يا شاعرينِ تساقيا الشعرا

وتهاديا الآراء والفكْرا

O two poets who traded draughts of verse,

and exchanged opinions and thoughts,

وتجادلا في الخمر واختلفا

في شربها أم تركها أحرى

and debated wine and disagreed

on whether drinking it or leaving it was more fitting:

هذا يحسنها فقام بها

يغري وذاك يقدم العذرا

one extols it and champions it,

enticing others, while the other offers his excuse.

صيرتما القراء حائرة

أفهامهم لم يملكوا صبرا

You two have left the readers bewildered

in their understanding, unable to be patient.

وتساءلوا والشك يغلبهم

النهى نتبعه أمِ الأمرا

They asked one another, doubt overwhelming them:

"Do we follow the prohibition, or the command?"

حتى إذا اختلفت طرائقهم

بعثوا إلي بكتبهم تَتْرى

Then, when their paths diverged,

they sent me their letters, one after another:

ماذا ترى فاحكم لتهدينا

فلأنت فينا الحاذق الأدرى

"What is your view? Judge, and guide us,

for among us you are the skilled one, the best informed."

الخمر تمتحن الطباع بها

فتبين منها الحلو والمرّا

Wine is the test of temperaments,

revealing the sweet and bitter within them.

تزداد أخلاق الأغر بها

لطفاً وتخزي الجاهل الغرا

The noble man's character grows through it

gentler, while it disgraces the naive fool.

تُشقي وتُسعدُ فهي مشبهةٌ

في حكمها السلطان والدهرا

It brings misery and joy, and is like

the sultan and Time in its sway.

ما كل مشغوف بها بطل

يعصي الهوى ويغالب السكرا

Not everyone enamored of it is a hero

who defies desire and overcomes drunkenness.

هذا يبيع لها هدايته

ويبيح ذاك البيض والصفرا

One sells his rectitude for it,

and another lavishes white silver and yellow gold.

ويصون هذا عن غوائلها

شرف المقام وعرضه الحرا

Another shields from its perils

the dignity of his station and his untainted honor.

يا ناهياً عنها غدرتَ بها

ما كان مثلك يعرف الغدرا

O you who forbid it, you have betrayed it!

A man like you was never one for treachery.

أنسيتَ ليلتنا وقد سدلت

بالرمل هندٌ دوننا السترا

Have you forgotten our night, when she lowered

the curtain against us—Hind, at al-Raml—

والشوق يجذبنا ويدفعنا

وقلوبنا بيمينه أسرى

while longing drew us on and drove us,

and our hearts lay captive in its right hand,

حتى استعنّا بالرحيق على

ليل أخاف ظلامُه الفجرا

until we sought help from nectar against

a night whose darkness frightened the dawn?

فاستنهضتنا نشوة أخذت

بين الجوارح تضرم الجمرا

Then intoxication roused us and began

to kindle embers among our limbs.

وقد استهنا عند ذاك بأن

نرد الحتوف ونركب الوعرا

And at that moment we thought it easy to

face death and ride the rugged ground.

هجنا بلا سيف نذود به

عنا الوشاة ونأمن الشرا

We surged forth with no sword to ward off

the talebearers and keep us safe from harm.

فتعرض الحراس واحتدموا

لما رأونا نطرق الخدرا

Then the guards confronted us, blazing with anger,

when they saw us visit her chamber by night.

ماذا جرى هل أرهبوا أحداً

منا فأدبر منهمُ ذعرا

What happened? Did they frighten anyone

among us, so that he fled from them in terror?

صحنا بهم فتفرقوا جزعاً

وتخيلونا عسكراً مَجْرا

We shouted at them; they scattered in panic,

imagining us a vast army.

بتنا نطوف بقصرها شغفاً

نصف الغرام ونشتكي الهجرا

We spent the night circling her palace in passion,

describing our love and lamenting separation,

حتى أطلَّت وهي قائلة

من في الدياجي ينشد الشعرا

until she looked out and said:

"Who recites poetry in the darkness?"

نحن اللذان ملكتِ رقَّهما

بيد الجمالِ فقاسيا الضرّا

"We are the two you have made your slaves

with beauty's hand, and so we have suffered grief.

نحن اللذان جعلت دمعهما

يجري على خديهما نهرا

We are the two whose tears you have made

flow like a river down our cheeks."

فترفقت بعد الجفاء بنا

لما رأتنا نعلن السرا

Then, after her coldness, she treated us gently,

when she saw us proclaiming the secret.

ومشت إلينا في ترنحها

تسبي الغزال وتخجل البدرا

And she walked toward us, swaying,

taking the gazelle captive and putting the full moon to shame.

واستقبلتنا وهي باسمة

تلقي السلام نخالُهُ سحرا

She welcomed us, smiling,

offering a greeting we took for magic.

بتنا كما يهوى العفاف فلم

نطع المدام ونرتكب وزرا

We passed the night as chastity would wish; we did not

obey the wine or commit a sin.

لم نجن غير حديثها ثمراً

يروى ويشفى المهجة الحرى

We reaped no fruit but her conversation,

which quenches and heals the burning heart.

واستحكمت بين القلوب عرى

للحب يبقى عهدها العمرا

And bonds grew firm between our hearts—

bonds of love whose covenant endures a lifetime.

ولبثتَ مفتتناً بها كلفاً

ونظمتَ في أوصافها الدرا

And you remained bewitched by her, enamored,

and strung pearls of verse describing her.

وملكتَ مجداً بالبيان زكا

بين البرية ذكره نشرا

Through eloquence you won a glory that flourished,

its fame spreading like perfume among humankind.

لم تبتَ عن بنت الكروم أما

أهدت إليك الرتبة الكبرى

Why have you renounced the daughter of the vines? Has she not

bestowed on you the highest rank?

لولا رياضتُها لعقلك ما

سُمِّيتَ ربَّ الشعر والشعرى

Had she not trained your mind, you would not

have been called lord of poetry and Sirius.

فَاجْلُ الكؤوس وعاود السكرا

ما دام عودك ناعماً نضرا

So polish the goblets and return to drunkenness,

while your stem is supple and fresh.

إني لأشربها وإن جمعوا

فيها العيوب وأكثروا الزجرا

I do indeed drink it, though they heap

faults upon it and multiply their rebukes.

ويسرني أني اتهمت بها

لا زلت متهماً بها مغرى

And it delights me that I have been accused of it;

may I ever remain accused of it, enamored!