أَذَكَروا لَمّا أَرَوها النَديما

أَذَكَروا لَمّا أَرَوها النَديما

مِن عُهودِ المِعصارِ عَهداً قَديما

مِن عُهودِ المِعصارِ عَهداً قَديما

They reminded her, when they showed her the boon companion,

They reminisced when the boon companions saw it,

of an ancient covenant from the days of the winepress.

Of the times of brewing from an ancient era,

فَأَتَت تَطلُبُ القِصاصَ وَلَكِن

فَأَتَت تَطلُبُ القِصاصَ وَلَكِن

تَجعَلُ العَقلَ في التَقاضي غَريما

تَجعَلُ العَقلَ في التَقاضي غَريما

So she came seeking retribution, but

So it came seeking retribution but made

makes reason the defendant in her suit.

Reason the loser in demanding justice.

قَهوَةٌ أَفنَتِ الزَمانَ فَأَفنى ال

قَهوَةٌ أَفنَتِ الزَمانَ فَأَفنى ال

رَطبَ مِن جِرمِها وَأَبقى الصَميما

رَطبَ مِن جِرمِها وَأَبقى الصَميما

A wine that wore out time; then time consumed the

Coffee that ruined time and so destroyed

moisture of her substance and left the pure core.

Every sin of it but kept the essence.

فَغَدَت تُثقِلُ اللِسانَ لِسِرِّ ال

فَغَدَت تُثقِلُ اللِسانَ لِسِرِّ ال

سُكرِ مِنها وَتَستَخِفُّ الحُلوما

سُكرِ مِنها وَتَستَخِفُّ الحُلوما

So she made the tongue heavy through the mystery of

It weighs then heavy on the tongue with the

the intoxication she brings, and made minds light.

Secret of its intoxication, yet makes burdens light.

لَو حَسا مِن سُلافِها الأَكمَهُ الأَخ

لَو حَسا مِن سُلافِها الأَكمَهُ الأَخ

رَسُ كَأساً لَاِ ستَخرَجَ التَقويما

رَسُ كَأساً لَاِ ستَخرَجَ التَقويما

If one born blind and mute drank of her pure wine

Had the serious ones tasted of its dregs—

a cup, he would draw up an almanac.

Another cup—calendars would be altered.

عَلى الضِدِّ لَو حَساها فَصيحٌ

عَلى الضِدِّ لَو حَساها فَصيحٌ

أَحَدَثَت في حَديثِهِ التَرخيما

أَحَدَثَت في حَديثِهِ التَرخيما

Conversely, if an eloquent man sipped her,

Conversely, had the eloquent tasted it,

she would make his speech slur.

Lethargy would enter their discourse.

أَنبَأَتنا الأَنباءَ عَن سالِفي الدَه

أَنبَأَتنا الأَنباءَ عَن سالِفي الدَه

رِ وَعَدَّت لَنا القُرونَ القُروما

رِ وَعَدَّت لَنا القُرونَ القُروما

She told us tidings of those of bygone ages,

The news informed us about those gone by

and recounted for us the mighty generations.

And counted for us past generations.

وَحَكَت كَيفَ أَصبَحَت فِتيَةُ الكَه

وَحَكَت كَيفَ أَصبَحَت فِتيَةُ الكَه

فِ رُقوداً خِلواً وَكَيفَ الرَقيما

فِ رُقوداً خِلواً وَكَيفَ الرَقيما

And told how the youths of the Cave came to be

And told how the cavorting youths grew

asleep in seclusion, and how it was with al-Raqim;

Listless, empty, and how the wretched fared.

وَبِماذا تَجَنَّبَت نارُ نُمرو

وَبِماذا تَجَنَّبَت نارُ نُمرو

دٍ خَليلَ الإِلَهِ إِبراهيما

دٍ خَليلَ الإِلَهِ إِبراهيما

and by what means Nimrod's fire avoided

And how the fire spared Nimrod’s friend—

God's intimate friend, Abraham;

God’s prophet Abraham.

