أَدِرهاpass it round بِلُطفٍwith gentleness وَاِجعَلِand make الرِفقَgentleness مَذهَباa way
أَدِرها بِلُطفٍ وَاِجعَلِ الرِفقَ مَذهَبا
وَحَيّand salute بِهِwith it كَأساًa cup مِنَof الراحِwine مُذهَباgilded
وَحَيّ بِهِ كَأساً مِنَ الراحِ مُذهَبا
Pass it round gently, and make gentleness your way.
Turn gently the cup, and make gentleness your way,
And with it salute a gilded cup of wine.
And bid with it a glass of wine gilded by rays.
وَلاand do not تَطغَgo to excess فيin حَثِّurging on الكُؤوسِthe cups لِأَنَّناbecause we
وَلا تَطغَ في حَثِّ الكُؤوسِ لِأَنَّنا
شَرِبناwe drank لِنَحياso we may live وَماand not حَيَيناwe lived لِنَشرَباso we may drink
شَرِبنا لِنَحيا وَما حَيَينا لِنَشرَبا
Do not go too far in urging the cups along, for we
Do not go too far urging cups, for we
drank to live; we did not live to drink.
Drank but to live, and lived not but to drink.
فَإِنَّfor indeed قَليلَa little الراحِwine لِلروحِfor the soul راحَةٌrest
فَإِنَّ قَليلَ الراحِ لِلروحِ راحَةٌ
فَإِنso if زادَit increases مِقداراًin quantity عَنِbeyond العَدلِmoderation أَتعَباit causes fatigue
فَإِن زادَ مِقداراً عَنِ العَدلِ أَتعَبا
For a little wine is rest for the soul;
For a little wine gives the soul relief,
but if its measure exceeds moderation, it brings fatigue.
But excess over justice wearies it.
فَلاso do not تَكُbe مَنone who أَعطىgave المُدامَwine قِيادَهُhis reins
فَلا تَكُ مَن أَعطى المُدامَ قِيادَهُ
فَأَودَتso it brought ruin بِهِupon him وَاِستَوطَأَand he found comfortable الجَهلَignorance مَركَباas a mount
فَأَودَت بِهِ وَاِستَوطَأَ الجَهلَ مَركَبا
So do not be one who gives wine his reins,
Do not be as one who gave drink control,
only for it to destroy him, while he takes ignorance for a comfortable mount.
So it destroyed him and ign'rance rode its steed.
فَإِنَّfor indeed كَثيراًmany مَنwho يَظُنُّthink كَثيرَهاmuch of it
فَإِنَّ كَثيراً مَن يَظُنُّ كَثيرَها
إِذاwhen زادَit increases زادَincreases النَفعُthe benefit أَوor كانَit is أَقرَباnearer
إِذا زادَ زادَ النَفعُ أَو كانَ أَقرَبا
For many suppose that a large amount of it,
Many think abundance of drink
if increased, increases the benefit, or brings it nearer,
Increases its benefit or makes it closer.
كَظَنِّهِمِlike their supposition فيconcerning كَثرَةِabundance الأَكلِeating أَنَّهاthat it
كَظَنِّهِمِ في كَثرَةِ الأَكلِ أَنَّها
إِذاwhen أَفرَطَتit becomes excessive أَمسىbecomes بِهاthrough it الجِسمُthe body مُخصِباwell nourished
إِذا أَفرَطَت أَمسى بِها الجِسمُ مُخصِبا
just as they suppose, of abundant eating, that
Like their thought on excess food, that it
when it is excessive, the body becomes well nourished through it.
Fattens the body when taken immoderately.
أَضَلّواthey led astray الوَرىmankind مِنthrough جَهلِهِمtheir ignorance وَتَنَزَّهواand deemed themselves free
أَضَلّوا الوَرى مِن جَهلِهِم وَتَنَزَّهوا
عَنِof الجَهلِignorance حَتّىuntil صارَit became جَهلاًignorance مُرَكَّباcompounded
عَنِ الجَهلِ حَتّى صارَ جَهلاً مُرَكَّبا
They led mankind astray through their ignorance, and deemed themselves free
They misled people in their ignorance, and became
of ignorance, until it became compounded ignorance.
Remote from ignorance until it was compounded.
