رَحِّب بِضَيفِ الأُنسِ قَد أَقبَلا

رَحِّب بِضَيفِ الأُنسِ قَد أَقبَلا

وَاِجلُ دُجى الهَمِّ بِشَمسِ العَقار

وَاِجلُ دُجى الهَمِّ بِشَمسِ العَقار

Welcome the guest of fellowship—he has arrived.

Welcome the guest of delight: he has arrived.

Dispel care's darkness with the sun of wine.

And dispel sorrow's darkness with the sun of wine.

وَلا تَسَل دَهرَكَ عَمّا جَناه

وَلا تَسَل دَهرَكَ عَمّا جَناه

فَما لَيالي العُمرِ إِلّا قِصار

فَما لَيالي العُمرِ إِلّا قِصار

Do not ask your age what wrong it has wrought,

And do not ask your fate what it has wrought;

for the nights of life are nothing but brief.

For the nights of life are but brief.

عِندي لِأَحداثِ اللَيالي رَحيق

عِندي لِأَحداثِ اللَيالي رَحيق

تَرُدُّ في الشَيحِ اِرتِياحَ الشَباب

تَرُدُّ في الشَيحِ اِرتِياحَ الشَباب

For the assaults of the nights, I have a nectar

I have pure wine for the calamities of the nights,

that restores youth's delight in an old man.

It restores youth's delight amid the wormwood.

كَأَنَّما في الكاسِ مِنها حَريق

كَأَنَّما في الكاسِ مِنها حَريق

وَفي يَدِ الشارِبِ مِنها خِضاب

وَفي يَدِ الشارِبِ مِنها خِضاب

As though there were a fire within the cup,

As though, in the cup, it were a blaze,

and in the drinker's hand, its crimson dye.

And in the drinker's hand, a dye.

وَحَقِّها ما هِيَ إِلّا عَقيق

وَحَقِّها ما هِيَ إِلّا عَقيق

أَجرَيتُ أَنفاسِيَ فيهِ فَذاب

أَجرَيتُ أَنفاسِيَ فيهِ فَذاب

By its truth, it is nothing but carnelian:

And by its sanctity, it is nothing but agate;

I breathed my breath into it, and it melted.

I let my breaths flow through it, and it melted.

فَاِجنِ المُنى بَينَ الطِلى وَالطُلا

فَاِجنِ المُنى بَينَ الطِلى وَالطُلا

واِقدَح عَلى الأَقداحِ مِنها شَرار

واِقدَح عَلى الأَقداحِ مِنها شَرار

So reap desire between fair necks and wine,

So pluck your wishes between wine and necks,

and strike from goblets its sparks.

And strike sparks from it over the goblets.

وَقُل لِناهٍ ضَلَّ عَنهُ نُهاه

وَقُل لِناهٍ ضَلَّ عَنهُ نُهاه

كَفى الصِبا عُذراً لِخَلعِ العِذار

كَفى الصِبا عُذراً لِخَلعِ العِذار

Say to a censor whose good sense has strayed:

And tell the censor whose reason has deserted him:

Youth is excuse enough to cast restraint aside.

Youth is excuse enough to cast off the bridle.

وَلَيلَةٍ مُسوَدَّةٍ المَفرِقِ

وَلَيلَةٍ مُسوَدَّةٍ المَفرِقِ

مَدَّت عَلى وَجهِ الضُحى أَطنَبَه

مَدَّت عَلى وَجهِ الضُحى أَطنَبَه

And many a night, black at the parting of its hair,

And a night with a blackened hair-parting

stretched its tent ropes over morning's face.

Stretched its tent ropes over morning's face.

وَاللَيلُ هادي السِربِ لا يَتَّقي

وَاللَيلُ هادي السِربِ لا يَتَّقي

وَالصُبحُ قَد نامَ فَلَمّا اِنتَبَه

وَالصُبحُ قَد نامَ فَلَمّا اِنتَبَه

Night led the caravan, fearing nothing;

And night, the herd's guide, fears nothing;

dawn lay asleep—but when it awoke,

And morning had slept; then, when it awoke,

أَرسَلَ بِالفَجرِ إِلى المَشرِقِ

أَرسَلَ بِالفَجرِ إِلى المَشرِقِ

فَاِرتَفَعَت رايَتُهُ المُذهَبَه

فَاِرتَفَعَت رايَتُهُ المُذهَبَه

it sent daybreak toward the east,

It sent forth the dawn to the east,

and its gilded banner rose.

