وَعُقارٍ كَأَنَّما نَتَعاطى

في كُؤوسِ اللُجَينِ مِنها سِراجا

With a drink as though we were sipping

And a vintage wine—it is as if we were passing

In crystal cups, it shone like a lamp

Within cups of silver, a radiant lamp;

خَندَريسٌ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ طيبٍ

زَوَّجوها وَلَيسَ تَهوى الزَواجا

A glistening one, as if it were every perfume

An aged liquor that seems to possess every fragrance;

Wed together, though it cares not for marriage

They gave her in marriage to water, though she desires no union,

فَرَمَت أَوجُهَ النُدامى بِنَبلٍ

لَيسَ يُدمي وَلَيسَ يُبدي شِجاجا

So the remorseful turned away their faces with arrows

So she struck the faces of the drinking companions with arrows

That wound not, nor make a sound

That draw no blood and leave no visible scars.

مَزَجَ الكَأسَ لي غَزالٌ أَديبٌ

هاشِمِيٌّ أَصابَ فيها المِزاجا

A graceful gazelle mixed me a cup

A cultured gazelle mixed the draft for me,

A poet of Hashim who hit the right blend

A Hashemite noble who struck the perfect blend.

فَتَحَسَّيتُها وَناوَلتُ ظَبياً

فاتِرَ الطَرفِ ساحِراً مِغناجا

I took it carefully and sipped like a thirsty beast

I sipped it slowly, then handed it to a fawn

With a languid eye, enchanting and wooing

With languid eyes, enchanting and coquettish.

قالَ لي وَالمُدامُ تَأخُذُ فيهِ

يا أَميري إِن كُنتَ بي مِلهاجا

He said to me, as the wine took hold

He spoke to me as the wine began to take hold of him:

My lord, if you wish, make me your amusement

'O my prince, if you are truly passionate about me,

فَقُمِ الآنَ طائِعاً قُلتُ عُج بي

يا مَليكي إِلى الفِراشِ فَعاجا

So I said willingly, come now my beauty

Then rise now, willingly.' I replied, 'Turn with me,

To the bed, make haste and fly

O my king, toward the bed,' and so he turned.

فَحَلَلنا هُناكَ تِكَّةَ خَزٍّ

وَحَسَرنا قَباءهُ الديباجا

There we loosened a knot of silk

There, we loosened a waistband of silk,

And unveiled its brocade cover

And stripped away his brocade tunic.

ثُمَّ أَرسَلتُ بازَ صِدقٍ نَشيطاً

يَقتُلُ الوَزَّ ثُمَّ وَالدُرّاجا

Then I sent a loyal hawk, quick and keen

Then I unleashed a trusty, vigorous hawk

To kill the goose, and then the drake

To hunt the geese and the francolins.