وَفِتيَةٍ نازَعوا وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرٌ

بَرقاً تَلوحُ بِهِ أَيدٍ وَأَقداحُ

Youths were disputing while the night was pitch dark

And many a youth have vied while the night was dark,

With lightning flashing from hands and goblets

Sharing lightning that flashed through hands and goblets;

أَذكى سِراجاً وَساقي القَومِ يَمزِجُها

فَلاحَ في البَيتِ كَالمِصباحِ مِصباحُ

They kindled lamps and the server mixed drinks

It kindled a light as the cupbearer mixed the draught,

The house lit up like lamps upon lamps

So a lamp shone in the house, just like the lamp itself.

كِدنا عَلى عِلمِنا لِلشَكِّ نَسأَلُهُ

أَراحُنا نارُنا أَم نارُنا الراحُ

We exerted our knowledge but still questioned

We almost, despite our knowledge, asked him in doubt:

Did our fire give us comfort or make us more restless

"Is our wine this fire of ours, or is our fire the wine?"