يَومَ الخَميسِ أَقَمنا ساقِياً حَكَما

يَومَ الخَميسِ أَقَمنا ساقِياً حَكَما

نَرى حُكومَتَهُ عَدلاً وَما زَعَما

نَرى حُكومَتَهُ عَدلاً وَما زَعَما

On Thursday we appointed a cupbearer as our arbiter;

On Thursday we appointed a cupbearer as judge.

we deemed his judgment justice, whatever they might allege.

We deemed his judgment—and whatever he declared—just.

في مَجلِسٍ لا نَرى فيما تَضَمَّنَهُ

في مَجلِسٍ لا نَرى فيما تَضَمَّنَهُ

إِن أَنتَ فَتَّشتَهُ في خُلقِهِ بَرَما

إِن أَنتَ فَتَّشتَهُ في خُلقِهِ بَرَما

In a gathering where, among all that it contained,

In a gathering where we saw no one among its company

were you to search its company, you would find no peevish soul.

who was ill-tempered, if you examined his character.

يا مَجلِساً ضَمَّ فِتياناً غَطارِفَةً

يا مَجلِساً ضَمَّ فِتياناً غَطارِفَةً

حازوا البَشاشَةَ وَالإِنعامَ وَالكَرَما

حازوا البَشاشَةَ وَالإِنعامَ وَالكَرَما

O gathering that embraced noble, princely youths

O gathering that brought together noble young men,

possessed of cheerfulness, bounty, and generosity!

who possessed good cheer, beneficence, and generosity!

وُجوهُهُم فيهِ رَيحانٌ لِمَجلِسِهِم

وُجوهُهُم فيهِ رَيحانٌ لِمَجلِسِهِم

وَلَفظُهُم لُؤلُؤٌ في سِلكِهِ نُظِما

وَلَفظُهُم لُؤلُؤٌ في سِلكِهِ نُظِما

Their faces there were fragrant basil for their gathering,

Their faces there were sweet basil for their gathering,

and their speech was pearls strung upon its thread.

and their speech was pearls strung upon their thread.

ما زالَ يَثنيهِ دَلُّ الكَأسِ في لُطُفٍ

ما زالَ يَثنيهِ دَلُّ الكَأسِ في لُطُفٍ

وَذاكَ يَأخُذُها مِن ذاكَ مِبتَسِما

وَذاكَ يَأخُذُها مِن ذاكَ مِبتَسِما

The cup’s coy grace kept drawing him near, ever so gently,

The cup's coy charm kept swaying him gently,

while one took it from another with a smile.

and one took it from another, smiling.

وَلَو شَهِدتَ أَخي يَوماً نَعِمتُ بِهِ

وَلَو شَهِدتَ أَخي يَوماً نَعِمتُ بِهِ

وَعِندَنا قَمَرٌ نَجلو بِهِ الظُلُما

وَعِندَنا قَمَرٌ نَجلو بِهِ الظُلُما

Had you witnessed, my brother, a day in which I found delight,

And had you witnessed, my brother, a day I delighted in,

when among us was a moon by whom we banished darkness,

with a moon among us by which we dispelled the darkness,

شَهِدتَ تَفدِيَةً مِنّا وَتَحمِيَةً

شَهِدتَ تَفدِيَةً مِنّا وَتَحمِيَةً

وَفي تَطَرُّبِنا فَمٌّ يَمُصُّ فَما

وَفي تَطَرُّبِنا فَمٌّ يَمُصُّ فَما

you would have witnessed our pledges of life and protection,

you would have witnessed our pledges of self-sacrifice and prayers for protection,

and, in our rapture, mouth sucking mouth.

and amid our revelry, one mouth sucking another.

وَسائِلٍ حاسِدٍ هَل نيلَ بَعضُهُمُ

وَسائِلٍ حاسِدٍ هَل نيلَ بَعضُهُمُ

فَقُلتُ لِلحاسِدِ المُغتاظِ إِن فَهِما

فَقُلتُ لِلحاسِدِ المُغتاظِ إِن فَهِما

An envious questioner asked, “Did some of them attain the others?”

And an envious questioner asked, 'Did anyone have any of them?'

I said to the spiteful, seething envier—if he understood:

So I told the enraged envier, if he understood:

قَد نالَ بَعضُهُمُ بَعضاً عَلى رَغَمٍ

قَد نالَ بَعضُهُمُ بَعضاً عَلى رَغَمٍ

لا أَرغَمَ اللَهُ إِلّا أَنفَ مَن رَغِما

لا أَرغَمَ اللَهُ إِلّا أَنفَ مَن رَغِما

Some of them indeed attained others, to his chagrin;

Some of them did have others, despite your resentment.

may God rub no nose in dust but the nose of him who resents it.

May God rub no nose in the dust but that of whoever resents it.

إِن كانَ أَسعَفَ ذا هَذا بِحاجَتِهِ

إِن كانَ أَسعَفَ ذا هَذا بِحاجَتِهِ

طَوعاً فَهَل قَطَرَت مِنهُ السَماءُ دَما

طَوعاً فَهَل قَطَرَت مِنهُ السَماءُ دَما

If this one willingly answered that one’s need,

If this one had fulfilled that one's desire

did the sky, because of it, drip blood?

willingly—did the sky then rain blood because of it?