نَدامايَ طولَ الدَهرِ خُرسٌ عَنِ الخِنا

وَعُميٌ عَنِ العَوراءِ نَزهٌ عَنِ الكِبرِ

My drinking companions are forever mute regarding obscenity,

Blind to defects, and pure of arrogance.

إِذا نَزَفوا زِقّاً أَقَمتُ مَكانَهُ

مِنَ الشاصِياتِ السودِ مَحزوزَةَ الظَهرِ

Whenever they drain a wineskin, I set in its place

One of the stiff black vessels with a ridged back,

تُكِنُّ رَحيقاً مِن مُدامَةِ عانَةٍ

إِذا هِيَ فاحَت أَجلَتِ الهَمَّ عَن صَدري

Harboring a nectar from the vintage of ‘Anah;

When it breathes its fragrance, it drives sorrow from my chest.

وَيُبدي لَنا مِن جَوفِها مَسُّ مَزجِها

كَأَلسِنَةِ الحَيّاتِ تَبدو مِنَ الذُعرِ

The touch of mixing reveals to us from its depths

Shapes like the tongues of snakes darting in panic.

لَدَينا أَباريقٌ كَأَنَّ رِقابَها

رِقابُ كَراكِيٍّ نَظَرنَ إِلى صَقرِ

We have pitchers whose necks resemble

The necks of cranes gazing up at a hawk,

مُنَصَّبَةٌ قَد قَدَّمَتها سُقاتُنا

وَريحانُنا شَمُّ الخُدودِ إِلى النَحرِ

Set upright, presented by our cupbearers,

And our sweet basil is the scent of cheeks and throats.