1. دَقَّ شَوّالُ في قَفا رَمَضانِ

    وَأَتى الفِطرُ مُؤذِناً بِالتَهاني

    Shawwal struck Ramadan on the nape,

    and Eid al-Fitr came heralding congratulations.

  2. فَجَعَلنا داعي الصَبوحِ لَدَينا

    بَدَلاً مِن سُحورِهِ وَالأَذانِ

    So we made the caller to morning wine among us

    a substitute for its predawn meal and the call to prayer.

  3. وَعَزَلنا الإِدامَ فيهِ وَلُذنا

    بِقَنانٍ مَصفوفَةٍ وَقِيانِ

    And in it we set aside the food and sought refuge

    with bottles set in rows and singing slave-girls.

  4. وَنَحَرنا فيهِ نُحورَ زِقاقٍ

    وَضَرَبنا بِهِ رِقابَ دِنانِ

    And in it we cut the throats of wineskins

    and struck off the necks of wine-jars.

  5. وَاِستَرَحنا مِنَ التَراويحِ وَاِعتَض

    نا بِخَفقِ الجُنوكِ وَالعيدانِ

    And we rested from tarawih prayers, taking in their place

    the strumming of harps and lutes.

  6. فَالمَزاميرُ في دُجاهُ زُمورٌ

    وَالمَثاني مَثالِثٌ وَمَثاني

    So the reed-pipes are piping in its darkness,

    and the paired strings sound in threes and twos.

  7. كُلَّ يَومٍ أَروحُ فيهِ وَأَغدو

    بَينَ حورِ الجِنانِ وَالوِلدانِ

    Every day in it I go at evening and at morning

    among the houris of Paradise and the boys.

  8. لا تَراني إِذا رَأَيتَ نَقِيِّ ال

    خَدِّ أُثني طَرفي إِلى لِحياني

    When you see a smooth-cheeked one, you will not see me

    turn my gaze toward a bearded man.

  9. مَنظَرُ الصَومِ مَع تَوَخّيهِ عِندي

    مَنظَرُ الشَيبِ في عُيونِ الغَواني

    The sight of fasting, for all my observance of it, is to me

    like the sight of gray hair in the eyes of lovely women.

  10. ما أَتاني شَعبانُ مِن قَبلُ إِلّا

    وَفُؤادي مِن خَوفِهِ شَعبانِ

    Never before did Sha'ban come to me without

    my heart being split in two from fear of it.

  11. كَيفَ أَستَشعِرُ السُرورَ بِشَهرٍ

    زَعَمَ الطِبُّ أَنَّهُ مَرَضانِ

    How can I feel joy in a month

    that medicine claims is two illnesses?

  12. لا تَتِمُّ الأَفراحُ إِلّا إِذا عا

    دَ سَنا بَدرِهِ إِلى نُقصانِ

    Joys are not complete until

    its full moon's radiance returns to waning.

  13. فيهِ هَجرُ اللَذّاتِ حَتمٌ وَفيهِ

    غَيرُ مُستَحسَنٍ وِصالُ الغَواني

    In it, forsaking pleasures is compulsory, and in it

    union with lovely women is not approved.

  14. وَقَبيحٌ فيهِ التَنَسُّكُ إِلّا

    بَعدَ سِتّينَ حِجَّةً وَثَماني

    And ascetic devotion in it is unbecoming, except

    after sixty years and eight.

  15. فَاِسقِني القَهوَةَ الَّتي قَيلَ عَنها

    إِنَّها مِن شَرائِطِ الشَيطانِ

    So pour me the wine of which it has been said

    that it is among Satan's stipulations:

  16. خَندَريساً تَكادُ تَفعَلُ بِالعَق

    لِ فِعلَ النُعاسِ بِالأَجفانِ

    an aged wine that almost acts upon the mind

    as drowsiness acts upon the eyelids.

  17. بِنتُ تِسعينَ تُجتَلى في يَدي بِن

    تِ ثَلاثٍ وَأَربَعٍ وَثَمانِ

    A daughter of ninety years, unveiled in the hands

    of a daughter of three and four and eight years.

  18. كُلَّما زادَتِ البَصائِرُ نَقصاً

    خَطَبوها بِوافِدِ الأَثمانِ

    Whenever discernment grows more deficient,

    they court her with fresh offers of payment.

  19. شَمسُ راحٍ تُريكَ في كُلِّ دَورٍ

    بِبِدورِ السُقاةِ حُكمَ قِرانِ

    A sun of wine, showing you in every round

    the effect of conjunction with the cupbearers' full moons.

  20. ذاتُ لُطفٍ يَظُنَّها مَن حَساها

    خُلِقَت مِن طَبائِعِ الإِنسانِ

    So delicate that whoever sips her thinks

    she was made from the elements of human nature.

  21. سِيَّما في الخَريفِ إِذا بَرَدَ الظِل

    لُ وَصَحَّ اِعتِدالُ فَصلِ الزَمانِ

    Especially in autumn, when the shade grows cool

    and the season's balance is assured;

  22. وَاِنتِشارُ الغُيومِ في مَبدَإِ الفَص

    لِ وَشَمسُ الخَريفِ في الميزانِ

    and clouds spread at the beginning of the season,

    and autumn's sun is in Libra.

