كم نظَمْنا عُقودَ لَهْوٍ وأُنْسِ

كم نظَمْنا عُقودَ لَهْوٍ وأُنْسِ

وجعَلْنا الزَّمانَ لِلَّهْوِ سِلْكا

وجعَلْنا الزَّمانَ لِلَّهْوِ سِلْكا

How many necklaces of merriment and fellowship we strung,

and made time a thread for merriment!

وفَتَقْنا الدِّنانَ في يَوْمِ ثَلْجٍ

وفَتَقْنا الدِّنانَ في يَوْمِ ثَلْجٍ

عُزِلَ الكَأسُ فيهِ رشْداً ونُسْكا

عُزِلَ الكَأسُ فيهِ رشْداً ونُسْكا

And we unsealed the wine jars on a snowy day,

when the cup was set aside out of prudence and piety.

فكأنَّ السَّماءَ تنحَلُّ كافو

فكأنَّ السَّماءَ تنحَلُّ كافو

راً عَلَينا ونَحنُ نَفْتُقُ مِسْكا

راً عَلَينا ونَحنُ نَفْتُقُ مِسْكا

So it was as though the sky were dissolving into camphor

upon us, while we were breaking open musk.