خُذ فارِغاً وَهاتِهِ مَلآنا

خُذ فارِغاً وَهاتِهِ مَلآنا

مِن قَهوَةٍ قَد عُتِّقَت أَزمانا

مِن قَهوَةٍ قَد عُتِّقَت أَزمانا

Take an empty cup, and bring it back full,

Take it empty and bring it full

with wine that has been aged for ages.

Of coffee freed from time's rule

أَقَلُّ ما مَلَكَها مالِكُها

أَقَلُّ ما مَلَكَها مالِكُها

أَن لَحِقَت عَهدَ أَنو شَروانا

أَن لَحِقَت عَهدَ أَنو شَروانا

Its owner has kept it, at the very least,

The least its owner has ruled

since the reign of Anushirwan.

Is that it met Anoushirwan's days

ذَخيرَةُ الراهِبِ كَي يَجعَلَها

ذَخيرَةُ الراهِبِ كَي يَجعَلَها

إِذا أَتَت أَعيادُهُ قُربانا

إِذا أَتَت أَعيادُهُ قُربانا

The monk's treasured reserve, kept so that he may make it,

The monk's treasure, that he makes

when his feast days come, an offering.

An offering when his feasts come

مُدامَةٌ ماذُكِرَت أَوصافُها

مُدامَةٌ ماذُكِرَت أَوصافُها

إِلّا اِنثَنى سامِعُها سَكرانا

إِلّا اِنثَنى سامِعُها سَكرانا

A wine whose qualities are never described

A liquor whose traits aren't summed

without the listener coming away drunk.

Unless its hearer bends, drunk

تَكادُ مِن لَألائِها إِذا بَدَت

تَكادُ مِن لَألائِها إِذا بَدَت

تُهدي إِلى مَكانِها العُميانا

تُهدي إِلى مَكانِها العُميانا

Such is its radiance that, when it appears, it almost

Its glimmers, when first shown, give

guides the blind to where it is.

Sight itself to the blind man

كَالنارِ إِلّا أَنَّها ما أُوقِدَت

كَالنارِ إِلّا أَنَّها ما أُوقِدَت

في الكَأسِ إِلّا أَطفَأَت نيرانا

في الكَأسِ إِلّا أَطفَأَت نيرانا

Like fire, except that it is never kindled

Like fire but when lit

in the cup without extinguishing fires.

In the cup, quenches all flames

ما المَلِكُ الأَعظَمُ في سُلطانِهِ

ما المَلِكُ الأَعظَمُ في سُلطانِهِ

إِلّا الَّذي أَضحى بِها نَشوانا

إِلّا الَّذي أَضحى بِها نَشوانا

The mightiest king in his dominion is none

No greater king in his reign

but he who has grown tipsy on it.

Than he who toasted with it in joy

كَم رَفَعَت مُتَّضِعاً وَكَرَّمَت

كَم رَفَعَت مُتَّضِعاً وَكَرَّمَت

مُبَخَّلاً وَشَجَّعَت جَبانا

مُبَخَّلاً وَشَجَّعَت جَبانا

How often it has raised the lowly and made generous

How many low it uplifted and graced

one deemed miserly, and emboldened a coward.

Miser it opened up, coward made bold

تَسعى بِها جارِيَةٌ إِذا اِنثَنَت

تَسعى بِها جارِيَةٌ إِذا اِنثَنَت

أَخجَلَ لينُ عِطفِها أَغصانا

أَخجَلَ لينُ عِطفِها أَغصانا

A maiden moves about with it; when she sways,

A girl runs with it, when she sways

the suppleness of her figure puts branches to shame.

Shaming the bend of branches with her grace

بِتُّ أُعاطيها فَتاةً جَمَعَت

بِتُّ أُعاطيها فَتاةً جَمَعَت

لِعاشِقيها الحُسنَ وَالإِحسانا

لِعاشِقيها الحُسنَ وَالإِحسانا

I spent the night sharing it with a maiden who combined

I stayed to give it to a girl who gathered

beauty and kindness for her lovers.

For her lovers, beauty and goodness

كامِلَةَ الحُسنِ حَكَت غُصنَ النَقا

كامِلَةَ الحُسنِ حَكَت غُصنَ النَقا

الرَيّانَ أَو غَزالَهُ العَطشانا

الرَيّانَ أَو غَزالَهُ العَطشانا

Perfect in beauty, she resembled the sand dune's branch,

Perfect of feature, she told of the supple branch

well-watered, or its thirsty gazelle.

Watering, or the thirsty fawn

مَخضوبَةَ البَنانِ في يَمينِها

مَخضوبَةَ البَنانِ في يَمينِها

كَأسُ مُدامٍ تَخضِبُ البَنانا

كَأسُ مُدامٍ تَخضِبُ البَنانا

With dyed fingertips, she holds in her right hand

Red-lipped, in her right hand

a cup of wine that dyes the fingertips.

A goblet of wine stains the lips red

وَلي نَديمٌ ماجِدٌ لا أَرتَضي

وَلي نَديمٌ ماجِدٌ لا أَرتَضي

عَنهُ بَديلاً كائِناً مَن كانا

عَنهُ بَديلاً كائِناً مَن كانا

And I have a noble drinking companion; I will not accept

And I have a noble boon companion I wouldn't

a substitute for him, whoever he may be.

Trade for another, whoever he may be

أَخو فُكاهاتٍ مَتى حاضَرتَهُ

أَخو فُكاهاتٍ مَتى حاضَرتَهُ

في مَجلِسٍ وَجَدتَهُ بُستانا

في مَجلِسٍ وَجَدتَهُ بُستانا

A man of jests: whenever you converse with him

A brother of jokes, whenever you're with him

at a gathering, you find him a garden.

In company, you find it a garden

حُلوُ الأَحاديثِ وَإِن غَنّاكَ لَم

حُلوُ الأَحاديثِ وَإِن غَنّاكَ لَم

تَجِدهُ في أَلحانِهِ لَحّانا

تَجِدهُ في أَلحانِهِ لَحّانا

Sweet in conversation; and if he sings to you, you will not

Sweet of speech, and if he sings to you

find him erring in his melodies.

You won't find him, in his tunes, a composer

لا يَعرِفُ الهَمَّ فَتىً يَعرِفُهُ

لا يَعرِفُ الهَمَّ فَتىً يَعرِفُهُ

وَلا تَرى نَديمَهُ نَدمانا

وَلا تَرى نَديمَهُ نَدمانا

A young man who knows him knows no sorrow,

He knows no care, that lad who knows him

nor do you see his drinking companion regretful.

Nor will you see his companion showing regret