غَنِّنا بِالطُلولِ كَيفَ بَلينا

وَاِسقِنا نُعطِكَ الثَناءَ الثَمينا

Sing to us of past revels and delights,

Sing to us of the ruins, and how we withered away,

And pour the wine, we'll praise it as is right.

And pour us wine; in exchange, we offer precious praise.

مِن سُلافٍ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ شَيءٍ

يَتَمَنّى مُخَيَّرٌ أَن يَكونا

A vintage it's like nothing ever known,

Of a vintage choice, seemingly encompassing all things,

All that one could desire in draughts is shown.

Whatever a distinctive soul might wish to become.

أَكَلَ الدَهرُ ما تَجَسَّمَ مِنها

وَتَبَقّى لُبابُها المَكنونا

Time has consumed its outward form and dress,

Time has devoured all its corporeal form,

Its essence pure alone did time impress.

Leaving behind only its hidden, spiritual core.

فَإِذا ما اِجتَلَيتَها فَهَباءٌ

يَمنَعُ الكَفَّ ما يُبيحُ العُيونا

Grasp it, mere vapor 'twixt your hands will stay,

When you gaze upon it, it is but scattered light,

The eyes see what the hands cannot hold or sway.

Denying the hand what it freely grants the eyes.

ثُمَّ شُجَّت فَاِستَضحَكَت عَن لَآلٍ

لَو تَجَمَّعنَ في يَدٍ لَاِقتُنينا

Then from a cheek like ruby it will smile,

Then, when mixed, it laughed to reveal bright pearls,

As if all beauty in a palm compile.

Which, if gathered in a hand, would be treasures to keep.

في كُؤوسٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ نُجومٌ

جارِياتٌ بُروجُها يَبدينا

In cups like stars that circle in the sky,

In goblets that shimmer as if they were stars,

Their mansions passing as they journey by.

Drifting along, their celestial houses revealed.

طالِعاتٍ مَعَ السُقاةِ عَلَينا

فَإِذا ما غَرَبنَ يَغرُبنَ فينا

They rise o’er us with cupbearers in train,

Rising upon us in the hands of the cupbearers,

And when they set, set they within our brain.

And when they set, they set deep within us.

لَو تَرى الشَربَ حَولَها مِن بَعيدٍ

قُلتَ قَومٌ مِن قِرَّةٍ يَصطَلونا

From far you'd think, seeing them circle round,

Were you to see the drinkers around it from afar,

A tribe in comfort and repose is found.

You would say: a people frozen, warming themselves by a fire.

وَغَزالٍ يُديرُها بِبَنانٍ

ناعِماتٍ يَزيدُها الغَمزُ لينا

A fawn the cup bears with her gentle wrist,

And a gazelle who passes the cup with fingertips,

Her dimples add to motions soft and brisk.

So soft, that merely touching them increases their grace.

كُلَّما شِئتُ عَلَّني بِرُضابٍ

يَترُكُ القَلبَ لِلسُرورِ خَدينا

Call me with nectar whenever you insist,

Whenever I wished, he refreshed me with sweet kisses,

Leaving the heart to happiness unkissed.

Leaving my heart a constant companion to joy.

ذاكَ عَيشٌ لَو دامَ لي غَيرَ أَنّي

عِفتُهُ مُكرَهاً وَخِفتُ الأَمينا

A life it was, and had it longer stayed,

That was a life—had it only lasted for me!—but I,

I would have spurned it and the world obeyed.

Abandoned it against my will, in fear of the Trustee.

أَدِرِ الكَأسَ حانَ أَن تَسقينا

وَاِنقُرِ الدَفَّ إِنَّهُ يَلهينا

Turn you the cup, the time for drink is due,

Pass the cup around; the time has come to pour for us,

Beat you the drum, it stirs the heart anew.

And strike the tambourine, for truly it beguiles us.

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ لِلطُلولِ إِذا ما

دارَتِ الكَأسُ يَسرَةً وَيَمينا

Speak not of days of mirth now turned to rue

And cease the mention of the ruins, whenever

When cups went round both left hand and right hand too.

The wine cup circles to the left and to the right.