وَمائِلِ الرَأسِ نَشوانٍ شَدَوتُ لَهُ

وَمائِلِ الرَأسِ نَشوانٍ شَدَوتُ لَهُ

وَدِّع لَميسَ وَداعَ الصارِمِ اللاحي

وَدِّع لَميسَ وَداعَ الصارِمِ اللاحي

And to a drunken man with drooping head I sang:

With swaying head intoxicated, I reproved him,

To a companion with a nodding head, intoxicated, I sang:

“Bid Lamis farewell—the farewell of a resolute, reproachful man.”

And bade Lamees farewell, stern warrior's farewell.

"Bid Lamis farewell, the farewell of a resolute censurer."

فَعالَجَ النَفسَ كَي يَحيا لِيَفهَمَهُ

فَعالَجَ النَفسَ كَي يَحيا لِيَفهَمَهُ

وَقالَ أَحسَنتَ قَولاً غَيرَ إِفصاحِ

وَقالَ أَحسَنتَ قَولاً غَيرَ إِفصاحِ

So he struggled with himself to revive and understand it,

He roused himself that he might understand me

He struggled with his spirit to revive enough to understand it,

And said, “Well done!” in an indistinct utterance.

And said, "Thou speakest well, though not eloquently."

And said, "You spoke well," though without clear articulation,

فَكادَ أَو لَم يَكَد أَن يَستَفيقَ لَهُ

فَكادَ أَو لَم يَكَد أَن يَستَفيقَ لَهُ

وَالنَفسُ في بَحرِ سُكرٍ عَبَّ طَفّاحِ

وَالنَفسُ في بَحرِ سُكرٍ عَبَّ طَفّاحِ

So he almost—or scarcely—came to his senses at it,

Scarce had he, or not at all, come to his senses,

He almost—or perhaps failed to—sober up for the song,

While his soul lay in a surging, overflowing sea of drunkenness.

While still his soul was in a sea of drunkenness tossing.

While his soul was in a sea of drunkenness, surging and overflowing.

فَقُلتُ لِلعِلجِ عَلِّلني فَرُبَّ فَتىً

فَقُلتُ لِلعِلجِ عَلِّلني فَرُبَّ فَتىً

عَلَّلتُهُ فَاِنثَنى مِن نَشوَةِ الراحِ

عَلَّلتُهُ فَاِنثَنى مِن نَشوَةِ الراحِ

So I told the foreigner, “Ply me with wine”; for many a youth

I said to my healer, "Tell me the cause, for many a gallant lad

So I said to the servant, "Pour me another," for many a youth

I have plied with drink, and he has swayed from wine’s headiness—

Have I made senseless with the intoxication of pleasure."

Have I entertained until he swayed from the euphoria of the wine,

مِن بِنتِ كَرمٍ لَها في الكَأسِ رائِحَةٌ

مِن بِنتِ كَرمٍ لَها في الكَأسِ رائِحَةٌ

تَحكي لِمَن نالَ مِنها ريحَ تُفّاحِ

تَحكي لِمَن نالَ مِنها ريحَ تُفّاحِ

From a daughter of the vine, whose fragrance in the cup

Of the daughter of the vine whose chalice retains a fragrance

From a daughter of the vine that possesses a scent in the cup

Recalls, to whoever drinks of her, the scent of apples.

That tells him who has tasted it the smell of apples.

Resembling, to the one who partakes, the fragrance of apples.

نَفتَضُّ بِكراً عَجوزاً زانَها كِبَرٌ

نَفتَضُّ بِكراً عَجوزاً زانَها كِبَرٌ

في زِيِّ جارِيَةٍ في اللَهوِ مِلحاحِ

في زِيِّ جارِيَةٍ في اللَهوِ مِلحاحِ

We deflower an aged virgin whom age has adorned,

An old man doting on a damsel in the wantonness of youth

We break the seal of a virgin, an old dame adorned by age,

In a young maiden’s garb, insistent on revelry.

In the garb of a fair slave at play.

appearing in the guise of a maiden, persistent in frivolity.

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ غَطّى الصُبحَ مِجوَلَهُ

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ غَطّى الصُبحَ مِجوَلَهُ

كَمُطلِعٍ وَجهَهُ مِن بَينِ أَشباحِ

كَمُطلِعٍ وَجهَهُ مِن بَينِ أَشباحِ

Until, when night cloaked dawn in its tunic,

Till when the night spreads over the dawn its skirt,

Until, when the night draped its cloak over the morning,

Like one showing his face from among shadowy forms,

Like one who shows his face from amid shadows,

Like one revealing his face from amidst apparitions,

نَبَّهتُ نَدمانِيَ الموفي بِذِمَّتِهِ

نَبَّهتُ نَدمانِيَ الموفي بِذِمَّتِهِ

مِن بَعدِ إِتعابِ كاساتٍ وَأَقداحِ

مِن بَعدِ إِتعابِ كاساتٍ وَأَقداحِ

I roused my drinking companion, faithful to his pledge,

I roused my boon companions, faithful to their bond,

I roused my boon companion, faithful to his bond,

After wearing out cups and goblets.

After outpourings from cups and flagons.

After the exhausting of cups and goblets.

فَقالَ هاتِ اِسقِني وَاِشرَب وَغَنِّ لَنا

فَقالَ هاتِ اِسقِني وَاِشرَب وَغَنِّ لَنا

يا دارَ شَعثاءَ بِالقاعَينِ فَالساحِ

يا دارَ شَعثاءَ بِالقاعَينِ فَالساحِ

Then he said, “Bring it! Give me a drink, drink, and sing to us:

And he said, "Give me to drink and drink thou, and sing to us,

He said, "Bring it! Pour for me, drink, and sing to us:

‘O dwelling of Sha‘tha’ at al-Qa‘ayn and then al-Sah!’”

O litter strawn with goblets and diches."

‘O Abode of Sha'tha in the twin valleys and the clearing...’"

فَما حَسا ثانِياً أَو بَعضَ ثالِثَةٍ

فَما حَسا ثانِياً أَو بَعضَ ثالِثَةٍ

حَتّى اِستَدارَ وَرَدَّ الراحَ بِالراحِ

حَتّى اِستَدارَ وَرَدَّ الراحَ بِالراحِ

And he had scarcely sipped a second cup, or part of a third,

No second time or part of a third

But he did not sip a second, or part of a third,

When he turned away and pushed back the wine with his palm.

Did he awake ere he spun round and the punter sent to the pitcher.

Before he reeled, and dashed the wine aside with his palm.