وَغَداةَ اِمتِحانِ يونُسَ بِالنو

وَغَداةَ اِمتِحانِ يونُسَ بِالنو

نِ وَقَد كانَ في الفِعالِ مَليما

نِ وَقَد كانَ في الفِعالِ مَليما

and the morning of Jonah's trial by the fish,

And the day Jonah was tried with the

when he had been blameworthy in his deeds.

Whale and was absolving in his acts.

وَتَشَكّى يَعقوبُ إِذ ذَهَبَت عَينا

وَتَشَكّى يَعقوبُ إِذ ذَهَبَت عَينا

هُ مِن حُزنِهِ وَكانَ كَظيما

هُ مِن حُزنِهِ وَكانَ كَظيما

And Jacob lamented when both his eyes failed

And Jacob complained as his eyesight left him.

from his grief, while he held his sorrow in;

From grief and he was most forbearing.

وَالتَناجي بِالطورِ إِذ كَلَّمَ الرَح

وَالتَناجي بِالطورِ إِذ كَلَّمَ الرَح

مَنُ موسى نَبِيَّهُ تَكليما

مَنُ موسى نَبِيَّهُ تَكليما

and the intimate converse on the Mount, when the All-Merciful spoke

And the soliloquy on the Mount when

to Moses, His prophet, directly;

The Merciful conversed with Moses, his prophet.

وَدُعاءَ المَسيحِ إِذ نُعِشَ المَي

وَدُعاءَ المَسيحِ إِذ نُعِشَ المَي

يِتُ مِن رَمسِهِ وَكانَ رَميما

يِتُ مِن رَمسِهِ وَكانَ رَميما

and the Messiah's prayer, when the dead man was revived

And Jesus’ prayer when the deceased

from his grave, though he had rotted away.

Was revived from his death and was wretched.

فَشَهِدنا لَها بِفَضلٍ قَديمٍ

فَشَهِدنا لَها بِفَضلٍ قَديمٍ

وَاِستَفَدنا مِنها النَعيمَ المُقيما

وَاِستَفَدنا مِنها النَعيمَ المُقيما

So we testified to her ancient excellence,

So we bore witness to its ancient merit

and gained from her abiding bliss.

And gained from it lasting bliss.

وَفَضَضنا خِتامَها عَن أَناها

وَفَضَضنا خِتامَها عَن أَناها

فَرَأَينا مِزاجَها تَسنيما

فَرَأَينا مِزاجَها تَسنيما

And broke her seal, revealing her ripeness,

And we unsealed its essence to behold

and found her admixture to be Tasnim.

Its mixture was a gentle breeze.

وَظَلَلنا نُحيي بِها جَوهَرَ النَف

وَظَلَلنا نُحيي بِها جَوهَرَ النَف

سِ وَنُسقى رَحيقَها المَختوما

سِ وَنُسقى رَحيقَها المَختوما

And we went on reviving with her the essence of the soul,

And we continued with it to revive the soul’s essence

and being served her sealed, pure wine,

And were given its sealed nectar to drink.

في جِنانٍ مِنَ الحَدائِقِ لا نَس

في جِنانٍ مِنَ الحَدائِقِ لا نَس

مَعُ فيها لَغواً وَلا تَأثيما

مَعُ فيها لَغواً وَلا تَأثيما

in gardens among the gardens, where we hear

In gardens of orchards where no vain

neither idle talk nor sinful speech,

Talk is heard nor any blame.

بَينَ صَحبٍ مِثلِ الكَواكِبِ لا تَن

بَينَ صَحبٍ مِثلِ الكَواكِبِ لا تَن

ظُرُ ما بَينَهُم عُتُلّاً زَنيما

ظُرُ ما بَينَهُم عُتُلّاً زَنيما

among companions like the stars, where you see

Amidst companions like stars that do not

no brutal, baseborn man among them.

Look for any baseness or blemish between them.

