طَلَبتُ نَديماً يوجِدُ الراحَ راحَةً

طَلَبتُ نَديماً يوجِدُ الراحَ راحَةً

إِذا الراحُ أَودَت بِالكَثيرِ مِنَ العَقلِ

إِذا الراحُ أَودَت بِالكَثيرِ مِنَ العَقلِ

I sought a boon companion who makes wine a solace,

I sought a companion to find rest in rest

when wine has done away with much of one's reason;

When rest robbed much reason from the mind

يُشارِكُني في سِرِّها وَسُرورِها

يُشارِكُني في سِرِّها وَسُرورِها

فَيَملَأُ أَو يَحسو وَيَكتُبُ أَو يُملي

فَيَملَأُ أَو يَحسو وَيَكتُبُ أَو يُملي

who shares with me in its secret and its joy,

To share in its secret and in its delight

so he fills the cup or sips, and writes or dictates;

So he may dictate, write or recite

وَيَشرَبُها بِالكَيفِ وَالأَينِ وَالمَتى

وَيَشرَبُها بِالكَيفِ وَالأَينِ وَالمَتى

وَيَعرِفُها بِالجِنسِ وَالنَوعِ وَالفَصلِ

وَيَعرِفُها بِالجِنسِ وَالنَوعِ وَالفَصلِ

and drinks it according to quality, place, and time,

And drink it in manner, place and time

and knows it by genus, species, and differentia.

And know it in genre, type and paradigm

فَلَمّا أَبى الحِرمانُ إِلّا لَجاجَةً

فَلَمّا أَبى الحِرمانُ إِلّا لَجاجَةً

وَأَعوَزَني خِلّاً يُناسِبُ في الفَضلِ

وَأَعوَزَني خِلّاً يُناسِبُ في الفَضلِ

So when deprivation persisted in its obstinacy,

But when deprivation insisted on dissent

and left me without a friend equal to me in merit,

And a peer matching me in merit was lent

خَلَوتُ بِها وَهدي كَما قالَ شَيخُنا

خَلَوتُ بِها وَهدي كَما قالَ شَيخُنا

وَذاكَ لِأَنّي ما وَجَدتُ لَها مِثلي

وَذاكَ لِأَنّي ما وَجَدتُ لَها مِثلي

I secluded myself with it [alone], as our master said,

I communed with it alone as our master said

and that was because I found no one like me for it.

For I found none other who was like me instead