ألا عاطني الخمرَ إنَّ الزمانَ

ألا عاطني الخمرَ إنَّ الزمانَ

على مِيمِها وعلى رائِها

على مِيمِها وعلى رائِها

Come, pass me the wine, for time

Oh give me wine, for time itself

rests upon her mīm and upon her rā.

In its bitterness and in its sweetness too, belongs to wine.

وانعشْ بها زهراتِ السرور

وانعشْ بها زهراتِ السرور

فقد نبتتْ قبلُ من مائها

فقد نبتتْ قبلُ من مائها

And revive with her the blossoms of joy,

With it revive the flowers of joy,

for they had sprung from her water before.

For from its essence they grew.

لعرشِ السماءِ ارتقتْ أمُها

لعرشِ السماءِ ارتقتْ أمُها

وفي الأرضِ أعراشُ آبائها

وفي الأرضِ أعراشُ آبائها

To the throne of heaven her mother ascended,

Its mother rose to the throne of the sky,

and on earth stand her fathers’ thrones.

And its fathers had thrones on earth.

فلبستْ لغيرِ ملوكِ الكلام

فلبستْ لغيرِ ملوكِ الكلام

وبنت الملوك لأكفانها

وبنت الملوك لأكفانها

So she dressed for those other than the kings of speech [text unclear],

It wore, for the sake of kings of speech,

and the daughter of kings—for her shrouds [text unclear].

What kings' daughters wear at their end.

ولا غروَ إن زادَ أعداؤها

ولا غروَ إن زادَ أعداؤها

فقدْرُ النفوسِ بأعدائها

فقدْرُ النفوسِ بأعدائها

And no wonder if her enemies multiply,

No wonder that its enemies increased,

for the worth of souls is measured by their enemies.

For souls are known by their enemies.

أليسَ من الطلمِ للخمرِ أنْ

أليسَ من الطلمِ للخمرِ أنْ

تُذَمَّ بأشهرِ أسمائِها

تُذَمَّ بأشهرِ أسمائِها

Is it not an injustice to wine that

Is it not the height of injustice that

she is condemned for the best-known of her names?

Wine should be blamed for its very names?