أَزِلremove بِالخَمرِwith wine أَدواءَthe ailments of الخُمارِthe hangover
أَزِل بِالخَمرِ أَدواءَ الخُمارِ
وَعاقِرand carouse in صَفوَthe pure joy of عَيشِكَyour life بِالعُقارِwith wine
وَعاقِر صَفوَ عَيشِكَ بِالعُقارِ
Cure with wine the ailments of the hangover,
And revel in your life's pure joy with wine.
وَهُبَّand rise معَwith الصَباحِthe morning إِلىfor صَبوحٍa morning draught
وَهُبَّ معَ الصَباحِ إِلى صَبوحٍ
وَصِلand join آناءَthe hours of لَيلِكَyour night بِالنَهارِto the day
وَصِل آناءَ لَيلِكَ بِالنَهارِ
And rise with the morning for a morning draught,
And join your night's hours to the day.
وَإِنand if شَرَّفتَyou honor مَجلِسَناour gathering فَإِنّاthen indeed we
وَإِن شَرَّفتَ مَجلِسَنا فَإِنّا
لَناwe have حَقُّthe right of الصَداقَةِfriendship وَالجُوارِand neighborliness
لَنا حَقُّ الصَداقَةِ وَالجُوارِ
And if you honor our gathering, then indeed we
Have the claims of friendship and neighborliness.
فَعِنديfor with me سادَةٌgentlemen غُرٌّillustrious كِرامٌgenerous
فَعِندي سادَةٌ غُرٌّ كِرامٌ
يَزينونَthey adorn الخَلاعَةَdebauchery بِالوَقارِwith dignity
يَزينونَ الخَلاعَةَ بِالوَقارِ
For with me are illustrious, generous gentlemen,
Who adorn debauchery with dignity.
وَمَجلِسُناand our gathering بِهِin it ساقٍa cupbearer صَغيرٌlittle
وَمَجلِسُنا بِهِ ساقٍ صَغيرٌ
يُحَيّيناhe greets us بِأَقداحٍwith goblets كِبارِlarge
يُحَيّينا بِأَقداحٍ كِبارِ
And our gathering has a little cupbearer,
Who greets us with large goblets.
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قُلتَyou say مَهلاًtake it slowly! قالَhe says مَهstop! لاno!
إِذا ما قُلتَ مَهلاً قالَ مَه لا
وَحَقِّكَand by your honor لَيسَis not ذاthis يَومِa day for اِختِصارِcutting short
وَحَقِّكَ لَيسَ ذا يَومِ اِختِصارِ
Whenever you say, 'Easy!' he says, 'Stop that! No—
And by your honor, this is no day for cutting things short!'
وَشادٍand a singer قَدindeed حَوىhas contained فيin الخَدِّthe cheek مِنهُof him
وَشادٍ قَد حَوى في الخَدِّ مِنهُ
كَماjust as فيin الكَأسِthe cup مِنof ماءٍwater وَنارِand fire
كَما في الكَأسِ مِن ماءٍ وَنارِ
And a singer whose cheek indeed holds
Water and fire, just as the cup does.
إِذاwhen أَرضىhe pleases مَسامِعُناour ears بِشَدوٍwith song
إِذا أَرضى مَسامِعُنا بِشَدوٍ
تُجاوِبُهُanswer him البَلابِلُthe nightingales وَالقُماريand the turtledoves
تُجاوِبُهُ البَلابِلُ وَالقُماري
When he delights our ears with song,
The nightingales and turtledoves answer him.
وَحَضَرَتناand our gathering مِنَof الأَزهارِflowers مَلأىfull
وَحَضَرَتنا مِنَ الأَزهارِ مَلأى
مِنَof الوَردِroses المُكَلَّلِgarlanded بِالبَهارِwith oxeye blossoms
مِنَ الوَردِ المُكَلَّلِ بِالبَهارِ
And our gathering is full of flowers:
Roses garlanded with oxeye blossoms.
وَفيand in مَيدانِناour arena فُرسانُknights of لَهوٍrevelry
وَفي مَيدانِنا فُرسانُ لَهوٍ
كُماةٌwarriors فيin المَجالِسَgatherings لاnot القِفارِdesert wastes
كُماةٌ في المَجالِسَ لا القِفارِ
And in our arena are knights of revelry,
Warriors in gatherings, not in desert wastes.
رِماحُهُمُtheir spears الشُموعُthe candles بِهِin it وَفيهِand in it
رِماحُهُمُ الشُموعُ بِهِ وَفيهِ
دُخانُthe smoke of النَدِّincense كَالنَقعِlike the dust المُثارِstirred up
دُخانُ النَدِّ كَالنَقعِ المُثارِ
Their spears there are the candles, and there
Incense smoke is like dust stirred up.
وَراحٌand wine فيin لُجَينِthe silver of الكَأسِthe cup تَحكيresembles
وَراحٌ في لُجَينِ الكَأسِ تَحكي
بِصُفرَةِin the yellowness of لَونِهاits color ذَوبَmolten النُضارِgold
بِصُفرَةِ لَونِها ذَوبَ النُضارِ
And wine in the silver cup resembles
Molten gold in its yellow hue.
وَقَدand indeed عَقَدَhas tied الحَبابُthe bubbles لَهاfor it نِطاقاًa girdle
وَقَد عَقَدَ الحَبابُ لَها نِطاقاً
لِمِعصَمِfor the wrist of كَأسِهاits cup شِبهَlike السِوارِa bracelet
لِمِعصَمِ كَأسِها شِبهَ السِوارِ
And the bubbles have tied a girdle for it,
Around its cup's wrist, like a bracelet.
فَلاso do not تَعزِمintend لَناfor us عُذراًan excuse فَإِنّاfor indeed we
فَلا تَعزِم لَنا عُذراً فَإِنّا
نُجِلُّكَwe esteem you عَنabove مَقامِthe station of الاِعتِذارِapology
نُجِلُّكَ عَن مَقامِ الاِعتِذارِ
So do not devise an excuse for us, for we
Esteem you above the station of apology.
وَعَجِّلand hasten بِالتَفَضُّلِto bestow favor أَوor أَرِحناrelieve us
وَعَجِّل بِالتَفَضُّلِ أَو أَرِحنا
بِمَنعِكَby your refusal عَنfrom عَناءِthe torment of الاِنتِظارِwaiting
بِمَنعِكَ عَن عَناءِ الاِنتِظارِ
And hasten to favor us, or relieve us
By your refusal, from the torment of waiting.