قُمْrise فانتصِفْand exact redress منfrom صروفِthe vicissitudes of الدهرِtime والنُوَبِand calamities
قُمْ فانتصِفْ من صروفِ الدهرِ والنُوَبِ
واجمعْand gather بكأسِكwith your cup شملَthe company of اللهوِrevelry واللَّعبِand play
واجمعْ بكأسِك شملَ اللهوِ واللَّعبِ
Rise and exact redress from time's vicissitudes and calamities;
Arise and take your chance while fate is kind,
And with your cup bring revelry and play together.
And join your morning cup and sport and game.
أماdo you not تَرىsee الصبحَthe dawn قدalready قامتhave risen عَساكِرُهits armies
أما تَرى الصبحَ قد قامت عَساكِرُه
فيin الشرقthe east تنشُرُunfurling أعلاماًbanners منof الذَّهبِgold
في الشرق تنشُرُ أعلاماً من الذَّهبِ
Do you not see the dawn, whose armies have risen,
See how the rosy dawn, Aurora's train,
In the east, unfurling banners of gold?
O'erspreads with flags of gold the eastern sky,
والجوُّand the sky يختالُstruts فيin حُجْبٍveils ممسَّكةِmusk-scented
والجوُّ يختالُ في حُجْبٍ ممسَّكةِ
كأنماas though البرقُthe lightning فيهاin them قلبُthe heart of ذيone possessed of رُعُبِterror
كأنما البرقُ فيها قلبُ ذي رُعُبِ
And the sky struts in musk-scented veils,
And all the heaven is glowing with her fires,
As though the lightning within them were the heart of one in terror.
As rosy wine is gleaming through the cup.
تجنَّبْتكhave avoided you صروفُthe vicissitudes of الدّهرِtime فانصرفَتْand have turned away
تجنَّبْتك صروفُ الدّهرِ فانصرفَتْ
وقابلَتْكَand have met you سعودُgood fortunes of العيشِlife منfrom كَثَبِnearby
وقابلَتْكَ سعودُ العيشِ من كَثَبِ
Time's vicissitudes have avoided you and turned away,
Take down your lute and sing a song of love,
And life's good fortunes have come near to meet you.
For life is short and youth will soon decay.
فاخلَعْso cast off عذارَكyour bridle واشربْand drink قَهوةًwine مُزِجَتْthat has been mixed
فاخلَعْ عذارَك واشربْ قَهوةً مُزِجَتْ
بقَهوةِwith the wine of الفَلَجِgaps between the front teeth المعسولِhoney-sweet والشَّنَبِand the teeth's cool sweetness
بقَهوةِ الفَلَجِ المعسولِ والشَّنَبِ
So cast off your bridle and drink wine mingled
When once this life of joyous days is gone,
With the wine of a honeyed, gap-toothed mouth and its cool sweetness.
Naught will recall the vanished dreams of bliss.
والعيشُand life فيin ظِلِّthe shade of أيامthe days of الصَّباyouth فإذاbut when
والعيشُ في ظِلِّ أيام الصَّبا فإذا
ودَّعْتyou bid farewell to طيبَthe sweetness of الشَّبابِyouth الغَضِّtender لمnot يَطبِbe sweet
ودَّعْت طيبَ الشَّبابِ الغَضِّ لم يَطبِ
And life lies in the shade of youthful days; but when
Come, let us feast and drain the wine-cup dry,
You bid farewell to tender youth's sweetness, it is sweet no more.
Before the evil days are come on us,
جَرَيتُI ran فيin حَلْبَةِthe racecourse of الأهواءِpassions مُجتهداًstriving hard
جَرَيتُ في حَلْبَةِ الأهواءِ مُجتهداً
وكيفَand how أقصُرُI slacken والأيامُwhile the days فيin طَلَبيpursuit of me
وكيفَ أقصُرُ والأيامُ في طَلَبي
I ran, striving hard, on the racecourse of passions;
When joy and hope no longer cheer the heart.
And how can I slacken, while the days pursue me?
تَوِّجْcrown بكأسِكwith your cup قبلَbefore النائباتِcalamities يديmy hand
تَوِّجْ بكأسِك قبلَ النائباتِ يدي
فالكأسُfor the cup تاجُthe crown of يدِthe hand of المُثْريone rich منin الأدبِliterary culture
فالكأسُ تاجُ يدِ المُثْري من الأدبِ
Crown my hand with your cup before calamities strike,
For the cup is the crown of the hand of one rich in letters.
Partial English translation: 13 of 16 Arabic lines translated.