كَأسَكَ قد آذَنَكَ العُودُ

كَأسَكَ قد آذَنَكَ العُودُ

ومُسْمِعٌ أصْحَلُ غِرّيدُ

ومُسْمِعٌ أصْحَلُ غِرّيدُ

Take your cup—the lute has given you the signal,

Your cup announced to you the lute

And a hoarse-voiced, warbling singer.

And a warbler with a thrilling trill.

فارغب عن النوم إلى قهوةٍ

فارغب عن النوم إلى قهوةٍ

تَحْيَى بها السَّرَّاءُ والجودُ

تَحْيَى بها السَّرَّاءُ والجودُ

So turn from sleep toward wine,

So turn from sleep to coffee

Through which joy and generosity come alive.

Where cheer and generosity are fulfilled.

حَسْبُك بالرَّاح صباحاً وإن

حَسْبُك بالرَّاح صباحاً وإن

قلت رُواقُ الليل ممدودُ

قلت رُواقُ الليل ممدودُ

Wine is dawn enough for you, even if

The morning breeze suffices you, though

You say, “The canopy of night is stretched out.”

You say the night's expanse is outspread.

يا عاذلي في شُربها ناصحاً

يا عاذلي في شُربها ناصحاً

نُصْحك في جيْبِك مردودُ

نُصْحك في جيْبِك مردودُ

O you who reproach me for drinking it, offering counsel,

O you who blame me as I drink it, advising,

Your counsel is returned to your bosom.

Your advice in your pocket will be put back.

لا أشرب الماءَ على وجهه

لا أشرب الماءَ على وجهه

ما جاد بالصَّهْباء عُنْقُودُ

ما جاد بالصَّهْباء عُنْقُودُ

I do not drink water as it is,

I drink not water in its essence,

So long as a grape cluster yields tawny wine.

Unless freely flowed by the vine's cluster.

يا خالد السَّوْءات لا تَهْجُني

يا خالد السَّوْءات لا تَهْجُني

فأنت في شِعْرِك مكدودُ

فأنت في شِعْرِك مكدودُ

O Khalid of shameful deeds, do not lampoon me,

O Khaled who reproaches evil deeds, chide me not

For you are worn out by your verse.

For in your verse you yourself are maligned.

وكل كيدٍ كِدْتَه راجعٌ

وكل كيدٍ كِدْتَه راجعٌ

عليك والمحدود محدودُ

عليك والمحدود محدودُ

And every scheme you have devised rebounds

And every plot you plotted comes back

Upon you—and the luckless man stays luckless.

Upon you - the limited is limited.

إذ أنت لا تَنْفَكُّ من قائلٍ

إذ أنت لا تَنْفَكُّ من قائلٍ

يقول والمحفلُ مشهودُ

يقول والمحفلُ مشهودُ

For you are never free of someone

Since you cannot stop someone saying,

Who says, with the gathering in attendance:

Speaking, while the assembly listens.

لو كنتَ من قَحْطَانَ لمْ تَهْجُهُ

لو كنتَ من قَحْطَانَ لمْ تَهْجُهُ

وقَوْمُهُ الفُرْسُ الصَّناديدُ

وقَوْمُهُ الفُرْسُ الصَّناديدُ

“If you were of Qahtan, you would not have lampooned him,

Had you been of Qahtan, you'd not disparaged him,

His people being the valiant Persians.”

Whose nobles are the valorous knights.

فكلَّما عارَضْتَني هاجياً

فكلَّما عارَضْتَني هاجياً

فَهْو لِقولي فيك تأكيدُ

فَهْو لِقولي فيك تأكيدُ

So whenever you oppose me with satire,

So whenever you attack me with insults,

It confirms what I say about you.

It only confirms what I say of you.

كذاك من حاربني خانه

كذاك من حاربني خانه

سلاحُهُ واللّه محمودُ

سلاحُهُ واللّه محمودُ

Thus whoever fights me is betrayed

Thus whoever fought me betrayed himself;

By his own weapon—and God be praised.

His weapon, by God, is praised.