1. Break with your waters the wall of endurance
And when you see it submit to the water
١. اِكسِر بِمائِكَ سَورَةَ الصَهباءِ
فَإِذا رَأَيتَ خُضوعَها لِلماءِ
2. Then restrain your hands from what remains
A soul that rivals souls of the living
٢. فَاِحبِس يَدَيكَ عَنِ الَّتي بَقِيَت بِها
نَفسٌ تُشاكِلُ أَنفُسَ الأَحياءِ
3. Yellow that robs you of worries when it appears
And mocks your heart with the garb of bliss
٣. صَفراءُ تَسلُبُكَ الهُمومَ إِذا بَدَت
وَتُعيرُ قَلبَكَ حُلَّةَ السَرّاءِ
4. Disposition wrote on the front of its crown
Two lines like the writing of hardship
٤. كَتَبَ المِزاجُ عَلى مُقَدَّمِ تاجِها
سَطرَينِ مِثلَ كِتابَةِ العُسَراءِ
5. It grew on its groves with its breeze
And its glow in the dark night
٥. نَمَّت عَلى نُدَمائِها بِنَسيمِها
وَضِيائِها في اللَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ
6. I said when it peered into its cup
And was straitened like the straitening of the maiden
٦. قَد قُلتُ حينَ تَشَوَّفَت في كَأسِها
وَتَضايَقَت كَتَضايُقِ العَذراءِ
7. You must bite the pillows, so settle
And the intestines cling to the mattress
٧. لا بُدَّ مِن عَضِّ المَراشِفِ فَاِسكُني
وَتَشَبُّكِ الأَحشاءِ بِالرَحشاءِ
8. And a drowsy one I awakened when he nodded off
And his eyes shut heavily with sleep
٨. وَمُهَفهَفٍ نَبَّهتُهُ لَمّا هَدا
وَتَغَلَّقَت عَيناهُ بِالإِغفاءِ
9. And his tongue complained to me of his drunkenness
With babbling like the babbling of delirium
٩. وَشَكا إِلَيَّ لِسانُهُ مِن سُكرِهِ
بِتَلَجلُجٍ كَتَلَجلُجِ الفَأفاءِ
10. So I pardoned him and in my heart from passion
Is the flaming of fires in the tent poles
١٠. فَعَفَوتُ عَنهُ وَفي الفُؤادِ مِنَ الهَوى
كَتَلَهُّبِ النيرانِ في الحُلَفاءِ