أبي لي أن ألحى نديمي إذا انتشى

أبي لي أن ألحى نديمي إذا انتشى

وقال كلاما سيّئاً لي على السكر

وقال كلاما سيّئاً لي على السكر

That I should chide my drinking-companion when he grew tipsy was forbidden me—

I am kept from rebuking my drinking companion when he grows drunk

when he spoke ugly words to me under the sway of drink—

and says offensive things to me in his drunkenness,

وقاري وعلمي بالشراب وأهلهِ

وقاري وعلمي بالشراب وأهلهِ

وما نادَم القوم الكرام كذي الحجر

وما نادَم القوم الكرام كذي الحجر

by my dignity, and by my knowledge of wine and its people.

by my dignity and my knowledge of wine and its drinkers.

No one companions noble men like a man of discernment.

And none shares wine with noble folk like a man of sound judgment.

فلستُ بلاحٍ لي نديماً بِزَلّةٍ

فلستُ بلاحٍ لي نديماً بِزَلّةٍ

ولا هفوةٍ كانت ونحن على الخمر

ولا هفوةٍ كانت ونحن على الخمر

Thus I am not one to blame a companion of mine for a slip,

So I will not reproach a drinking companion of mine for a slip,

nor for a blunder committed while we are over the wine.

nor for a lapse that happened while we were drinking wine.

عركتُ بجنبي قول خدني وصاحبي

عركتُ بجنبي قول خدني وصاحبي

ونحن على صهباءَ طيبّة النشر

ونحن على صهباءَ طيبّة النشر

I let the words of my intimate, my friend, chafe against my side,

I let my close friend's and companion's words glance off my side,

while we drank tawny wine, fragrant on the air.

while we drank tawny wine of sweet fragrance.

فلما تمادى قُلتُ خذها عريقةً

فلما تمادى قُلتُ خذها عريقةً

فإنك من قومٍ جحاجحةٍ زهر

فإنك من قومٍ جحاجحةٍ زهر

When he went on and on, I said, “Take it—of ancient stock;

Then, when he went too far, I said, “Take it unmixed,

for you spring from a tribe of radiant, mighty lords.”

for you are of a people of mighty, radiant chiefs.”

فما زلتُ أسقية واشربُ مثل ما

فما زلتُ أسقية واشربُ مثل ما

سقيتُ اخي حتى بدا وضحُ الفجرِ

سقيتُ اخي حتى بدا وضحُ الفجرِ

I went on pouring for him and drinking, just as

So I kept giving him drink, and drinking as much as

I poured for my brother, until the white of dawn appeared.

I gave my brother, until dawn's brightness appeared.

ولاكَ لساناً كان إذ كان صاحياً

ولاكَ لساناً كان إذ كان صاحياً

يُقلّبهُ في كلُ فنٍّ من العشر

يُقلّبهُ في كلُ فنٍّ من العشر

But he had a tongue that, whenever he was sober,

And he chewed his tongue, which, when he was sober,

he wielded through every mode of poetry.

he would turn to every kind of poetry [likely intended by the unclear final word].