يا حاملَ الكأس ناوِلْني مُشَعشَعةً

يا حاملَ الكأس ناوِلْني مُشَعشَعةً

لم تَقْرِ همّاً ولا بُخلاً بواديها

لم تَقْرِ همّاً ولا بُخلاً بواديها

O bearer of the cup, hand me wine brightened with water,

O bearer of the cup, pass me the glowing cup,

that has hosted neither care nor stinginess in its valley.

That harbors no sorrow or stinginess in its valley,

أحسِرْ بها غَيْهَبَ الأحزانِ عن فِكَري

أحسِرْ بها غَيْهَبَ الأحزانِ عن فِكَري

فكم ليالٍ بها زيّدتُ وارِيها

فكم ليالٍ بها زيّدتُ وارِيها

With it, strip the deep darkness of sorrows from my thoughts;

Unveil with it the cheeks of sorrows from my thoughts,

for many nights, with it, I have heightened their glowing fire.

For with it I have increased many a night its wineskin.

لَم أدرِ لمّا اِمتطتها كفّ حاملها

لَم أدرِ لمّا اِمتطتها كفّ حاملها

أَحلّتِ الكأسَ أم خَدَّي مُعاطِيها

أَحلّتِ الكأسَ أم خَدَّي مُعاطِيها

I did not know, when its bearer's hand mounted it,

I know not when I grasped it in the palm of its bearer,

whether it had settled in the cup or in its giver's cheeks.

Did it sweeten the cup or my receiving cheeks?

وَعائبٍ لمشيبي وَهو لابِسُهُ

وَعائبٍ لمشيبي وَهو لابِسُهُ

ولم يَعِبْ حُلّةً في النّاسِ كاسيها

ولم يَعِبْ حُلّةً في النّاسِ كاسيها

And many a man faults my gray hair, though he himself wears it,

One who reproaches my gray hair while wearing it,

yet no one among men has faulted a robe he himself wears.

Has he not worn a robe among people like its wearer?

لم يدر أنّ مشيبَ الرّأس من فكري

لم يدر أنّ مشيبَ الرّأس من فكري

لَم يَسْرِ رَكْبُ مشيبٍ في نواحيها

لَم يَسْرِ رَكْبُ مشيبٍ في نواحيها

He did not know that my head's grayness comes from my thoughts;

He knows not that the grayness of my head is from my thoughts,

no caravan of grayness has traveled by night through their regions.

No caravan of grayness roamed about in its outskirts.

أَليسَ ينقص يوماً في ذُراً لهمُ

أَليسَ ينقص يوماً في ذُراً لهمُ

ماءُ الشّباب غزيرٌ في عَزاليها

ماءُ الشّباب غزيرٌ في عَزاليها

Does it not one day dwindle upon heights of theirs—

Does not the water of youth in its isolation

the water of youth, abundant in their spouts?

Lessen for them a day in every passing era?

وما الفناءُ بموقوفٍ على حَدَثٍ

وما الفناءُ بموقوفٍ على حَدَثٍ

وَالنّابُ في الذَّوْدِ أغْنى من حواشيها

وَالنّابُ في الذَّوْدِ أغْنى من حواشيها

Nor is death confined to a young person;

Annihilation depends not on ephemeral youth,

and the aged she-camel in a small herd is more useful than its young.

The fangs in the forearms are richer than its bracelets.

وعاذلٍ من صنيعٍ قد تدرّعه

وعاذلٍ من صنيعٍ قد تدرّعه

وليسَ يَشفِي مِنَ الأمراضِ شاكيها

وليسَ يَشفِي مِنَ الأمراضِ شاكيها

And many a censurer of a practice he himself has donned as armor—

And one who reproaches another's making, who has armored himself,

yet the sufferer from diseases does not cure them.

Yet does not heal from diseases his own complainant.

طويتُ كشحَيَّ عنه ثمّ قلتُ له

طويتُ كشحَيَّ عنه ثمّ قلتُ له

ما العيشُ إنْ جَنَحَتْ نفسِي لِلاحيها

ما العيشُ إنْ جَنَحَتْ نفسِي لِلاحيها

I turned away from him, then said to him:

I turned away from him like a resolute she-camel, then said:

What is life if my soul inclines toward its censurer?

What is life if my soul inclines not to its revival?

دَعْني أنَلْ من زماني بعضَ لَذَّتِهِ

دَعْني أنَلْ من زماني بعضَ لَذَّتِهِ

فقد وثِقْتُ بأنّ الدّهرَ يَفْرِيها

فقد وثِقْتُ بأنّ الدّهرَ يَفْرِيها

Let me take from my time some of its pleasure,

Let me attain from my time some of its pleasures,

for I am sure that time will tear it apart.

