1. لَمّا تَبَدّى وَجهُهُ

    كَالبَدرِ مِن خَلَلِ الغَمامِ

    When his face appeared

    like the full moon through gaps in the clouds,

  2. وَكَأَنَّهُ ضَوءُ الصَبا

    حِ يَميسُ في خِلَعِ الظَلامِ

    and as though it were the light of morning,

    swaying in the robes of darkness,

  3. آثَرتُ طاعَةَ حُبِّهِ

    وَاِختَرتُ مَعصِيَةَ المُدامِ

    I preferred to obey my love for him

    and chose to defy wine.

  4. لا أَستَفيدُ مِنَ المُدا

    مِ سِوى مُنادَمَةِ الكِرامِ

    I gain nothing from wine

    but the companionship of noble men.

  5. فَإِذا حَنَنتُ إِلى النُدا

    مِ فَقَد حَنَنتُ إِلى المُدامِ

    So when I yearn for drinking companions,

    then I have indeed yearned for wine.

  6. خُلُقُ النَديمِ إِذا صَفا

    أَغناكَ عَن صَفوِ المُدامِ

    A drinking companion's character, when pure,

    spares you the need for pure wine.