أحسنُ من رمي برعّادةٍ

ومن قِذافِ المنجنيقاتِ

Better than one who hurls stones

Better than the casting of a thunder-bolt,

And catapult boulders

Or the bombardment of the mangonels,

مُسامرٌ في مجلس حاضر

أمام أعوادٍ وناياتِ

Is an entertainer in a lively gathering

Is a night-friend in a seated company,

Before logs and flutes

Before the wooden ouds and wailing flutes,

وقينةٌ تشدو على صنجِها

تعطيكَ أسبابَ اللذاذات

And a singing girl strumming her lute

And a songstress singing to her instrument,

Giving you reasons for delight

Who gives to you the grounds for all delight.

فذاك يشلي الهمّ لا معرَكٌ

يرمي بأحجارِ المنيّات

For that alleviates cares, not battle

For that drives worry out, unlike the war,

That hurls stones of fate

Which hurls the heavy stones of mortal doom.