بَاكرِ دَمَ الزِّقِّ بالنَّايات وَالعُودِ

واشرب فقد ضاعَ منها مَندَلُ العَودِ

Dawn sprinkled the juice of grapes with flutes and lute

So drink, for the bowl of wood is now lost

أَما تراهُ بِنَحرِ الزِّقِّ مُنبجساً

يُجري بعرقٍ من الراووقِ مَفصودِ

Do you not see it stained on the breast of the jar

Flowing with filtered syrup from the grape vine

والدِّيكُ قد نبَّهَ النُّوَّامَ من طَربٍ

إلى الصَّباحِ بِتَصفيقِ وتَغريدِ

The rooster has woken the sleepy from ecstasy

To the morning with clapping and singing

وَعَسكرُ الصُّبحِ قَد غَارَت طلائِعُهُ

شُهباً على أَدهمِ للَّيلِ مَطرودِ

And the army of dawn has launched its vanguards

Like falling stars upon the dark night's retreat

والكأسُ قد قَهقَهَ الإِبريقُ فابتسمَت

عن لُؤلُؤٍ من حَبابِ الماءِ مَنضودِ

The goblet has clinked as the pitcher smiles

With pearls of water beads gathered round

قوموا بنَا نحو ديرِ القَسِّ نطرقُهُ

فَقَد ظِمئنا إلى ماءِ العَنَاقيدِ

Rise, let us head to the monastery of the priest

For we thirst for the water of the vine

نَستَقِهِ شَمسةً ممَّا قَدِ ادَّخرَت

مِنها القَواويسُ أعيادَ الَمواليدِ

We'll have a sip, from what it has stored

In its jars, for the holidays and feasts

مِنَ التي عظَّم الرُّهبانُ حُرمَتها

وقرَّب القِسُّ منها كلَّ معمودِ

That which the monks so revere

And the priest has baptized all believers with

من عَنستُ في دَنِّها حِقَباً

كانَت وما آدمٌ يوماً بموجودِ

I have lived in its lowlands for ages

While Adam himself was not yet present

كادَت من الَمكثِ لولا طِيبُ عُنصُرِها

تَضحي كَوَهم من الأَوهامِ مَفقودِ

Were it not for the goodness of its being

It would be like a delusion, lost and absent

أَثوابُها عِندَ يَومِ الفِصحِ تَحمِلُها

أيدي القُسُوسِ فَكَانَت بهجَةَ العيدِ

On Easter Day its clothes are carried

By the hands of priests, the joy of the feast

وَزَحفوا حَولَها الإِنجيلَ مِن فَرحٍ

بِها وَطافوا بِتَعظيم وَتَمجيدِ

And they crept around it, the Bible in joy

Circling with reverence and praise

صَلُّوا عَلَيها وطَافوا حَولَ حانتِها

دَهراً طويلاً بِتَلحينٍ وَتَرديدِ

They prayed over it and circled its tavern

For ages long, with chant and verse

فَإِن سَقَونا شَرِبنا مِن مُدامَتهِم

كأساً تَقولُ لأَيَّامِ الصِّبا عودي

So if we drink from their chalices

A cup that says to the days of youth "return"