وَغَريرِ الشَبابِ مُحتَبِكِ الحُس
نِ عَلى جيدِهِ مَناطُ التَميمِ
The flush of youth still plays upon his cheek,
And a naïve youth, with beauty tightly knit
The amulet of joy lies on his brow,
Upon a neck where amulets are hung.
قَد غَذاهُ النَعيمُ فَاِحمَرَّتِ الوَج
نَةُ مِنهُ عَلى فَسادِ الحُلومِ
Luxuriant living makes his face glow red,
Bliss has nourished him, so his cheek flushed red
Corrupting his innocent nature.
Amidst the corruption of prudent minds.
فَهوَ عَفُّ الجُفونِ في النَظَرِ العَم
دِ حِذاراً عَلى فُؤادِ النَديمِ
He lowers his languid lids over his eyes,
He is modest of eyelid when looking intently,
Warily guarding his heart from his boon companion.
Out of caution for the drinking companion's heart.
يَتَثَنّى إِذا مَشى فَهوَ لَدنٌ
في اِعتِدالٍ بِجودَةِ التَقويمِ
He sways as he walks, graceful and lithe
He sways when he walks, for he is supple,
In the perfection of his form.
In a poise of exquisite constitution.
أَندَبَت كَفُّهُ الزُجاجَةُ وَهناً
فَهيَ فيها جِراحُ تِلكَ الكُلومِ
The bottle has wounded his hand -
The glass cup wounded his palm due to his softness,
There you can see the scars from those revels.
So upon it are the scars of those injuries.
فَهُوَ الراحِلُ المَطِيَّ إِلَينا
مِن أَباريقَ صَفوَةَ الخُرطومِ
He is the traveller who has come to us
He is the one driving the mounts toward us
From the flasks of the choicest wine of Khartoum,
With pitchers of the purest vintage wine.
بِنتُ كَرمٍ أَباحَها كَرَمُ الجَو
هَرِ مِنهُ وَرِقَّةُ في الأَديمِ
The daughter of generosity, whom the generous man
Daughter of the vine, made permissible by the nobility
Has granted freedom, a delicate slip of a girl.
Of his essence and the delicacy of his skin.
تَلحَقُ الظَبيَ وَالظَليمَ مِنَ الجَر
يِ وَتُزري بِكَربَةِ المَغمومِ
She joins the roebuck and the oryx
She overtakes the gazelle and the ostrich in speed,
As they race over the barren land,
And scorns the distress of the sorrowful soul.
وَنَديمٍ فَدَيتُهُ مِن نَديمٍ
وَجهُهُ جالِبٌ لِكُلِّ نَعيمِ
And a companion whose ransom I would pay
And a drinking companion—may I be his ransom—what a companion!
With any ransom - his face invites all pleasures.
His face is the bringer of every bliss.
مَجَّ في الكَأسِ ريقَهُ وَسَقاني
مِن شَرابٍ مُعَتَّقٍ مَختومِ
He poured into my cup till it overflowed
He mingled his nectar in the cup and gave me to drink
With a mature vintage, sealed wine.
From a liquor aged and sealed.
