وَقَهْوَةٍ يَتَرامى

وَقَهْوَةٍ يَتَرامى

شَعاعُها بِلَهِيبِ

شَعاعُها بِلَهِيبِ

And a wine that sends forth

With coffee whose radiance

its radiance in flame—

Spreads in fervent flames

جَعَلْتُها حَظًّ نَفْسِي

جَعَلْتُها حَظًّ نَفْسِي

عِشْقاً لهَا وَنَصِيبِي

عِشْقاً لهَا وَنَصِيبِي

I made it my soul's share,

I made my soul’s fortune

and my portion, out of love for it,

For my love and fate

بِيَوْمٍ سَعْدٍ مُصَفَّى

بِيَوْمٍ سَعْدٍ مُصَفَّى

مِنَ الزَّمانِ المَشُوبِ

مِنَ الزَّمانِ المَشُوبِ

on a fortunate day, purified

On a day of pure bliss

from tainted time.

Free of troubled times

فَسَقِّنِي تِذْكاراً

فَسَقِّنِي تِذْكاراً

لِطَاعَةِ المَحْبُوبِ

لِطَاعَةِ المَحْبُوبِ

So give me drink, in remembrance

Quench me with remembrance

of obedience to the beloved.

Of obeying the beloved

وَاعْصِ الرَّقِيبَ فإِنِّي

وَاعْصِ الرَّقِيبَ فإِنِّي

أُحِلُّ قَتْلَ الرَّقِيبِ

أُحِلُّ قَتْلَ الرَّقِيبِ

And disobey the watcher, for I

Disobey the watcher, for

deem it lawful to kill the watcher.

I allow killing the watcher

أَبَى شَبابِيَ إلاَّ

أَبَى شَبابِيَ إلاَّ

عَصِيَّةً لِمَشِيبِي

عَصِيَّةً لِمَشِيبِي

My youth would have nothing but

My youth refused

rebellion against my gray hair.

Except disobedience to my old age

مَا سَوَّدَ النَّسْكُ مِنِّي

مَا سَوَّدَ النَّسْكُ مِنِّي

إلاّ بَياضَ ذُنُوبي

إلاّ بَياضَ ذُنُوبي

Ascetic devotion blackened nothing in me

Devotion did not blacken me

except the whiteness of my sins.

Except the whiteness of my sins