it is the meadow of life

وَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَتْرَعْتَ الأَبَارِيقَ فَلْتَكُنْ

وَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَتْرَعْتَ الأَبَارِيقَ فَلْتَكُنْ

سُلافاً وَإِيَّاكَ الْفَضِيخَ مِنَ التَّمْرِ

سُلافاً وَإِيَّاكَ الْفَضِيخَ مِنَ التَّمْرِ

And if you fill the pitchers to the brim, let it be

And if you have sipped from the wine-skin, let it be

pure first-run wine—and beware the brew made from dates.

A pleasure, but beware intoxication of the dates

فَقَاتِلَةُ الْعُرْجُونِ لِلْفَاقِدِ النَّدَى

فَقَاتِلَةُ الْعُرْجُونِ لِلْفَاقِدِ النَّدَى

وَصَافِيَةُ الْعُنْقُودِ لِلْمَاجِدِ الْغَمْرِ

وَصَافِيَةُ الْعُنْقُودِ لِلْمَاجِدِ الْغَمْرِ

For the date-stalk's slayer is for one bereft of generosity,

The deadly enemy of the limping one, is the one who's lost all happiness

and the grape-cluster's clear wine for the noble, bountiful man.

And the clarity of the vine is for the glorious drunk

مُوَرَّدَةٌ تَمْتَدُّ مِنْهَا أَشِعَّةٌ

مُوَرَّدَةٌ تَمْتَدُّ مِنْهَا أَشِعَّةٌ

تَدُورُ بِهَا في ظِلِّ أَلْوِيَةٍ حُمْرِ

تَدُورُ بِهَا في ظِلِّ أَلْوِيَةٍ حُمْرِ

Rose-red, it sends forth rays;

Rosy red, rays emanate from it

you carry it round in the shade of crimson banners.

Circling in the shade of crimson tents

إِذَا شَجَّهَا السَّاقُونَ دَارَ حَبَابُها

إِذَا شَجَّهَا السَّاقُونَ دَارَ حَبَابُها

عَلَيْهَا كَمَا دَارَ الشَّرَارُ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ

عَلَيْهَا كَمَا دَارَ الشَّرَارُ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ

When the cupbearers temper it with water, its bubbles whirl

When the cupbearers stir it, its bubbles rise

over its surface, as sparks whirl over embers.

Upon it like embers swirling on burning coal

ثَوَتْ فِي ضَمِيرِ الدَّهْرِ والْجَوُّ ظُلْمَةٌ

ثَوَتْ فِي ضَمِيرِ الدَّهْرِ والْجَوُّ ظُلْمَةٌ

بِلا كَوْكَبٍ وَالأَرْضُ تَسْبَحُ في غَمْرِ

بِلا كَوْكَبٍ وَالأَرْضُ تَسْبَحُ في غَمْرِ

It dwelt in time's hidden depths while the sky was darkness,

It lay hidden in the conscience of time, and the sky was dark

without a star, and the earth swam in deep water.

With no stars, while the earth swam in murkiness

فَجَاءَتْ وَلَوْلا عَرْفُهَا وَبَرِيقُهَا

فَجَاءَتْ وَلَوْلا عَرْفُهَا وَبَرِيقُهَا

لَكَانَتْ خَفاً بَيْنَ الدَّسَاكِرِ كَالضَّمْرِ

لَكَانَتْ خَفاً بَيْنَ الدَّسَاكِرِ كَالضَّمْرِ

Then it emerged; were it not for its fragrance and gleam,

And had it not been for its aroma and sparkle

it would have been hidden among the hamlets, like a secret.

It would have been just a trinket amidst the carpets like worthless beads

تُزَفُّ بِأَلْحَانِ الْمَثَانِي كُؤُوسُهَا

تُزَفُّ بِأَلْحَانِ الْمَثَانِي كُؤُوسُهَا

كَمَا زُفَّتِ الْحَسْنَاءُ بِالطَّبْلِ وَالزَّمْرِ

كَمَا زُفَّتِ الْحَسْنَاءُ بِالطَّبْلِ وَالزَّمْرِ

Its cups are borne in procession to the melodies of lute strings,

It was brought forth to rhythms and songs

as a fair bride was escorted with drum and pipe.

Just as the beauty was brought forth with drums and lutes

كُمَيْتٌ جَرَتْ فِي حَلْبَةِ الدَّهْرِ فَانْطَوَتْ

كُمَيْتٌ جَرَتْ فِي حَلْبَةِ الدَّهْرِ فَانْطَوَتْ

ثَمِيلَتُهَا وَالْخَيْلُ تُحْمَدُ بِالضُّمْرِ

ثَمِيلَتُهَا وَالْخَيْلُ تُحْمَدُ بِالضُّمْرِ

Chestnut-red, it raced in time's arena, and drew in

A wild mare who raced in the arena of time and folded

its belly—and horses are praised for leanness.

Her forelocks, while the steeds were prized for their zeal

فَكَمْ بَيْنَ آصَالٍ أَدَرْنَا كُؤُوسَهَا

فَكَمْ بَيْنَ آصَالٍ أَدَرْنَا كُؤُوسَهَا

وَبَيْنَ لَيَالٍ مِنْ كَواكِبِها نُمْرِ

وَبَيْنَ لَيَالٍ مِنْ كَواكِبِها نُمْرِ

How often at eventide we passed its cups around,

How many nights between its mornings have we made its cups go round

and amid nights dappled with its stars!

