وَمُدامٍ كَأَنَّها في حَشا الدَنْ

نِ صَباحٌ مُقارَنُ بِمَساءِ

And a glowing goblet there, as though

'T were dust of dawn in hue of gloom,

فَهِيَ نَفسٌ لَها مِنَ الطينِ جِسمٌ

لَم تُمَتَّع فيهِ بِطولِ البَقاءِ

A spirit with a body made of clay

Not blessed with length of days in it to stay.

ما تَوَهَمتُ قَبلَها أَن في العا

لَمِ ناراً تُذكى بِقَرعِ الماءِ

I never dreamed before I met with her

A flame could burn, fanned but by splash of water.

بَزَلَت وَالضُحى عَنِ اللَيلِ مَحجو

بُ فَلاحَت كَالشَمسِ في الظُلماءِ

She slipped; and morning from the dark of night

Fled, then shone forth e'en as the sun beams bright,

وَتَلاهُ الفَجرُ المُنيرُ فَعُفنا

هُ لِأَنّا عَن نورِهِ في غِناءِ

And dawn then followed, beauteous, but we turned

From its clear light as needing nought we yearned

ما اِستَزَدنا بِهِ ضِياءً عَلى أَيسَ

رَ ما كانَ عِندَنا مِن ضِياءِ

To add unto the radiance that she lent,

Flooding the place where we were with her glent.

مازَجَت جَوهَرَ الزُجاجِ فَجاءَت

كَشُعاعٍ مُمازِجٍ لِهَواءِ

She mixed clear glass and came as intertwined

With beam of light embracing wandering wind.

وَتَجَلَّت مِن الحَبابِ بَدرٌ

يَتَلاشى بِاللَحظِ وَالإيماءِ

The bubbles showed a full moon growing less

That passes with a wink or waving tress.

بَينَما تَكتَسي بِهِ زَردُ البَلو

رِ حَتّى تَرفُضُ مِثلَ الهَباءِ

Green emerald with that light took on a dress

Till you might think it thinnest gauze in its finesse

فَكَأَنّا بَينَ الكُؤوسِ بِدُرٍّ

تَتَهادى كَواكِب الجَوزاءِ

As though the goblets were a silver bow

And stars therein that in the Swan do go.

وَكأَنَّ المُديرَ في الحِلَّةِ البَي

ضاءِ مِنها في حُلَّةٍ صَفراءِ

And as the butler in his whiteness vies

With her who dons a gown of yellow dyes.

حَبَذا العَيشُ حَيثُ تَسري الأَماني

بَينَ جَدِّ الغِنا وَهَزلِ الغِناءِ

Sweet life where fancy strays 'twixt earnest, jest,

And youth's intoxication's more than palmwine zest.

حَيثُ سُكرُ الشَبابِ أَقضى عَلى قَل

بي وَأَمضى مِن نَشوَةِ الصَهباءِ