وَجَعَلنا الساقي خَليلاً جَليلاً

وَجَعَلنا الساقي خَليلاً جَليلاً

يُحسِنُ المَزجَ أَو غَزالاً رَخيما

يُحسِنُ المَزجَ أَو غَزالاً رَخيما

And we made the cupbearer a noble intimate,

And we made the cupbearer a beloved friend

skilled in mixing, or a soft-voiced gazelle.

Skillful in the mixing or a shy gazelle.

فَرَأَينا في راحَةِ البَدرِ شَمساً

فَرَأَينا في راحَةِ البَدرِ شَمساً

اَطلَعَت في سَما الكُؤوسِ نُجوما

اَطلَعَت في سَما الكُؤوسِ نُجوما

So we saw in the full moon's palm a sun

Then we saw in the wine’s serenity a sun

that made stars rise in the sky of the cups.

Rise in the sky of the cups as stars.

وَقَذَفنا بِشُهبِها مارِدَ الهَم

وَقَذَفنا بِشُهبِها مارِدَ الهَم

مِ فَكانَت لِلمارِدينَ رُجوما

مِ فَكانَت لِلمارِدينَ رُجوما

And with her shooting stars we pelted the demon of care,

And we shot its spears at the demon of care

and they became missiles against the rebellious demons.

So for the demons they were missiles.

وَلَدَت لُؤلُؤَ الحَبابِ وَكانَت

وَلَدَت لُؤلُؤَ الحَبابِ وَكانَت

قَبلَ وَقعِ المِزاجِ بِكراً عَقيما

قَبلَ وَقعِ المِزاجِ بِكراً عَقيما

She bore the pearls of bubbles, though she had been

It birthed the pearls of love though it was

a barren virgin before the mixing took place.

Sterile before the mixing occurred.

أَخصَبَت عِندَ شُربِها ساحَةُ العَي

أَخصَبَت عِندَ شُربِها ساحَةُ العَي

شِ وَأَمسى أَحوى الهُمومِ هَشيما

شِ وَأَمسى أَحوى الهُمومِ هَشيما

At the drinking of her, the field of life grew fertile,

At its drinking the field of life was fertile

and the dark growth of cares became dry stubble.

And the abyss of worries became barren.

فَاِبتَدِرها مُدامَةً تَجلُبُ الرو

فَاِبتَدِرها مُدامَةً تَجلُبُ الرو

حَ إِلى الروحِ حينَ تَنفي الهُموما

حَ إِلى الروحِ حينَ تَنفي الهُموما

So hasten to her, a wine that brings repose

So strike it sparkling to bring the soul’s spirit to life

to the soul when she banishes cares.

When cares vanish.

وَاِختَصِر إِنَّ قُلَّها يُنعِشُ الرو

وَاِختَصِر إِنَّ قُلَّها يُنعِشُ الرو

حَ وَإِفراطَها يَضُرُّ الجُسوما

حَ وَإِفراطَها يَضُرُّ الجُسوما

And be sparing: a little of her revives the soul,

And condense it—its paucity revives the soul

while excess of her harms bodies.

And its excess harms bodies.

فَاِرتَكِب أَجمَلَ الذُنوبِ لِنَفعٍ

فَاِرتَكِب أَجمَلَ الذُنوبِ لِنَفعٍ

وَاِعتَقِد في اِرتِكابِهِ التَحريما

وَاِعتَقِد في اِرتِكابِهِ التَحريما

So commit the fairest of sins for a benefit,

So commit the most beautiful sin for benefit

and believe that committing it is forbidden.

And believe that committing it is forbidden.

ثُمَ تُب وَاِسأَلِ الإِلَهَ تَجِدهُ

ثُمَ تُب وَاِسأَلِ الإِلَهَ تَجِدهُ

لِذُنوبِ الوَرى غَفوراً رَحيما

لِذُنوبِ الوَرى غَفوراً رَحيما

Then repent, and ask God: you will find Him

Then repent and ask God, you’ll find Him

forgiving of humankind's sins, and merciful.

Forgiving and Merciful to the sins of mortals.