خُذ فارِغاً وَهاتِهِ مَلآنا
مِن قَهوَةٍ قَد عُتِّقَت أَزمانا
Take it empty and bring it full
Of coffee freed from time's rule
أَقَلُّ ما مَلَكَها مالِكُها
أَن لَحِقَت عَهدَ أَنو شَروانا
The least its owner has ruled
Is that it met Anoushirwan's days
ذَخيرَةُ الراهِبِ كَي يَجعَلَها
إِذا أَتَت أَعيادُهُ قُربانا
The monk's treasure, that he makes
An offering when his feasts come
مُدامَةٌ ماذُكِرَت أَوصافُها
إِلّا اِنثَنى سامِعُها سَكرانا
A liquor whose traits aren't summed
Unless its hearer bends, drunk
تَكادُ مِن لَألائِها إِذا بَدَت
تُهدي إِلى مَكانِها العُميانا
Its glimmers, when first shown, give
Sight itself to the blind man
كَالنارِ إِلّا أَنَّها ما أُوقِدَت
في الكَأسِ إِلّا أَطفَأَت نيرانا
Like fire but when lit
In the cup, quenches all flames
ما المَلِكُ الأَعظَمُ في سُلطانِهِ
إِلّا الَّذي أَضحى بِها نَشوانا
No greater king in his reign
Than he who toasted with it in joy
كَم رَفَعَت مُتَّضِعاً وَكَرَّمَت
مُبَخَّلاً وَشَجَّعَت جَبانا
How many low it uplifted and graced
Miser it opened up, coward made bold
تَسعى بِها جارِيَةٌ إِذا اِنثَنَت
أَخجَلَ لينُ عِطفِها أَغصانا
A girl runs with it, when she sways
Shaming the bend of branches with her grace
بِتُّ أُعاطيها فَتاةً جَمَعَت
لِعاشِقيها الحُسنَ وَالإِحسانا
I stayed to give it to a girl who gathered
For her lovers, beauty and goodness
كامِلَةَ الحُسنِ حَكَت غُصنَ النَقا
الرَيّانَ أَو غَزالَهُ العَطشانا
Perfect of feature, she told of the supple branch
Watering, or the thirsty fawn
مَخضوبَةَ البَنانِ في يَمينِها
كَأسُ مُدامٍ تَخضِبُ البَنانا
Red-lipped, in her right hand
A goblet of wine stains the lips red
وَلي نَديمٌ ماجِدٌ لا أَرتَضي
عَنهُ بَديلاً كائِناً مَن كانا
And I have a noble boon companion I wouldn't
Trade for another, whoever he may be
أَخو فُكاهاتٍ مَتى حاضَرتَهُ
في مَجلِسٍ وَجَدتَهُ بُستانا
A brother of jokes, whenever you're with him
In company, you find it a garden
حُلوُ الأَحاديثِ وَإِن غَنّاكَ لَم
تَجِدهُ في أَلحانِهِ لَحّانا
Sweet of speech, and if he sings to you
You won't find him, in his tunes, a composer
لا يَعرِفُ الهَمَّ فَتىً يَعرِفُهُ
وَلا تَرى نَديمَهُ نَدمانا
He knows no care, that lad who knows him
Nor will you see his companion showing regret
