لاdo not تَغفَلَنَّever be heedless عَنِof اللَذّاتِthe pleasures وَالطَرَبِand rapture
لا تَغفَلَنَّ عَنِ اللَذّاتِ وَالطَرَبِ
وَهاتِهاand bring it قَهوَةًwine حَمراءَred كَاللَهَبِlike the flame
وَهاتِها قَهوَةً حَمراءَ كَاللَهَبِ
Never be heedless of pleasures and rapture.
Neglect not life's pleasures, and hand me reddish coffee like flame
And bring it—a red wine like a flame,
More delicious and sweeter for its drinker
راحاًwine أَلَذَّmore delicious وَأَحلىand sweeter عِندَto شارِبِهاits drinker
راحاً أَلَذَّ وَأَحلى عِندَ شارِبِها
مِنthan زَورَةٍa visit بَعدَafter تَسويفٍpostponement لِمُكتَئِبِto someone dejected
مِن زَورَةٍ بَعدَ تَسويفٍ لِمُكتَئِبِ
a wine more delicious and sweeter to its drinker
Than happiness after long despair for the melancholy one
than a visit, after delays, to one forlorn.
Protected since before time, none could tally the ages it consumed
مَشمولَةًcooled by the north wind عُتِّقَتwas aged قَبلَbefore الدُهورِthe ages فَلَمso not
مَشمولَةً عُتِّقَت قَبلَ الدُهورِ فَلَم
يُحَطbe encompassed بِإِحصاءِby counting ماwhat أَفنَتit has consumed مِنَof الحِقَبِthe epochs
يُحَط بِإِحصاءِ ما أَفنَت مِنَ الحِقَبِ
Cooled by the north wind, aged before the ages, so no
Safeguarded, no accident disgraced it
reckoning can encompass the epochs it has consumed.
Nor did the knocker of misfortune trespass upon it
مَصونَةًsafeguarded لَمdid not يُهِنهاdebase it صَرفُthe turn حادِثَةٍof a calamity
مَصونَةً لَم يُهِنها صَرفُ حادِثَةٍ
وَلاnor تَخَطّىmade its way إِلَيهاto it طارِقُthe night visitor النُوَبِof misfortunes
وَلا تَخَطّى إِلَيها طارِقُ النُوَبِ
Safeguarded: no turn of calamity has debased it,
Time's spinning left of its body only
nor has the night visitor of misfortunes reached it.
A light embodied in water and grapes
لَمdid not يُبقِleave مِنof جِسمِهاits body كَرُّthe turning الزَمانِof time سِوىexcept
لَم يُبقِ مِن جِسمِها كَرُّ الزَمانِ سِوى
نورٍlight تَجَسَّمَbecame embodied بَينَbetween الماءِthe water وَالعِنَبِand the grapes
نورٍ تَجَسَّمَ بَينَ الماءِ وَالعِنَبِ
Time's turning has left of its body nothing but
A virgin, when the pourer called it, it promised
light embodied between water and grapes.
In its vessels double weakness, so it loved not
عَذراءُa virgin لِماwhen دَعاcalled الساقيthe cupbearer بِهاfor her ضَمِنَتshe promised
عَذراءُ لِما دَعا الساقي بِها ضَمِنَت
لِلشُربِto the drinkers فيin خِدرِهاher private chamber ضِعفاًa double portion فَلَمand did not تَحُبِsin
لِلشُربِ في خِدرِها ضِعفاً فَلَم تَحُبِ
A virgin—when the cupbearer called for her, she promised
It flowed, eyes grasped not its flowing
the drinkers a double portion in her chamber, and did not sin.
When poured, no illusion without fatigue
رَقَّتgrew fine فَلَمso did not تُدرِكِperceive الأَبصارُthe eyes رِقَّتِهاher fineness
رَقَّت فَلَم تُدرِكِ الأَبصارُ رِقَّتِها
إِذاwhen أُديرَتwas passed around وَلاnor وَهمٌimagination بِلاwithout تَعَبِeffort
إِذا أُديرَت وَلا وَهمٌ بِلا تَعَبِ
She grew so fine that eyes could not perceive her fineness,
Did night's wings cloak while the morning returned
when passed around, nor could imagination without effort.
