أَقولُ وَالكَأسُ في كَفّي أُقَلِّبُها

أَقولُ وَالكَأسُ في كَفّي أُقَلِّبُها

أُخاطِبُ الصيدَ أَبناءَ العَماليقِ

أُخاطِبُ الصيدَ أَبناءَ العَماليقِ

I speak, turning the cup over in my palm,

I speak, and the cup is in my hand, I turn it around,

Addressing the noble lords, sons of the Amalekites:

I address the prey, sons of giants,

إِنّي يُذَكِّرُني هِنداً وَجارَتَها

إِنّي يُذَكِّرُني هِنداً وَجارَتَها

بِالطَفِّ صَوتُ حَماماتٍ عَلى نيقِ

بِالطَفِّ صَوتُ حَماماتٍ عَلى نيقِ

Indeed, I am reminded of Hind and her neighbor

It reminds me of India and its neighbor,

At al-Taff by the sound of doves on a mountain peak.

The voice of doves on the palm tree reminds me of childhood,

أَفنى تِلادي وَما جَمَّعتُ مِن نَشَبٍ

أَفنى تِلادي وَما جَمَّعتُ مِن نَشَبٍ

قَرعُ القَواقيزِ أَفواهَ الأَباريقِ

قَرعُ القَواقيزِ أَفواهَ الأَباريقِ

My inherited wealth and all the property I amassed were exhausted

I wasted my youth and did not gather resolve,

By goblets clinking against the mouths of ewers.

The clinking of goblets, mouths of jugs,

كأَنَّهُنَّ وَأَيدي الشَربِ مُعمَلَةٌ

كأَنَّهُنَّ وَأَيدي الشَربِ مُعمَلَةٌ

إِذا تَلَألَأنَ في أَيدي الغَرانيقِ

إِذا تَلَألَأنَ في أَيدي الغَرانيقِ

As though they, while the drinkers' hands are busy,

As if they and the hands of drinking are calloused,

When they glitter in the hands of handsome youths,

When they glitter in the hands of young men,

بَناتُ ماءٍ مَعاً بيضٌ جآجِئُها

بَناتُ ماءٍ مَعاً بيضٌ جآجِئُها

حُمرٌ مَناقيرُها صُفرُ الحَماليقِ

حُمرٌ مَناقيرُها صُفرُ الحَماليقِ

Were daughters of water together, their breasts white,

Daughters of water together, their eggs are white,

Their beaks red, their eye-rims yellow.

Their beaks are red, yellow are the carriers,

أَيدي سُقاةٍ تَخِرُّ الأَرضَ مُعمَلةً

أَيدي سُقاةٍ تَخِرُّ الأَرضَ مُعمَلةً

كَأَنَّما أَوبُها رَجعُ المَخاريقِ

كَأَنَّما أَوبُها رَجعُ المَخاريقِ

Cupbearers' hands drop earthward, busily at work,

Hands of water bearers that scratch the ground calloused,

As though their return were the backswing of cloth whips.

As if their harm is the return of torn garments,

هِيَ اللَذاذَةُ ما لَم تَأَتِ مَنقَصَةً

هِيَ اللَذاذَةُ ما لَم تَأَتِ مَنقَصَةً

أَو تَرمِ فيها بِسَهمٍ ساقِطِ الفوقِ

أَو تَرمِ فيها بِسَهمٍ ساقِطِ الفوقِ

It is delight, so long as you commit no disgrace,

That is the pleasure that did not come deficient,

Nor shoot into it an arrow whose nock is missing.

Or a fallen arrow pierces it from above,

عَلَيكَ كُلُّ فَتىً سَمحٍ خَلائِقُهُ

عَلَيكَ كُلُّ فَتىً سَمحٍ خَلائِقُهُ

مَحضِ العُروقِ كَريمٍ غَيرِ مَمذوقِ

مَحضِ العُروقِ كَريمٍ غَيرِ مَمذوقِ

Seek out every young man whose character is generous,

Upon you every generous lad, his manners straightforward,

Of pure lineage, noble and unalloyed.

Pure bred, noble, not yet sampled,

لا تَشرَبَن أَبَداً راحاً مُسارَفَةً

لا تَشرَبَن أَبَداً راحاً مُسارَفَةً

إِلاّ مَعَ الغُرِّ أَبناءِ البَطاريقِ

إِلاّ مَعَ الغُرِّ أَبناءِ البَطاريقِ

Never drink wine to excess,

Never drink intoxicated,

Except with the illustrious, sons of patricians.

Except with daring, sons of heroes.