1. بِدَيرِ بَهرَذانَ لي مَجلِسٌ

    وَمَلعَبٌ وَسطَ بَساتينِهِ

    At the monastery of Bahradhan I have a gathering place,

    and a place for play amid its gardens.

  2. رُحتُ إِلَيهِ وَمَعي فِتيَةٌ

    نَزورُهُ يَومَ سَعانينِهِ

    I went there with a band of young men,

    to visit it on its Palm Sunday,

  3. بِكُلِّ طَلّابِ الهَوى فاتِكٍ

    قَد آثَرَ الدُنيا عَلى دينِهِ

    with every reckless, eager seeker of passion

    who had preferred this world to his religion,

  4. حَتّى تَوافَينا إِلى مَجلِسٍ

    تَضحَكُ أَلوانُ رَياحينِهِ

    until we came together at a gathering place

    where the colors of its fragrant flowers laughed.

  5. وَالنَرجِسُ الغَضُّ لَدى وَردَهُ

    وَالوَردُ قَد حُفَّ بِنِسرينِهِ

    And fresh narcissus was beside its roses,

    and the roses were encircled by its wild roses.

  6. وَجيءَ بِالدَنِّ عَلى مَرفَعٍ

    وَخاتَمُ العِلجِ عَلى طينِهِ

    And a wine jar was brought upon a stand,

    and the foreigner's seal was upon its clay.

  7. وَافتُصِدَ الأَكحَلُ مِن دَنِّنا

    فَانصاعَ في حُمرَةِ تَلوينِهِ

    And the median vein of our wine jar was opened,

    and it gushed forth in its red hue.

  8. وَطافَ بِالكَأسِ لَنا شادِنٌ

    يُدميهِ مَسُّ الكَفِّ مِن لينِهِ

    And a young gazelle went round with the cup for us,

    so soft that a palm's touch would make him bleed.

  9. يَكادُ مِن إِشراقِ خَدَّيهِ أَن

    تُختَطَفَ الأَبصارُ مِن دونِهِ

    The radiance of his cheeks almost causes

    eyes to be snatched away in his presence.

  10. فَلَم نَزَل نُسقى وَنَلهو بِهِ

    وَنَأخُذُ القَصفَ بِآيِينِهِ

    So we kept being served wine and making merry with him,

    and indulging in revelry according to its rites,

  11. حَتّى غَدا السَكرانُ مِن سُكرِهِ

    كَالمَيتِ في بَعضِ أَحايِينِهِ

    until the drunken man, from his drunkenness, became

    like a dead man from time to time.