ضَحِكَ الشَيبُ في نَواحي الظَلامِ

وَاِرعَوى عَنكَ زاجِرُ اللَوّامِ

The gray hair laughed in the corners of darkness

The gray dawn has laughed through the corners of the dark,

And cried out to you, blamer of the blamers

And the scolding voice of the blamers has ceased to rebuke.

فَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِنتُ عَشرٍ

دَبَّ في جِرمِها غِذاءُ الحَرامِ

So serve it to me, a draft, daughter of ten (years old)

So pour me the purest vintage, a daughter of ten years,

In whose body the nourishment of the unlawful crept

Through whose substance the essence of sin has subtly crept.

مِن عُقارٍ كَطَلعَةِ البَدرِ لا بَل

تَكسِفُ البَدرَ في رُواقِ الظَلامِ

Of a potion like the rising full moon, no, but

A liquor radiant as the rising moon—nay,

It eclipses the full moon in the porch of darkness

It eclipses the very moon within the pavilion of night.

عاطِنيها كَما وَصَفتَ خَليلي

مَن يَدَي شادِنٍ رَخيمِ الكَلامِ

Serve it to me as you described, my friend

Pass it to me as you have described, O my friend,

Before a young tender, gentle-worded gazelle

From the hands of a fawn with soft and melodious speech.

عَلَّمَ السِحرَ مُقلَتَيهِ اِحوِراراً

شيبَ تَفتيرُهُ بِلَونِ المُدامِ

Its eyelashes taught magic, captivating

Magic has taught his dark eyes their captivating art,

Its youthful radiance is the color of wine

Their languid gaze tinged with the crimson of the vine.

وَجهُهُ البَدرُ وَالمُدامَةُ بَدرٌ

يا لِبَدرَينِ رُكِّبا في نِظامِ

Its face the full moon and the wine a full moon

His face is a full moon, and the wine is a moon as well,

Oh two full moons composed in a system

O wonder of two moons aligned in a single orbit!

كُلَّما دارَتِ الكُؤوسُ تَغَنّى

مَن لِقَلبِ مُتَيَّمٍ مُستَهامِ

Whenever the cups turned around, it sang

And whenever the cups circle round, he begins to sing:

Who for a passionate heart, intense with yearning?

"Who will save a heart enslaved and lost in desire?"

خَلِّ لِلأَشقِياءِ وَصفَ الفَيافي

وَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِسَلامِ

Leave the description of trifles for the miserable

Leave the description of barren deserts to the wretched,

And serve it to me, a draft, in peace

And pour me this pure wine in comfort and in peace.