يا تاركاً راحاً تُسَلّي هَمّهُ

يا تاركاً راحاً تُسَلّي هَمّهُ

هلّا اتّقَيْتَ السّمَّ بالدُّرياقِ

هلّا اتّقَيْتَ السّمَّ بالدُّرياقِ

O you who forsake a wine that dispels your sorrow,

O you who forsake wine that soothes your sorrow,

why not ward off poison with theriac,

Why did you not ward off poison with the antidote,

وتناولتْ يُمْناكَ ناراً لم تَخَفْ

وتناولتْ يُمْناكَ ناراً لم تَخَفْ

في لمسها لَذعاً مِنَ الإحراقِ

في لمسها لَذعاً مِنَ الإحراقِ

and let your right hand take up a fire, unafraid

And take up fire in your right hand, without fearing

of any searing sting when touching it—

The sting of burning when you touch it?

حمراءَ تشربُ بالأنوف سُلافها

حمراءَ تشربُ بالأنوف سُلافها

لُطْفاً وبالأسْماع والأحداقِ

لُطْفاً وبالأسْماع والأحداقِ

a crimson wine whose pure essence you drink through the nostrils,

Red wine, whose purest draught you drink through your nostrils,

so subtly—and through the ears and eyes as well—

So delicate it is—and through your ears and eyes.

بزُجاجةٍ صُوَرُ الفوارسِ نَقْشُها

بزُجاجةٍ صُوَرُ الفوارسِ نَقْشُها

فترى لها حَرْباً بكفِّ السّاقي

فترى لها حَرْباً بكفِّ السّاقي

from a glass engraved with figures of mounted warriors,

In a glass vessel engraved with images of horsemen,

so that in the cupbearer’s palm you see a battle within it;

You see its battle in the cupbearer's palm.

وكأنّما سَفَكَتْ صوارمها دماً

وكأنّما سَفَكَتْ صوارمها دماً

لَبِسَتْ به غَرَقاً إلى الأعناقِ

لَبِسَتْ به غَرَقاً إلى الأعناقِ

as though its keen swords had spilled blood,

As though their keen swords had shed blood,

which its figures donned, immersed up to their necks;

Which they wore, drenched up to their necks.

وكَأَنَّ للكاساتِ حُمْرَ غلائلٍ

وكَأَنَّ للكاساتِ حُمْرَ غلائلٍ

أزرارها دُرَرٌ على الأطواقِ

أزرارها دُرَرٌ على الأطواقِ

as though the goblets had crimson under-robes,

And as though the cups had sheer red robes,

their buttons pearls upon their collars.

Their buttons pearls upon the collars.