وافى إليكَ بكأسِ الرّاحِ يَرتاحُ

كأَنَّه في ظَلام اللَّيل مصباحُ

The wine comes smiling to you as a lamp

Brightening the darkness of the night

ساقٍ لعشَّاقِه من جُنح طُرَّته

وضوءِ غرَّته لَيلٌ وإِصباحُ

Offering ecstasy to its lovers from its intoxication

Its gleam is morning and evening glow

لَم تَدرِ حين يُدير الراحَ مُبتَسِماً

من ثغره العَذب أَم من كأَسِه الراحُ

You cannot tell when the wine smiles

Is it from his sweet lips or his cup that joy flows

أَمسى النَدامى نَشاوى من لَواحِظه

كأَنَّ أَحداقَه للخَمر أَقداحُ

The repentant have become happy drunkards

As if his eyelids were cups brimming with wine

إِن راحَ يَرتاحُ من ماءِ الشَباب فَلي

قَلبٌ عليه بنارِ الوَجدِ يَلتاحُ

If the wine makes merry with the water of youth

Then a heart aflame with passion will rejoice over it

أَما تَرى عاشِقيه من هُيامِهمُ

غدوا عليه بوجدٍ مثل ما راحوا

Do you not see how its lovers

Became as enraptured when they woke as when they rested

طَووا على سِرِّ شكواهُ ضمائرَهم

وَلَو أَباحَ لهم شَكواهُ ما باحوا

They concealed the secret of their passion in themselves

If he revealed to them his woes, they would not divulge

أَمّا الصَبوحُ فقد لاحَت لوائحُهُ

رقَّ الظَلامُ وَجَيبُ الأفق مُنصاحُ

As for the dawn, its torches have blazed

The darkness softened and the horizon in the east glowed

وَفاحَ عَرفُ الصبا عند الصَباح شذاً

كأَنَّهُ بأَريج المِسكِ نضَّاحُ

The scent of youth’s breeze blew at dawn perfumed

As if with the fragrance of musk anointed

وَصاحَ بالقوم شادٍ هاجَه طَرَبٌ

وَبُلبل في فروع الدَوح صيّاحُ

The singers in the camp were aroused to song

And the bulbul in the branches of the willow cries loud

فاِمسَح من النَوم جَفناً زانَه كحَلٌ

وحمّل الكفَّ كأَساً زانَه راحُ

Wipe sleep from eyes lined with kohl

Take up a cup adorned with wine

وأَحي بالراح أَشباحاً معطَّلةً

فإنَّما هي للأَشباح أَرواحُ

Give life with wine to inert souls

For spirits are but breaths enrobed

أَما تَرى العودَ قد رَنَّت مثالِثُه

له بألسِنة الأوتار إِفصاحُ

Do you not see the lute - its strings have hummed

Speaking in the tongues of cords explicitly

تَشدو بِهِ قينةٌ غَرّاءُ آنسةٌ

كأَنَّ مِضرَبَها للأُنس مفتاحُ

A lovely, gentle singing girl sings to it

As if her plectrum were keys unlocking intimacy

يَرتاحُ في حِجرها من صَوتها طَرَباً

كأَنَّه غُصُنٌ في الرَوض مرتاحُ

Lulled by her voice it rests blissful as a branch

Reposing comfortably in a garden

وَالصبح قد لاحَ تَجلو اللَيلَ طلعتهُ

كأَنَّما اللَيلُ وَعدٌ وهو إِنجاحُ

Dawn has risen, the night now past

As if the night were a promise and dawn its fulfillment

وَساحَ يَملأ آفاقَ السَماءِ سَنىً

وغصَّ للأَرض من أَضوائِهِ ساحُ

It has spread filling the horizons with radiance

Spilling from its lights rays into the earth

وَالرَوضُ قد نَفحت رَيّا نوافحهِ

وَهبَّ منها على الأَرواح أَرواحُ

The meadow breathed aromatic breaths

Bestowing from it spirits upon spirits

قم فاِسقنيها على ورد الخُدودِ فقد

زها وَفاحَ بها وَردٌ وتُفّاحُ

Arise and serve it to me on cheeks like roses

Where roses bloom and apples gleam

لا يُلهينَّك حزنٌ بانَ عن فَرحٍ

فإنَّما الدَهرُ أَفراح وأَتراحُ

Let no sorrow distract you from joy

For time is but joys and sorrows intertwined

سَقياً لعصرٍ مَضى بالسَفح من إِضم

إِذِ الزَمانُ بما أَهواه سَمّاحُ

A drink for an evening now passed at the base of the slope

When time in its desires was indulgent

وإِذ دواعي الهوى للَّهوِ داعيةٌ

وَالقَلبُ في راحَةٍ وَالعَيشُ رَحراحُ

And the causes of passion for diversion were calling

While the heart was at peace and life tranquil

وَالنَفسُ من غير شُغل الحبِّ فارغَةٌ

والأنسُ تُملأ من راحاتِه الراحُ

And the soul free of cares of love was vacant

As company was filled with its comforts

أَيّامَ لا مَشربي مرٌّ مذاقته

كلّا وَلا وردُه المَعسولُ ضَحضاحُ

Days where my wine was bitter to taste

No longer, and its roses are fragrant and pure

لا تعجبنَّ لجَفني إِذ بكاهُ دماً

فإنَّه من قَليب القَلبِ يَمتاحُ

Do not wonder that my eyes weep blood

For it oozes from the veins of my heart