لا أَرتَضي يا صاحِ أَنِّيَ صاحي

لا أَرتَضي يا صاحِ أَنِّيَ صاحي

فَالراحُ فيها راحَةُ الأَرواحِ

فَالراحُ فيها راحَةُ الأَرواحِ

I will not accept, my friend, being sober;

I do not wish, O friend, that I were awake,

for in wine lies the solace of souls.

For in sleep there is rest for souls.

أَمسَيتُ في ظُلُماتِ إيحاشٍ فَقُم

أَمسَيتُ في ظُلُماتِ إيحاشٍ فَقُم

وَاِقدَح زِنادَ الأُنسِ بِالأَقداحِ

وَاِقدَح زِنادَ الأُنسِ بِالأَقداحِ

Evening finds me in the darkness of loneliness; so rise,

I fell into deep darkness of despair, so get up

and strike the flints of fellowship with the cups.

And kindle the wicks of intimacy with cups.

وَاِشرَب وَهاتِ الكَأسَ صِرفاً وَاِسقِني

وَاِشرَب وَهاتِ الكَأسَ صِرفاً وَاِسقِني

حَمراءَ تُغنيني عَنِ المِصباحِ

حَمراءَ تُغنيني عَنِ المِصباحِ

And drink; bring the cup undiluted, and pour me

Drink and bring the cup around and give me to drink

red wine that spares me the need of a lamp.

Red wine that makes me need no lamp.

وَاِصرِف بِصِرفِ الراحِ تَجلو صورَةُ ال

وَاِصرِف بِصِرفِ الراحِ تَجلو صورَةُ ال

أفراحِ عَنّي سَورَةَ الأَتراحِ

أفراحِ عَنّي سَورَةَ الأَتراحِ

And with pure wine dispel—as there shines the image of

Turn away with the turning of the wind and the image of

joy—the fierce surge of sorrows from me.

Happiness turns from me the chapter of sorrows.

مِن كَفِّ أَحوَرَ شادِنٍ عَذبِ اللَمى

مِن كَفِّ أَحوَرَ شادِنٍ عَذبِ اللَمى

وَخَريدَةٍ مَلأى الإِزارِ رَداحِ

وَخَريدَةٍ مَلأى الإِزارِ رَداحِ

From the hand of a dark-eyed fawn with sweet, dusky lips,

From the palm of a alluring dark-lipped beauty

and a shy maiden, full beneath her waist-wrap, ample-hipped.

And a saucy one with a dress full of fluttering.

أَو ما تَرى أَنَّ الرَبيعَ كَأَنَّهُ

أَو ما تَرى أَنَّ الرَبيعَ كَأَنَّهُ

ثَمِلٌ يُرَنِّحُهُ هُبوبُ رِياحِ

ثَمِلٌ يُرَنِّحُهُ هُبوبُ رِياحِ

Or do you not see that spring seems

Or do you not see that spring is as though

drunk, swayed by gusts of wind?

It were ripe, breathed on by the blowing winds.

فَكَأَنَّما أَنفاسُهُ ما بَينَنا

فَكَأَنَّما أَنفاسُهُ ما بَينَنا

عَبَقَت بِغالِيَةٍ عَلى تُفّاحِ

عَبَقَت بِغالِيَةٍ عَلى تُفّاحِ

So it is as though its breaths among us

So that its breaths between us

were scented with ghaliya perfume upon apples.

Were fragrant with sweetness on apples.

وَالرَوضُ يَغمِزُنا بِعَينَي نَرجِسٍ

وَالرَوضُ يَغمِزُنا بِعَينَي نَرجِسٍ

غَضٍّ وَيَبسِمُ عَن ثُغورِ أَقاحِ

غَضٍّ وَيَبسِمُ عَن ثُغورِ أَقاحِ

And the garden winks at us with two narcissus eyes,

And the meadow winks at us with the eyes of narcissi,

fresh, and smiles to reveal mouths of daisies.

Fresh and smiling from the buds of flowers.

وَالطَيرُ بَينَ مُغَرِّدٍ وَمُعَربِدٍ

وَالطَيرُ بَينَ مُغَرِّدٍ وَمُعَربِدٍ

وَمُرَدِّدٍ وَمُعَدِّدٍ نوّاحِ

وَمُرَدِّدٍ وَمُعَدِّدٍ نوّاحِ

And the birds: some sing, some carouse,

And the birds between singers and murmurers

some repeat their songs, some chant laments and wail.

And repeaters and enumerators crying out.

وَالماءُ بَينَ مُسَلسَلٍ وَمُسَجسَجٍ

وَالماءُ بَينَ مُسَلسَلٍ وَمُسَجسَجٍ

وَمُهَينِمٍ وَمُزَمزِمٍ سيّاحِ

وَمُهَينِمٍ وَمُزَمزِمٍ سيّاحِ

And the water: some ripples, some flows gently,

And the water between cascading and gurgling

some whispers, some hums, streaming on.

And roaring and murmuring, flowing.

وَكَأَنَّما المَنثورُ مَدَّ أَكُفَّهُ

وَكَأَنَّما المَنثورُ مَدَّ أَكُفَّهُ

بِأَنامِلٍ بَينَ الندام مِلاحِ

بِأَنامِلٍ بَينَ الندام مِلاحِ

And it is as though the stock flowers have stretched out their palms

And scattered blossoms stretched out their palms

with lovely fingertips among the drinking companions.

With bracelets between the wrists.

وَالوَردُ يَدعو لِلصَبوحِ تَنَبَّهوا

وَالوَردُ يَدعو لِلصَبوحِ تَنَبَّهوا

نادى المُؤَذِّنُ فالِقَ الأصباحِ

نادى المُؤَذِّنُ فالِقَ الأصباحِ

And the rose calls for the morning draught: “Awake!

And the roses call to the dawn “Awaken,”

The muezzin has called upon the Cleaver of dawns.

The caller to prayer split the dawn.

وَتَغَنَّموا الزَمَنَ القَصيرَ فَإِنَّهُ

وَتَغَنَّموا الزَمَنَ القَصيرَ فَإِنَّهُ

قَد آذَنَت غَدَواتُهُ بِرَواحِ

قَد آذَنَت غَدَواتُهُ بِرَواحِ

And make the most of the brief time, for

And make good use of the short time, for surely

its mornings have already heralded evening.”

Its mornings have given notice of departure.