وَخَمّارٍ حَطَطتُ إِلَيهِ رَحلي

فَقامَ مُرَنَّحاً ثَمِلاً يَميلُ

My companion, burdened and leaning, I directed my camel towards him,

And many a vintner with whom I settled my journey,

He stood swaying, heavily leaning to one side.

Who rose swaying, staggering in his drunkenness.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ إتَّئِدهُِ فَالرِفقُ يُمنٌ

وَلَم يَظفَر بِحاجَتِهِ العَجولُ

I said to him: "Rest yourself, for gentleness brings blessings,

I said to him, "Go gently, for gentleness is a blessing,

While the hasty attain not their desire."

And the hasty man never attains his desire."

فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ رَدَّ فَتىً أَديبٍ

خَليلي لَستُ أَجهَلُ ما تَقولُ

He answered me with the reply of a cultured youth:

He answered me with the reply of a cultured youth:

"My friend, I am not ignorant of what you say."

"My friend, I am not ignorant of what you say."

وَقامَ إِلى الَّتي عَكَفَت عَلَيها

بَناتُ الدَهرِ وَالزَمَنِ الطَويلُ

And he went to her, whom the daughters of time and the long eras

Then he moved toward that vessel over which

Had busied themselves with.

The daughters of time and long ages had lingered.

فَوَدَّجَ خَصرَها فَبَدا لِسانٌ

كَأَنَّ لُعابَهُ عَلَقٌ يَسيلُ

He clasped her waist, and there appeared a tongue,

He pierced its waist, and a tongue appeared,

As if its saliva were dripping honey.

As if its spittle were flowing crimson blood,

بِكَفِّ مُزَنَّرٍ أَعلاهُ غُصنٌ

وَأَسفَلُ خَصرِهِ رِدفٌ ثَقيلُ

With a bejeweled hand, above which was a branch,

In the hand of a sash-wearer whose upper body is a slender bough,

And below her waist was a heavy flank.

While below his waist lies a heavy weight.

أَقولُ وَقَد بَدا لِلصُبحِ نَجمٌ

خَليلِيَ إِنَّ فِعلَكَ بي جَميلُ

I say, as the morning star appeared to the dawn:

I said, when the star of morning had appeared:

"My friend, your deed towards me is beautiful."

"My friend, your deed toward me is gracious.

أَرِحني قَد تَرَفَّعَتِ الثُرَيّا

وَغالَت جُنحَ لَيلي عَنكَ غولُ

"Set me at ease, for the Pleiades have risen high

Pour me relief, for the Pleiades have risen high,

And the wings of my night have flown far from you."

And a ghoul has snatched the darkness of my night away from you."

فَقالَ الآنَ تَأمُرُني بِهَذا

وَقَد عَلِقَت مَفاصِلِيَ الشَمولُ

He said: "Now you command me this,

He said, "Is it now that you command me to do this,

When my joints have been seized by paralysis."

When the wine has already seized my every joint?"