For I am certain that time will destroy them.

وكيف آنسُ بالدُّنيا ولستُ أرى

وكيف آنسُ بالدُّنيا ولستُ أرى

إلّا اِمرءاً قد تعرّى من عَواريها

إلّا اِمرءاً قد تعرّى من عَواريها

And how can I find comfort in the world when I see

How can I delight in the world while I see not,

only a man stripped of the things it lends?

Except a man stripped of its coverings?

كأنّها غُصّةٌ حلّتْ بِمَبْلَعِها

كأنّها غُصّةٌ حلّتْ بِمَبْلَعِها

أوْ كالقَذاةِ أقامتْ في مآقِيها

أوْ كالقَذاةِ أقامتْ في مآقِيها

As though it were a choking lump lodged in its throat,

It is as if a lump is stuck in its throat,

or like a mote lingering in the corners of its eyes.

Or a piece of straw lodged in its resting place.

نَصبوا إليها بآمالٍ مُخَيَّبَةٍ

نَصبوا إليها بآمالٍ مُخَيَّبَةٍ

كَأنّنا ما نرى عُقْبى أمانِيها

كَأنّنا ما نرى عُقْبى أمانِيها

They strove toward it with thwarted hopes,

With failed hopes they set out to it,

as though we did not see the outcome of its wishes.

As if we see not the outcome of its wishes.

في وَحشةِ الدّار ممّنْ كان يسكنها

في وَحشةِ الدّار ممّنْ كان يسكنها

كُلُّ اِعتبارٍ لمن قد ظلّ يأويها

كُلُّ اِعتبارٍ لمن قد ظلّ يأويها

In the desolation of the dwelling, bereft of those who lived in it,

In the solitude of the abode from those who inhabited it,

lies every lesson for whoever still takes shelter there.

Every lesson is for one who sought its shelter.

لا تكذِبنَّ فما قلبي لها وطنٌ

لا تكذِبنَّ فما قلبي لها وطنٌ

وقد رأيتُ طُلولاً من مَغانيها

وقد رأيتُ طُلولاً من مَغانيها

Do not lie: my heart is no home for it,

Do not lie, for my heart has no homeland for it,

and I have seen the ruins of its dwelling places.

And I have seen some of its singing girls.

كم قد ركبتُ إلى العلياءِ ظهرَ فَلاً

كم قد ركبتُ إلى العلياءِ ظهرَ فَلاً

تضلّ فيه قَطاةٌ عن مَجاثيها

تضلّ فيه قَطاةٌ عن مَجاثيها

How often, bound for high glory, have I ridden the back of desert wastes,

How often have I mounted the back of a tall horse,

where a sandgrouse strays from its roosting places.

In which wildcats stray from its path.

وَقفرةٍ تُنكرُ الأنْس الوحوش بها

وَقفرةٍ تُنكرُ الأنْس الوحوش بها

ولا يُرجّي ورودَ الماءِ صاديها

ولا يُرجّي ورودَ الماءِ صاديها

And many a wasteland where wild beasts find companionship strange,

And crossed a deserted place where beasts deny habitation,

nor does one thirsting there hope to reach water.

And whose passerby hopes not for the coming of its water.

إذا تراخَتْ رِكابي عن مَهامِهِها

إذا تراخَتْ رِكابي عن مَهامِهِها

رَكِبتُ فيها اِعتزاماً لا يُباليها

رَكِبتُ فيها اِعتزاماً لا يُباليها

When my riding camels hold back from its trackless wastes,

When my feet slackened from its high pursuits,

I ride through them on a resolve that takes no heed of them.

I rode in it with determination disregarding it.

هانَت عليَّ مَخوفاتُ الخطوبِ فما

هانَت عليَّ مَخوفاتُ الخطوبِ فما

أَثْنِي يمينيَ عن قُصْوى مَراقيها

أَثْنِي يمينيَ عن قُصْوى مَراقيها

The terrors of calamities have become slight to me, so I do not

The fears of misfortunes became trivial to me, so

draw back my right hand from their highest ascents.

My right hand turns not away from its highest pursuits.

كَأنّما قَد نعَى الدّنيا مُخَلَّدُها

كَأنّما قَد نعَى الدّنيا مُخَلَّدُها

أَوْ في يديَّ أمانٌ من لياليها

أَوْ في يديَّ أمانٌ من لياليها

As though the world's immortal inhabitant had proclaimed its death,

As if the world has been warned against my eternity,

or I held in my hands a guarantee against its nights.

