1. أَكثَرتَ يا عاذِلي مِنَ العَذَلِ

    إِنّي عَنِ العاذِلينَ في شَغَلِ

    You have overdone reproach, O my reproacher.

    I am too occupied to heed the reproachers.

  2. أَحسَنُ مِن وَقفَةٍ عَلى طَلَلِ

    وَمِن بُكاءٍ في إِثرِ مُحتَمِلِ

    Better than a halt at a ruined dwelling,

    and than weeping in the wake of one departing,

  3. كَأسُ مُدامٍ أَحظَيتُ فَضلَتَها

    كَفَّ حَبيبٍ وَالفِعلُ مِن قِبَلي

    is a cup of wine, whose remainder I bestowed

    on a beloved's palm—the act was mine—

  4. في مَجلِسٍ حُثَّتِ الكُؤوسُ بِهِ

    فَالقَومُ مِن مائِلٍ وَمُنجَدِلِ

    in a gathering where the cups were swiftly passed,

    so some of the company swayed, and others lay sprawled.

  5. يَطوفُ بِالراحِ بَينَهُم رَشَأٌ

    مُحَكَّمٌ في القُلوبِ وَالعَقلِ

    A young gazelle goes round among them with wine,

    given sway over hearts and reason.

  6. أَفرَغَ نوراً في قِشرِ لُؤلُؤَةٍ

    تُجَلُّ عَن قيمَةٍ وَعَن مِثَلِ

    He poured light into the shell of a pearl,

    beyond price and beyond compare.

  7. يَكادُ لَحظُ العُيونِ حينَ بَدا

    يَسفِكُ مِن خَدِّهِ دَمَ الخَجَلِ

    The eyes' gaze, when he appeared, almost

    spilled from his cheek the blood of bashfulness.