يا شَقيقَ النَفسِ مِن حَكَمٍ

يا شَقيقَ النَفسِ مِن حَكَمٍ

نِمتَ عَن لَيلي وَلَم أَنَمِ

نِمتَ عَن لَيلي وَلَم أَنَمِ

O brother of my soul, of Hakam,

O companion of my soul with wisdom

Oh brother of my soul from the clan of Hakam,

You slept through my night, while I did not sleep.

I could not sleep though the night was long

You slept through my night, while I found no sleep.

فَاسقِني الخَمرَ الَّتي اختَمَرَت

فَاسقِني الخَمرَ الَّتي اختَمَرَت

بِخِمارِ الشَيبِ في الرَحِمِ

بِخِمارِ الشَيبِ في الرَحِمِ

So give me the wine that veiled itself

So serve me the wine that was fermented

So pour me the wine that has fully matured,

With gray hair's veil while still in the womb.

With the yeast of old age in the womb

Veiled in grayness while still within the womb.

ثُمَّتَ اِنصاتَ الشَبابُ لَها

ثُمَّتَ اِنصاتَ الشَبابُ لَها

بَعدَما جازَت مَدى الهَرَمِ

بَعدَما جازَت مَدى الهَرَمِ

Then youth yielded to it

Then the youth would listen to it

Then youthfulness harkened back to it,

After it had passed beyond the bounds of old age.

After it crossed the expanse of time

After it had passed the furthest limits of senility.

فَهيَ لِليَومِ الَّذي بُزِلَت

فَهيَ لِليَومِ الَّذي بُزِلَت

وَهيَ تِربُ الدَهرِ في القِدَمِ

وَهيَ تِربُ الدَهرِ في القِدَمِ

So, on the day it was tapped,

It is for the day when it was poured

For on the very day its vessel was broached,

It was Time's peer in antiquity.

And it is the soil of time from early days

It was already the peer of Time in ancientness.

عُتِّقَت حَتّى لَوِ اتَّصَلَت

عُتِّقَت حَتّى لَوِ اتَّصَلَت

بِلِسانٍ ناطِقٍ وَفَمِ

بِلِسانٍ ناطِقٍ وَفَمِ

So aged was it that, were it endowed

It was preserved as if it was endowed

It has been aged so long that, were it possessed

With a speaking tongue and a mouth,

With a tongue and an eloquent mouth

Of a speaking tongue and a mouth,

لا اِحتَبَت في القَومِ ماثِلَةً

لا اِحتَبَت في القَومِ ماثِلَةً

ثُمَّ قَصَّت قِصَّةَ الأُمَمِ

ثُمَّ قَصَّت قِصَّةَ الأُمَمِ

It would sit upright among the company, knees clasped,

It would not be concealed amongst the people

It would sit among the assembly, upright and dignified,

Then recount the story of the nations.

Then it narrated the story of civilizations

And recount the history of vanished nations.

قَرَّعَتها بِالمِزاجِ يَدٌ

قَرَّعَتها بِالمِزاجِ يَدٌ

خُلِقَت لِلكَأسِ وَالقَلَمِ

خُلِقَت لِلكَأسِ وَالقَلَمِ

A hand struck it with mixing-water,

A hand well-made for the goblet and the pen

A hand struck it with the mixing water,

Fashioned for the cup and the pen,

Tempered it with perfect blend

A hand created for both the goblet and the pen.

في نَدامى سادَةٍ نُجُبٍ

في نَدامى سادَةٍ نُجُبٍ

أَخَذوا اللَذّاتِ مِن أُمَمِ

أَخَذوا اللَذّاتِ مِن أُمَمِ

Among drinking companions, noble lords,

In the drinking parties of eminent nobles

Amidst drinking companions, noble lords all,

Who took their pleasures close at hand.

Who took pleasures from civilizations

Who have seized life's pleasures in abundance.

فَتَمَشَّت في مَفاصِلِهِم

فَتَمَشَّت في مَفاصِلِهِم

كَتَمَشّي البُرءِ في السَقَمِ

كَتَمَشّي البُرءِ في السَقَمِ

So it coursed through their joints

It crept in their joints

So it coursed through their very joints,

As healing courses through sickness.

As creeps the innocence in the sick

As the flow of healing courses through sickness.

فَعَلَت في البَيتِ إِذ مُزِجَت

فَعَلَت في البَيتِ إِذ مُزِجَت

مِثلَ فِعلِ الصُبحِ في الظُلَمِ

مِثلَ فِعلِ الصُبحِ في الظُلَمِ

When mixed, it did within the house

It acted in the house when it was blended

It transformed the house the moment it was mixed,

What dawn does within the darkness.

Like the dawn acts in the darkness

Just as the dawn breaks upon the darkness.

فَاهتَدى ساري الظَلامِ بِها

فَاهتَدى ساري الظَلامِ بِها

كَاهتِداءِ السَفرِ بِالعَلَمِ

كَاهتِداءِ السَفرِ بِالعَلَمِ

So the traveler through darkness found his way by it,

So the wanderer in darkness was guided by it

So the night-traveler found his way by its light,

As travelers find their way by a landmark.

As is the journey guided by the flag

As wayfarers are guided by a mountain landmark.