نَعَم سَهِرتُ نَديمَ الكَأسِ وَالوَتَرِ

وَاللَيلُ يَقظانُ عَينِ الزُهْرِ وَالزَهَرِ

Yes, I stayed up late with the cup and lute companions,

And the night kept awake the eyes of flowers and blossoms.

يا نائِمَ اللَيلِ ماذا فاتَ نائِمَهُ

مِن لَذَّةٍ تَشتَريها العَينُ بِالسَهَرِ

O you who sleep the night, what did you miss, o sleeper,

Of the pleasure the eye buys with staying up?

لا بُدَّ بَينَ الرِضا وَالسُخطِ مِن سَهَرٍ

يُقَلِّبُ اللَيلَ بَينَ الطولِ وَالقِصَرِ

There must be between pleasure and displeasure some waking

That turns the night between long and short.

وَأَنتَ يا قَمَري لا بُدَّ مِنكَ وَلَو

بَنَيتَ دارَكَ لي في دارَةِ القَمَرِ

And you, my moon, I must have you even if

You built your house for me in the moon's orbit.

يا مَورِدَ العَيشِ لَم يَترُكْهُ وارِدُهُ

عَلى الصَفاءِ وَلَم يَهجُرْهُ لِلكَدَرِ

O life's resort, its resorter did not leave it

Untainted, nor did he abandon it to turbidity.

ظَبيٌ إِذا ما أَدارَ الخَمرَ قُلتُ لَهُ

هَذا الَّذي لَم تُدِرهُ ظَبيَةُ الخَمَرِ

I said to the gazelle when he passed the wine,

"This is what the gazelle of wine did not know."

إِن نامَ زُرتُ خَيالاً أَو يَهُبَّ أَزُر

أَو يَمشِ أَسعَ وَإِن خَبَّ الخُطى أَطِر

If he sleeps, I visit a fantasy, he wraps a belt

Or walks proudly, and if his pace falters, I reproach.