وَلَستُ بِقائِلٍ لِنَديمِ صِدقٍ

وَقَد أَخَذَ النُعاسُ بِمُقلَتَيهِ

I do not say to a sincere friend

I am not one to say to a true drinking companion,

When sleep has seized his eyelids,

When drowsiness has seized his eyes:

تَناوَلها وَإِلّا لَم أَذُقها

فَيَأخُذُها وَقَد ثَقُلَت عَلَيهِ

“Take it,” lest he does not relish it

"Take this, or else I shall not taste it,"

And takes it when it burdens him.

So that he takes it though it weighs heavy upon him.

وَلَكِنّي أُديرُ الكَأسَ عَنهُ

وَأَصرِفُها بِغَمزَةِ حاجِبَيهِ

But I turn the cup from him

But rather, I turn the cup away from him,

And divert it with a raise of my eyebrows,

And divert it at the mere signal of his brows,

وَأَحبِسُها إِلى أَن يَشتَهيها

وَآخُذُها بِرِفقٍ مِن يَدَيهِ

And withhold it until he desires it,

And I withhold it until he desires it again,

And give it to him gently from my hand.

And I take it gently from his hands.

فَهَذا ما حَيِيتُ لَهُ وَإِنّي

أَبَرُّ بِمِثلِهِ مِن والِدَيهِ

Thus I act as long as I live,

This is my way with him as long as I live, for I

And I am kinder to him than his parents.

Am kinder to the likes of him than his own parents.