As though the sun had not set
وَإِنand if تَبَدَّتshe appeared وَجُنحُwhile the wing اللَيلِof night مُعتَكِرٌmurky
وَإِن تَبَدَّت وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ مُعتَكِرٌ
عادَreturned الصَباحُthe morning كَأَنَّas though الشَمسَthe sun لَمhad not تَغِبِset
عادَ الصَباحُ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ لَم تَغِبِ
And if she appeared while night's wing was murky,
If blending it for the repentant dressed it
morning returned, as though the sun had never set.
Upon cups with crowns of grains
إِنif شَجَّهاwounded her المَزجُthe mixing لِلنِدمانِfor the boon companions أَلبَسَهاclothed her
إِن شَجَّها المَزجُ لِلنِدمانِ أَلبَسَها
عَلىupon الأَباريقِthe ewers تيجاناًcrowns مِنَof الحَبَبِbubbles
عَلى الأَباريقِ تيجاناً مِنَ الحَبَبِ
If mixing wounds her for the boon companions, it clothes her
Then delight in it, safe from every affliction
upon the ewers with crowns of bubbles.
Sing and drink, hasten the cup and choose
فَاِنعَمso delight بِهاin her آمِناًsafe مِنfrom كُلِّevery نائِبَةٍcalamity
فَاِنعَم بِها آمِناً مِن كُلِّ نائِبَةٍ
وَغَنِّand sing وَاِشرَبand drink وَحُثَّand urge onward الكاسَthe cup وَاِنتَخِبِand choose the best
وَغَنِّ وَاِشرَب وَحُثَّ الكاسَ وَاِنتَخِبِ
So delight in her, safe from every calamity,
See not the shining sprinkle sprinkled
and sing, and drink, and urge the cup onward, and choose the best.
Like crosses of amber, bent sticks of eaglewood
أَماdo you not تَرىsee ناصِعَthe bright المَنثورِstock blossoms مُنتَثِراًscattered
أَما تَرى ناصِعَ المَنثورِ مُنتَثِراً
كَمِثلِlike صُلبانِcrosses تِبرٍof raw gold لُحنَgleaming فَالقُضُبِthen the stems (likely intended: among the stems)
كَمِثلِ صُلبانِ تِبرٍ لُحنَ فَالقُضُبِ
Do you not see the bright stock blossoms scattered,
As though after blending the wine is a prostration
like crosses of raw gold, gleaming among the stems?
Or the cheek of a captive lad in the hand of hardship
كَأَنَّماas though الراحُthe wine بَعدَafter المَزجِthe mixing عَسجَدَةٌa piece of gold
كَأَنَّما الراحُ بَعدَ المَزجِ عَسجَدَةٌ
أَوor خَدُّthe cheek صَبٍّof someone lovesick أَسيرٍcaptive فيin يَدِthe hand الكَرَبِof anguish
أَو خَدُّ صَبٍّ أَسيرٍ في يَدِ الكَرَبِ
As though the wine, after mixing, were a piece of gold,
The garden laughs and flowers bloom
or the cheek of a lovesick captive in anguish's hand.
The narcissi come in wonder
وَالرَوضُand the garden يُضحِكُmakes one laugh وَالأَزهارُand the flowers زاهِرَةٌradiant
وَالرَوضُ يُضحِكُ وَالأَزهارُ زاهِرَةٌ
وَقَدand indeed أَتىhas come النَرجِسُthe narcissus البَرزِيُّBarzi بِالعَجَبِwith a marvel
وَقَد أَتى النَرجِسُ البَرزِيُّ بِالعَجَبِ
And the garden makes one smile, and the flowers are radiant,
As though it is moist pearls cracked in
and the Barzi narcissus has brought a marvel.
Branches of turquoise from purest gold
كَأَنَّهُas though it لُؤلُؤٌpearls رَطبٌdewy تَشَقَّقُsplit open فيon
كَأَنَّهُ لُؤلُؤٌ رَطبٌ تَشَقَّقُ في
غُصونِboughs فيروزُنجٍof turquoise عَنto reveal خالِصِpure الذَهَبِgold
غُصونِ فيروزُنجٍ عَن خالِصِ الذَهَبِ
As though it were dewy pearls splitting open on
boughs of turquoise to reveal pure gold.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.