مَن لامَني في حُبِّ كوزٍ وَذِكرِهِ

مَن لامَني في حُبِّ كوزٍ وَذِكرِهِ

فَلاقى الَّذي لاقَيتُ إِذ حَفَزَ الرَحَم

فَلاقى الَّذي لاقَيتُ إِذ حَفَزَ الرَحَم

Whoever reproaches me for loving Kuz and remembering him,

Who blames me for loving a drinking-vessel and speaking of it,

May he suffer what I suffered when kinship impelled me.

Has met with what I met when the steed urged on its rider.

فَيا حَبَّذا كوزٌ إِذا الخَيلُ أَدبَرَت

فَيا حَبَّذا كوزٌ إِذا الخَيلُ أَدبَرَت

وَثارَ غُبارٌ في الدَهاسِ وَفي الأَكَم

وَثارَ غُبارٌ في الدَهاسِ وَفي الأَكَم

How admirable is Kuz when the horses retreat,

Blessed the drinking-vessel, when the horses have turned their backs,

And dust rises over the sandy flats and the hillocks.

And the dust whirls up amid the hollows and the hillocks.

فَنِعمَ الفَتى تَعشو إِلى ضَوءِ نارِهِ

فَنِعمَ الفَتى تَعشو إِلى ضَوءِ نارِهِ

كُوَيزُ بنُ صَخرٍ لَيلَةَ الريحِ وَالظُلَم

كُوَيزُ بنُ صَخرٍ لَيلَةَ الريحِ وَالظُلَم

And fine indeed is the youth whose firelight you seek—

Fair the young man who repairs to the light of its fire,

Kuwayz son of Sakhr, on a night of wind and darkness,

Kuweiz son of Sakhra on a night of wind and gloom.

إِذا البازِلُ الكَوماءُ لاذَت بِرَفلِها

إِذا البازِلُ الكَوماءُ لاذَت بِرَفلِها

وَلاذَت لِواذاً بِالمُدَرّينَ بِالسِلَم

وَلاذَت لِواذاً بِالمُدَرّينَ بِالسِلَم

When the mature, high-humped she-camel seeks shelter in her trailing hair,

When the timid wild cows take refuge in its folds,

And huddles for refuge with those screening themselves with acacias.

And the mountain-goats take refuge, crowding up the winding paths.

وَقَد حالَ خَيرٌ مِن أُناسٍ وَرِفدُهُم

وَقَد حالَ خَيرٌ مِن أُناسٍ وَرِفدُهُم

بِكَفّي غُلامٍ لا ضَنينٍ وَلا بَرَم

بِكَفّي غُلامٍ لا ضَنينٍ وَلا بَرَم

And the bounty of men and their gifts have passed

Though the best of men and their gifts have failed me,

Into the hands of a youth neither stingy nor unwilling to contribute.

With the palms of a lad who knows no meanness or denial.