وَداعٍ دَعاني وَالنُجومُ كَأَنَّها

قَلائِصُ قَد أَعنَقنَ خَلفَ فَنيقِ

A friend bid me farewell, and the stars were like

Necklaces hanging behind the Phoenix constellation.

وَقالَ اِغتَنِم مِن دَهرِنا غَفَلاتِهِ

فَعَقدُ ذِمامِ الدَهرِ غَيرُ وَثيقِ

And he said, “Seize the heedlessness of our days,

For the bridle of fate is not firmly tied.”

وَناوَلَني كَأساً كأن بنانه

مُخَضَّبة من لَو نِها بِخَلُق

He handed me a cup that seemed as though

Its crystals were dyed by its red wine.

إِذا ما طَغا فيها المِزاجُ حَسَبتَها

كَواكِبَ دُرٍّ في سَماءِ عَقيقِ

When the wine mixed in it surged, I thought it

Like twinkling ruby stars in a sapphire sky.

تَدِبُّ دَبيبَ البُرءِ في كُلِّ مفصلٍ

وَتَكسو وُجوهَ الشربِ ثَوبَ شَقيقِ

It creeps with the creeping of lightning in every joint

And clothes the faces of sipping with the veil of dawn.

وَإِنّي مِن لَذّاتِ دَهري لَقانِعٌ

بِحُلوِ حَديثٍ إِو بِمُرِّ عَتيقِ

Of the pleasures of my days, I’m content

With sweet conversation or aged wine.

هُما ما هُما لَم يَبقَ شَيءٌ سِواهُما

حَديثُ صَديقٍ أَو عَتيقُ رَحيقِ

Whatever they are, nothing remains but them—

The talk of a friend or the fragrance of aged wine.