1. فَمَن كانَ لَم يَسمَع عَجيباً فَإِنَّني

    عَجيبُ الحَديثِ يا أُمَيمَ وَصادِقُه

    Whoever has never heard a marvel—indeed, I

    Have a wondrous tale, Umaym, and a true one.

  2. وَقَد كانَ لي أُنسانِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

    وَكُلٌّ إِذا فَتَّشَتني أَنا عاشِقُه

    I had two sources of solace, Umm Malik,

    And each, if you examined me, you would find I loved:

  3. عَزيزَةُ وَالكَأَسُ الَّتي مَن يُحِلُّها

    تُخادِعُهُ عَن عَقلِهِ فَتُصادِقُه

    Aziza and the cup, which, if anyone deems it lawful,

    Beguiles him out of his reason, then befriends him.

  4. تَحارَبَتا عِندي فَعَطَّلتُ دَنَّها

    وَأَكوابَها وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ بَوائِقُه

    The two fought before me, so I left its wine jar idle,

    And its cups; time's calamities are many.

  5. وَحَرَّمتُها حَولَينِ ثُمَّ أَزَلَّني

    حَديثُ النَدامى وَالنَشيدُ أُوافِقُه

    I renounced it for two years, then was led astray

    By the drinking companions' talk and the song I sang along with.

  6. فَلَمّا شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ بانَت بَأُختِها

    فَبانَ الغَزالُ المُستَحَبُّ خَلائِقُه

    So when I drank the cup, it carried its sister away,

    And away went the gazelle whose ways were so dear.

  7. فَما أَطيَبَ الكَأسَ الَّتي اِعتَضتُ مِنكُم

    وَلَكِنَّها لَيسَت بِريمٍ أُعانِقُه

    How sweet the cup I took in exchange for you!

    Yet it is no white gazelle for me to embrace.