لم يُعْلِ ذا الدهرُ سِوَى

لم يُعْلِ ذا الدهرُ سِوَى

قومٍ لئامٍ حَقَدَهْ

قومٍ لئامٍ حَقَدَهْ

This age has raised none aloft but

This age has exalted none but

a band of vile men, out of its spite.

base, spiteful folk.

فدَعْه مَعْ أشكاله

فدَعْه مَعْ أشكاله

وأتركْه مع من عَبَدَه

وأتركْه مع من عَبَدَه

So leave it among its own kind,

So leave it with its own kind,

and leave it to those who worship it.

and abandon it with those who have worshipped it.

ورُحْ بنا نشربُها

ورُحْ بنا نشربُها

مدامةً مُنْتقدَه

مدامةً مُنْتقدَه

Come away with us, and let us drink it—

And come with us to drink it:

a wine chosen with a connoisseur’s care—

a choice wine.

كأنّها في كأسها

كأنّها في كأسها

ياقوتةٌ في بَرَده

ياقوتةٌ في بَرَده

as though, there within its cup, it were

As though, within its cup, it were

a ruby set amid hailstones:

a ruby set in a hailstone.

مسْكٌ وشُهْدٌ جُمِعا

مسْكٌ وشُهْدٌ جُمِعا

في شعلة مُتَّقده

في شعلة مُتَّقده

musk and honey gathered together

Musk and honey, joined together

within a blazing flame.

in a blazing flame.

فقم فقد جَنَّ دجا ال

فقم فقد جَنَّ دجا ال

لَيلِ وغاب الحَسَدَه

لَيلِ وغاب الحَسَدَه

Rise, then: the blackness of the

So rise, for already the darkness of

night has closed in, and the envious are gone.

night has fallen, and the envious have gone.

وأسعِدِ اللهوَ فقد

وأسعِدِ اللهوَ فقد

أفلح من قد أسعَدَه

أفلح من قد أسعَدَه

And lend delight your aid, for

And lend your aid to revelry, for

prosperous is whoever has gladdened it—

whoever has aided it has prospered.

لا سيِّما إن حُرِّكتْ

لا سيِّما إن حُرِّكتْ

عيدانُنا مُجْتَلِده

عيدانُنا مُجْتَلِده

especially when set in motion are

Especially when they are set astir—

our lutes, contending fiercely,

our lutes, vying with one another—

وشُيِّعت بالضرب من

وشُيِّعت بالضرب من

أيدي القيان النَّقَدَه

أيدي القيان النَّقَدَه

accompanied by strokes from

and accompanied by strokes from

the hands of discerning singing-girls.

the hands of skilled singing girls.

لا تُبْسقِ يوماً لغدٍ

لا تُبْسقِ يوماً لغدٍ

فأَبْعَدَ اللهُ غدَه

فأَبْعَدَ اللهُ غدَه

Do not let a day stretch into tomorrow;

Do not cast a day aside for tomorrow;

may God cast its morrow far away.

so may God banish its morrow!

لا بُدَّ مما قدّر ال

لا بُدَّ مما قدّر ال

له وممَّا عقدَه

له وممَّا عقدَه

There is no escaping what has been decreed by

There is no escaping what has been decreed by

God, nor what He has bound fast.

God, and what He has ordained.