اِسقِني وَاِسقِ ذُفافَه

يا أَبا الحُرِّ سُلافَه

Give me to drink, and give her companions to drink,

Pour for me, and pour for Dhu Fafa,

O father of freedom, smoothness.

O Abu al-Hurr, the purest wine of all.

وَاِسقِ رَأسَ اللَهوِ وَالظُر

فِ عَلى يُمنِ العِيافَه

And give drink to frivolity and captivation,

And give drink to the master of mirth and charm,

In the right side of tent.

By the lucky omens that the signs let fall.

قَهوَةً ذاتَ اِختِيالٍ

سَلِمَت مِن كُلِّ آفَه

A coffee of fantasies,

A vintage that struts with a swaggering pride,

Safe from every harm.

Safe from every taint, untouched by gall.

إِنَّ غَيري مَن قَلاها

لِرَجاءٍ أَو مَخافَه

Others who said it, said it

It is only others who have cast it off,

Out of hope or fear.

In hope of heaven or in fear's thrall.

هاتِها جَهراً وَدَعني

مِن أَحاديثِ خُرافَه

Give it plainly and let me

Bring it openly! And leave me be,

From nonsense tales.

From superstitious tales and fable's call.

ضاعَ بَل ذَلَّ الَّذي عَن

نَفَ فيها يا ذُفافَه

No, but he who refused

Lost—nay, humiliated—is the man,

In it, O little container, failed.

Who scorned the cup, O Dhu Fafa, withal,

مِثلَما ذَلَّت وَضاعَت

بَعدَ هارونَ الخِلافَه

Just as they failed and wasted away

Just as the Caliphate was brought to shame,

After Aaron the caliphate.

And lost, after Harun, beyond recall.