1. أَديرا عَلَيَّ الكَأسَ يَنقَشِّعُ الغَمُّ

    وَلا تَحبِسا كَأسي فَفي حَبسِها إِثمُ

    Pass the cup to me, you two; grief will disperse.

    And do not withhold my cup: withholding it is a sin.

  2. وَلا تَسقِياني بِنتَ عَشرٍ فَإِنَّها

    كَما عُصِرَت لَم يَنسَ فُرقَتَها الكَرمُ

    Do not give me a daughter of ten years to drink, for she

    Is as she was when pressed; the vine has not forgotten her departure.

  3. وَلَكِن عَجوزاً بِنتَ كِسرى قَديمَةً

    مُعَتَّقَةً قَد دَبَّ في طَيِّها الحِلمُ

    But an ancient crone, a daughter of Kisra,

    Well aged; forbearance has crept into her folds.

  4. إِذا ذاقَها شُرّابُها بَجَّلوا لَها

    بِأَلسُنِهِم شُكراً فَهُم عَرَبٌ عُجمُ

    When her drinkers taste her, they pay her homage

    With their tongues in gratitude—Arabs, yet inarticulate.

  5. وَكَأسانِ قَد دارا عَلَيَّ مُؤَمَّرٌ

    وَمُنتَخَبٌ هَذا فَصيلٌ وَذا قَرمُ

    And two cups have come round to me: one princely,

    And one choice—this a camel calf, that a breeding camel.

  6. كَأَنّي وَقَد عَلَّقتُ كَفِّيَ مِنهُما

    وَما فيهِما مِن حَربَةٍ لِلفَتى سِلمُ

    It is as though, with my hand holding the two—

    And whatever spear they hold is peace for a young man—

  7. مُؤَلَّفُ شاهينٍ بِيُسرى بَنانِهِ

    وَفي كَفِّهِ اليُمنى لِشاهينِهِ طُعمُ

    I were a falcon-tamer, with a falcon on his left fingertips,

    And in his right palm, food for his falcon.

  8. يُديرُهُما دَعجاءُ رَودٌ وَأَدعَجٌ

    أَخٌ وَاختُهُ في القَومِ وَاسمُهُما إِسمُ

    A dark-eyed, graceful woman and a dark-eyed man pass them round,

    A brother and his sister among the company, sharing one name.

  9. يُقالُ لَهُ مَعنٌ فَإِمّا نَكَستَهُ

    لَتَدعو اختَهُ يَوماً فَمَنكوسَهُ نُعمُ

    He is called Ma'n; if you reverse it

    To call his sister one day, its reverse is Nu'm.