وَخَمّارٍ حَطَطتُ إِلَيهِ لَيلاً

قَلائِصَ قَد وُنينَ مِنَ السِفارِ

To a wine-merchant I descended by night,

With young camels weary from the journey's toll.

فَجَمجَمَ وَالكَرى في مِقلَتَيهِ

كَمَخمورٍ شَكا أَلَمَ الخُمارِ

He muttered, with sleep still heavy in his eyes,

Like a drunkard complaining of a hangover's ache.

أَبِن لي كَيفَ صِرتَ إِلى حَريمي

وَنَجمُ اللَيلِ مُكتَحِلٌ بِقارِ

"Explain to me," he said, "how you reached my sanctuary,

When the star of night is blackened as if with pitch?"

فَقُلتُ لَهُ تَرَفَّق بي فَإِنّي

رَأَيتُ الصُبحَ مِن خَلَلِ الدِيارِ

I replied, "Be gentle with me, for I...

...glimpsed the dawn through the gaps of your dwelling."

فَكانَ جَوابُهُ أَن قالَ صُبحٌ

وَلا صُبحٌ سِوى ضَوءُ العُقارِ

His answer was to ask: "Dawn?"

"There is no dawn here but the light of the wine."

وَقامَ إِلى العُقارِ فَسَدَّ فاها

فَعادَ اللَيلُ مُسوَدَّ الإِزارِ

He rose to the wine-jar and sealed its mouth,

And the night returned, wearing its cloak of black.

فَحَلَّ بِزالُها في قَعرِ كَأسٍ

مُحَفَّرَةِ الجَوانِبِ وَالقَرارِ

Then he released its flow into the depth of a cup,

Engraved upon its sides and its base,

مُصَوَّرَةً بِصورَةِ جُندِ كِسرى

وَكِسرى في قَرارِ الطَرجَهارِ

Adorned with images of Khosrow's army,

With Khosrow himself in the goblet's depth.

وَجُلُّ الجُندِ تَحتَ رِكابِ كِسرى

بِأَعمِدَةٍ وَأَقبِيَةٍ قِصارِ

The main host is gathered beneath Khosrow's stirrups,

With raised banners and short battle-tunics.