سَقَى اللهُ أيَّامَ الصَّبَابَةِ وَالهَوَى

وَعًصرَ الشّبابِ الغَضِّ أكرِم بِهِ عَصرَا

God watered the days of my youth and passion

And the prime of my green adolescence - may it be a generous time!

سَحَاباً يدِرّ المَاءَ في مَحلِ رَوضِهَا

وَيُنبِتُ فِي أَغصَانِهَا الوَرَقَ الخُضرَا

Like clouds that pour down water in the dwellings of the garden

And cause the green leaves to grow on its branches.

وَجَادَ أَصِيلاً بالقصيبَة لَم يُضَف

إِلَى حُسنِهِ عَيبٌ سِوَى أنَّهُ مَرّا

And it was generous with the wine that had no fault added

To its beauty except that it was bitter.

إِذِ الشَّمسُ تَحكِينِي وَتَحكِي مُعَذِّبي

بِما احمَرَّ مِنهَا لِلغُرُوبِ وَمَا اصفَرّا

When the sun reproached me and reproached my tormentor

With what reddened of it for sunset and what yellowed.

وراحَةُ مَن أهوَى وبَارِقُ ثَغرِهِ

وَلَحظَتُهُ الوَطفَاءُ تَمزِج لِي خَمرَا

And the rest of my beloved and the lightning of his smile

And his languorous glance mixed wine for me.

فَقَامَت بِهِ حَولِي سقاةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ

مُنَى كُلِّ ساقٍ أن أمِيدَ لَهُ سُكرَا

Many cupbearers then stood around me

The wish of every pourer being that I prolong the drunkenness.

فَلَم أدرِ مِمَّا كنت أُسقَى هَل الهَوَى

شَرِبتُ أمِ الصَّهبَاءَ صِرفاً أمِ السِّحرَا

So I did not know whether it was passion I was given to drink

Or whether it was the limpid or the bewitched wine.

سلامٌ عَلَى ذَاكَ الأَصِيلِ وَطِيبِهِ

يُرَدَّدُ مَا مَرَّ الأصِيلُ وَمَا مَرَّا

Greetings to that generous one and his goodness

However much the generous one refused and refused.