  23. وَبِساطُ الأَزهارِ كَالوَشيِ وَالغَي

    مُ كَثوبٍ مُجَسَّمٍ مِن دُخانِ

    And the carpet of flowers is like brocade, and the clouds

    are like a robe given substance from smoke.

  24. في رِياضِ الفَخرِيَةِ الرَحبَةِ الأَك

    نافِ ذاتِ الفُنونِ وَالأَفنانِ

    In the gardens of al-Fakhriyya, with their broad reaches,

    rich in varied beauties and boughs,

  25. فَوقَ فُرشٍ مَبثوثَةٍ وَزَرابِي

    يٍ عِتاقٍ وَعَبقَرِيٍّ حِسانِ

    upon spread-out bedding and carpets

    of fine quality, and beautiful sumptuous rugs,

  26. صَحَّ عِندي بِأَنَّها جَنَّةُ الخُل

    دِ وَفيها عَينانِ نَضّاخَتانِ

    I know for certain that it is the Garden of Eternity,

    and within it are two gushing springs.

  27. وَكَأَنَّ الهِضابَ بيضُ خُدودٍ

    ضَرَّجَتها شَقائِقُ النُعمانِ

    And the hills are like white cheeks

    that anemones have flushed with red.

  28. وَكَأَنَّ المِياهَ دَمعُ سُرورٍ

    وَكَأَنَّ الرِياحَ قَلبُ جَبانِ

    And the waters are like tears of joy,

    and the winds like a coward's heart.

  29. وَشُموسُ المُدامِ تُشرِقُ وَالصَح

    بُ بِظِلِّ الغَمامِ في صيوانِ

    And the suns of wine shine, while the companions

    are in a pavilion beneath the clouds' shade.

  30. فَاِسقِني صِرفَها فَإِنَّ جَديدَ ال

    غَيمِ يَدعو إِلى عَتيقِ الدَنانِ

    So pour me the wine unmixed, for fresh

    clouds call for old wine-jars.

  31. وَلَكَ الرُتبَةُ الَّتي قَصَّرَت دو

    نَ عُلاها النيرانُ وَالفَرقَدانِ

    Yours is the rank whose heights lie beyond the reach

    of the two luminaries and the two Farqad stars;

  32. وَالحُسامُ الَّذي إِذا صَلَّتِ البي

    ضُ وَصَلَّت في البَيضِ وَالأَبدانِ

    and yours is the sword that, when bright blades ring

    and clash against helmets and bodies,

  33. قامَ في حَومَةِ الهِياجِ خَطيباً

    قائِلاً كُلُّ مَن عَلَيها فانِ

    stands as a preacher in the thick of battle,

    saying, 'All who are upon it shall perish.'

  34. وَاليَراعُ الَّذي يَزيدُ بِقَطعِ ال

    رَأسِ نُطقاً مِن بَعدِ شَقِّ اللِسانِ

    And the reed pen whose eloquence increases with the cutting

    of its head, after the splitting of its tongue.

  35. لَم يَمَسَّ التُرابَ نَعلاكَ إِل

    لا حَسَدَتهُ مَعاقِدُ التيجانِ

    Your sandals never touched the dust without

    the brows that bear crowns envying it.

  36. شِيَمٌ لَم تَكُن لِغَيرِكَ إِلّا

    لِمَعالي شَقيقِكَ السُلطانِ

    Virtues found in no one other than you, save

    among the lofty virtues of your brother the sultan.

  37. جَمَعَ اللَهُ فيكُما الحُسنَ وَالإِح

    سانَ إِذ كُنتُما رَضيعَي لِبانِ

    God united beauty and beneficence in you both,

    when you were sucklings of the same milk.

  38. وَتَجارَيتُما إِلى حَلبَةِ المَج

    دِ فَوافَيتُما كَمُهرَي رِهانِ

    And you both raced one another toward the arena of glory

    and arrived like two colts racing for stakes.

  39. ثُمَّ عاضَدتُهُ فَكُنتُ لَهُ عَي

    ناً وَعَوناً في كُلِّ حَربٍ عَوانِ

    Then you supported him, becoming his eye

    and his helper in every oft-renewed war.

  40. فَتَهَنَّ بِالعيدِ السَعيدِ وَإِن كا

    نَ لِكُلِّ الأَنامِ مِنهُ التَهاني

    So enjoy the joyous feast, even though

    it brings congratulations to all mankind.

  41. لَيسَ لي في صِفاتِ مَجدِكَ فَخرٌ

    هِيَ أَبدَت لَنا بَديعَ المَعاني

    I can take no credit for describing your glory;

    its qualities have revealed wondrous meanings to us.

  42. كُلَّما أَبدَعَت سَجاياكَ مَعنىً

    نَظَمَت فِكرَتي وَخَطَّ بَناني

    Whenever your virtues create a meaning,

    my thought weaves it into verse, and my fingertips write it.

  43. لا تَسُمني بِالشَعرِ شُكرَ أَيادي

    كَ فَما لي بِشُكرِهِنَّ يَدانِ

    Do not charge me to thank your favors in verse,

    for I have no pair of hands equal to thanking them.

  44. لَو نَظَمتُ النُجومَ شِعراً لَما كا

    فَيتُ عَن بَعضِ ذَلِكَ الإِحسانِ

    If I strung the stars into verse, I could not

    repay even part of that beneficence.