إِذا أَجرى أَمينُ اللَ

هِ في الحَلبَةِ أَفراسا

When the Trustee of God sets running

His horses in the racecourse,

أَقَمنا حَلبَةَ اللَهوِ

فَأَجرَينا بِها الكاسا

We set up the racecourse of pleasure,

And we raced the wine cup within it.

وَأَنشَأنا بِها مِن طُ

رَفِ الرَيحانِ أَجناسا

And we produced therein, from the rar-

ities of basil, various kinds.

بِمَيدانٍ جَعَلنا خَي

لَهُ طاساً وَأَكواسا

In an arena where we made its ste-

eds into bowls and cups.

وَصَيَّرنا عَلى السَبَقِ

مَكانَ القَصَبِ الآسا

And we set up for the betting stakes,

Instead of the reed, the myrtle.

وَمُجريهِنَّ ساقٍ يَب

عَثُ الإِبريقَ وَالطاسا

And their jockey is a cupbearer who dis-

patches the pitcher and the bowl.

نَراهُ قَمَراً يَجلو ال

دُجى قَد فَتَنَ الناسا

We see him as a moon dispelling the

Darkness, having captivated the people.

يُحاكي الصَنَمَ المَعبو

دَ وَالغُصنَ إِذا ماسا

He resembles the worshipped idol,

And the willow branch when it sways.

وَإِن جاذَبتَهُ نامَ

وَإِن هازَلتَهُ باسا

And if you pull him close, he feigns sleep,

And if you toy with him, he kisses.

فَلَمّا وَدَّجَ الدَنَّ

وَسالَت خَمرُهُ راسا

And when he broached the vein of the cask,

And its wine flowed out headlong,

بَكى وَاِنتَحَبَ العودُ

وَأَبدى الدُفَّ وَسواسا

The lute wept and wailed,

And the tambourine revealed a whisper.

وَقامَ النايُ يَشكو بَث

ثَ ما لاقى وَما قاسى

And the flute rose to complain of the sor-

row of what it met and what it endured.

وَصاحَ الصَنجُ حَتّى أَخ

رَسَ النُدمانَ إِخراسا

And the cymbal shouted until it si-

lenced the drinking companions utterly.

فَقُل لي يا أَبا عيسى

بِحَقّي هَل تَرى باسا

So tell me, O Abu Isa,

By my right, do you see any harm?

شَبابٌ خَلَعوا عَن فَت

كِهِم عُذراً وَأَمراسا

Youths who have cast off, in their reck-

lessness, all excuse and restraint.

جَرَوا في حَلبَةِ اللَذّا

تِ حَتّى سَبَقوا الناسا

They ran in the racecourse of pleas-

ures until they outstripped all people.