وساقيَةٍ تَسْقي النّدَامَى بمدّها

وساقيَةٍ تَسْقي النّدَامَى بمدّها

كُؤوساً مِنَ الصَّهباءِ طاغِيَةَ السُّكرِ

كُؤوساً مِنَ الصَّهباءِ طاغِيَةَ السُّكرِ

And a watercourse serves the drinking companions with its flow

A jug that quenches the thirst of revelers

Cups of tawny wine, overpowering in intoxication.

With goblets of sparkling wine intoxicating with drunkenness

يُعَوَّمُ فيها كُلُّ جامٍ كَأَنَّما

يُعَوَّمُ فيها كُلُّ جامٍ كَأَنَّما

تَضَمّنَ رُوحُ الشَّمسِ في جَسَدِ البَدرِ

تَضَمّنَ رُوحُ الشَّمسِ في جَسَدِ البَدرِ

Every goblet is set afloat in it, as though

In each cup floats as though

The sun's spirit were enclosed in the full moon's body.

The spirit of the sun embraced the body of the full moon

إِذا قَصَدتْ مِنَّا نَديماً زجاجةٌ

إِذا قَصَدتْ مِنَّا نَديماً زجاجةٌ

تَناوَلَها رِفقاً بِأَنمُلِهِ العَشرِ

تَناوَلَها رِفقاً بِأَنمُلِهِ العَشرِ

Whenever a glass vessel makes for a drinking companion among us,

When a bottle comes to one of us

He takes it gently with his ten fingertips.

He takes it gently in his ten fingers

فَيَشرَبُ مِنها سَكرَةً عِنَبِيَّةً

فَيَشرَبُ مِنها سَكرَةً عِنَبِيَّةً

تُنَّوِمُ عَيْنَ الصَّحوِ مِنهُ وما يَدري

تُنَّوِمُ عَيْنَ الصَّحوِ مِنهُ وما يَدري

Then he drinks from it an intoxication born of grapes,

And drinks from it a grape drunkenness

That puts the eye of sobriety within him to sleep, without his knowing.

That puts to sleep wakeful eyes without him knowing

وَيُرْسِلُهَا في مائِها فيُعِيدُهَا

وَيُرْسِلُهَا في مائِها فيُعِيدُهَا

إِلى رَاحَتي ساقٍ على حُكمِهِ تَجري

إِلى رَاحَتي ساقٍ على حُكمِهِ تَجري

And he sends it off in its water, thus returning it

And he sends it back in its water and returns it

To a cupbearer's two palms; it flows at his command.

To the stillness of my leg upon whose rule it flows

جَعَلنا عَلى شُرْبِ العُقَار سَمَاعَنَا

جَعَلنا عَلى شُرْبِ العُقَار سَمَاعَنَا

لُحوناً تُغَنّيها الطُّيورُ بِلا شعرِ

لُحوناً تُغَنّيها الطُّيورُ بِلا شعرِ

For our wine-drinking, we made our music

We have made our hearing upon drinking wine

Melodies sung by the birds, without verse;

Melodies sung by birds without poetry

وساقيَنَا ماءً ينيلُ بلا يدٍ

وساقيَنَا ماءً ينيلُ بلا يدٍ

وَمَشروبَنَا ناراً تُضيءُ بِلا جَمرِ

وَمَشروبَنَا ناراً تُضيءُ بِلا جَمرِ

And our cupbearer water, giving without a hand,

And our cupbearer is water that pours without hands

And our drink a fire, shining without embers.

And our drink is fire that illuminates without embers

سَقانا مَسَرّاتٍ فَكَانَ جَزاؤهُ

سَقانا مَسَرّاتٍ فَكَانَ جَزاؤهُ

عَلَيها لَدَينا أنْ سَقَيناهُ لِلبَحرِ

عَلَيها لَدَينا أنْ سَقَيناهُ لِلبَحرِ

It gave us delights to drink; and its reward

He gave us pleasures, so his reward from us

For them, from us, was to give it to the sea to drink.

Is that we gave him to drink from the sea

كَأَنَّا على شَطِّ الخَليجِ مَدائِنٌ

كَأَنَّا على شَطِّ الخَليجِ مَدائِنٌ

تُسافِرُ فيما بَينَنا سُفُنُ الخَمرِ

تُسافِرُ فيما بَينَنا سُفُنُ الخَمرِ

As though we were cities on the bank of the channel,

As though we on the shore of the gulf are cities

With ships of wine sailing between us.

Ships of wine travel between us

وما العَيشُ إلّا في تَطَرُّفِ لَذَّةٍ

وما العَيشُ إلّا في تَطَرُّفِ لَذَّةٍ

وَخَلْعِ عِذَارٍ فيه مُسْتَحْسَنُ العذر

وَخَلْعِ عِذَارٍ فيه مُسْتَحْسَنُ العذر

And life is only in seeking fresh delight,

Life is but in the extremity of pleasure

And casting off the bridle, for which an excuse is deemed fair.

And defiance of chastity in which excuse is seemly