1. قَصَرتُ يَدَ الشِتاءِ بِحَرِّ جَمرٍ

    وَأَختِ الجَمرِ صافِيَةِ الرَحيقِ

    I stayed winter's hand with the heat of embers,

    And with the embers' sister—clear, pure wine.

  2. تَرى نَبذَ الرَمادِ بِوَجنَتَيهِ

    كَكافورٍ يُذَرُّ عَلى خَلوقِ

    You see flecks of ash upon its two cheeks,

    Like camphor sprinkled over saffron perfume.

  3. وَدارَ الكَأسُ في يَدِ ذي دَلالٍ

    رَشيقِ القَدِّ يُعرَفُ بِالرَشيقِ

    And the cup went round in the hand of one with coy charm,

    Slender of figure, known as al-Rashiq.

  4. يُحَلّي بِالتَبَسُّمِ دُرَّ ثَغرٍ

    تَخَلَّلَهُ شَوابيرُ العَقيقِ

    With a smile he adorns the pearls of his mouth,

    Interlaced with slivers of agate.

  5. رَأَيتُ الكَأسَ في يَدِهِ وَفيهِ

    وَجَنحُ اللَيلِ مُنصَرِفُ الفَريقِ

    I saw the cup in his hand and at his mouth,

    While the wing of night withdrew with its company.

  6. فَفي فَمِهِ هِلالٌ في غُروبٍ

    وَفي يَدِهِ الثُرَيّا في شُروقِ

    So at his mouth, a crescent was setting,

    And in his hand, the Pleiades were rising.

  7. وَيَسقيني وَيَشرُبُ مِن رَحيقٍ

    خَليقٍ أَن يُشَبَّهَ بِالخَلوقِ

    And he gives me drink and drinks of pure wine,

    Fit to be likened to saffron perfume.

  8. كَأَنَّ الكَأسَ في يَدِهِ وَفيهِ

    عَقيقٌ في عَقيقٍ في عَقيقِ

    As though the cup, in his hand and at his mouth,

    Were agate within agate within agate.