كمْ قهقَهَ الإبريقُ إذ قيلَ تابْ

كمْ قهقَهَ الإبريقُ إذ قيلَ تابْ

وابتسمَ الكأسُ بثغرِ الحبابْ

وابتسمَ الكأسُ بثغرِ الحبابْ

How often the pitcher laughed aloud when it was said, 'He has repented!'

How the jug laughed when told to repent,

And the cup smiled with a mouth of bubbles.

And the cup smiled with the lips of bubbles.

والرَّاحُ شمسٌ قد تبدَّتْ لهُ

والرَّاحُ شمسٌ قد تبدَّتْ لهُ

من مغربِ الدَّنِّ فكيف المتابْ

من مغربِ الدَّنِّ فكيف المتابْ

And the wine is a sun that has appeared to him

The wind is a sun that appeared to it,

From the wine jar's west—how, then, can there be repentance?

From the sunset of anxiety, so how despondent?

للهِ أيَّامٌ مضتْ سرعَةً

للهِ أيَّامٌ مضتْ سرعَةً

كهجعةٍ من ذي جوًى واكتئابْ

كهجعةٍ من ذي جوًى واكتئابْ

God, what days those were, passing so swiftly,

For God there were days that passed hastily,

Like the brief slumber of one with heartache and dejection.

Like the nap of one feeling cozy and gloomy.

ليلاتُها قمرٌ وأيَّامها

ليلاتُها قمرٌ وأيَّامها

كأنَّها أعيادُ عصرِ الشَّبابْ

كأنَّها أعيادُ عصرِ الشَّبابْ

Their nights were a moon, and their days

Its nights are the moon and its days

Seemed like festivals in the time of youth.

Are like holidays in the prime of youth.