ماnot لَذَّةُpleasure العَيشِliving إِلّاexcept شُربُdrinking صافِيَةٍclear wine
ما لَذَّةُ العَيشِ إِلّا شُربُ صافِيَةٍ
فيin بَيتِthe house of خَمّارَةٍa female wine-seller أَوor ظِلُّthe shade of بُستانِa garden
في بَيتِ خَمّارَةٍ أَو ظِلُّ بُستانِ
Life's only pleasure is drinking clear wine
The only joy in life is to drink clear wine
The pleasure of life is naught but drinking clear wine, within a tavern's walls or under a garden's shade.
In a wine-seller's house or a garden's shade.
In a tavern or in the shade of an orchard.
Golden wine of Karkh that turns red when mixed, resembling a frightened soul across whom two colors flush.
صَفراءُyellow كَرخِيَّةٌfrom Karkh حَمراءُred إِذwhen مُزِجَتit was mixed
صَفراءُ كَرخِيَّةٌ حَمراءُ إِذ مُزِجَت
كَأَنَّهاas though it were وَجِلٌa frightened man يَعلوهُoverspread him لَونانِtwo colors
كَأَنَّها وَجِلٌ يَعلوهُ لَونانِ
Yellow wine from Karkh, red when mixed,
A blonde, reddish when mixed,
It is served by a soft youth in the guise of a maiden, his sidelocks fragrant with the oil of the ben-tree.
As though it were a frightened man suffused with two colors.
As if it were a cheek marked with two colors.
He greeted my drinking companions with kisses as he circulated, bearing the cup with spirited vigor, never languid.
يَسعىhe hurries بِهاwith it خَنِثٌan effeminate man فيin زِيِّthe dress of جارِيَةٍa slave-girl
يَسعى بِها خَنِثٌ في زِيِّ جارِيَةٍ
مُطَيَّبٌperfumed صُدغُهُhis temple-lock فيwith طَيِّبِfragrant البانِben-tree oil
مُطَيَّبٌ صُدغُهُ في طَيِّبِ البانِ
An effeminate man hurries with it, dressed as a slave-girl,
Served by an effeminate in the garb of a maid,
At times he is a training field where we tame lean, veteran steeds that are no second-rate mounts.
His temple-lock perfumed with fragrant ben oil.
His cheek scented with the best perfume.
And at times he is our cupbearer and our narcissus—may my soul be ransomed for you, o cupbearer and field alike!
حَيّاhe greeted نَدامايَmy drinking companions بِالتَقبيلِwith kisses حينَwhen سَعىhe hurried
حَيّا نَدامايَ بِالتَقبيلِ حينَ سَعى
بِالكَأسِwith the cup يَحبوhe bestows نَشيطاًbriskly غَيرَnot كَسلانِsluggish
بِالكَأسِ يَحبو نَشيطاً غَيرَ كَسلانِ
He greeted my drinking companions with kisses as he hurried
Greetings to Nadim when he came forward to kiss
With the cup, offering it briskly, never sluggish.
Eagerly sipping from the cup, lively and tireless.
فَتارَةًso at times هُوَhe مَيدانٌan arena نَروضُwe train بِهِin it
فَتارَةً هُوَ مَيدانٌ نَروضُ بِهِ
ضَوامِراًlean steeds قُرَّحاًfull-grown لَيسَتthey are not بِثُنيانِyoung colts (emphatic)
ضَوامِراً قُرَّحاً لَيسَت بِثُنيانِ
So at times he is an arena where we train
At times it is our racecourse where we train
Lean, full-grown steeds, not young colts.
Spirited steeds that are not lazy.
وَتارَةًand at times هُوَhe ساقيناour cupbearer وَنَرجِسُناand our narcissus
وَتارَةً هُوَ ساقينا وَنَرجِسُنا
نَفسيmy soul فِداأُكَyour ransom مِنas ساقٍa cupbearer وَمَيدانِand an arena
نَفسي فِداأُكَ مِن ساقٍ وَمَيدانِ
And at times he is our cupbearer and our narcissus.
And at times it is our cupbearer and narcissus,
May my soul be your ransom, cupbearer and arena!
My soul is ransom for you, O cupbearer and racecourse.
Partial English translation: 6 of 12 Arabic lines translated.