So its gilded banner rose.

وَاِنتَبَهَت لِلشُهبِ تِلكَ الحُلى

وَاِنتَبَهَت لِلشُهبِ تِلكَ الحُلى

وَفاضَ في الآفاقِ نَهرُ النَهار

وَفاضَ في الآفاقِ نَهرُ النَهار

Those ornaments, the blazing stars, awakened,

And those ornaments awoke to the stars,

and the river of daylight flooded the horizons.

And the river of day overflowed across the horizons.

مِثلَ أَبي العَيشِ تَجَلّى سَناه

مِثلَ أَبي العَيشِ تَجَلّى سَناه

في مُظلِمِ الخَطبِ فَجَلّى الغِمار

في مُظلِمِ الخَطبِ فَجَلّى الغِمار

Like Abu al-ʿAysh, whose radiance shone forth,

Like Abu al-Aysh, whose radiance shone forth

and in the dark of calamity cleared the fray.

Amid dark calamity, and so dispelled the engulfing perils.

يا مُشرِفاً يُرجى كَما يُتَّقى

يا مُشرِفاً يُرجى كَما يُتَّقى

يا مُنقِذَ الغَرقى وَآسي الِجراح

يا مُنقِذَ الغَرقى وَآسي الِجراح

O lofty one, hoped in as much as feared,

O exalted one, hoped in and feared alike,

O rescuer of the drowning, healer of wounds,

O rescuer of the drowning and healer of wounds,

أَحلَلتَ مِن قَلبِكَ حُبَّ البَقا

أَحلَلتَ مِن قَلبِكَ حُبَّ البَقا

مَنزِلَةَ المالِ بِأَيدي الشِحاح

مَنزِلَةَ المالِ بِأَيدي الشِحاح

you gave the love of lasting life within your heart

You have given the love of lasting life, within your heart,

the place that wealth holds in misers' hands.

The place wealth holds in the hands of misers.

وَالشُكرُ أَضحى حُسنُهُ مورِقا

وَالشُكرُ أَضحى حُسنُهُ مورِقا

لَمّا سَقاهُ مِنكَ ماءُ السَماح

لَمّا سَقاهُ مِنكَ ماءُ السَماح

Gratitude's beauty has grown verdant

And gratitude's beauty put forth leaves,

since the water of your liberality watered it.

When the water of your bounty nourished it.

كَم مِعصَمٍ لِلمَجدِ قَد عُطِّلا

كَم مِعصَمٍ لِلمَجدِ قَد عُطِّلا

فَصُغتَ مِن حَمدِكَ فيهِ سِوار

فَصُغتَ مِن حَمدِكَ فيهِ سِوار

How many a wrist of glory had gone bare,

How many a wrist of glory had been left unadorned,

and from your praise you forged it a bracelet;

So you fashioned on it a bracelet of praise for you.

وَكَم ثَناءٍ قَد تَوانَت خُطاه

وَكَم ثَناءٍ قَد تَوانَت خُطاه

كَسَوتَهُ ريشَ الأَيادي فَطار

كَسَوتَهُ ريشَ الأَيادي فَطار

how much praise had let its footsteps lag,

And how much praise had lagged in its steps,

until you clad it in the feathers of favors, and it flew.

You clothed it in the feathers of favors, and it flew.

فَجِّر عَلى الطِرسِ صَحيحاً عَليل

فَجِّر عَلى الطِرسِ صَحيحاً عَليل

مُؤَلِّفاً بَينَ الدُجى وَالسَنا

مُؤَلِّفاً بَينَ الدُجى وَالسَنا

Make the sound yet ailing one gush across the page,

Make the sound yet ailing one gush upon the page,

joining darkness and radiance,

Uniting darkness and radiance.

