وَقَهوَةٍ تَلمَعُ كَالسَرابِ

أَحلى مِنَ الوَصلِ بِلا عِقابِ

Coffee glitters like a mirage,

Sweeter than reunion without punishment.

تُعجِزُ أَوهامَ ذَوي الحِسابِ

عَن بَعضِ ما أَفنَت مِنَ الأَحقابِ

It baffles the minds of accountants,

With what it wastes of eras.

صَفراءُ مِثلَ الذَهَبِ المُذابِ

لَها أَكاليلٌ مِنَ الحَبابِ

Yellow like molten gold,

With wreaths of coffee beans.

تَحكُمُ لِلصَبِّ عَلى الأَوصابِ

غادَيتُها بِغادَةٍ كَعابِ

It rules the youth over the old.

I bid it farewell like a dear one.

رَقراقَةٌ ناعِمَةُ الشَبابِ

تَبسِمُ عَن فَضِيَّةٍ عِذابِ

Smooth and delicate in its youth,

It smiles with a silvery torment.

عِطرِيَّةَ الأَنفاسِ وَالرُضابِ

إِذا بَدَت سافِرَةَ النِقابِ

Fragrant breath and pounding.

When unveiled, traveling cloaks unwind.

تَقَطَّعَت حَبائِلُ الأَلبابِ

في رَوضَةٍ كَأُلفَةِ الأَحبابِ

The minds' ropes are cut,

In a garden, intimate as loved ones,

أَو كَمُؤاخاةِ ذَوي الآدابِ

قِبابِها أَحسَنُ مِن قِبابي

Or brotherhood of the cultured.

Its ceilings finer than my ceilings,

كَأَنَّهُنَّ قِطَعُ السَحابِ

وَزَهرُها كَحُلَلِ العَتّابي

As if they are cut from clouds.

Its flowers like robes of maidens,

تَسُحُّ فيها مُقلَةُ الرَبابِ

طَلا يُشِبُّ جَمرَةَ الإِطرابِ

Where the plectrum moves gently.

A tall one that does not spark restlessness,

وَالماءُ في الرَوضِ مِنَ الدولابِ

فَلِمَ نَزَلَ نَشرَبُ بِالأَكوابِ

The water in the garden flows from a bucket.

Why then have we descended to drink from cups

وَالغَيمُ رَطبٌ أَدكَنُ الجَلبابِ

حَتّى بَلَغتُ في الرُبى طِلابي

While the clouds are damp, darkest of gowns?

Until in camping I attained my wants,

فَلا عَدِمتُ خُلَّةَ التَصابي

I did not lack the seclusion of accord.