ولَيلةٍ بِتُّ تَجلُو لي حَنَادِسَهَا

مُدَامَةٌ كَدَمِ المذْبُوحِ حَمرَاءُ

A night whose stars reveal themselves to me

A wine the color of slaughtered blood, red

كالنَّارِ والمَاءِ إن شِيمَتْ وإنْ لمسَتْ

وفي الحَقيقَةِ لا نَارٌ ولا مَاءُ

Like fire and water, however it's described, whatever's said

In truth there's neither fire nor water

شَمْطَاءُ عَذْراءُ في دَنٍّ وفي قَدَحٍ

فَاعْجبْ لها وهي شمْطَاءٌ وعَذْرَاءُ

A wanton virgin in humbleness and in a goblet

Marvel at her, wanton yet chaste

كأنَّهَا في الدُّجَى والزِّقُّ يَقذِفُهَا

بَرْقٌ لَهُ من خِلالِ الغَيمِ لألاءُ

As if amid the gloom and drizzle she's struck

By lightning that gives her an aura

يَسعَى بِها شَادِنٌ مِيلٌ معاطفُهُ

دَاجي الغَدَائِرِ قَانِي الخَدِّ أحْوَاءُ

A mellow drinker pursues her, his cloak

Of ample folds, his cheek rosy

لَهُ محلاَّنِ في قَلْبِي وفي بَصَري

سَوادُ هذَا ومن ذَاكَ السُويدَاءُ

He occupies places in my heart and in my sight

This blackness, and from that, radiance

وشَابَها نُطْفَةٌ من فِيهِ صَافيةٌ

كالرَّاحِ فَهيَ مع الصَّهْبَاء صَهْبَاءُ

And her ferment is a draught, pure

Like the wind, so with the pale one, pale

لَحَا علَى شُرْبِها قَوْمٌ وما عَلِموا

يا ويحَهُمْ إنَّ ذَاكَ اللَّومَ إغْرَاءُ

A people blamed her drinking, but knew not

Alas, that blame itself's enticement

سَاءَ الذينَ نهوا عن شُربِهَا ولقَدْ

شُرَّابُها أحسَنُوا صُنْعاً وما سَاؤُا

Evil were those who forbade drinking her, for

Her servers acted well, and came to no evil