يا عَلِيُّ يَومُنا أَو

وَلُ يَومٍ مِن شُباطِ

O Ali, either today or

Some day in February

فَاِعكِفِ اليَومَ عَلى الرا

حِ تُعاطى وَتُعاطي

Spend today in joy

Engaged in merriment

لا تَرُعَنا بِتَوانٍ

فيهِ عَنّا وَتَباطِ

Do not neglect us today

Forget about us and be happy

أَنا في مَجلِسِ لَهوٍ

وَسُرورٍ وَاِنبِساطِ

I am in a gathering of pleasure

And happiness and cheer

نازِلٌ مِن نَهرِ عيسى

بَينَ دولابٍ وَراطِ

Coming down from the Euphrates River

Between a water wheel and canal

قُبَّتي الغَيمُ وَأَزها

رُ الرِياحينِ بَساطي

My dome is the cloud and its

Flowers are the fragrant breeze, my carpet

حَلِيَت أَوراقُها بَينَ

جِعادِ وَسِباطِ

Its leaves are arranged between

Curls and braids

بِشُنوفٍ نَظَمَ الطَلُّ

عَليها وَقِراطِ

Adorned with earrings, the dew

Arranged them and tiny bells

وَقُدودِ السَروِ في

خَصرِ مُلاءٍ وَرِياطِ

And cypress trees at the waist of

A hill filled with gardens and ribbons

كَجَوارٍ قُمنَ في ال

خِدمَةِ مِن حَولِ السِماطِ

Like neighbors who got up

For service around the carpets

وَالهَوا وَالماءُ في وَص

فَي فُتورٍ وَنَشاطِ

And the air and water in a description of

Laziness and vigor

وَنَديمٍ مِن شُيوخِ ال

كَرخِ مَحلولِ الرِباطِ

And a boon companion from the elders of

Al-Karkh loosened from restrictions

لا يُرى وَهُوَ صَحيحُ ال

رَأيِ مَكسورَ النَشاطِ

Not seen yet sound of

Opinion, broken in vigor

حَنَّكَتهُ أُمُّهُ بِال

خَمرِ طِفلاً في القِماطِ

His mother weaned him with

Wine as a child at the trash heap

فَهوَ شَيخٌ يَتَعاطى

شُربَها أَيَّ تَعاطي

So he is an old man who partakes

In drinking it, what a partaking!

ما عَليها أَيُّها الناصِحُ

خَمرِ إِلّا كُلُّ خاطي

What is on it, O advisor

Except every sinner’s wine

وغُلامٍ مِن بَني الأَص

فَرِ كَالثَوبِ القُباطي

And a youth from the blond

Tribe like the Coptic garment

رِدفُهُ عالٍ وَلَكِن

خَصرُهُ الناحِلُ لاطي

His companion is tall but

His slender waist is not tied

حُبُّهُ قَد نيطَ مِن

حَبَّةِ قَلبي بِالنِياطِ

His love has been tied from

The seed of my heart with strings

قابِلٍ حُكمي عَلى كَث

رَةِ سومي وَاِشتِطاطي

Respond to my judgment on the

Abundance of my worries and discontentment

فَهُوَ مَخلوقٌ عَلى وَف

قِ اِقتِراحي وَاِشتِراطي

So he is a creature made to

My proposal and stipulation

بَينَ طاساتٍ كِبارِ

مُترَعاتٍ وَبَواطي

Among large cups

Full ponds and open spaces

وَأَباريقٍ كَأَجيادِ

مَها السِربِ العَواطي

And jugs like the excellent

Horses of the flock running loose

وَضَجيجٍ كَهَديرِ ال

طَيرِ حَولي وَاِختِلاطِ

And clamor like the twitter

Of birds around me and mingling

وَرَذاذٍ نَحنُ مِنهُ

في نَثارِ وَلِقاطِ

And spray, we are amidst

Its scattering and collecting

فَمَتى وافَيتَني

تَمَّ سُروري وَاِغتِباطي

So when will you join me

My happiness will be complete

وَاِنخَرَطنا بِكَ في سِل

كِ الهَوى أَيَّ اِنخِراطِ

And we will be absorbed with you in the

Path of love, what an absorption!