وَرَاحٍ إذَا مَا الْمَزْجُ خَاصَمَ صِرْفَهَا

وَرَاحٍ إذَا مَا الْمَزْجُ خَاصَمَ صِرْفَهَا

يَقُولُ لَهُ الإصْبَاحُ لَسْتَ بِخَصْمِهَا

يَقُولُ لَهُ الإصْبَاحُ لَسْتَ بِخَصْمِهَا

And a wine—whenever dilution challenges her unmixed purity,

When the destiny quarrels with the course of the breeze

daybreak tells it, “You are no match for her.”

The dawn says to it, “You are not its match”

أتَمَّتْ جَلاَهَا هَالَةُ الكَأسِ فاغْتَدَتْ

أتَمَّتْ جَلاَهَا هَالَةُ الكَأسِ فاغْتَدَتْ

تُلَقِّبُهَا زُهْرُ الدُّجَى بَدْرَ تَمِّهَا

تُلَقِّبُهَا زُهْرُ الدُّجَى بَدْرَ تَمِّهَا

The goblet’s halo perfected her radiance, and she came to be

The halo of the cup has completed its beauty, so it became arrogant

called their full moon by the bright stars of night.

The flower of dusk names it the full moon of its beauty

يَتِيمَةُ أدنَانٍ عَجُوزة حَانَةٍ

يَتِيمَةُ أدنَانٍ عَجُوزة حَانَةٍ

فَيَا لَعَجْوزٍ قَدْ حَوَتْنَا بِيُتْمِهَا

فَيَا لَعَجْوزٍ قَدْ حَوَتْنَا بِيُتْمِهَا

An orphan of wine jars, an old woman of the tavern—

An orphan of vines, an old tavern

and oh, what an old woman—she has enfolded us through her orphanhood!

What an old woman that embraced us in her orphanhood

ضَلَلْتُ بِهَا لَمَّا اهْتَدَيْتُ بِنُورِهَا

ضَلَلْتُ بِهَا لَمَّا اهْتَدَيْتُ بِنُورِهَا

وَمن عَجَبٍ كَوْنُ الضَّلاَلِ بِنَجْمِهَا

وَمن عَجَبٍ كَوْنُ الضَّلاَلِ بِنَجْمِهَا

I went astray through her when I was guided by her light,

I lost my way with it when I was guided by its light

and how strange that one should go astray by her star!

And how strange is it that straying comes with its star

مُدَامٌ رَقَتْ في الكأس إنْ شِئْتَ نَيْلَهَا

مُدَامٌ رَقَتْ في الكأس إنْ شِئْتَ نَيْلَهَا

فَسُمْهَا وَإنْ شِئْتَ السُّرُورَ فَسَمِّهَا

فَسُمْهَا وَإنْ شِئْتَ السُّرُورَ فَسَمِّهَا

A wine grown delicate in the goblet—if you wish to obtain her,

A bottle softened in the cup, if you wish, drink it

then bid for her; and if you wish for joy, name her.

And if you wish happiness, then name it

مُعَتَّقَةٌ قَدْ حُجِّبَتْ بِزُجَاجِهَا

مُعَتَّقَةٌ قَدْ حُجِّبَتْ بِزُجَاجِهَا

كَمَا حُجِّبَتْ شَمْسُ النَّهارِ بِغَيْمِهَا

كَمَا حُجِّبَتْ شَمْسُ النَّهارِ بِغَيْمِهَا

Aged, she has been veiled by her glass,

A freed woman who has veiled herself with its glass

as the daytime sun is veiled by its clouds.

As the sun of day veiled itself with its clouds

فَلَمْ تُبْدِ عَيْباً غَيْرَ مُرِّ مَذَاقِهَا

فَلَمْ تُبْدِ عَيْباً غَيْرَ مُرِّ مَذَاقِهَا

وَسَلْبِ مُحِبِّيهَا وَرِقَّةِ جِسْمِهَا

وَسَلْبِ مُحِبِّيهَا وَرِقَّةِ جِسْمِهَا

So she revealed no fault but the bitterness of her taste,

So it showed no defects other than the bitterness of its taste

and her robbing her lovers, and the delicacy of her body.

And robbing its lovers, and the delicacy of its body