إِذا اِبتَدَأَ الساقي وَثَنّى وَثَلَّثا

وَجَسَّ لَنا الشادونَ مَثنى وَمَثلَثا

When the cupbearer began with one and two and three,

And poured for us delicious wine, one and two and three,

وَهَبَّ لَنا شادٍ حَكى الغُصنَ قَدُّهُ

يُرَدِّدُ طَرفاً صامِتاً مُتَحَدِّثا

He offered us wine that told of the vine branch's nape,

Repeating a silent glance that speaks,

أَخو نَشطَةٍ فَحلُ اللِحاظِ مُذَكَّرٌ

يُخالُ لِتَرخيمِ الكَلامِ مُؤَنَّثا

A brother to vitality, his words masculine in eloquence

Yet feminine in their gentle murmuring,

إِذا لَحظُهُ أَو لَفظُهُ ظَلَّ نافِثاً

بِسِحرٍ لَنا لَم نَدرِ مَن كانَ أَنفَثا

His glance or voice, remaining devoted,

With a magic unknown to us who has cast the spell,

فَيُنشِدُ مِن شِعري رَقيقاً مُخَمَّساً

وَيَرشُفُ مِن خَمري رَحيقاً مُثَلَّثا

Then he recites for me tender quintets of verse

And sips from my wine the gentle triplets,

وَيَمزُجُ لي في الكَأسِ بِكراً قَديمَةً

تَخالُ خِباها مِن جَنى النَحلِ مُحدَثا

And mixes for me in the cup fresh and aged

Their aromas from the combs of bees renewing,

إِذا بَسَمَت لِلهَمِّ راحَ مُقَطِّباً

وَإِن سَفَرَت لِلحُزنِ سارَ مُحَثحِثا

When it smiles away cares, they depart grieving,

And when it journeys to sorrow, they come whispering,

فَلا تَخَلني إِن طِرتُ بِالسُكرِ تائِهاً

أَرومُ بِأَهدابِ النُجومِ تَشَبُّثا

So leave me not, if I wander drunk and lost,

Gazing up at the folds of stars clinging,

وَلا أَن تَراني تائِهَ العَقلِ طائِشاً

أَرى الرُشدَ عِندي أَن أَقولَ وَأَعبَثا

Nor when you see me lost of mind, crazed,

Taking madness as the sanity in me raving,

وَلا أَنثَني عَن حالَةٍ وَأُعيدُها

وَأُقسِمُ أَنّي لا أَعودُ وَأَحنَثا

Nor make me turn from a state and then renew it,

Vowing never to return to it betraying,

فَما العُمرُ إِلّا مِثلُ خَطفَةِ طائِرٍ

يَمُرُّ سَريعاً لا يُطيقُ تَلَبُّثا

For life is but like the swoop of a bird on the wing,

Passing quickly, unable to resist delaying.

لِذَلِكَ إِنّي أَنهَبُ العَيشَ قاطِعاً

ثِمارَ المُنى حَتّى أَموتَ وَأُبعَثا

For that, I seize life decisively,

Plucking the fruits of wishes till I die and rise reborn.