خَليلَيَّ قَد طابَ الشَرابُ المُبَرَّدُ

وَقَد عُدتُ بَعدَ الشَكِّ وَالعودُ أَحمَدُ

My friend, the chilled wine is good,

And I have returned, after doubt and absence, Ahmad.

فَهاتا عُقاراً في قَميصِ زُجاجَةٍ

كَياقوتَةٍ في دُرَّةٍ تَتَوَقَّدُ

So bring me a potion in a glass flask,

Like a ruby in a pearl that glows.

يَصوغُ عَليها الماءُ شُبّاكَ فِضَّةٍ

لَها حَلَقٌ بيضٌ تَحَلُّ وَتُعقَدُ

The water fashions around it a net of silver,

With a white necklace that dissolves and coagulates.

وَغَنّى لَنا في جَوفِها حَبَشِيَّةٌ

عَلَيها سَراويلٌ مِنَ الماءِ مُجسَدُ

And it sings for us in its interior a Habashiyya song,

Wearing trousers of water embodied.

فَظاهِرُها حِلمٌ صَبورٌ عَلى الأَذى

وَباطِنُها جَهلٌ يَقومُ وَيَقعُدُ

Its appearance is forbearing patience from harm

And its interior is ignorance that rises and sits.

وَلَمّا جَنَيناها قِطافاً رَويَّةً

تَذوبُ إِذا مَسَّت عَناقيدَها اليَدُ

And when we pluck it as ripe bunches,

It melts when its clusters touch the hand.