يا طيبَنا بِقُصورِ القُفصِ مُشرِفَةً

فيها الدَصاكِرُ وَالأَنهارُ تَطَّرِدُ

How delightful was our stay in the lofty palaces of al-Qufs,

Wherein estates lie and rivers steadily flow.

لَمّا أَخَذنا بِها الصَهباءَ صافِيَةً

كَأَنَّها النارُ وَسطَ الكَأسِ تَتَّقِدُ

When we took up the reddish-gold wine, pure and clear,

As though it were a fire kindled within the cup.

جاءَتكَ مِن بَيتِ خَمّارٍ بِطينَتِها

صَفراءَ مِثلَ شُعاعِ الخَمسِ تَرتَعِدُ

It came to you from the vintner's house in its clay seal,

Golden, trembling like a beam of sunlight.

فَقامَ كَالغُصنِ قَد شُدَّت مَناطِقُهُ

ظَبيٌ يَكادُ مِنَ التَهيِيفِ يَنعَقِدُ

Then the cupbearer rose, like a willow bough with sash tightened,

A gazelle whose waist, from slenderness, seemed ready to knot.

فَاِستَلَّها مِن فَمِ الإِبريقِ فَاِنبَعَثَت

مِثلَ اللِسانِ جَرى وَاِستَمسَكَ الجَسَدُ

He drew it from the pitcher's mouth, and it rushed forth,

Running like a tongue, while the vessel's body held firm.

فَلَم نَزَل في صَباحِ السَبتِ نَأخُذُها

وَاللَيلُ يَجمَعُنا حَتّى بَدا الأَحَدُ

So we ceased not, on the morning of Saturday, to partake of it,

With the night gathering us until Sunday appeared.

ثُمَّ اِبتَدَأنا الطِلا بِاللَهوِ مِن أَمَمٍ

في نِعمَةٍ غابَ عَنها الضيقُ وَالنَكَدُ

Then we began upon the vintage with mirth, close at hand,

In a bliss from which all distress and misery were absent.

حَتّى بَدَت غُرَّةُ الإِثنَينِ واضِحَةً

وَالسَعدُ مُعتَرِضٌ وَالطالِعُ الأَسَدُ

Until the white brow of Monday appeared clearly,

With good fortune presenting itself, and the ascendant was Leo.

وَفي الثَلاثاءِ أَعمَلنا المَطِيَّ بِها

صَهباءَ ما قَرَعَتها بِالمِزاجِ يَدُ

And on Tuesday, we drove the mounts of pleasure with it,

A ruddy wine that no hand had struck with water.

وَالأَربِعاءُ كَسَرنا حَدَّ سَورَتِها

وَالكَأسُ يَضحَكُ في تيجانِها الزَبَدُ

And on Wednesday, we broke the sharp edge of its potency,

While the cup laughed with foam upon its crown.

ثُمَّ الخَميسُ وَصَلناهُ بِلَيلَتِهِ

قَصفاً وَتَمَّ لَنا بِالجُمعَةِ العَدَدُ

Then Thursday—we joined its day to its night,

In revelry, until the full count was completed for us by Friday.

يا حُسنَنا وَبِحارُ القَصفِ تَغمِرُنا

في لُجَّةِ اللَيلِ وَالأَوتارُ تَغتَرِدُ

How splendid we were, with the seas of revelry submerging us,

In the deep abyss of night, while the lute strings sang.

في مَجلِسٍ حَولَهُ الأَشجارُ مُحدِقَةً

وَفي جَوانِبِهِ الأَنهارُ تَطَّرِدُ

In an assembly surrounded by encircling trees,

And along its borders, the rivers flowed steadily.

لا نَستَخِفُّ بِساقينا لِعِزَّتِهِ

وَلا يَرُدُّ عَلَيهِ حُكمَهُ أَحَدُ

We did not slight our cupbearer, because of his dignity,

And no one dared to overturn his decree.

عِندَ الأَميرِ أَبي عيسى الَّذي كَمُلَت

أَخلاقَهُ فَهيَ كَالأَوراقِ تُنتَقَدُ

In the presence of Prince Abu Isa, he whose character is perfected,

His morals, like pure coins, stand true when tested.