دعا داعي الصباح إلى الصبوح — Alshaghouri

The herald of morning called for morning wine;

so answer the summons of the loudly crowing cock.

O cock of morning, surely they shall reap—

your radiant favors—the fruit of my praise.

At dawn you cried, 'Come to the morning wine!'

to awaken us—what a sincere adviser you are!

So hasten, my drinking companion, to drink wine

like the cock's eye and musk from a slit pod,

aged, dark-red in color, unmixed,

that makes the tongue of the quick-witted, eloquent man stammer.

And leave off haggling over it, and avoid

the grudging miser's disposition toward it.

For there is no fault and no loss when

you buy wine at a handsome price.

And do not bolt toward those who reproach you for it,

defying the trainers like a headstrong steed.

Do you not see the Pleiades, just before

dawn, sinking like a weary, exhausted man;

and night's camel herd rushing away in defeat,

and dawn's old bull-camel like a battle-ready warrior?

Then rise, my friend, and unveil before me the cup of

morning wine in the radiance of that lovely face.

And pass it here, and take it, until you see me

deeming intimacy with the ugly beautiful.

Through it, one dead from cares returns to life;

for in him its work is the work of the Messiah.

Its pressing preceded Noah's Flood

by as much as I came after Noah's time.

With my mouth I drew from it the wine-jar's soul;

so I have two souls, and it has none,

until I lay sprawled beside it,

my body prostrate like the toppled wine-jar.

With wine I shall gather my scattered self,

to heal the sorrow of my wounded heart.

I seem to see myself, with it soon drawing near—

the separation between my body and my soul.

So, O people, aid the caller who, with words

eloquent, has brought the true meaning!

I have found the sweetest gift the nights lend

to be sparring with people on the eloquent string.