وَحَمراءَ كَالياقوتِ بِتُّ أَشُجُّها

وَحَمراءَ كَالياقوتِ بِتُّ أَشُجُّها

وَكادَت بِكَفّي في الزُجاجَةِ أَن تُدمي

وَكادَت بِكَفّي في الزُجاجَةِ أَن تُدمي

And a ruby-red wine I spent the night cutting with water;

Red like ruby, her branches nearly bled my palms,

And a red wine like a ruby, which I spent the night tempering,

and in the glass in my hand it almost bled.

As I placed her in the glass.

That nearly seemed to bleed within the glass in my palm.

فَأَحسِن بِها شَيخوخَةً في إِنائِها

فَأَحسِن بِها شَيخوخَةً في إِنائِها

وَأَلطِف بِها بَينَ المَفاصِلِ وَالعَظمِ

وَأَلطِف بِها بَينَ المَفاصِلِ وَالعَظمِ

How fine, then, its old age within its vessel,

Let her age gracefully in her vessel,

How excellent is its aging within its vessel,

and how delicate it is between the joints and bone!

And move gently between joints and bones.

And how subtle its coursing between the joints and the bone.

تُغازِلُ عَقلَ المَرءِ قَبلَ ابتِسامِهِ

تُغازِلُ عَقلَ المَرءِ قَبلَ ابتِسامِهِ

وَتَخدَعُهُ عَن لُبِّهِ وَعَنِ الحِلمِ

وَتَخدَعُهُ عَن لُبِّهِ وَعَنِ الحِلمِ

It flirts with a man's mind before he smiles,

She teases the mind before bringing a smile,

It flirts with a man's intellect before he even smiles,

and beguiles him away from his reason and self-restraint.

And distracts it from essence and wisdom,

And beguiles him of his core reason and his restraint.

وَعَنهُ يَسيلُ الهَمَّ أَوَّلَ أَوَّلاً

وَعَنهُ يَسيلُ الهَمَّ أَوَّلَ أَوَّلاً

وَإِن كانَ مَسجورَ الجَوانِحِ بِالهَمِّ

وَإِن كانَ مَسجورَ الجَوانِحِ بِالهَمِّ

And care flows away from him, little by little,

The worries pour from it at first sip,

From him it drains away sorrow, bit by bit,

even if his breast is ablaze with care.

Even if grief has cast spells on its life,

Even if his ribs were stoked with the fire of anguish.

وَيَنساقُ لِلجَدوى وَإِن كانَ مُمسِكاً

وَيَنساقُ لِلجَدوى وَإِن كانَ مُمسِكاً

وَيُظهِرُ إِكثاراً وَإِن كانَ ذا عُدمِ

وَيُظهِرُ إِكثاراً وَإِن كانَ ذا عُدمِ

And he is drawn to generosity, even if he is tightfisted,

And it rushes to futility though self-restrained,

He yields to generosity, even if he were a miser,

and displays lavishness, even if he is destitute.

Feigning excess though needy,

And displays abundance, though he be destitute.

كَذاكَ عَلِمتُ الراحَ ما الغَيثُ في الظَما

كَذاكَ عَلِمتُ الراحَ ما الغَيثُ في الظَما

بِأَنفَعَ مِنها في الطَبيعَةِ وَالجِسمِ

بِأَنفَعَ مِنها في الطَبيعَةِ وَالجِسمِ

Such have I known wine: rain in times of thirst

Thus I learned, drought knows rain's greater blessing,

Thus have I known wine; the rain in times of thirst

is no more beneficial than it to one's constitution and body.

To nature and the body it brings.

Is not more beneficial to the spirit and body than she.