وَأَعجَبُand I marvel أَنَّthat السُكرَdrunkenness فيin كُلِّevery مِلَّةٍfaith
وَأَعجَبُ أَنَّ السُكرَ في كُلِّ مِلَّةٍ
حَرامٌforbidden وَإِنand even though أَمسىit becomes إِلَيهاto it مُحَبَّباbeloved
حَرامٌ وَإِن أَمسى إِلَيها مُحَبَّبا
And I marvel that drunkenness, in every faith,
Strangest is that wine in every faith
is forbidden, though it has become beloved there.
Is forbidden, though made dear to it.
وَتُكثِرُand drink much مِنهاof it المُسلِمونَthe Muslims لِسُكرِهاfor its intoxicating effect
وَتُكثِرُ مِنها المُسلِمونَ لِسُكرِها
وَتَترُكُand forsake نَفعاًa benefit لِلقَليلِof a little مُحَرَّماforbidden
وَتَترُكُ نَفعاً لِلقَليلِ مُحَرَّما
And Muslims drink much of it for its intoxicating effect,
The Muslims take much of it for its intoxication
and forsake the benefit of a little as forbidden.
And leave a little benefit forbidden.
وَإِنand if نَظَرواthey see يَوماًone day لَبيباًa discerning man مُداوِياًtreating
وَإِن نَظَروا يَوماً لَبيباً مُداوِياً
بِهاwith it الهَمَّgrief قالواthey say باخِلاًa miser مُتَطَبِّباa would-be physician
بِها الهَمَّ قالوا باخِلاً مُتَطَبِّبا
And if one day they see a discerning man treating
If they see a wise doctor one day
his grief with it, they call him a miser playing physician.
Curing anguish with it, they call him stingy and pretentious.
وَماand not السُكرُdrunkenness إِلّاexcept حاكِمٌa ruler مُتَسَلِّطٌdomineering
وَما السُكرُ إِلّا حاكِمٌ مُتَسَلِّطٌ
إِذاwhen هُوَit قاوىpits its strength against أَغلَباًa mighty opponent كانَit is أَغلَباmightier
إِذا هُوَ قاوى أَغلَباً كانَ أَغلَبا
Drunkenness is nothing but a domineering ruler:
Drunkenness is but a tyrannous ruler;
when it pits its strength against a mighty opponent, it proves mightier.
When empowered, it is most empowered.
فَإِنso if شِئتَyou wish يَوماًone day شُربَهاdrinking it فَاِتَّخِذthen choose لَهاfor it
فَإِن شِئتَ يَوماً شُربَها فَاِتَّخِذ لَها
حَكيماًa wise man لَبيباًdiscerning أَوor نَديماa drinking companion مُهَذَّباwell mannered
حَكيماً لَبيباً أَو نَديما مُهَذَّبا
So if one day you wish to drink it, choose for it
If you wish to drink it one day, then take for it
a wise, discerning man, or a refined drinking companion.
A wise and judicious friend or refined boon companion.
وَخِلٍّand a friend دَعانيinvited me لِلصَبوحِto the morning draught أَجَبتُهُI answered him
وَخِلٍّ دَعاني لِلصَبوحِ أَجَبتُهُ
وَقُلتُand I said لَهُto him أَهلاًwelcome وَسَهلاًand be at ease وَمَرحَباand welcome
وَقُلتُ لَهُ أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحَبا
A friend invited me to the morning draught; I answered him,
A friend invited me to drink at dawn, and I answered him,
and said to him, 'Welcome! Be at ease! You are most welcome!'
“Welcome, greetings, and hospitality!”
وَأَقطَعتُهُand I granted him كِفلاًa share مِنَof الأَمنِsafety بَعدَماafter
وَأَقطَعتُهُ كِفلاً مِنَ الأَمنِ بَعدَما
بَسَطتُI opened لَهُto him صَدراًa breast مِنَthan الدَهرِtime أَرحَباmore spacious
بَسَطتُ لَهُ صَدراً مِنَ الدَهرِ أَرحَبا
And I granted him a share of safety, after
And I secured him a shoulder of safety after
I had opened to him a breast more spacious than time.
I laid for him a breast of time more spacious.
