أَلَستَ تَرى يَومَنا يَومَ طَل

أَلَستَ تَرى يَومَنا يَومَ طَل

وَدَينَ الكُئوسِ عَلى الشَربِ حَل

وَدَينَ الكُئوسِ عَلى الشَربِ حَل

Do you not see our day—a day of drizzle—

Do you not see that our day is a day of drizzle,

and the cups’ claim upon the drinking companions, now fallen due?

And that the cups’ debt has fallen due upon the drinkers?

فَإِن طُلَّ فيهِ دَمٌ لِلسَحابِ

فَإِن طُلَّ فيهِ دَمٌ لِلسَحابِ

فَقُل في دَمِ الكَرمِ لَم لا يُطَل

فَقُل في دَمِ الكَرمِ لَم لا يُطَل

For if the clouds’ blood is left unavenged in it,

For if the clouds’ blood is shed unavenged on this day,

then say: why should the vine’s blood not go unavenged?

Then say of the vine’s blood: why should it not be shed unavenged?

فَهاتِ فَإِنَّ الهُمومَ الحُروبُ

فَهاتِ فَإِنَّ الهُمومَ الحُروبُ

فَنازِل هُمومي بِكَأسٍ بَطَل

فَنازِل هُمومي بِكَأسٍ بَطَل

Then bring it—for cares are wars;

So bring it, for sorrows are wars;

do battle with my cares with a champion cup.

So battle my sorrows with a champion cup.

فَما يُظلِمُ الهَمُّ مَهما أَضاءَ

فَما يُظلِمُ الهَمُّ مَهما أَضاءَ

وَلا يَنزِلُ الهَمُّ مَهما نَزَل

وَلا يَنزِلُ الهَمُّ مَهما نَزَل

Whatever it illumines, care cannot darken;

For sorrow casts no darkness while that cup shines,

wherever it descends, care cannot alight.

Nor does sorrow settle while it comes down.

وَأَوقِع عَلى وَتَر وَالغِناءَ

وَأَوقِع عَلى وَتَر وَالغِناءَ

حَديثَ التَواقيعِ وَالمُستَعَل

حَديثَ التَواقيعِ وَالمُستَعَل

And set the singing to a string—

And set to a string and to song

the tale of official rescripts and their opening formulas.

The talk of decrees and the mustaʿal [meaning unclear as written].