وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ قَد صَرَفتُ مَطِيُّهُم

إِلى بَيتِ خَمّارٍ نَزَلنا بِهِ ظُهرا

And with a company of trustworthy youths, whose mounts I turned aside

Toward a vintner's house, where we alighted at noon.

فَلَمّا حَكى الزُنّارُ أَن لَيسَ مُسلِماً

ظَنَنّا بِهِ خَيراً فَظَنَّ بِنا شَرّا

When his belt revealed that he was not of the Muslim faith,

We hoped for good from him, though he feared ill from us.

فَقُلنا عَلى دينِ المَسيحِ بنِ مَريَمٍ

فَأَعرَضَ مُزوَرّاً وَقالَ لَنا هُجرا

So we asked, "Are you of the faith of the Messiah, son of Mary?"

He turned away askance and spoke harsh words to us:

وَلَكِن يَهودِيٌّ يُحِبُّكَ ظاهِراً

وَيَضمِرُ في المَكنونِ مِنهُ لَكَ الخَترا

"Nay, but a Jew who shows you affection outwardly,"

"While concealing guile against you deep within."

فَقُلنا لَهُ ما الإِسمُ قالَ سَمَوأَلٌ

عَلى أَنَّني أُكنى بِعَمرٍ وَلا عَمرا

We asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Samuel,"

"Though I go by the nickname Abu Amr, having no son named Amr."

وَما شَرَّفَتني كُنيَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ

وَلا أَكسَبَتني لا سَناءً وَلا فَخرا

"No Arab nickname has ever conferred honor upon me,"

"Nor has it earned me any sublimity or pride."

وَلَكِنَّها خَفَّت وَقَلَّت حُروفُها

وَلَيسَت كَأُخرى إِنَّما خُلِقَت وَقرا

"Rather, it is light on the tongue, and its letters are few,"

"Unlike other names created only to be a heavy burden."

فَقُلنا لَهُ عُجباً بِظَرفِ لِسانِهِ

أَجَدتَ أَبا عَمرٍ فَجَوِّد لَنا الخَمرا

We said to him, marveling at the wit of his tongue:

"You have spoken well, Abu Amr, so bring us wine of equal excellence."

فَأَدبَرَ كَالمُزوَرِّ يُقسِمُ طَرفَهُ

لِأَرجُلِنا شَطراً وَأَوجُهِنا شَطرا

He retreated like one offended, dividing his glance,

Casting half toward our feet and half toward our faces,

وَقالَ لَعَمري لَو أَحَطتُم بِأَمرِنا

لَلُمناكُمُ لَكِن سَنوسِعُكُم عَذرا

Saying, "By my life, if you truly understood our state,"

"We would blame you, but we shall grant you ample excuse."

فَجاءَ بِها زَيتِيَّةً ذَهَبِيَّةً

فَلَم نَستَطِع دونَ السُجودِ لَها صَبرا

Then he brought it forth—golden and viscous as oil,

Before which we could not resist falling in prostration.

خَرَجنا عَلى أَنَّ المَقامَ ثَلاثَةٌ

فَطابَت لَنا حَتّى أَقَمنا بِها شَهرا

We had set out intending to stay but three days,

Yet it pleased us so well that we remained a whole month.

عِصابَةُ سوءٍ لا يَرى الدَهرُ مِثلُهُم

وَإِن كُنتُ مِنهُم لا بَريئاً وَلا صِفرا

A band of scoundrels, the likes of whom Time has never seen,

And I am one of them—neither innocent nor insignificant.

إِذا ما دَنا وَقتُ الصَلاةِ رَأَيتَهُم

يَحُثّونَها حَتّى تَفوتَهُمُ سُكرا

Whenever the time for prayer drew near, you would see them

Urging on the wine, until intoxication made them miss the rite.