قِف لا تَخَلخَل عَنِ الريحانِ وَالراحِ

وَعَن تَرَنُّمِ أَوتارٍ بِإِفصاحِ

Stop! Do not drift away from the sweet-smelling herbs,

Stay! Do not waver from the basil and the wine,

Nor from the murmur of strings with eloquent tones,

Nor from the clear and chanting voice of strings.

مِن كَفِّ ساقِيَةٍ يَستَلُّ ناظِرُها

لِدِقَّةِ الفَهمِ ما أَوحى بِهِ الواحي

From the hand of a cupbearer whose gaze is fixed

From a cupbearer's hand, whose gaze draws out,

On the subtlety of understanding what the inspirer has conveyed.

With subtle wit, the secrets that the whisperer hints.

وَيا تَعالي عُقاراً قَرقَفاً رَقَصَت

عِندَ المِزاجِ بِطاساتٍ وَأَقداحِ

And come, let us drink heady wine that danced

Come, bring a trembling vintage that begins to dance

When blended, in cups and goblets,

When mixed within the goblets and the bowls;

تُبدي الشُموسُ إِذا ما الماءُ خالَطَها

شُعاعَ نورٍ كَلَمعِ البَرقِ لَمّاحِ

The suns reveal, when the water mixes with them,

Revealing suns whenever water mingles there,

A ray of light like the flash of lightning when it flickers.

A ray of light like flashing lightning, bright and sharp.