إِذا خَطَرَت فيكَ الهُمومُ فَداوِها

بِكَأسِكَ حَتّى لا تَكونَ هُمومُ

When worries occur to you, cure them

If worries cross your mind, then cure them all

With your cup until they are no longer worries

With your cup, until no trace of care remains.

أَدِرها وَخُذها قَهوَةً بابِلِيَّةً

لَها بَينَ بُصرى وَالعِراقِ كُرومُ

Make it coffee from Babylon

Pass it round and take it, a vintage of Babylon,

It has vineyards between Busra and Iraq

Born of vineyards found 'twixt Busra and Iraq.

وَما عَرَفَت ناراً وَلا قِدرَ طابِخٍ

سِوى حَرَّ شَمسٍ إِذ تَهيجُ سَمومُ

It has known no fire nor a cooking pot

It has known no fire, nor the cauldron of a cook,

Except the heat of the sun when poisons boil

Only the sun's heat when the scorching simoom blows.

لَها مِن ذَكيِّ المِسكِ ريحٌ ذَكِيَّةٌ

وَمِن طيبِ ريحِ الزَعفَرانِ نَسيمُ

It has the scent of fine musk

It holds the sharp fragrance of the purest musk,

And the breeze of the smell of saffron

And a breath of the sweet, soft scent of saffron.

فَشَمَّرتُ أَثوابي وَهَروَلتُ مُسرِعاً

وَقَلبِيَ مِن شَوقٍ يَكادُ يَهيمُ

So I rolled up my sleeves and hurried

So I gathered my robes and hastened my pace,

With my heart almost wandering from yearning

While my heart, from longing, was nearly astray.

وَقُلتُ لِمَلّاحي أَلا هَيِّ زَورَقي

وَبِتُّ يُغَنّيني أَخٌ وَنَديمُ

And I said to the sailor, come on, make my boat ready

I called to my boatman, "Make ready my skiff!"

While a brother sings to entertain me

While a brother and boon-companion sang through the night.

إِلى بَيتِ خَمّارٍ أَفادَ زِحامُهُ

لَهُ ثَروَةً وَالوَجهُ مِنهُ بَهيمُ

To the house of a wine-seller, his crowd was beneficial

To a vintner's abode, where the thronging crowds

He has wealth while his face was shiny

brought him wealth, though his visage was dark and grim.

وَفي بَيتِهِ زِقٌّ وَدَنٌّ وَدَورَقٌ

وَباطِيَةٌ تُروي الفَتى وَتُنيمُ

And in his house were raisins, jars and carafes

Inside were wineskins, casks, and clay jugs,

And red wine that gives drink to the young lad and lulls him to sleep

And a flagon to quench a youth and lull him to sleep.

فَأَزقاقُهُ سودٌ وَحُمرٌ دِنانُهُ

فَفي البَيتِ حُبشانٌ لَدَيهِ وَرومُ

So I went to the youths I used to serve, so I praised them

His skins are black and his casks are red—

And I found no defect among the servants

As if Abyssinians and Romans dwelt in his hall.

وَدَهقانَةٍ ميزانُها نُصبَ عَينِها

وَميزانُها لِلمُشتَرينَ غَشومُ

I entertained myself and the servants with drinking it

And a mistress of wine, with her scales in plain sight,

So this was an adversity that passed me, and bliss

Yet her balance deals falsely with those who buy.

فَأَعطَيتُها صُفراً وَقَبَّلتُ رَأسَها

عَلى أَنَّني فيما أَتَيتُ مُليمُ

By my life, if Allah does not forgive her sin

I gave her gold coins and kissed her head,

Then my punishment in the Reckoning will be painful

Though surely I bear blame for the deed I had done.

وَقُلتُ لَها هُزّي الدَنانَ قَديمَةً

فَقالَت نَعَم إِنّي بِذاكَ زَعيمُ

"Shake the ancient casks for me," I implored,

And she answered, "Yes, I am master of this."

أَلَستَ تَراها قَد تَعَفَّت رُسومُها

كَما قَد تَعَفَّت لِلدِيارِ رُسومُ

"Do you not see how their markings have faded,

Just as the traces of desert camps fade away?"

يَحومُ عَلَيها العَنكَبوتُ بِنَسجِها

وَلَيسَ عَلى أَمثالِ تِلكَ يَحومُ

"The spider has woven its web all around them,

A veil it spins not for common things."

ذَخيرَةُ دَهقانٍ حَواها لِنَفسِهِ

إِذا مَلِكٌ أَوفى عَلَيهِ وَسيمُ

"A treasure the merchant preserved for himself,

Awaiting the visit of a handsome king."

وَما باعَها إِلّا لِعُظمِ خَراجِهِ

لِأَنَّ الَّذي يَجبي الخَراجَ ظَلومُ

"He sold it but to pay his heavy tax,

For the collector of tithes is a tyrant unjust."

فَقُلتُ بِكَم رِطلٌ فَقالَت بِأَصفَرٍ

فَحُزتُ زِقاقاً وِزرُهُنَّ عَظيمُ

I asked, "How much for a measure?" She said, "One gold coin."

So I seized the skins, though their burden of sin was vast.

وَرُحتُ بِها في زَورَقٍ قَد كَتَمتُها

وَمِن أَينَ لِلمِسكِ الذَكِيِّ كُتومُ

I departed by boat, attempting to hide it,

But how can the scent of pungent musk be concealed?

إِلى فِتيَةٍ نادَمتُهُم فَحَمِدتُهُم

وَما في النَدامى ما عَلِمتُ لَئيمُ

To youths I caroused with—men worthy of praise—

For among my companions, I knew not a soul who was base.

فَمَتَّعتُ نَفسي وَالنَدامى بِشُربِها

فَهَذا شَقاءٌ مَرَّ بي وَنَعيمُ

I delighted myself and my friends with the draught;

Such was the hardship I passed, and such the bliss.

لَعَمري لَئِن لَم يَغفِرِ اللَهُ ذَنبَها

فَإِنَّ عَذابي في الحِسابِ أَليمُ

By my life, if God does not pardon this sin,

Then truly my torment at the Reckoning shall be sore.