ياصَديقي مَسعودُ حَقّاً وَما كُل

ياصَديقي مَسعودُ حَقّاً وَما كُل

لُ صَديقٍ دَعَوتُهُ بِصَديقِ

لُ صَديقٍ دَعَوتُهُ بِصَديقِ

O Masʿūd, my true friend—not everyone

O my friend Masoud, truly and not all

I have called a friend is a friend.

Friends I called friend,

قَد أَحاطَت بِيَ الهُمومُ وَما أَح

قَد أَحاطَت بِيَ الهُمومُ وَما أَح

سِبُ أَنّي مِن دَأبِهِا بِمُفيقِ

سِبُ أَنّي مِن دَأبِهِا بِمُفيقِ

Worries have surrounded me, and I do not think

Worries have besieged me, yet I do not think

I shall recover from their persistence.

That I will awaken from their habit.

وَشِفائي في نَشوَةٍ تَذَرُ الأَح

وَشِفائي في نَشوَةٍ تَذَرُ الأَح

زانَ عَنّي مِن سِلسَبيلٍ رَحيقِ

زانَ عَنّي مِن سِلسَبيلٍ رَحيقِ

And my cure lies in a rapture that casts sorrows

And my cure is in intoxication that leaves

away from me, born of sweet-flowing, pure wine—

Troubles far from me, an exquisite potion.

أُمِّ لَهوٍ كَأَنَّ يا قوتَةً في ال

أُمِّ لَهوٍ كَأَنَّ يا قوتَةً في ال

كَأسِ مِنها عُلَّت بِمِسكٍ فَتيقِ

كَأسِ مِنها عُلَّت بِمِسكٍ فَتيقِ

the mother of revelry—as though a ruby in the

Mother of entertainment, as if a goblet

cup of it were perfumed with musk, its fragrance released.

Filled with musk so fine.

غَنِيَت مِن صَفاءِ جَوهَرِها الذا

غَنِيَت مِن صَفاءِ جَوهَرِها الذا

تِيِّ عَن أَن تُراقَ في راووقِ

تِيِّ عَن أَن تُراقَ في راووقِ

Its own essence is so clear that it has no need

It sang from the purity of its essence

to be poured through a wine-strainer.

Too lofty to be poured into a flask.

مِن عَتادِ الرُهبانِ لَم يَخلُ عُمرَ ال

مِن عَتادِ الرُهبانِ لَم يَخلُ عُمرَ ال

دَهرِ مِنها قِلايَةُ الجاثَليقِ

دَهرِ مِنها قِلايَةُ الجاثَليقِ

Among the monks' provisions—throughout all

Of the monks' tools, the age

time, the Catholicos's cell has never been without it.

Never lacked a patriarch's chalice.

مَذهَبُ القَسِّ مَذهَبي في صَبوحٍ

مَذهَبُ القَسِّ مَذهَبي في صَبوحٍ

أَنا فيها مُغرىً بِهِ وَغَبوقِ

أَنا فيها مُغرىً بِهِ وَغَبوقِ

The priest's creed is mine in morning drinking;

The creed of passion is my creed, in the

I am enamored of it with this wine—and of evening drinking.

Dawn I am tempted by it and fervor.

فَأَرِحني مِن شاغِلِ الهَمِّ وَاِعتِق

فَأَرِحني مِن شاغِلِ الهَمِّ وَاِعتِق

مِنهُ رِقّي بِدَنِّ خَمرٍ عَتيقِ

مِنهُ رِقّي بِدَنِّ خَمرٍ عَتيقِ

So relieve me of distracting care, and free

So relieve me of the preoccupying worries,

me from its bondage with a jar of aged wine.

And free my soul with aged wine.

لا أَلَمَّت بِكَ الهُمومُ وَلا زِل

لا أَلَمَّت بِكَ الهُمومُ وَلا زِل

تَ سَميراً لِلكَأسِ وَالإِبريقِ

تَ سَميراً لِلكَأسِ وَالإِبريقِ

May worries never beset you, and may you never cease

May worries not afflict you, nor cease

to be a nightly companion to the cup and the ewer.

To be a friend to the cup and decanter.