بَاكِر إلَى شَادِنٍ وكَاسِ

بَاكِر إلَى شَادِنٍ وكَاسِ

فالهمّ عَقَّاره العُقَار

فالهمّ عَقَّاره العُقَار

Go at dawn to a young gazelle and a cup,

Awaken to wine and cup

For wine is sorrow's slayer.

Its tormentor brews its potion

واشرب عَلَى وَردَةٍ وآسِ

واشرب عَلَى وَردَةٍ وآسِ

لَكِن عَلَى الخَدّ وَالعِذَار

لَكِن عَلَى الخَدّ وَالعِذَار

And drink in sight of a rose and myrtle—

And drink to a flower and myrtle

But those on the cheek and the downy beard.

But to the cheek and coyness

يا صَاحَ كم ذا نرَاك صَاحِ

يا صَاحَ كم ذا نرَاك صَاحِ

مِن نَشوَةش الحُبِّ وَالغَرَام

مِن نَشوَةش الحُبِّ وَالغَرَام

O friend, how long shall we see you sober,

O friend, how often we see you awake

Untouched by the intoxication of love and passion?

From the rapture of love and passion

أمضا ترَى جَدوَلَ الصباحِ

أمضا ترَى جَدوَلَ الصباحِ

أَضَا على عَسكَرِ الظَّلام

أَضَا على عَسكَرِ الظَّلام

Do you not see how the stream of morning

Passing the brook of dawn

Has shone upon the army of darkness?

Flooding the camp of darkness

وَبَسَّمَ الزّهرُ بالأقَاحِ

وَبَسَّمَ الزّهرُ بالأقَاحِ

لمَّا بكَت مُقلَة الغَمام

لمَّا بكَت مُقلَة الغَمام

And the flowers smiled with daisies,

The flowers smile with buds

When the eye of the clouds wept.

When the raincloud weeps

والوُرقُ هَبَّت مِنَ النعاسِ

والوُرقُ هَبَّت مِنَ النعاسِ

تَنشُرُ حَلياً على البهار

تَنشُرُ حَلياً على البهار

And the gray doves awoke from slumber,

And the leaves shake off drowsiness

Scattering ornaments upon the yellow oxeye flowers.

Spreading beauty on the meadows

وَالوَردُ يَختالُ في لِباس

وَالوَردُ يَختالُ في لِباس

مَا بَينَ آسٍ وجُلِّنَار

مَا بَينَ آسٍ وجُلِّنَار

And the rose struts in a robe

The rose struts in its garb

Between myrtle and pomegranate blossom.

Among myrtle and jasmine

قُم هاكها قَهوَة الحُمَيَّا

قُم هاكها قَهوَة الحُمَيَّا

يَسقِيكَهَا أحوَرُ الجُفُون

يَسقِيكَهَا أحوَرُ الجُفُون

Rise! Take it—the heady wine,

Arise, and the brown-eyed one

A dark-eyed youth serves it to you.

Will serve you coffee

وَانظُر إلى القَدّ وَالمًحَيَّا

وَانظُر إلى القَدّ وَالمًحَيَّا

يَعلُو على البَدرِ في الغُصُون

يَعلُو على البَدرِ في الغُصُون

And look upon the figure and the face,

And look upon the slender waists and brows

Surpassing the full moon among the boughs.

Rising above the moon in the branches

اشرَب هَنِيئاً بِهَا رَوِيّا

اشرَب هَنِيئاً بِهَا رَوِيّا

فَلَذَّةُ العَيش في المجون

فَلَذَّةُ العَيش في المجون

Drink of it gladly, your thirst well quenched,

Drink at ease, well-satiated

For life's delight lies in wanton revelry.

For the joy of life is in revelry

وذكِّرِ القلبَ فهوَ نَاسِ

وذكِّرِ القلبَ فهوَ نَاسِ

بِضَربِ عودٍ وَنَقرِ طَار

بِضَربِ عودٍ وَنَقرِ طَار

And remind the heart, for it is forgetful,

And remind the heart, for it forgets

By strumming an oud and tapping a frame drum.

With the strumming of lute and beat of drum

واستَغنِمِ الشُّربِ في الكناسِ

واستَغنِمِ الشُّربِ في الكناسِ

فَالعُمرُ أيَّامُه قِصار

فَالعُمرُ أيَّامُه قِصار

And seize the chance to drink in the gazelle's bower,

And seize the drink in the goblet

For the days of life are short.

For the days of life are few

مَا أحسَنَ الأُنس بالحِسانِ

مَا أحسَنَ الأُنس بالحِسانِ

وَالرّاحُ يُجلى رُضَابُهَا

وَالرّاحُ يُجلى رُضَابُهَا

How lovely is companionship with beauties,

How beautiful is companionship with the beautiful ones

While the wine's nectar is unveiled!

And the wind making its hills transparent

كَأنَّها وَجنةُ الغَوَانِي

كَأنَّها وَجنةُ الغَوَانِي

جُرّدَ عَنهَا نِقَابُهَا

جُرّدَ عَنهَا نِقَابُهَا

As though it were the cheek of beautiful women,

As if it were the gardens of delights

With its veil stripped away.

Stripped of their veils

لَم تُبقِ مِنهَا يَدُ الزّمَانِ

لَم تُبقِ مِنهَا يَدُ الزّمَانِ

فِي الكَاسِ إلاّ حُبَابَهَا

فِي الكَاسِ إلاّ حُبَابَهَا

The hand of time has left nothing of it

Time left nothing in the cup

In the cup but its bubbles.

Except its bubbles

مَا أنَا عَن شُربِهَا بِنَاسِي

مَا أنَا عَن شُربِهَا بِنَاسِي

ولا عَلَى رَشفِهَا اصطِبَار

ولا عَلَى رَشفِهَا اصطِبَار

I am not one to forget drinking it,

I do not forget to drink it

Nor can I hold back from sipping it.

Nor have patience at sipping it

تَبعتُ فِيهَا أَبَا نُوَاسِ

تَبعتُ فِيهَا أَبَا نُوَاسِ

وَليسَ أَصحُو مِن العُقَار

وَليسَ أَصحُو مِن العُقَار

In this I have followed Abū Nuwās,

I followed Abu Nuwas in it

And I do not sober up from wine.

And none are soberer than the brewers