Or in my hands there is safety from its nights.

وَمنْ تَكنْ نفسُهُ لم يَمْلَها جَزَعٌ

وَمنْ تَكنْ نفسُهُ لم يَمْلَها جَزَعٌ

فزجرُ مُهْرِك في الهيجاءِ ماليها

فزجرُ مُهْرِك في الهيجاءِ ماليها

And whoever's soul has not been filled with panic—

And whoever’s soul is not wearied by sorrow,

then the urging of your colt in battle will fill it.

Will hinder his magnanimous horse in calamity.

وإنْ تكن لم تَذَرْ كُثْرَ الأنامِ لها

وإنْ تكن لم تَذَرْ كُثْرَ الأنامِ لها

قُلّاً فَشِلوُ هَزيلِ الجَنْبِ كافيها

قُلّاً فَشِلوُ هَزيلِ الجَنْبِ كافيها

And if it has not left mankind's multitudes seeming

If you have left most of mankind unsafe for it,

few to it, then a lean-flanked body will suffice it.

The weakness of the flank's scarcity is enough for it.

نَفسي تُنازِعُني حالاً يضيق لها

نَفسي تُنازِعُني حالاً يضيق لها

عَرضُ البلادِ فمن لي مِن تقاضيها

عَرضُ البلادِ فمن لي مِن تقاضيها

My soul presses me for a station too vast for

My soul contends with me in a state too narrow for it,

the breadth of the lands; who can free me from its demands?

The expanse of the country, so who can mediate for it?

لقد دَعَتْ سامعاً لم تَكْدَ دعوتُهُ

لقد دَعَتْ سامعاً لم تَكْدَ دعوتُهُ

وطالبتْ بعظيمٍ مَنْ يُؤاتيها

وطالبتْ بعظيمٍ مَنْ يُؤاتيها

It has indeed called a hearer; its summons to him has not failed,

It has called one whose call it barely uttered,

and demanded a mighty thing of one who obliges it.

And sought from one who will grant it the greatest.

أَقلِل لَديَّ بِأَنباءِ الزّمانِ فما

أَقلِل لَديَّ بِأَنباءِ الزّمانِ فما

أهابُ نفسي لأنّي لا أُرَجِّيها

أهابُ نفسي لأنّي لا أُرَجِّيها

Bring me fewer tidings of the times, for I do not

Lessen for me the news of time, for I fear not

fear for my soul, since I hold out no hope for it.

A soul that hopes not for what it petitions.

لا تَجتَنِ العِزَّ إلّا من حدائِقِهِ

لا تَجتَنِ العِزَّ إلّا من حدائِقِهِ

فكم رياضٍ عِراضٍ خاب جانيها

فكم رياضٍ عِراضٍ خاب جانيها

Pluck honor only from its own gardens;

Do not seek glory except from its gardens,

for many a broad garden has left its gatherer disappointed.

So many barren gardens whose diggers are lost.

ما عزّ من ذلَّ في تطلابِ عِزَّتِهِ

ما عزّ من ذلَّ في تطلابِ عِزَّتِهِ

مجاوِرُ النّارِ من قُرٍّ كصاليها

مجاوِرُ النّارِ من قُرٍّ كصاليها

No one gains honor who is abased in pursuit of it;

No glory to one disgraced in seeking glory,

one beside the fire against the cold is like one scorched by it.

The neighbor of fire from distant like its kindlers.

إنَّ المعالِيَ لا تُعطيك صَهْوَتَها

إنَّ المعالِيَ لا تُعطيك صَهْوَتَها

وما سَعَتْ لك رِجلٌ في مساعيها

وما سَعَتْ لك رِجلٌ في مساعيها

Indeed, lofty honors will not yield you their saddle-seat,

It will not give you its plateau out of its spontaneity,

when no foot has striven for you along their paths.

Nor has a foot exerted for you in its pursuits.

لم تَنتَهِزْ ما دنا من فرعِ دَوْحتِها

لم تَنتَهِزْ ما دنا من فرعِ دَوْحتِها

فكيف تسمو إلى ما في أقاصيها

فكيف تسمو إلى ما في أقاصيها

You have not seized what lay near on a bough of their spreading tree;

You have not seized what drooped from its lofty palm tree,

so how will you rise to what lies at its farthest reaches?

So how can you ascend to what is in its furthest?