1. Whenever the passionate poet renews his memories
It disturbs his heart and sets it aflutter

2. I wonder where the progeny of Allah's Messenger parted
And abandoned his tomb, how they deserted his sanctuary

3. After the elite had kept their company
And they followed the path of passion wherever it led

4. They wandered freely in pursuit of intimacy
And spent their youth in dissipation

5. Amidst goblets, gardens, streams
Music, pleasure and amorous adventures

6. Where have they settled, in meadows and shelters
Or paused by rosebeds and springs?

7. With a sovereign whom cupbearers attended in his presence
Flutists playing behind the curtains

8. A minister who would stealthily indulge in pleasures
A commander girded with a sword

9. A goblet of diluted wine circulated among them
How many a Umayyad youth who at nightfall

10. Spurred by passion and its steeds unleashed
Like Yazid and his affair with Abu Qays

11. And what he exposed of it in 'Ammat Ar
The revels of Ibn Ja'da and Al-Akhtal

12. When they savored the vintage of the vine untainted
Spending the night with Ibn Ziyad

13. Qutayba ibn Muslim and their day
Marwan and his son when the delights of life

14. Seduced them with the trills of response
His drinking companions the sons of Yalya the Brazen

15. Who spent their dawns in the countryside manor
And the likes of Al-Walid the Commander

16. Who would miss his mornings and their creation
In his company Al-Ghurayd and Ibn Surayj

17. Displaying every accomplished art
Songs more delectable than wine's thrill

18. And dances more tantalizing when awakened
Sulayman the Virtuoso when

19. He expressed his passion for the charming singers
And Yazid ibn Khalid and Abul-Zayd

20. Two boon companions soothing his affliction
With discourse that would hasten comfort upon comfort

21. And provoke the wandering stars
As he was serenaded by Sinan's singing

22. Glorifying and unveiling his anguish
And Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz when he savored the wine cups

23. And paired them in the days of command
And Yazid al-Mu'ammar when desire's thrill

24. Captured him night and day
Subb seduced him until she allowed

25. Her notoriety to be freely indulged
Salama enticed him until

26. Anxiety disturbed his thoughts and awakened them
As Ma'bad's melody lamented passionately

27. Composing its strings however he wished
And how many tunes he set for it

28. To the rhythm of ''Uwwadas'' on his rebeck
Then Hisham was adamant in his preference

29. For the Rus and relished their selection
Of a wine whose vessels the constellations'

30. Thighs still bear the trace of its essence
Al-Walid the Sovereign when he frequented the drinking sessions and pastimes

