خل لغيلان نعتهُ صَيدَح

ودع جريراً بشعرهِ يمزح

Let the boys boast of what they have hunted,

Leave Ghilan to describe his Saydah,

And leave Jarir to jest in his verses.

And let Jarir play casually with his verse.

وعج بنا نعترض مخدّرةً

عذراءَ لم تُفترع ولم تُنكح

Spare us, we implore, from a maiden inebriate,

Turn with us instead to seek a veiled beauty,

A virgin neither married nor plucked.

A virgin maid, untouched and unwed,

من بيتِ حانٍ كأنّ طلعتَهُ

إذا جلاها الصباحُ إذ أصبح

From a wine seller's house she came like

From a vintner's house, whose visage shines

The morning star when dawn breaks.

When the morning unveils it as the day breaks,

كوكبُ صبح بدا وقد جعلت

أيدي الثريّا بمغربٍ تجنح

The morning star appeared, and her hands

Like the morning star appearing just as

In the dusk gently inclined.

The hands of the Pleiades dip toward the west.

طرقتُ باباً له وتاجرهُ

هاد ونبّهته فقلتُ افتح

I knocked at a door, called the owner,

I knocked upon his door while the merchant

Saying: open up, awake!

Was fast asleep; I roused him, crying, "Open!"

فقامَ مستعجلاً يجاوبني

وظلّ عن عينه الكرى يمسح

Hurriedly he rose to answer me

He rose in haste to answer my call,

And wiped the sleep from his eyes.

Wiping the heavy slumber from his eyes,

واستخرج الخمرَ من مُبزلها

ولونها كالعقيق أو أصبح

He brought out wine from its abode,

And drew the wine from its vessel’s spout,

Its color ruby or brilliant dawn.

Its color like carnelian, or yet more bright.

فصبّ في الكاسِ كالرعافِ وقد

صلّى على دنِّها وقد سبّح

He poured it in a goblet like drizzle -

He poured into the cup a crimson stream,

He blessed its low price and praised.

Having prayed and praised God over its cask,

يقرأ إجلالَ حُسن سورتها

يعجمُ بالقول ما بهِ يفصح

He recited in reverence the beauty of its surah,

Reciting in reverence of its potent beauty,

Uttering speech its secret to expound.

Muttering strange tongues to declare its worth.

وقال تشري فقلتُ غالِ بها

أمِشكةٌ في المدامِ لا أفلَح

Drink, said he; I replied: slowly, slowly,

He asked, "Will you buy?" I said, "Set the price high!

No haste in the cups and the wine won't avail.

For niggardliness with wine brings no success.

وسمِّ ما شئتَ لا أخالفكم

سوف تراني بمهرِها أسمح

Call it what you will, I'll not refuse you,

Name whatever sum you wish; I shall not object,

For her price I will be openhanded.

You will find me most generous with her dowry."