أما وحميَّا الكأسِ هَزَّتْ لنا عِطْفا

أما وحميَّا الكأسِ هَزَّتْ لنا عِطْفا

وبدرِ تمامِ الحسنِ يسعى بها صِرْفا

وبدرِ تمامِ الحسنِ يسعى بها صِرْفا

Indeed, by the cup’s heady fire, which set our flanks swaying,

As the wine cup swayed tipsily towards us,

And by a full moon of perfect beauty, hastening with it unmixed,

Carried by a full moon whose beauty sought nothing but good company,

وساقٍ يكادُ السكرُ يُسْقِطُ نِصْفَهُ

وساقٍ يكادُ السكرُ يُسْقِطُ نِصْفَهُ

مزاحاً ويُبْقي في مآزره النصْفا

مزاحاً ويُبْقي في مآزره النصْفا

And by a cupbearer whose drunkenness almost topples half of him,

On legs that drunkenness almost toppled over -

In jest, and leaves the other half in his loincloths;

Yet somehow kept their balance in that revelry,

ومخضوبةٍ قبَّلْتُها ولثمتُهُ

ومخضوبةٍ قبَّلْتُها ولثمتُهُ

فأتبعتُ ثغرَ الراحِ من ثغرهِ رَشْفا

فأتبعتُ ثغرَ الراحِ من ثغرهِ رَشْفا

And by a tinted cup I kissed, and I kissed him on the lips,

Having kissed her red lips and sipped the wine from her mouth,

So I followed the wine’s mouth with a sip from his lips;

I chased after pleasure, from pleasure derived,

وخَلْقٍ له مثل الحميَّا وَوَفْرَةٍ

وخَلْقٍ له مثل الحميَّا وَوَفْرَةٍ

تمازجُ أرواح النَّدامى بهِ لُطْفا

تمازجُ أرواح النَّدامى بهِ لُطْفا

And by his form, like the wine’s fire, and his luxuriant locks,

Of a beauty rivaling the wine cup, and abundance

That, through him, gently mingle with the drinking companions’ souls.

That mingled the spirits of us revelers in kindness,

كأن اليراعَ النَّضْرَ أوراقهُ قَناً

كأن اليراعَ النَّضْرَ أوراقهُ قَناً

له العَذَبُ الخفَّاق يستأنفُ الرَّجْفا

له العَذَبُ الخفَّاق يستأنفُ الرَّجْفا

As though the fresh-leaved reeds were spears,

As if the green pastures were goblets

Whose fluttering pennants begin their trembling anew;

Brimming with cool, sparkling wine that kept overflowing,

كأنَّ خليج الماء أوجَسَ طَعْنةً

كأنَّ خليج الماء أوجَسَ طَعْنةً

فدرَّعَ أجناداً وجدَّ لها صَفَّا

فدرَّعَ أجناداً وجدَّ لها صَفَّا

As though the water-channel feared a spear-thrust,

As if the water's expanse was a pool

So it armored troops and drew up a rank for them;

That armed itself with waves and ranks of foam,

كأن اعتناقَ القُضْب والغيمُ دالجٌ

كأن اعتناقَ القُضْب والغيمُ دالجٌ

وَداعُ خليطٍ ذَرّ من دمعه وَكْفَا

وَداعُ خليطٍ ذَرّ من دمعه وَكْفَا

As though the branches’ embrace, while the cloud journeys by night,

As if the willow's embrace of the cloud was a union

Were a companion’s farewell, scattering a shower of his tears;

Of a weeping lover's farewell mingled with tears,

كأن اخضرارَ الدوح والنهرُ ضاحكٌ

كأن اخضرارَ الدوح والنهرُ ضاحكٌ

غياهبُ شقَّ الفجرُ من جُنْحها سَجْفا

غياهبُ شقَّ الفجرُ من جُنْحها سَجْفا

As though the great trees’ greenness, while the river laughs,

As if the green banks laughing brooks

Were deep darkness, from whose flank dawn has torn a veil;

Parted the darkness at dawn with their fluttering wings,

كأن رياضَ النهر مَدْحِيَ باسطٌ

كأن رياضَ النهر مَدْحِيَ باسطٌ

له الحَسَنُ الوَهَّابُ يومَ النَّدَى كَفَّا

له الحَسَنُ الوَهَّابُ يومَ النَّدَى كَفَّا

As though the river’s gardens were my praise; extending

As if the meadows were a generous host

A palm to it on the day of bounty is al-Hasan, the lavish giver.

Laying out his beauty for us on a day of light rain.