أَمّا الصَبوحُ فإِنَّه فَرضُ
فإلامَ يكحلُ جَفنَك الغمضُ
Morning is an obligation, so why
Does sleep still cling to your eyelids?
هَذا الصَباحُ بدت بشائِرُهُ
وَلخيله في ليله رَكضُ
This morning's omens have appeared,
Its horses raced in the night.
وَاللَيلُ قد شابَت ذوائبَهُ
وَعِذارُه بالفجر مُبيَضُّ
The night's plaits have grayed,
Its cheeks whitened at dawn.
فاِنهض إِلى حَمراءَ صافيةٍ
قد كادَ يشربُ بعضَها البَعضُ
So rise to meet the rosy wine,
Some of it almost touching the rest,
يَسقيكَها من كفِّهِ رشأٌ
لَدنُ القَوام مهفهفٌ بضُّ
Poured for you from his palm,
A gentle, fluttering stream.
سيّان خمرتُه وَريقتُه
كلتاهما عنبيَّةٌ مَحضُ
Its two colors, ruby and topaz,
Are both pure grape.
تُدمي اللواحظُ خدَّه نَظَراً
فاللَحظُ وَجناته عضُّ
It reddens cheeks with its gaze,
For the glance and cheeks sting each other.
مَن ضمَّهُ فَتحَ السُرورُ له
باباً وَكانَ لعيشِه الخَفضُ
When it drew him close, joy opened for him
A door, and ease entered his life.
باهَت وقد أَبدى محاسِنَه
بدرَ السَماءِ بحُسنِه الأَرضُ
The bright moon paled, displaying
To the beautiful earth its beauty.
يَسعى بها كالشَمسِ مشرقةً
للعين عَن إِشراقِها غضُّ
It moves across the sky like the rising sun,
Too bright for eyes to look at its rising.
وَالكأسُ إِذ تَهوي بها يدُهُ
نجمٌ بجُنح اللَيل مُنقَضُّ
When his hand tilts the goblet,
It is a star swooping in the night.
باتَ النَدامى لا حراكَ بهم
إِلّا كَما يتحرَّك النبضُ
Regretful late risers hardly stir,
Their pulse beats faint as a blossom
في رَوضةٍ يُهدي لناشِقها
أَرجَ الحبائِب زَهرُها الغَضُّ
In a meadow, its tender buds
Still green, their petals not opened.
ختم الحَيا أَزهارَها فَغَدا
بيد النَسيم لخَتمها فَضُّ
The flowers of life have closed their blooms,
The breeze of time scatters their seeds.
فاِشرَب على حافاتِها طرباً
واِنهض لها إِن أَمكَن النَهضُ
Drink to rapture on their banks,
And rise if you still have the strength.
لا تُنكِرَن لَهوي على كِبَري
فعليَّ من عَصرِ الصِبا قَرضُ
Do not deny me in my old age
The madness of my vanishing youth.
أَغرى العذولُ بلومه شَغفي
فَكأَنَّما إِبرامُهُ نَقضُ
Censorious virtue provoked my passion--
As if refusing me fanned the flames.
خالفتُه وَالرأَيُ مختلفٌ
شأني الودادُ وَشأنُه البغضُ
I differed with him, for opinions divide;
My way is love, and his is hatred.
مَهلاً فَلَيسَ على الفَتى دَنَسٌ
في الحُبِّ ما لَم يَدنس العِرضُ
Patience. No shame clings to a man
Who loves but does no dishonor.
