وَصاحِبٍ زانَ كُلَّ مُصطَحَبِ

وَصاحِبٍ زانَ كُلَّ مُصطَحَبِ

يُنمى إِذا ما اِنتَمى إِلى اليَمَنِ

يُنمى إِذا ما اِنتَمى إِلى اليَمَنِ

And a companion who graced every company,

And a companion whose every companion thrives

And a companion who adorns every company he keeps,

His lineage, when he declares it, is traced to Yemen.

When he inclines towards fortune's favor

Who traces his lineage, whenever he claims it, back to Yemen,

أَروَعُ مَحمودَةٌ خَلائِقُهُ

أَروَعُ مَحمودَةٌ خَلائِقُهُ

يَبذُلُ في الخَمرِ أَفضَلَ الثَمَنِ

يَبذُلُ في الخَمرِ أَفضَلَ الثَمَنِ

Splendid, with praiseworthy qualities,

A paragon of creation is his nature

Splendid is he, with character traits most praiseworthy,

He pays the highest price for wine.

Who gives his best wine for the finest price

Spending the very highest price for wine,

بَدرُ ظَلامٍ غِياثُ مُجدِبَةٍ

بَدرُ ظَلامٍ غِياثُ مُجدِبَةٍ

مَعدِنُ بَذلٍ يَهتَزُّ لِلمِنَنِ

مَعدِنُ بَذلٍ يَهتَزُّ لِلمِنَنِ

A full moon in darkness, succor to a drought-stricken land,

A moon in deepest darkness, a rain for barren land

A full moon in darkness, a succor for the drought-stricken land,

A mine of generosity, who thrills at bestowing favors.

A mine of generosity shaken by favors

A mine of generosity who trembles with joy to grant favors,

مُهَذَّبٌ ماجِدٌ أَخو كَرَمٍ

مُهَذَّبٌ ماجِدٌ أَخو كَرَمٍ

قَرمٌ يُرَجّى لِحادِثِ الزَمَنِ

قَرمٌ يُرَجّى لِحادِثِ الزَمَنِ

Refined and noble, a man of generosity,

Refined, glorious, a brother of benevolence

Refined, glorious, a very brother of nobility,

A noble chief, looked to in time's calamities.

An honorable man hoped for in times of strife

A chieftain relied upon against the misfortunes of time.

دَوماً تَراهُ قَتيلَ غانِيَةٍ

دَوماً تَراهُ قَتيلَ غانِيَةٍ

مُعمِلَ كَأسٍ بِالخَلعِ لِلرَسَنِ

مُعمِلَ كَأسٍ بِالخَلعِ لِلرَسَنِ

Always you see him slain by a beauty,

You'll always find him a martyr of revelry

You see him always the slain victim of a beauty,

Plying a cup, with the halter cast off.

Preparing a cup with robes for the companions

Plyer of the cup, casting off the halter of restraint.

نادَيتُهُ وَالظَلامُ مُنسَدِلٌ

نادَيتُهُ وَالظَلامُ مُنسَدِلٌ

وَغُرَّةُ الصُبحِ بَعدُ لَم تَبِنِ

وَغُرَّةُ الصُبحِ بَعدُ لَم تَبِنِ

I called to him while darkness hung down,

I called him while darkness hung heavy

I called to him while the darkness was still draped,

And dawn's bright brow had not yet appeared:

And faint dawn had yet to be seen

And the white blaze of morning had not yet appeared.

قُم يا خَليلي إِلى المُدامِ لِكَي

قُم يا خَليلي إِلى المُدامِ لِكَي

تَطرُدَ عَنّا عَساكِرَ الحَزَنِ

تَطرُدَ عَنّا عَساكِرَ الحَزَنِ

“Rise, my dear friend, to the wine, so that

Arise my friend, to the wine, so that

"Arise, my friend, to the wine, so that

You may drive from us the armies of sorrow.”

You may dispel the armies of sorrow from us

You may drive away from us the armies of sorrow."

فَلَم يُجِبني إِلّا بِلَجلَجَةٍ

فَلَم يُجِبني إِلّا بِلَجلَجَةٍ

تَكادُ تَخفى عَلى الفَتى الفَطِنِ

تَكادُ تَخفى عَلى الفَتى الفَطِنِ

But he answered me only with a stammer,

He answered me only with murmuring

But he answered me not, save with a stammering mumble

Almost imperceptible to a discerning young man.

That nearly escapes the keen youth's notice

That would be nearly hidden even from the sharp-witted youth.

فَلَم أَزَل بِالرُقى أُعَلِّلُهُ

فَلَم أَزَل بِالرُقى أُعَلِّلُهُ

حَتّى اِنجَلى عَنهُ عارِضُ الوَسَنِ

حَتّى اِنجَلى عَنهُ عارِضُ الوَسَنِ

So I kept soothing him with incantations,

I continued to entreat him with charms

I ceased not soothing him with gentle charms,

Until the cloud of drowsiness lifted from him.

Until the cloud over him began to lift

Until the cloud of slumber cleared away from him.

ثُمَّ تَغَنّى عَلَيهِ مِن طَرَبٍ

ثُمَّ تَغَنّى عَلَيهِ مِن طَرَبٍ

يا ريحُ ما تَصنَعينَ بِالدِمَنِ

يا ريحُ ما تَصنَعينَ بِالدِمَنِ

Then, in delight, he sang to him:

Then he sang to me in musical delight

Then he sang out, moved by the rapture of the moment:

“O wind, what are you doing to the ruins?”

"Oh wind what will you do with the tailor shop?"

"O Wind, what are you doing with the traces of the ruins?"