هذي مَساعي اِبنِ حَربون وَكَيفَ بِها

هذي مَساعي اِبنِ حَربون وَكَيفَ بِها

فَبارِها شَرَفاً يا نَجمُ أَو سارِ

فَبارِها شَرَفاً يا نَجمُ أَو سارِ

These are Ibn Harbun's achievements—and how splendid they are!

These are the efforts of Ibn Harbun, and how

So rival them in glory, O star—or vie with them in nobility.

Excellent they are, O shining star in the darkness, or move on!

فَهَل نَسائمُ مِسكٍ تَنثُرونَ مَعي

فَهَل نَسائمُ مِسكٍ تَنثُرونَ مَعي

أَم تَقطِفونَ مَعي أَكمامَ أَزهارِ

أَم تَقطِفونَ مَعي أَكمامَ أَزهارِ

Are you, then, scattering breezes of musk with me,

Do the fragrances of musk blow with me?

Or plucking flower-buds with me?

Or do you pluck with me the sleeves of flowers?

حَتّى لَقَد خِلتَني شَعشَعتُ بَينَهُم

حَتّى لَقَد خِلتَني شَعشَعتُ بَينَهُم

خَمراً فَمِن بَينِ مَخمورٍ وَخَمّارِ

خَمراً فَمِن بَينِ مَخمورٍ وَخَمّارِ

Until you truly thought that, among them, I had diluted

Until I became among them intoxicated,

Wine—some were drunk, others wine-sellers.

Among the drunk and the vintner.