1. يا عَلِيُّ يَومُنا أَو

    وَلُ يَومٍ مِن شُباطِ

    O Ali, our day is the first

    day of Shubat.

  2. فَاِعكِفِ اليَومَ عَلى الرا

    حِ تُعاطى وَتُعاطي

    So devote yourself today to wine,

    receiving it and passing it around.

  3. لا تَرُعَنا بِتَوانٍ

    فيهِ عَنّا وَتَباطِ

    Do not dismay us by holding back

    from us today, or by dawdling.

  4. أَنا في مَجلِسِ لَهوٍ

    وَسُرورٍ وَاِنبِساطِ

    I am at a gathering of amusement,

    joy and merriment,

  5. نازِلٌ مِن نَهرِ عيسى

    بَينَ دولابٍ وَراطِ

    staying by the River Isa,

    between Dulab and Rat.

  6. قُبَّتي الغَيمُ وَأَزها

    رُ الرِياحينِ بَساطي

    The clouds are my canopy, and the flowers

    of fragrant herbs are my carpet.

  7. حَلِيَت أَوراقُها بَينَ

    جِعادِ وَسِباطِ

    Their leaves are adorned, both

    curled and smooth,

  8. بِشُنوفٍ نَظَمَ الطَلُّ

    عَليها وَقِراطِ

    with ear-jewels the dew has strung

    upon them, and with earrings.

  9. وَقُدودِ السَروِ في

    خَصرِ مُلاءٍ وَرِياطِ

    And the cypresses' forms, in

    mantles and wraps about their waists,

  10. كَجَوارٍ قُمنَ في ال

    خِدمَةِ مِن حَولِ السِماطِ

    are like maidservants standing in

    attendance around the banquet spread.

  11. وَالهَوا وَالماءُ في وَص

    فَي فُتورٍ وَنَشاطِ

    And the air and water show the two qualities

    of languor and liveliness.

  12. وَنَديمٍ مِن شُيوخِ ال

    كَرخِ مَحلولِ الرِباطِ

    And a boon companion, one of the elders of

    al-Karkh, with his tether loosened,

  13. لا يُرى وَهُوَ صَحيحُ ال

    رَأيِ مَكسورَ النَشاطِ

    is never seen—though sound in

    judgment—with flagging spirits.

  14. حَنَّكَتهُ أُمُّهُ بِال

    خَمرِ طِفلاً في القِماطِ

    His mother rubbed his palate with

    wine, as an infant in swaddling clothes.

  15. فَهوَ شَيخٌ يَتَعاطى

    شُربَها أَيَّ تَعاطي

    So he is an old man who indulges

    in drinking it—and how he indulges!

  16. ما عَليها أَيُّها الناصِحُ

    خَمرِ إِلّا كُلُّ خاطي

    None is against it, O adviser on

    wine, save those who err.

  17. وغُلامٍ مِن بَني الأَص

    فَرِ كَالثَوبِ القُباطي

    And a youth of the Banu al-Asfar,

    like a Coptic linen cloth:

  18. رِدفُهُ عالٍ وَلَكِن

    خَصرُهُ الناحِلُ لاطي

    His rump is high, and yet

    his slender waist is drawn in.

  19. حُبُّهُ قَد نيطَ مِن

    حَبَّةِ قَلبي بِالنِياطِ

    Love for him has been hung from

    my heart's kernel by its heartstring.

  20. قابِلٍ حُكمي عَلى كَث

    رَةِ سومي وَاِشتِطاطي

    He accepts my rule, despite the abundance

    of my demands and my excesses.

  21. فَهُوَ مَخلوقٌ عَلى وَف

    قِ اِقتِراحي وَاِشتِراطي

    So he is fashioned in accordance

    with my wishes and conditions.

  22. بَينَ طاساتٍ كِبارِ

    مُترَعاتٍ وَبَواطي

    Amid large drinking bowls,

    brimming full, and wine-basins,

  23. وَأَباريقٍ كَأَجيادِ

    مَها السِربِ العَواطي

    and ewers like the necks

    of the herd's upward-reaching oryx,

  24. وَضَجيجٍ كَهَديرِ ال

    طَيرِ حَولي وَاِختِلاطِ

    and a clamor like the cooing of

    birds around me, and commotion,

  25. وَرَذاذٍ نَحنُ مِنهُ

    في نَثارِ وَلِقاطِ

    and drizzle, from which we receive

    scattered drops to gather.

  26. فَمَتى وافَيتَني

    تَمَّ سُروري وَاِغتِباطي

    So, whenever you come to me,

    my joy and delight will be complete.

  27. وَاِنخَرَطنا بِكَ في سِل

    كِ الهَوى أَيَّ اِنخِراطِ

    And with you we shall be threaded onto

    love's string—how completely strung!