31. Exerting his utmost effort and capability
The memory of Sulayma stirred his fervor

32. Which he kept stoking and borrowing its flame
As Malik ibn Abi'l-Samh and 'Amr al-Wadi sang to him

33. Causing him to forget his dignity
And how the melodies of Ibn ''Aisha's singing

34. Would lighten his spirit and send him soaring
While Ibn Muyassar ibn ''Uqba and Qasim

35. Would stir his goblet
A bliss more delectable than the throes of love

36. And more spectacular than a garden blooming
Buḏayḥ who was appointed over the monkeys

37. And commanded their rule
And Yazid the Sovereign whose hearing delighted

38. In the tambourines' rhythm at every hour
And the caravans sang from the deserts to the settlements

39. Until civilization overtook them
Like Marwan in his youthful pride

40. When he persisted in the joy of his travels
Viewing entertainments and concerts therein

41. And battle the pivot and orbit of his course
And the 'Abbasid family when 'Abd Allah

42. Would spend his Tuesday and Saturday nights carousing
And Ibn Safwan among the cup companions

43. Exchanging discourse behind the curtains
And in their company, Abul-Dalama

44. Whom he would single out and recite his poems
And their Mansur would observe from behind the curtains

45. At leisure, while the cups made their rounds
Ibn Ja'far would frequent their drinking circles

46. Once he demonstrated his poetic mastery
Appearing among them as an elegant man of letters

47. An eloquent and clever connoisseur of gestures
Then al-Mahdi would sit with the intimate circles

48. Straining their wine before serving it
And Fuliḥ al-'Aura would sing for him

49. Cheering his love songs and gathered works
In his service, mentor of song, Abu Ishaq

50. Who sang masterfully displaying his craft
Then al-Hadi when he turned to drinking

51. And Ibn Jami', his chosen one, sang
The role of boon companion was taken over by 'Isa ibn Da'b

52. Circulating cups of discourse
And Ibn Muṣ'ab would eloquently pour forth

53. As he selected the finest of his works
Al-Rashid would revel in the Dayr Murran convent

54. At every mound and shelter
With a wassail mingled by the convent's nuns

55. On an auspicious morn
As Barsuma accompanied him on the rebeck

56. Perpetuating its melody
Then al-Amin would indulge in the pleasures

57. Secluded in an impregnable hold
As desire for Kuthayyir engrossed him

58. Until love penetrated his heart and gained dominion
Mukharis the singer was in his company

59. And elder Babakira renowned
Al-Husayn the Profligate scattered a pearl necklace

60. Among boon companions restoring vigor
And Ibn Hani brought cups of mirth

61. Borrowing them for quips and jokes
Al-Maʾmūn made the rounds with cups of wine

62. Whose light illuminated the palace and gave it radiance
'Alawiyya the singer and Ishaq

63. Pouring moons upon the darkness
With Yahya ibn Aktham assuming command

64. And Ibn Tahir compiling their dice games
And 'Urayb among the singers enchanted him

65. With a voice that carefully selected its poems
Ibn Harun set the love lyrics of Ibrahim to music

66. Relishing and savoring their secret allusions
Al-Wathiq accustomed the precedence of verse

67. To the wine cup enacting its lessons
As his steward Muhj al-Khadim when morn arrived

68. Managed his intoxication
And Ahmad the boon companion openly indulged

69. In the gambles of love spreading its news
Al-Fath turned aside to cull from the accounts of passion

70. Its enjoyments and treasures
He was tempted by Farida and enslaved by love

71. To the point that love dethroned his reason
Abu'l Fadl would set out at dawn to drink wine

72. Banishing worries and troubles
Where Kashkhi selected the best of verse

73. However he wished and preferred
Zanam played the strings while

74. Banan plucked the lute strings
'Amr ibn Bana and Tabl sang

75. With Salman displaying his mastery
Abu Ja'far pursued pleasure

76. Alongside Yazid al-Muhalabi discreetly
Al-Musta'in caroused and consumed

77. Flasks of wine and their sparks
Then al-Mu'tazz became impassioned with Ibn Buga

78. When he saw his face and tender cheeks
And Ibn al-Qassar sang for awhile

79. A dexterous tune upon the tambourine
Addressing him with passion and likewise receiving his attention

80. And provoking the fire in his breast
Al-Muhtadi upheld the knowledge of customs and generosity

81. As his hallmark and emblem
Ibn Ja'far alighted in the orbit of music and rhythm

82. Dispelling his sorrows in song
Every time the passion awakened it

83. And stirred the song of the stranger
Abu'l 'Abbas and his retainers enjoyed

84. The fruits once their vines bloomed
His drinking companion the sons of Hamdan, and Badr

85. Captivated him when he demonstrated his talents
And musical Rashad carefully selected

86. What songs to perform and how to excel
Al-Muqtadi caroused and drank from morning

87. As Sullay accompanied him chanting his poems
And Abu'l Fadl enjoyed the prime of his youth

88. In Jeddah and its blossoms
Imbibing mature, fermented and pressed wine

89. Delighting without thrift
And al-Radi persisted in giving away

90. At all times whatever was between his cup companions
A goblet whose canopy was made of glass

91. And circulated in the marble room
And Na'im, my God, in the citron room

92. The water steaming in its vapors
I wonder where the Barmakids settled

93. After overseeing the ministry
When their days were the acme of living

94. And their palms overflowing
The minister al-Muhallabi and how he excelled

95. Ibn al-'Amid ascended in rank
And likewise the Sahib ibn 'Abbad embraced

96. And embraced the system he enacted
But where are the master poets from the Hamdanid household

97. And the authority they wielded
Where are the people of Iraq and Persia they knew

98. Who perfected their life and ventured to rebuild
Where is he who stayed upraising the children of God

99. Crowned with greetings of prosperity
Where is he who set out while singers

100. Swarmed him with ogling eyes
His neck was ringed with the fetter

101. Thus it became the hallmark of nobility
As maidens turned away coyly

102. Once he set out fastening his belt
They crowned his head with wreath of myrtle

103. And tied to his neck a band of pearls
At his ear a sprig of basil

104. As if hinting toward his mystery
Where is he whose aspect luck shined

105. And whose life the eye would envy
Gathering the fine virtues openly

106. Expressing his temptation and allure
You would see in his presence embroidered kerchiefs

107. And silk curtains billowing on the walls
And clouds of incense sprinkling

108. The essence of flowers as the breeze carried their trains
Where is he who roamed the expanse

109. Of al-Ghuta with his feet revealing their sights
Where is he who comfortably spent the night in Miganis

110. Shi'b Bawan inhaling its blossoms
Where is he who cast sights on Sughd Samarqand

111. And beheld its lights
Where is he who lodged in al-'Ubulla

112. Roaming its meadows with his thoughts
Where is he who stayed overnight in Samawa

113. In the keep of a garden guarding its mysteries
In a soft gentle breeze from the bosom

114. Of light undoing its buttons
Where dewdrop smiles of flowers burgeoned

115. And met the breaths of its visitors
The covenant of days gone by vanished

116. With tears wiping the cheeks
And their vestiges have poured forth

117. No morning breeze has stirred a fragrant garden bed
Without stirring its birds