كَالصَخرَةِ الصَمّاءِ لَكِن يَسيل

كَالصَخرَةِ الصَمّاءِ لَكِن يَسيل

ريقاً كَريقِ النَحلِ عَذبِ الجَنى

ريقاً كَريقِ النَحلِ عَذبِ الجَنى

like mute rock, and yet it flows,

Like a solid rock, yet it pours forth

with saliva like the bee's, sweet in its harvest.

Saliva like that of bees, sweet in its yield.

عَجِبتُ مِنهُ مِن قَصيرٍ طَويل

عَجِبتُ مِنهُ مِن قَصيرٍ طَويل

وَذي ذُبولٍ مُثمِرٍ بِالمُنى

وَذي ذُبولٍ مُثمِرٍ بِالمُنى

I marvel at it: a long thing, though short,

I marveled at it: a thing both short and long,

a withered thing, yet fruitful with desires.

And a withered one, fruitful with wishes.

هامَ صَغيراً في طِلابِ العُلا

هامَ صَغيراً في طِلابِ العُلا

حَتّى عَلَتهُ رِقَّةٌ وَاِصفِرار

حَتّى عَلَتهُ رِقَّةٌ وَاِصفِرار

Young, it wandered in pursuit of the heights,

While small, it was enamored of seeking the heights,

until thinness and pallor overtook it.

Until thinness and yellowing overtook it.

وَإِنَّما الرِقَّةُ أَسنى حَلاه

وَإِنَّما الرِقَّةُ أَسنى حَلاه

لَيسَ الضَنى عَيباً لِبيضِ الشِفار

لَيسَ الضَنى عَيباً لِبيضِ الشِفار

Yet slenderness is the fairest of its ornaments;

And it is delicacy that is its brightest adornment;

wasting is no blemish in white blades.

Wasting illness is no flaw in white blades.

ما الدَهرُ في التَحقيقِ إِلّا هَجير

ما الدَهرُ في التَحقيقِ إِلّا هَجير

وَأَنتَ ظِلٌّ مِنهُ لِلّائِذين

وَأَنتَ ظِلٌّ مِنهُ لِلّائِذين

Time, in truth, is nothing but noonday blaze,

Time is, in truth, nothing but noonday heat,

and you are shade from it for those seeking refuge.

And you are shade from it for those seeking refuge.

ما زِلتَ في المَجدِ قَليلَ النَظير

ما زِلتَ في المَجدِ قَليلَ النَظير

مُكَثِّرَ العافينَ وَالحاسِدين

مُكَثِّرَ العافينَ وَالحاسِدين

In glory you have never ceased to be nearly peerless,

You have ever had few equals in glory,

multiplying both petitioners and enviers.

Multiplying seekers of favors and enviers.

فَاِحبِس عَلى الجودِ لِواءَ الأَمير

فَاِحبِس عَلى الجودِ لِواءَ الأَمير

سَيفاً وَخُذ رايَتُهُ بِاليَمين

سَيفاً وَخُذ رايَتُهُ بِاليَمين

Fix the prince's banner over generosity—

So dedicate the prince's banner to generosity,

a sword—and take its standard in your right hand.

As a sword, and take its standard in your right hand.

دُم لِمَن اِستَرشَدَ أَو أَقلَلا

دُم لِمَن اِستَرشَدَ أَو أَقلَلا

أَعذَبَ مَورودٍ وَأَهدى مَنار

أَعذَبَ مَورودٍ وَأَهدى مَنار

Advance it for whoever seeks guidance or sets forth:

Remain, for whoever seeks guidance or has little,

the sweetest watering place, the surest beacon.

The sweetest watering-place and the surest guiding beacon.

وَلا يَزَل مَجدُكَ تَفري ظُباه

وَلا يَزَل مَجدُكَ تَفري ظُباه

وَجُرحُها عِندَ اللَيالي جُبار

وَجُرحُها عِندَ اللَيالي جُبار

May your glory's blades never cease to cleave it,

And may your glory's sharp edges never cease to cleave,

their wound against the nights beyond repair.

And their wounds go without redress in the eyes of the nights.