حدثني صبح دياجي الخندس

عن قديم العهد مجلى العسعس

The dawn of pitch-black nights told me,

From the ancient covenant, the dispeller of night's darkness,

عن نديم الصوت عن خمر بدت

بكؤوس رصعت من لعس

From the boon companion of song, from wine that appeared

In cups inlaid with the dusky redness of lips,

عن ليالي الأنس عن سر غدا

بيننا يسعى بكهف المجلس

From nights of intimacy, from a secret that began

To move among us in the cave of the gathering:

أن معنى الحسن لم يودع لمن

لم يصل صلصلة من جرس

That beauty's meaning was not entrusted to one

Who had never heard the ringing of a bell.

فافن عن كل المرائي وادخلن

باطن المعنى تجده ملبس

So efface yourself from all appearances, and enter

The inward meaning; you will find it cloaked.

كم أناس ذهبوا ليس لهم

من غواني الحسن ظل النفس

How many people have departed, possessing

Not even a breath's shadow from beauty's fair maidens.

وادخل الحان وزمزم واشطحن

واغتنم قهوة ثغر اللعس

And enter the tavern, hum softly, and speak in ecstasy,

And seize the wine of the dusky-lipped mouth.

وهنيهات بدت فاشكر لها

إذ غدت بالفيض أنس المويس

And give thanks for the fleeting moments that appeared,

Since through the outpouring they became al-Muways's solace.

جاد لي الدهر بساعات غدت

تجتنبي فضلا بدير الكنس

Time was generous to me with hours that came

Gathering bounty in the monastery of churches [conjectural reading].

ومثاني الحسن تشدو طربا

احتس الأكواب بين القسس

While beauty's paired strings sing in rapture,

Sip the cups among the priests.