وَأَبرَزتُهاand I brought it forth صَفراءَyellow تَحسِبُyou would think كَأسَهاits cup
وَأَبرَزتُها صَفراءَ تَحسِبُ كَأسَها
غِشاءًa sheath مِنَof البَلورِcrystal يَحمِلُholding كَهرَباamber
غِشاءً مِنَ البَلورِ يَحمِلُ كَهرَبا
And I brought it forth golden; you would think its cup
I brought it out yellow, and its cup reckons
a crystal sheath holding amber.
A film of crystal bearing ambergris.
وَعاطَيتُهُand I shared with him صَفراءَyellow wine وَيُشرِقُand shines وَجهُهاits face
وَعاطَيتُهُ صَفراءَ وَيُشرِقُ وَجهُها
بِنورٍwith a light يُريناshows us أَدهَمَthe blackness of اللَيلِthe night أَشهَباsilver-gray
بِنورٍ يُرينا أَدهَمَ اللَيلِ أَشهَبا
And I shared the golden wine with him, its face shining
I gave him yellow wine, and its face shone
with a light that shows us night's blackness as silver-gray.
With a light showing us the darkness of night silvered.
طَليقَةُcheerful وَجهٍface ثَغرُهاits mouth مُبتَسِمٌsmiling
طَليقَةُ وَجهٍ ثَغرُها مُبتَسِمٌ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حَساهاhe sips it باسِمُone smiling الثَغرِof mouth قَطَباhe frowns
إِذا ما حَساها باسِمُ الثَغرِ قَطَبا
Cheerful of face, its mouth smiling;
A radiant face whose mouth smiles
when a smiling man sips it, he frowns.
When the mouth’s name adorns the mouth’s beauty.
وَبِتناand we spent the night نُوَفّيwe pay in full العَيشَlife بِاللَهوِwith merriment حَقَّهُits due
وَبِتنا نُوَفّي العَيشَ بِاللَهوِ حَقَّهُ
وَنَسرَحُand we roam فيin رَوضٍa meadow مِنَof الأُنسِfellowship أَعشَباlush with grass
وَنَسرَحُ في رَوضٍ مِنَ الأُنسِ أَعشَبا
We spent the night paying life its due in merriment,
We continued fulfilling the life of play,
and roaming through a grassy meadow of fellowship.
And wandered in a meadow of companionship with grass.
وَإِنّيand I indeed لَأَهوىsurely love مِنamong نَدامايَmy drinking companions ماجِداًa noble man
وَإِنّي لَأَهوى مِن نَدامايَ ماجِداً
إِذاwhen خامَرَتهُtakes hold of him الراحُwine زادَhe increases تَأَدُّباin courtesy
إِذا خامَرَتهُ الراحُ زادَ تَأَدُّبا
And among my drinking companions, I truly love a noble man
And I love from my boon companions a noble one
who, when wine takes hold of him, grows more courteous.
Who, when touched by wine, increases in manners.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أُمِرَّتis passed round مُرَّةٌa bitter wine فيin مَذاقِهاits taste
إِذا ما أُمِرَّت مُرَّةٌ في مَذاقِها
رَآهاhe finds it لِقُربيbecause of my nearness مِنthan جَنىthe harvest of النَحلِthe bees أَعذَباsweeter
رَآها لِقُربي مِن جَنى النَحلِ أَعذَبا
When a wine bitter to the taste is passed round,
If a wine seasoned in its taste
he finds it, because I am near, sweeter than the bees' harvest.
He sees it, through my proximity, as sweeter.
فَأَوجَبَso he made obligatory مَعَwith مِثليone like me عَلىupon النَفسِthe self شُربَهاdrinking it
فَأَوجَبَ مَعَ مِثلي عَلى النَفسِ شُربَها
فَإِنbut if لَمnot يَكُنhe is مِثلاًa peer أَرىI deem التُركَabstention أَوجَباmore obligatory
فَإِن لَم يَكُن مِثلاً أَرى التُركَ أَوجَبا
So he makes drinking it with one like me a duty upon himself;
He then makes it obligatory on himself to drink it with the likes of me.
but if he is no such peer, I deem abstention the greater duty.
If he is not alike, I see abstention as more obligatory.
Sol 6.1