1. طافَ بَدرُ الدُجى بِشَمسِ الكؤوسِ

    في نُجومٍ من النَدامى جلوسِ

    Night's full moon made his rounds with the sun of the cups,

    among stars—the seated drinking companions.

  2. فَكأَنَّ المُدام في الكأس إذ تُج

    لى سِراجُ يُضيء في فانوسِ

    So it was as though the wine in the cup, when revealed,

    were a lamp shining inside a lantern.

  3. قَهوةٌ عسجديَّةٌ مِن كُناها

    بنت رأسٍ مَقرُّها في الرؤوسِ

    A golden wine, one of whose bynames

    is 'Head's Daughter'; her abode is in heads.

  4. هي لَهوٌ لنا إذا حلَّت الكأ

    س ولاةٌ في دَنِّها للمجوسِ

    She is our delight when she enters the cup,

    and Lāt in her jar for the Magians.

  5. لُقِّبت بالعَجوز وهي عَروسٌ

    فاِعجب اليوم للعَجوز العَروسِ

    She was dubbed 'the Old Woman,' though she is a bride;

    so marvel today at the Old Woman, the bride!

  6. قامَ يَسعى بها كميتاً كعينِ الد

    ديكِ ساقٍ في حُلَّة الطاووسِ

    He rose, hurrying with wine tawny as a rooster's eye—

    a cupbearer in the peacock's robe,

  7. ذو دَلالٍ يُبدي نفيسَ جَمالٍ

    فيُفدّى بغالياتِ النُفوسِ

    full of coquetry, revealing exquisite beauty,

    so precious souls are offered as his ransom.

  8. راضه السُكرُ فاِقتَني الرَشأ الوح

    شيّ أنساً من خُلقه المأنوسِ

    Intoxication tamed him; so take the wild fawn

    for the companionship his amiable nature affords,

  9. بَين حورٍ من الحِسانِ بدورٍ

    وَحَوالٍ من الغَواني شُموسِ

    amid dark-eyed beauties, full moons,

    and bejeweled lovely women, suns,

  10. وَرياضٍ لها الأَقاح ثُغورٌ

    يتبسَّمنَ في الزَمانِ العَبوسِ

    and gardens whose daisies are mouths,

    smiling in a scowling age.

  11. يا لَيالي الهَنا إِلينا فإنّا

    في ضمان المُدام من كُلِّ بوسِ

    O nights of bliss, come to us, for we

    are under wine's protection from every woe.

  12. قد حَسونا من السُلافِ رُضاباً

    وَرَشفنا الثغورَ رشفَ الكؤوسِ

    We have sipped sweet nectar from the choicest wine,

    and sipped lips as we sip from cups.

  13. وجمَحنا عَن الهُموم شِماساً

    مذ غَدوناعلى الكميتِ الشَموسِ

    And we bolted away from cares in wild defiance,

    since we rode forth upon the restive bay.

  14. يا نَدامايَ للمُدامَةِ هُبّوا

    قبلَ قرع القِسِّيس للنّاقوسِ

    O my drinking companions, rise to the wine

    before the priest strikes the bell.

  15. بادِروا الصُّبحَ بالصَّبوح وثو

    بُ اللَّيل مُلقىً كالمُنهَجِ المَلبوسِ

    Hasten to greet dawn with the morning draught, while the robe

    of night lies cast off like a threadbare garment.

  16. وَسماءُ الدُجى تُشيرُ إلينا

    بعيونٍ من الكواكِب شوسِ

    And the sky of darkness signals to us

    with stars for eyes, looking askance.