لَستُ أَنسى يَوماً لِمَجلِسِ أُنسٍ

كانَ فيهِ مِنَ الأَخِلّاءِ عَدَّه

I will never forget a day of intimate gathering

Among friends of select number

وَكُؤوسُ الطِلا تُدارُ عَلَينا

مِن مَليحٍ لا تَنظُرَ الشَمسَ بَعدَه

Cups of wine passed round

So pure no eye could see their like again

غُصنَ بانٍ مُكَلَّلٌ بِزُهورِ

يَخجَلُ الوَردَ أَن يُناظِرَ خَدَّه

A branch of unrivalled beauty

Its blossoms shaming roses' pride

ذو عُيونٍ سَوادُها عِلَّةُ السو

دا بِقِراطٍ في المَباحِثِ عَدَّه

With eyes so darkly bright

In learned debate none could him chide

راقٍ مَعنى وَرقٍ طَبعاً خَصرا

وَاِختِصاراً قَد أَعدَمَ العَقلَ رُشدَه

Refined of meaning, graceful of form

His perfection sense and reason did confide

وَرِثَ الحُسنَ عَن بَديعِ جَمالِ

كامِلٌ في الصِفاتِ صافي المَوَدَّه

Inheriting beauty from perfect beauty

Flawless in his qualities, pure in his affection

فَحَظَينا بِكُلِّ مَعنى لَطيفِ

وَبِمَغنى تَنسى المُسَبِّحَ وَردَه

We enjoyed every subtle meaning

And voice that made the glorifiers forget their litany

مَجلِسٌ كانَ مَشبَهاً رَوضَ زَهرِ

بَينَ وَردٍ وَنَرجِسٍ زانَ عِقدَه

A gathering that resembled a garden of flowers

Among roses and narcissi arranged

غَيرَ أَنَّ الرَقيبَ جاءَ عَلَينا

حَسبُهُ اللَهُ لَو تَخَلَّفَ مَدَّه

But for the supervisor who came upon us

God judge him - better had he delayed

فَلَبِثنا هَنيهَةً ثُمَّ قُمنا

وَاِنصَرَفنا وَالمُلكُ لِلَهِ وَحدَه

For a while we remained, then we stood

And left, for to God alone belongs the Kingdom