وَنَدِيِّ أُنسٍ هَزَّني

وَنَدِيِّ أُنسٍ هَزَّني

هَزَّ الشَرابِ مِنَ الشَبابِ

هَزَّ الشَرابِ مِنَ الشَبابِ

And many a convivial gathering stirred me,

The companion of joy intoxicated me,

as wine does—a gathering of young men.

The drink intoxicated me with youth,

وَاللَيلُ وَضّاحُ الجَبينِ

وَاللَيلُ وَضّاحُ الجَبينِ

قَصيرُ أَذيالِ الثِيابِ

قَصيرُ أَذيالِ الثِيابِ

And the night was radiant-browed,

And the night with the bright forehead,

with short hems to its robes.

With the short tails of clothes.

فَقَنَصتُ مِنهُ حَمامَةً

فَقَنَصتُ مِنهُ حَمامَةً

بَيضاءَ تَسنَحُ مِن غُرابِ

بَيضاءَ تَسنَحُ مِن غُرابِ

So I caught from it a dove,

So I hunted from it a white dove

white, emerging from a raven.

That preens away from the crow,

وَالنورُ مُبتَسِمٌ وَخَدُّ

وَالنورُ مُبتَسِمٌ وَخَدُّ

الوَردِ مَحطوطُ النِقابِ

الوَردِ مَحطوطُ النِقابِ

And the blossoms smiled, and the cheek

And the light is smiling and the cheek

of the rose had its veil lowered;

Of the rose veiled.

يَندى بِأَخلاقِ الصِحابِ

يَندى بِأَخلاقِ الصِحابِ

هُناكَ لابِنَدى السَحابِ

هُناكَ لابِنَدى السَحابِ

it grew dewy with the companions’ virtues

It inspires with the morals of friends,

there, not with the clouds’ dew.

There is no cloud over there,

وَكِلاهُما نَثرٌ كَما

وَكِلاهُما نَثرٌ كَما

نَثَروا القَوافي بِالخِطابِ

نَثَروا القَوافي بِالخِطابِ

And both were scattered, just as

And both are a scattering as

they scattered rhymes in their speech.

They scattered rhymes in speech.

فَكَأَنَّ كَأسَ سُلافَةٍ

فَكَأَنَّ كَأسَ سُلافَةٍ

ضَحِكَت إِلَيهِم عَن حَبابِ

ضَحِكَت إِلَيهِم عَن حَبابِ

So it was as though a cup of choice wine

So it is as if a drinking cup

smiled at them, revealing its bubbles.

Of wine laughed at them from affection.