قد يزيد المدامَ للمرء طيباً

قد يزيد المدامَ للمرء طيباً

حسنُ مسموعه وظَرفُ نديمهْ

حسنُ مسموعه وظَرفُ نديمهْ

Wine may be made more pleasing to a man

Wine may increase pleasure for a man,

By the beauty of what he hears and the wit of his drinking companion.

The beauty of its color and the wit of his companion.

فدع الفكر في الزمان وخذها

فدع الفكر في الزمان وخذها

مُزّةَ الطّعم من قِطافِ كرومِهْ

مُزّةَ الطّعم من قِطافِ كرومِهْ

So leave thoughts of time aside, and take it,

Let go of worrying about time and take it -

Sweet-tart in taste, from the harvest of its vineyards.

The delicious flavor from the harvest of its vines.

أشرقت تحت ظلمة الليل حتى

أشرقت تحت ظلمة الليل حتى

خلت أقداحها بوادي نجومه

خلت أقداحها بوادي نجومه

It shone beneath the darkness of night, until

It shone under the darkness of night until

I took its goblets for the stars emerging in the night.

Its cups became a valley of stars.

وغناءٍ عذب غَنِينَا به عن

وغناءٍ عذب غَنِينَا به عن

حِذْق إسحاقِه وإبراهيمهْ

حِذْق إسحاقِه وإبراهيمهْ

And sweet singing that spared us the need for

With sweet singing we did without

The skill of its Ishaq and its Ibrahim.

The artistry of Isaac and Abraham.

صَدْحةٌ بعد صَدْحَةٍ فهو كاللؤ

صَدْحةٌ بعد صَدْحَةٍ فهو كاللؤ

لؤ في نثره وفي منظومه

لؤ في نثره وفي منظومه

One burst of song after another—it is like

A draft after draft, so it was like pearls -

Pearls, whether scattered or strung.

Scattered in its prose and poetry.

ونسيم أرقّ من خَصر من أه

ونسيم أرقّ من خَصر من أه

وى وأحلى في النفس من ملثومه

وى وأحلى في النفس من ملثومه

And a breeze more delicate than the waist of the one I

A breeze gentler than the waist of a loved one

Love, and sweeter to the soul than his kissed lips.

And sweeter to the soul than her kiss.

ربِّ سَقِّ دَيْرَ القصير فأني

ربِّ سَقِّ دَيْرَ القصير فأني

نلتُ لذّاته وطيبَ نسيمِه

نلتُ لذّاته وطيبَ نسيمِه

Lord, water the monastery of al-Qusayr, for I

My Lord, water the short monastery, for I

Have enjoyed its pleasures and the sweetness of its breeze.

Have attained its pleasures and the goodness of its breeze.