تَداوَ مِنَ الصَغيرَةِ بِالكَبيرِ
وَخُذها مِن يَدَي ساقٍ غَريرِ
Seek appeasement from the little one with the great
Cure the lesser ailment with the greater draught,
And take her from the hands of a tender leg
And take it from the hand of a tender, young cupbearer.
وَدَعني مِن بُكائِكَ في عِراصٍ
وَفي أَطلالِ مَنزِلَةٍ وَدورِ
And let me be from your crying in desolate places
Spare me your weeping over deserted courtyards,
And in the ruins of homes and houses
And over the ruins of campsites and crumbled homes.
وَلا تَشرَب بِلا طَرَبٍ وَلَهوٍ
فَإِنَّ الخَيلَ تَشرَبُ بِالصَفيرِ
And do not drink without joy and play
Do not drink without rapture and delight,
For horses drink with whistling
For even the horses drink to the sound of a whistle.
فَلَيسَ الشُربُ إِلّا بِالمَلاهي
وَفي الحَرَكاتِ مِن بَمٍّ وَزيرِ
So drinking is only with amusements
There is no true drinking without the joy of music,
And in movements of bam and zir
And the stirring chords of the lute's low and high strings.