أَوضَحَت نارُ خَدِّهِ لِلمَجوسِ
حُجَّةً في السُجودِ وَالتَقديسِ
The glow of his cheek showed the Magi
Clear proof of prostration and sanctification,
وَأَقامَت لِلعاشِقينَ دَليلاً
واضِحاً في جَوازِ نَهبِ النُفوسِ
And established for lovers a lucid sign
Of the permissibility of ravishing souls.
رَشَأٌ مِن جَآذِرِ التُركِ لَكِن
حازَ إِرثَ الجَمالِ عَن بِلقيسِ
A twig from Turkish roots, but he gained
The inheritance of beauty from Bilqis.
لا بِساً مِن بَهائِهِ ثَوبَ بَدرٍ
وَمِنَ الوَشي حُلَّةَ الطاوُوسِ
He wore no ordinary clothes, but a robe like the full moon,
And a peacock's costume of brocade.
حَمَلَ الكَأسَ فَاِكتَسَت وَجنَتاهُ
شَفَقاً مِن شُعاعِها المَعكوسِ
He carried the wine-cup, so his cheeks blushed
Shyly from its inverted radiance.
فَشَهِدنا مِن خَدِّهِ وَسَناها
كَيفَ تُكسى البُدورُ نورَ الشُموسِ
Thus we saw how his cheek and it clothed
The full moons in the light of suns.
وَجَلاها وَالصُبحُ قَد هَزَمَ اللَي
لَ وَهَمَّ الرِفاقُ بِالتَعريسِ
It outshone them, while dawn had defeated night,
And the companions fancied a wedding.
وَالثُرَيّا وَلَّت وَمالَت إِلى الغَر
بِ فَكانَت كَالطائِحِ المَنكوسِ
The Pleiades inclined and leaned westwards,
Becoming like a swooning drunkard.
وَلَّدَ الشَرقُ شَكلَها وَهوَ لَحيا
نُ فَصارَت في الغَربِ كَالإِنكيسِ
The Orient gave birth to her form, while it was
A new moon, so in the West she was like a crescent.
فَاِبتَدَرنا الصَبوحَ وَاللَهوَ لَمّا
نَبَّهَ الصَحبَ دَقَّةُ الناقوسِ
We rose early for joy and amusement when
The bells awakened the companions.
وَجَلَونا عَلى الأَهِلَّةِ شَمسَ ال
راحِ بَينَ الشَمّاسِ وَالقِسّيسِ
We sat under the crescent moon with the rising
Sun between the deacon and the priest.
قَهوَةً تَحسُدُ العَمائِمَ لا تَس
كُنُ لَمّا تُدارُ غَيرَ الرُؤوسِ
A coffee that makes turbans envy it, it does not
Settle except when skulls are rotated.
جَعَلَت بَينَ شارِبيها عَلى اللَه
وِ وَبَينَ الهُمومِ حَربَ البَسوسِ
It made between its drinkers, by God, and sorrows
The war of destruction and reversal.
مِن يَدَي شادِنٍ يَكادُ يُعيدُ ال
راحَ سَكرى بِخُلقِهِ المَأنوسِ
From the hand of a pourer who can almost return
Tipsiness with his intimate nature.
فَعَلَت مُقلَتاهُ في أَنفُسِ العُش
شاقِ فِعلَ السُلافَةِ الخَندَريسِ
It made his eyelids among the impassioned
Do the work of merriment and joyfulness.
قَدَحٌ دارَ في يَدي ذي احوِرارٍ
فَسَكِرنا بِالطَردِ وَالمَعكوسِ
A goblet circulated in the hands of one flushed
With wine, so we were drunk with pushes and shoves.
أَهيَفُ القَدِّ مُخطَفُ الخَصرِ ساجي الط
طَرفِ أُنسُ النَديمِ روحُ الجَليسِ
Is he the bent-statured, slender-waisted one, the smooth-
Faced, intimate friend, soul of the companion?
لا تُلامُ العُشّاقُ في تَلَفِ الأَر
واحِ في عِشقِهِ وَبَذلِ النُفوسِ
Lovers are not blamed for wasting lives
In love of him and sacrificing souls.
نَظَروا ذَلِكَ الجَمالَ وَقَد لا
حَ نَفيساً فَخاطَروا بِالنَفيسِ
They saw that beauty shining as if
Precious, so they risked the precious.
