وَلَيلَةٍ حالِكَةِ الإِزارِ
مَدّتْ جناحاً كسوادِ القارِ
And on a dark night when the covers were drawn
Spreading wings black as pitch
يَحْجُبُ عَنّا غُرّةَ النّهارِ
عَقَرْتُ فيها الهَمَّ بِالعقارِ
Shielding from us the first light of dawn
I banished cares with a sober drink
بِجِسمِ ماءٍ فيهِ رُوحُ نارِ
في مَجلِسٍ ضَمَّ بَني الفَخارِ
A body of water with the spirit of fire
In a gathering that brought together the earthenware
كَهالَةٍ تَضحَكُ عَن أَقمارِ
تَزَاحَمَتْ بِأَنْجُمٍ دَراري
A beauty laughing above the moons
Crowded with twinkling stars
مِن كُلِّ ذِمْرٍ في حِمَى الذِّمارِ
مُهينُ مَالٍ وَمُعِزُّ جارِ
From every torch in the protected grounds
Degrading wealth and honoring a neighbor
يُسْقَوْنَ من ساطِعَةِ الأَنوارِ
كَثيرَةِ الأَسماءِ وَالأَعمارِ
They are given to drink from the brilliant lights
Many are their names and ages
أَعبَقَ مِن نَفحَةِ مِسْكٍ دَاري
أَرَقَّ في حُسْنٍ وَفي احمِرارِ
More fragrant than the scent of musk
More subtle in beauty and redness
مِن ماءِ خَدٍّ راقَ في عجارِ
تَكادُ ذاتُ القرطِ وَالسِوارِ
Than the water of a cheek flowing in tattoos
The one with earrings and bracelets
وَالنَّغمُ الرَّطبُ على الأَوتارِ
إِذ أَسمَعَتنا نَغَمَ الهَزارِ
And the moist melody on the strings
When she made us hear the music of jest
يَجري معَ الأَرواحِ في المجاري
حَتّى إذا ما غَنَّتِ القَمَاري
It flows with the spirits through the veins
Until when the gamblers sang
مُناغِماتٍ حِزَقَ الأَطيارِ
صَوافِراً وَالصُّبحُ في الأَسفارِ
The melodies the birds twittered
And the morning on its journeys
قُمنا لِنَنفي عَرَضَ الخُمارِ
عَن جَوهَرِ الأَنفُسِ في الصَّحاري
We got up to deny the veil of wine
From the essence of souls in the deserts
بِكُلِّ طِرْفٍ سَلْهَبٍ مُطَارِ
مُوَجَّهِ الإقبالِ والإدبارِ
With every flaming glance
Facing beginnings and endings
إِن بادَرَ السَّبقَ مَعَ المَجاري
طَارَتْ بِهِ قَوادِمُ النجارِ
If he took the lead along with the currents
The ships of carpenters carried him
يَتبَعُهُ كُلُّ صَيودٍ ضارِ
ظامي الضُّلوعِ ضامِرُ الأَخْصارِ
Followed by every predatory hunter
Hollow of ribs, gaunt of belly
كَأنَّهُ في عُقدَةِ الزُّنَّارِ
بِأَعيُنٍ لَم تُغْضِ من عُوّارِ
As if he were in the knot of the belt
With eyes that did not wink from the spear points
كَالجَّمرِ بَينَ الهُدْبِ والأَشفارِ
تَكادُ تَرمي الصَّيدَ بِالشرارِ
Like embers between the cheeks and eyelids
Almost casting the prey with sparks
كَأنَّما يُكَشِّرُ عَن جِمَارِ
يُعَقِّفُ الأَذنابَ لِلصُّوارِ
As if baring teeth for the warring
Flicking tails for the rivals
كَأَنَّها عَقاربُ القِفارِ
وَحاكِمٌ في الوَحشِ بِالتَّبارِ
Like they were scorpions of the deserts
And a judge among the beasts with revenge
أسْرَعُ من برْقٍ ومن إعْصَارِ
ولَحظَةِ الصَّبِّ على حذارِ
Swifter than lightning and hurricanes
And in the moment of pouring at the ready
أَصفَرُ مِن لَونٍ جَنَى بَهارِ
كَأَنَّما صِيغَ مِنَ النّضَارِ
Yellower than the color of ripe apricots
As if formed from vitality
آسَدتُه وَالظَبيِ في نِفارِ
ما بَينَ جَثجَاثٍ إِلى عَرارِ
I subdued it and the gazelle in flight
Between rugged ground and flat plain
فَمَرَّ في غَيمٍ منَ الغُّبارِ
يُشْكِلُ منه أحْرُفَ الآثارِ
So it passed in a cloud of dust
Blurring its tracks
كَأَنَّما يَطلُبُهُ بِثارِ
ماذا يُريدُ الظَّبيُ بِالفِرارِ
As if seeking revenge
What does the gazelle want with escape
مِنِ ابنِ ريحٍ في قَميصِ نارِ
وَهوَ مَعَ الإِجهادِ وَالإِضرارِ
From a son of the wind in a shirt of fire
While he with fatigue and harm
يَحذِفُهُ بِيَرْمَعٍ صغارِ
حَذْفَ المُوَلِّي بِاليَدِ اليَسارِ
Hurls small spears at him
The throw of a left-handed spearman
فَلَو تَرانا في انتِزاحِ الدَّارِ
في رَوضَةٍ كالغادةِ المِعطارِ
If only you could see us in the departure of the house
To a garden like a perfumed meadow
نَأكُلُ مِن صَيدِ أَبي العَقّارِ
وَنَشرَبُ الصَّهباءَ بِالكبارِ
Eating of the hunt of my father the healer
And drinking the blond-haired wine in goblets
ما كُنتُ إِلّا خالِعَ العِذَارِ
I would not be but casting off inhibitions