And between its stars we have whiled away the dewy nights

إِذَا أَنْتَ قَامَرْتَ الزَّمَانَ عَلَى الْمُنَى

إِذَا أَنْتَ قَامَرْتَ الزَّمَانَ عَلَى الْمُنَى

بِمَا دَارَ مِنْ أَقْدَاحِهَا فُزْتَ بِالْقَمْرِ

بِمَا دَارَ مِنْ أَقْدَاحِهَا فُزْتَ بِالْقَمْرِ

If you wager with Time for your desires,

When you gambled with time over the desires

with its goblets as they pass around, you will win the stakes.

Fulfilled by its goblets, you won the moon

فَخُذْ في أَفَانِينِ الْخَلاعَةِ وَالصِّبَا

فَخُذْ في أَفَانِينِ الْخَلاعَةِ وَالصِّبَا

وَدَعْنِي مِنْ زَيْدِ النُّحَاةِ وَمِنْ عَمْرِو

وَدَعْنِي مِنْ زَيْدِ النُّحَاةِ وَمِنْ عَمْرِو

So take up the varied arts of revelry and youthful passion,

So partake of the goblets of revelry and youth

and spare me the grammarians' Zayd and Amr.

And leave me be from Zayd the grammarian and Amr

أُولَئِكَ قَوْمٌ في حُروبٍ تَفَاقَمَتْ

أُولَئِكَ قَوْمٌ في حُروبٍ تَفَاقَمَتْ

وَلَكِنْ خَلَتْ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الْبِيضِ وَالسُّمْرِ

وَلَكِنْ خَلَتْ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الْبِيضِ وَالسُّمْرِ

Those are people amid wars that have grown fierce,

They are people embroiled in ongoing wars

yet devoid of the deadly assault of bright swords and tawny spears.

Though devoid of the violence of white and red death

فَمَا تَصْلُحُ الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا إِذَا خَلَتْ

فَمَا تَصْلُحُ الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا إِذَا خَلَتْ

قُلُوبُ الْوَرَى فِيها مِنَ الْحِقْدِ وَالْغِمْرِ

قُلُوبُ الْوَرَى فِيها مِنَ الْحِقْدِ وَالْغِمْرِ

For days are only good when

Days cannot be wholesome unless in them

people's hearts within them are free of hatred and rancor.

The hearts of all people are spared malice and rage

وَلا تَتَعَرَّضْ لاِمْرِئٍ بِمَسَاءَةٍ

وَلا تَتَعَرَّضْ لاِمْرِئٍ بِمَسَاءَةٍ

وَلا تَحْتَلِبْ ضَرْعَ الشِّقَاقِ وَلا تَمْرِ

وَلا تَحْتَلِبْ ضَرْعَ الشِّقَاقِ وَلا تَمْرِ

And do not subject anyone to harm,

Do not mistreat anyone for their faults

and do not milk discord's udder, nor stroke it to draw milk.

Nor milk the teat of dissent, nor pass

وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ ذَا فَاقَةٍ بَيْنَ طِمْرِهِ

وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ ذَا فَاقَةٍ بَيْنَ طِمْرِهِ

فَيَا رُبَّ فَضْلٍ يَبْهَرُ الْعَقْلَ فِي طِمْرِ

فَيَا رُبَّ فَضْلٍ يَبْهَرُ الْعَقْلَ فِي طِمْرِ

And do not despise a needy man in his tattered robe;

Do not look down on one in dire poverty

for, oh, many a virtue in a ragged robe dazzles the mind!

By God, outstanding merit dazzles reason in the bleary-eyed

وَكَيْفَ يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ فِي الدَّهْرِ آمِناً

وَكَيْفَ يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ فِي الدَّهْرِ آمِناً

وَلِلْمَوتِ فِينا وَثْبَةُ اللَّيْثِ والنِّمْرِ

وَلِلْمَوتِ فِينا وَثْبَةُ اللَّيْثِ والنِّمْرِ

And how can a man live securely throughout life,

And how can one live safely in this life

when death pounces among us like the lion and leopard?

When death crouches in us like a lion or a leopard

وَمَا أَحْسَبُ الأَيَّامَ تَصْفُو لِعَاقِلٍ

وَمَا أَحْسَبُ الأَيَّامَ تَصْفُو لِعَاقِلٍ

وَلَكِنْ صَفَاءُ الْعَيْشِ لِلْجَاهِلِ الْغُمْرِ

وَلَكِنْ صَفَاءُ الْعَيْشِ لِلْجَاهِلِ الْغُمْرِ

And I do not think the days grow serene for a wise man;

And I do not think days will ever be clear for one who's wise

but life's serenity belongs to the ignorant, inexperienced man.

Rather it's the fool whose life will be serene in bleariness

سَعَيْتُ فَأَدْرَكْتُ الْمُنَى في طِلابِها

سَعَيْتُ فَأَدْرَكْتُ الْمُنَى في طِلابِها

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ فِي الدَّهْرِ يَسْعَى إِلَى أَمْرِ

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ فِي الدَّهْرِ يَسْعَى إِلَى أَمْرِ

I strove, and attained my desires in pursuing them,

I strove and attained my desires in pursuing them

and every person in life strives toward some end.

And every person in this life strives for their own purpose