راحَ الشَقِيُّ عَلى الرُبوعِ يَهيمُ

وَالراحُ في راحي وَرُحتُ أَهيمُ

The wretched fool went wandering about the ruins,

While wine was in my palm, and I wandered in love.

بِمُزَمزِمينَ غَدَوا بِسُدفَةِ لَيلَةٍ

وَاللَيلُ مُلتَبِسُ الظَلامِ يَهيمُ

With chanting priests who set out in the darkness of night,

While the night, clad in confusing darkness, wandered on.

مُتَوَقِّرينَ كَلامُهُم ما بَينَهُم

وَمُزَمزِمينَ خَفائُهُم مَفهومُ

Dignified in bearing, their conversation among themselves

Is but a low murmur, yet their hidden meanings are understood.

نادَمتُهُم أَرتاضُ في آدابِهِم

فَالفُرسُ عادي سُكرِهِم مَحسومُ

I became their drinking companion, schooling myself in their etiquette,

For the aggression of drunkenness among the Persians is restrained.

وَلِفارِسِ الأَحرارِ أَنفَسُ أَنفُسٍ

وَفَخارُهُم في عِشرَةٍ مَعدومُ

And the freeborn Persians possess the most precious of souls,

And boasting is nonexistent in their social intimacy.

قالوا الصَبوحُ فَقُلتُ أَكرَمُ مَشهَدٍ

طابَت وَطابَ لَها أَخٌ وَحَميمُ

They called for the morning draught, and I replied, "The noblest of scenes!"

It was delightful, made pleasant by a brother and an intimate friend,

في رَوضَةٍ لَعِبَ النَعيمُ بِحورِها

فَلَهُنَّ في خَلَلِ الدِيارِ رُسومُ

In a garden where bliss sported with its maidens,

Who have left their traces amidst the spaces of the dwellings.

فَعَنِ اليَمينِ جَداوِلٌ مَنسوقَةٌ

وَعَنِ الشِمالِ حَدائِقٌ وَكُرومُ

To the right, streams flow in orderly lines,

And to the left lie gardens and vineyards.

وَإِذا أُنادِمُ عُصبَةً عَرَبِيَّةً

بَدَرَت إِلى ذِكرِ الفَخارِ تَميمُ

But whenever I drink with a band of Arabs,

The tribe of Tamim rushes to recall their vainglory,

وَعَدَت إِلى قَيسٍ وَعَدَّت قَوسَها

سُبِيَت تَميمُ وَجَمعُهُم مَهزومُ

And turns against Qays, readying their bows,

Proclaiming how Tamim was taken captive and their host defeated.

وَبَنو الأَعاجِمِ لا أُحاذِرُ مِنهُمُ

شَرّاً فَمَنطِقُ شُربِهِم مَذمومُ

Yet from the sons of the Persians, I fear no such evil,

For speech during drinking is, by their logic, a blameworthy vice.

لا يَبذَخونَ عَلى النَديمِ إِذا اِنتَشَوا

وَلَهُم إِذا العَرَبُ اِعتَدَت تَسليمُ

They do not act arrogantly toward a companion when intoxicated,

And should the Arabs turn aggressive, they offer only peace.

وَجَميعُهُم لِيَ حينَ أَقعُدُ بَينَهُم

بِتَذَلُّلٍ وَتَهَيُّبٍ مَوسومُ

And all of them, when I take my seat among them,

Are marked by humility and reverent respect.