مُطَرِّبُ الصُّبْح هَيَّجَ الطَّرَبا

لَمّا قَضَى الليْلُ نَحْبَهُ انْتَحَبا

The morning's troubadour awakened delight

When the night ended its sorrow and wept

مُغَرِّدٌ تَابَع الصِّياحَ فَما

نَدْري رِضاً كانَ ذَاكَ أَمْ غَضَبا

A warbler followed the cries - we know not

If it was pleased or angered by that

ما تُنْكِرُ الطَّيْرُ أَنَّهُ مَلِكٌ

لَها فَبِالتّاجِ رَاحَ مُعْتَصِبا

The birds do not deny that he is

Their king, so with the crown he busied himself

طَوَى الظَّلامُ البُنُودَ مُنْصَرِفاً

حِينَ رَأَى الفَجْرَ يَنْشُرُ العَذَبا

Darkness folded its flags retreating

When it saw dawn spreading its sweetness

واللَّيْلُ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الصَّباحِ بِهِ

كَراهِبٍ شَقَّ جَيْبَهُ طَرَبا

And the night from the morning's attack

Was like a monk who tore his cassock in delight

فَبَاكِرِ الخَمْرَةَ التي تَرَكَتْ

بَنانَ كَفِّ المُديرِ مُخْتَضبا

So enjoy the wine left over

That graced the palm of the tavern keeper

كأَنَّما صَبَّ في الزُّجاجَةِ مِنْ

لُطْفٍ ومِنْ رِقَّةٍ نَسيمَ صَبا

As if he had poured into the bottle

A gentle breeze and softness from Sabah

ولَيْسَ نارُ الهُمومِ خامِدَةً

إِلا بِنورِ الكُؤوسِ مُلْتَهِبا

The fire of worries is not extinguished

Except by the light of the flaming goblets

يَظَلُّ زِقَّ المُدامِ مُمْتَهناً

سَحْباً وَذَيْلُ المُجونِ مُنْسَحِبا

The spout of the wine remains humble

Bending, while the libertine's tail withdraws

ومُقْعَدٍ لا حَرَاكَ يُنْهِضُهُ

وهو على أَرْبَعٍ قَدِ انْتَصَبا

And a seat where there is no movement to rouse

While leaning on all fours it stood

مُصَفَّرٍ مُحْرِقٍ تَنَفُّسَهُ

تَخَالُهُ العَيْنُ عاشِقا وَصِبا

Yellow, scorched - its breath

The eye imagines it a fervent lover

إِذا نَظَمْنا في جِيدِهِ سَبَجاً

صَيَّرَهُ بَعْدَ ساعَةٍ ذَهَبا

When we string pearls around his neck

After an hour he turns them into gold

فَما خَبَتْ نارُنا ولا وَقَفَتْ

خُيولُ لَهْوٍ جَرَتْ بِنا خَبَبا

Our fire has not died out or stopped

The steeds of frivolity raced, driving us

وسَاحِرِ الطَّرْفِ لا نِقابَ لَهُ

إِذْ كَانَ بِالْجُلَّنارِ مُنْتَقِبا

The charmer's eyes have no veil

As he peeped through the wine-colored glass

جَنَيْتُ من ثَغْرِهِ وَوَجْنَتِهِ

بِلَحْظِ عَيْنَيَّ زَهْرَةً عَجَبا

From his mouth and cheek I reaped

With a glance of my eyes, a wondrous flower

شَقائِقاً مُذْهباً يُرى خجلا

وأُقْحُواناً مُفَضَّضاً شَنَبا

Red anemones, golden, seen shy

And freckled lilies, cracked open

حتّى إِذا ما انْتَشى ونَشْوَتُهُ

قَدْ سَهَّلَتْ مِنْهُ كُلَّ ما صَعُبا

Until when his vigor and delight subsided

All the difficulties were eased

غَلَبْتُ صَحْبي عليهِ مُنفرداً

بِهِ وهَلْ فازَ غَيْرُ مَنْ غَلَبا

I overpowered my companions, alone with him

And who wins but the victorious?

أَرْشُفُ رِيقاً عَذْبَ الَّلمى خَصِراً

كأَنَّ فِيهِ الضَّريبَ والضَّرَبا

I sip the sweet saliva of his mouth, a waist

As if in it lies spoils and ruins