أما وحميَّا الكأسِ هَزَّتْ لنا عِطْفا

وبدرِ تمامِ الحسنِ يسعى بها صِرْفا

As the wine cup swayed tipsily towards us,

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

وساقٍ يكادُ السكرُ يُسْقِطُ نِصْفَهُ

مزاحاً ويُبْقي في مآزره النصْفا

On legs that drunkenness almost toppled over -

Yet somehow kept their balance in that revelry,

ومخضوبةٍ قبَّلْتُها ولثمتُهُ

فأتبعتُ ثغرَ الراحِ من ثغرهِ رَشْفا

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

I chased after pleasure, from pleasure derived,

وخَلْقٍ له مثل الحميَّا وَوَفْرَةٍ

تمازجُ أرواح النَّدامى بهِ لُطْفا

Of a beauty rivaling the wine cup, and abundance

That mingled the spirits of us revelers in kindness,

كأن اليراعَ النَّضْرَ أوراقهُ قَناً

له العَذَبُ الخفَّاق يستأنفُ الرَّجْفا

As if the green pastures were goblets

Brimming with cool, sparkling wine that kept overflowing,

كأنَّ خليج الماء أوجَسَ طَعْنةً

فدرَّعَ أجناداً وجدَّ لها صَفَّا

As if the water's expanse was a pool

That armed itself with waves and ranks of foam,

كأن اعتناقَ القُضْب والغيمُ دالجٌ

وَداعُ خليطٍ ذَرّ من دمعه وَكْفَا

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

Of a weeping lover's farewell mingled with tears,

كأن اخضرارَ الدوح والنهرُ ضاحكٌ

غياهبُ شقَّ الفجرُ من جُنْحها سَجْفا

As if the green banks laughing brooks

Parted the darkness at dawn with their fluttering wings,

كأن رياضَ النهر مَدْحِيَ باسطٌ

له الحَسَنُ الوَهَّابُ يومَ النَّدَى كَفَّا

As if the meadows were a generous host

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