أَحسَنُ مِن وَصفِ دارِسِ الدَمَنِ

وَمِن حَمامٍ يَبكي عَلى فَنَنِ

More delightful than the description of the deserted abodes,

Far better than the sketch of ruins in the dust,

And than a dove mourning over lost dwellings,

Or the mourning of a dove upon the bough,

وَمِن دِيارٍ عَفَت مَعالِمُها

رَيحانَةٌ رُكِّبَت عَلى أُذُنِ

And places whose features have been effaced,

Or abandoned homes whose markers are effaced,

Like an ear ornament swept by the wind.

Is a sprig of basil placed behind the ear,

في رَوضَةٍ بِالنَباتِ يانِعَةٍ

قَد حَفَّها كُلُّ نَيِّرٍ حَسَنِ

In a blooming garden enclosed,

Within a garden ripe with vegetation,

Guarded by every chirping finch.

Surrounded by all things radiant and fair;

كَأَنَّما الوَشيُ مِن زَخارِفِها

وَشيُ ثِيابٍ بُسِطنَ بِاليَمَنِ

As if its pebbled paths were ornaments

As though the tapestry of its ornaments

And garments from Yemen spread about.

Were embroidered robes spread out in Yemen's lands.

وَقَهوَةٍ لا القَذى يُخالِطُها

تَأتيكَ مِن مَعدِنٍ وَمِن عَطَنِ

And coffee without chaff mixed in,

And wine that no impurity disturbs,

Brought to you from a mine or from 'Aṭan.

That comes to you from its origin and home;

مِن بَيتِ خَمّارَةٍ تَروحُ بِها

إِلَيكَ مِثلَ العَروسِ مِن وَطَنِ

From the house of a wine-seller who sends it

From the vintner's house it issues forth to you,

To you like a bride leaving her homeland.

Just like a bride presented from her kin.

سَورَتُها في الرُؤوسِ صاعِدَةٌ

وَلينُها في المَذاقِ كَالدُهُنِ

Its aroma rising to the heads,

Its rising power surges through the head,

Its smoothness on the palate like butter.

Yet in the taste, it feels as smooth as oil;

مِن كَفِّ ظَبيٍ أَغَنَّ ذي غَنَجٍ

أُبدِعَ فيهِ طَرائِفُ الحُسَنِ

From the hand of a youth who sang melodiously

Served by a fawn, nasal-voiced and coy,

Perfecting in it the subtleties of beauty.

In whom the novelties of beauty are devised,

يَسعى بِصَفراءَ كَالعَقيقَةِ في ال

كَأسِ عَلَيها الوِشاحُ مِن مُزُنِ

He hurries with it yellow like carnelian

Who moves with yellow vintage, bright as agate,

In a cup over which a kerchief from Muzan hangs.

Within a cup that wears a sash of rain-bubbles.

فَتِلكَ أَشقى مِن نَعتِ دِعبِلَةٍ

وَمِن صِفاتِ الطُلولِ وَالدِمَنِ

So more delightful than describing Dibbalah

For this brings more joy than describing a camel,

And the qualities of easy women and degraded men.

Or listing attributes of effaced remains.