وَمُتَرَّفٍ عَقَلَ الحَياءُ لِسانَهُ

فَكَلامُهُ بِالوَحيِ وَالإيماءِ

The refined man's modesty held back his tongue

A pampered soul whose tongue was bound by shyness,

So he spoke by gestures and divine inspiration

So that his speech became mere signals and gestures.

لَمّا نَظَرتُ إِلى الكَرى في عَينِهِ

قَد عَقَّدَ الجَفنَينِ بِالإِغفاءِ

When I saw the drunkenness in his eyes

When I gazed upon the slumber in his eyes,

As he knitted his eyelids with drowsiness

Which had sealed his eyelids fast in sleep,

حَرَّكتُهُ بِيَدي وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِنتَبِه

يا سَيِّدَ الخُلَطاءِ وَالنُدَماءِ

I shook him with my hand and said to him, awaken

I stirred him with my hand and said to him, "Awake,

O master of the mixed company and the regrets

O master of close companions and drinking partners,

حَتّى أُزيحَ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِشُربَةٍ

تَسمو بِصاحِبِها إِلى العَلياءِ

Until the worry is lifted from you with a drink

That I may banish your sorrow with a draught

That elevates its drinker to the highest

That ascends with its drinker to the sublime."

فَأَجابَني وَالسُكرُ يَخفِضُ صَوتَهُ

وَالصُبحُ يَدفَعُ في قَفا الظُلَماءِ

He answered me as drunkenness lowered his voice

He answered me—while intoxication hushed his voice,

And the dawn pushed away the darkness

As dawn pushed against the nape of the night—

إِنّي لَأَفهَمُ ما تَقولُ وَإِنَّما

رَدَّ التَعافي سَورَةُ الصَهباءِ

I do understand what you say but

"I truly comprehend what you are saying, yet

Sobriety has turned away the surge of tipsiness

The surge of wine has driven off sobriety."