أَذَكَروا لَمّا أَرَوها النَديما

مِن عُهودِ المِعصارِ عَهداً قَديما

They reminisced when the boon companions saw it,

Of the times of brewing from an ancient era,

فَأَتَت تَطلُبُ القِصاصَ وَلَكِن

تَجعَلُ العَقلَ في التَقاضي غَريما

So it came seeking retribution but made

Reason the loser in demanding justice.

قَهوَةٌ أَفنَتِ الزَمانَ فَأَفنى ال

رَطبَ مِن جِرمِها وَأَبقى الصَميما

Coffee that ruined time and so destroyed

Every sin of it but kept the essence.

فَغَدَت تُثقِلُ اللِسانَ لِسِرِّ ال

سُكرِ مِنها وَتَستَخِفُّ الحُلوما

It weighs then heavy on the tongue with the

Secret of its intoxication, yet makes burdens light.

لَو حَسا مِن سُلافِها الأَكمَهُ الأَخ

رَسُ كَأساً لَاِ ستَخرَجَ التَقويما

Had the serious ones tasted of its dregs—

Another cup—calendars would be altered.

عَلى الضِدِّ لَو حَساها فَصيحٌ

أَحَدَثَت في حَديثِهِ التَرخيما

Conversely, had the eloquent tasted it,

Lethargy would enter their discourse.

أَنبَأَتنا الأَنباءَ عَن سالِفي الدَه

رِ وَعَدَّت لَنا القُرونَ القُروما

The news informed us about those gone by

And counted for us past generations.

وَحَكَت كَيفَ أَصبَحَت فِتيَةُ الكَه

فِ رُقوداً خِلواً وَكَيفَ الرَقيما

And told how the cavorting youths grew

Listless, empty, and how the wretched fared.

وَبِماذا تَجَنَّبَت نارُ نُمرو

دٍ خَليلَ الإِلَهِ إِبراهيما

And how the fire spared Nimrod’s friend—

God’s prophet Abraham.

وَغَداةَ اِمتِحانِ يونُسَ بِالنو

نِ وَقَد كانَ في الفِعالِ مَليما

And the day Jonah was tried with the

Whale and was absolving in his acts.

وَتَشَكّى يَعقوبُ إِذ ذَهَبَت عَينا

هُ مِن حُزنِهِ وَكانَ كَظيما

And Jacob complained as his eyesight left him.

From grief and he was most forbearing.

وَالتَناجي بِالطورِ إِذ كَلَّمَ الرَح

مَنُ موسى نَبِيَّهُ تَكليما

And the soliloquy on the Mount when

The Merciful conversed with Moses, his prophet.

وَدُعاءَ المَسيحِ إِذ نُعِشَ المَي

يِتُ مِن رَمسِهِ وَكانَ رَميما

And Jesus’ prayer when the deceased

Was revived from his death and was wretched.

فَشَهِدنا لَها بِفَضلٍ قَديمٍ

وَاِستَفَدنا مِنها النَعيمَ المُقيما

So we bore witness to its ancient merit

And gained from it lasting bliss.

وَفَضَضنا خِتامَها عَن أَناها

فَرَأَينا مِزاجَها تَسنيما

And we unsealed its essence to behold

Its mixture was a gentle breeze.

وَظَلَلنا نُحيي بِها جَوهَرَ النَف

سِ وَنُسقى رَحيقَها المَختوما

And we continued with it to revive the soul’s essence

And were given its sealed nectar to drink.

في جِنانٍ مِنَ الحَدائِقِ لا نَس

مَعُ فيها لَغواً وَلا تَأثيما

In gardens of orchards where no vain

Talk is heard nor any blame.

بَينَ صَحبٍ مِثلِ الكَواكِبِ لا تَن

ظُرُ ما بَينَهُم عُتُلّاً زَنيما

Amidst companions like stars that do not

Look for any baseness or blemish between them.

وَجَعَلنا الساقي خَليلاً جَليلاً

يُحسِنُ المَزجَ أَو غَزالاً رَخيما

And we made the cupbearer a beloved friend

Skillful in the mixing or a shy gazelle.

فَرَأَينا في راحَةِ البَدرِ شَمساً

اَطلَعَت في سَما الكُؤوسِ نُجوما

Then we saw in the wine’s serenity a sun

Rise in the sky of the cups as stars.

وَقَذَفنا بِشُهبِها مارِدَ الهَم

مِ فَكانَت لِلمارِدينَ رُجوما

And we shot its spears at the demon of care

So for the demons they were missiles.

وَلَدَت لُؤلُؤَ الحَبابِ وَكانَت

قَبلَ وَقعِ المِزاجِ بِكراً عَقيما

It birthed the pearls of love though it was

Sterile before the mixing occurred.

أَخصَبَت عِندَ شُربِها ساحَةُ العَي

شِ وَأَمسى أَحوى الهُمومِ هَشيما

At its drinking the field of life was fertile

And the abyss of worries became barren.

فَاِبتَدِرها مُدامَةً تَجلُبُ الرو

حَ إِلى الروحِ حينَ تَنفي الهُموما

So strike it sparkling to bring the soul’s spirit to life

When cares vanish.

وَاِختَصِر إِنَّ قُلَّها يُنعِشُ الرو

حَ وَإِفراطَها يَضُرُّ الجُسوما

And condense it—its paucity revives the soul

And its excess harms bodies.

فَاِرتَكِب أَجمَلَ الذُنوبِ لِنَفعٍ

وَاِعتَقِد في اِرتِكابِهِ التَحريما

So commit the most beautiful sin for benefit

And believe that committing it is forbidden.

ثُمَ تُب وَاِسأَلِ الإِلَهَ تَجِدهُ

لِذُنوبِ الوَرى غَفوراً رَحيما

Then repent and ask God, you’ll find Him

Forgiving and Merciful to the sins of mortals.