وَخَمّارَةٍ لِلَّهوِ فيها بَقِيَّةٌ

إِلَيها ثَلاثاً نَحوَ حانَتِها سِرنا

Many a wine-mistress there is, in whom some amusement remains,

Towards whom we journeyed, three of us heading for her tavern,

وَلِلَّيلِ جِلبابٌ عَلَينا وَحَولَنا

فَما إِن تَرى إِنساً لَدَيهِ وَلا جِنّا

While the night cast a cloak upon us and around us,

So that you could see neither human nor Jinn therein,

يُسايِرُنا إِلّا سَماءً نُجومُها

مُعَلَّقَةٌ فيها إِلى حَيثُ وَجَّهنا

Nothing keeping pace with us but a sky whose stars

Were suspended within it, wherever we turned our face,

إِلى أَن طَرَقنا بابَها بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ

فَقالَت مَنِ الطُرّاقُ قُلنا لَها إِنّا

Until we knocked at her door after the night had grown still,

She asked, "Who are the knockers?" We replied to her, "We are...

شَبابٌ تَعارَفنا بِبابِكِ لَم نَكُن

نَروحُ بِما رُحنا إِلَيكِ فَأَدلَجنا

...Youths who found each other at your door; we would not...

...Depart content with how we began, so we traveled the night to you.

فَإِن لَم تُجيبينا تَبَدَّدَ شَملُنا

وَإِن تَجمَعينا بِالوِدادِ تَواصَلنا

For if you do not answer us, our gathering will be scattered,

But if you gather us in with affection, we shall be united."

فَقالَت لَنا أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحَباً

بِفِتيانِ صِدقٍ ما أَرى بَينَهُم أَفنا

She said to us, "Welcome, be at ease, and greetings,

To noble youths; I see no foolishness among them."

فَقُلتُ لَها كَيلاً حِساباً مُقَوَّماً

دَواريقَ خَمرٍ ما نَقَصنَ وَما زِدنا

I said to her, "A measure, a reckoning, a fair evaluation—

Pitchers of wine that are not lacking, nor need we add more."

فَجاءَت بِها كَالشَمسِ يَحكي شُعاعُها

شُعاعَ الثُرَيّا في زُجاجٍ لَها حُسنا

She brought it forth like the sun, its radiance resembling

The beams of the Pleiades within glass of exquisite beauty.

فَقُلتُ لَها ما الإِسمُ وَالسِعرُ بَيِّني

لَنا سِعرَها كَيما نَزورُكَ ما عِشنا

I said to her, "What is the name? And the price? Make clear

Its cost to us, so that we may visit you as long as we live."

فَقالَت لَنا حَنّونُ إِسمي وَسِعرُها

ثَلاثٌ بِتِسعٍ هَكَذا غَيرَكُم بِعنا

She said to us, "Hannun is my name, and its price is

Three for nine; this is how we have sold to others."

وَلَمّا تَوَلّى اللَيلُ أَو كادَ أَقبَلَت

إِلَينا بِميزانٍ لِتَنقُدَنا الوَزنا

And when the night turned away, or nearly so, she approached

Us with a scale to exact the payment by weight.

فَقُلتُ لَها جِئنا وَفي المالِ قِلَّةٌ

فَهَل لَكِ في أَن تَقبَلي بَعضَنا رَهنا

I said to her, "We came, but there is a scarcity of money,

So is it agreeable to you to accept part of us as a pledge?"

فَقالَت لَنا أَنتَ الرَهينَةُ في يَدي

مَتى لَم يَفوا بِالمالِ خِلَّدتُكَ السِجنا

She said to us, "You shall be the hostage in my hand;

If they do not fulfill the payment, I will make your prison eternal."