1. اِسقِني الخَندَريسَ تُسبى عَروسا

    بِسَناها الساقي يَسُرُّ النُفوسا

    Pour me aged wine, carried off as a bride;

    with its radiance the cupbearer gladdens souls.

  2. سُقتَ بِالساقِ ساقِياً وَبِوَسنا

    نِكَ لِلحَسرَةِ الأُسودَ الشوسا

    With your leg you led a cupbearer, and with your drowsy

    gaze you drove the fierce lions to anguish.

  3. حَسبُنا حَسوُنا السُلافَ شَموسا

    بِكُؤوسٍ يُحسَبنَ حُسناً شُموسا

    It is enough for us to sip the pure, headstrong wine

    from cups deemed suns for their beauty.

  4. عيسُها عَرَّسَت بِساحَةِ عيسى

    وَسَقَت بِالسِّمامِ موسى موسا

    Its pale camels halted to rest in Isa's courtyard,

    and steeped Musa's razor in poison.

  5. لا تُسَوِّف بِالكَأسِ ناساً كِياساً

    سَبَلوا الكيسَ فَاِستَباحوا الكُؤوسا

    Do not keep discerning folk waiting for the cup;

    they offered their purse freely and made free with the cups.

  6. سَلسَبيلاً لِحَسوِها سَل سَبيلاً

    فَسِواها لِلنَفسِ لَيسَ أَنيسا

    Salsabil—seek a way to sip it,

    for nothing else is a companion to the soul.

  7. أَلبَسَتها السُقاةُ سِربالَ حُسنٍ

    وَسَقَتها شَمامِساً وَقُسوسا

    The cupbearers clothed it in a robe of beauty,

    and served it to deacons and priests.

  8. دَوَّسوها وَقَدَّسوها وَسَمّوا

    سَفَهاً مُستَحِلّها قِدّيسا

    They trod it, sanctified it, and called

    whoever deemed it lawful a saint, in their folly.

  9. فَاِسقِني سَلسَلاً تَسُلُّ رَسيسَ ال

    سُقمِ سَلّاً وَتَسلُبُ النّاموسا

    So pour me smooth-flowing wine that draws out the lingering traces of

    sickness completely, and strips away respectability.

  10. سَقِّني إسفَنطاً تُسارِقُ بِالسِرِّ

    لِسانَ الرَئيسِ جالينُوسا

    Give me spiced wine that steals, in secret,

    the tongue of the master Galen.

  11. فَنَسيمُ السُلافِ يَسري سُحَيراً

    بِسُعودٍ فَيَستَفِرُّ النُحوسا

    For the breeze of pure wine drifts just before dawn,

    with good fortune, putting ill fortune to flight.

  12. سَيِّدي سامني مُسامَرَةَ النَّر

    جِسِ وَالآسِ فَاِستَحَثَّ رَئيسا

    My lord bade me converse by night with the nar-

    cissus and the myrtle, and urged a chief to hurry.

  13. وَسَعى بِالطاساتِ أَحسَنَ ساعٍ

    وَسَقامُ الأَجسامِ بِالكَأسِ يوسى

    And he hurried with the bowls, the finest of servers;

    and bodily sickness is healed by the cup.

  14. سَطَواتُ السُلطانِ سَلَّت سُيوفاً

    ساطِياتٍ فَأَسخَطَت إِبليسا

    The sultan's onslaughts unsheathed swords

    that struck fiercely, and so enraged Iblis.

  15. سَلَبَتنا حَسوَ السُلافَةِ سِرّاً

    فَسَرى يَسلُبُ النَفيسُ النَفيسا

    They deprived us of sipping pure wine in secret;

    so the precious one went by night, seizing the precious.

  16. حُبِسَ المِسكُ بِالمُسوكِ سَحيقاً

    فَعَسى السُؤلُ يُرسِلُ المَحبوسا

    Musk was imprisoned in skins, ground fine;

    so may the plea set the prisoner free.