تَداوَ مِنَ الصَغيرَةِ بِالكَبيرِ

تَداوَ مِنَ الصَغيرَةِ بِالكَبيرِ

وَخُذها مِن يَدَي ساقٍ غَريرِ

وَخُذها مِن يَدَي ساقٍ غَريرِ

Cure yourself of the lesser with the greater,

Seek appeasement from the little one with the great

Cure the lesser ailment with the greater draught,

and take it from the hands of a guileless cupbearer.

And take her from the hands of a tender leg

And take it from the hand of a tender, young cupbearer.

وَدَعني مِن بُكائِكَ في عِراصٍ

وَدَعني مِن بُكائِكَ في عِراصٍ

وَفي أَطلالِ مَنزِلَةٍ وَدورِ

وَفي أَطلالِ مَنزِلَةٍ وَدورِ

And spare me your weeping in courtyards,

And let me be from your crying in desolate places

Spare me your weeping over deserted courtyards,

and among the ruins of a dwelling and houses.

And in the ruins of homes and houses

And over the ruins of campsites and crumbled homes.

وَلا تَشرَب بِلا طَرَبٍ وَلَهوٍ

وَلا تَشرَب بِلا طَرَبٍ وَلَهوٍ

فَإِنَّ الخَيلَ تَشرَبُ بِالصَفيرِ

فَإِنَّ الخَيلَ تَشرَبُ بِالصَفيرِ

And do not drink without rapture and diversion,

And do not drink without joy and play

Do not drink without rapture and delight,

for horses drink to whistling.

For horses drink with whistling

For even the horses drink to the sound of a whistle.

فَلَيسَ الشُربُ إِلّا بِالمَلاهي

فَلَيسَ الشُربُ إِلّا بِالمَلاهي

وَفي الحَرَكاتِ مِن بَمٍّ وَزيرِ

وَفي الحَرَكاتِ مِن بَمٍّ وَزيرِ

For there is no drinking except with musical instruments,

So drinking is only with amusements

There is no true drinking without the joy of music,

and amid the rhythms of bass and treble strings.

And in movements of bam and zir

And the stirring chords of the lute's low and high strings.