أَيا باكِيَ الأَطلالِ غَيَّرَها البِلى

بَكَيتَ بِعَينٍ لا يَجِفُّ لَها غَربُ

O weeper over the ruins altered by decay, you have wept with an eye whose tear-duct never dries.

Do you describe a dwelling effaced and transformed? For I am at war with the description you have made peace with.

أَتَنعَتُ داراً قَد عَفَت وَتَغَيَّرَت

فَإِنّي لِما سالَمتَ مِن نَعتِها حَربُ

And a sincere drinking companion who hastened to the wine at dawn, until mid-morning left him without tongue or heart.

I waited patiently for him to sober up, but he did not, until I saw the sun being claimed by the West.

وَنَدمانِ صِدقٍ باكَرَ الراحَ سُحرَةً

فَأَضحى وَما مِنهُ اللِسانُ وَلا القَلبُ

He rose, mistaking the sun as it departed, and called for a morning draught though the light was nearly extinguished.

He attempted to walk toward the cup but could not bear it, from weakness, until he approached stumbling and crawling.

تَأَنَّيتُهُ كَيما يُفيقُ وَلَم يُفِق

إِلى أَن رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ قَد حازَها الغَربُ

So I said to our cupbearer, "Give him drink," and a gentle companion rushed to him, quick and skilled in the task we assigned.

He handed him a cup that cleared away his hangover, and followed it with another, so his wits returned to him.

فَقامَ يَخالُ الشَمسَ لَمّا تَرَحَّلَت

فَنادى صَبوحاً وَهيَ قَد قَرُبَت تَخبو

When his right hand trembled with the cup, it danced with him for a moment, until the draught stilled it.

Then he sang, before the cup had circled to him a third time: "The heart has found solace in patience after Fatima."

وَحاوَلَ نَحوَ الكَأسِ مَشياً فَلَم يُطِق

مِنَ الضَعفِ حَتّى جاءَ مُختَبِطاً يَحبو

فَقُلتُ لِساقينا اسقِهِ فَانبَرى لَهُ

رَفيقٌ بِما سُمناهُ مِن عَمَلٍ نَدبُ

فَناوَلَهُ كَأساً جَلَت عَن خُمارِهِ

وَأَتبَعَهُ أُخرى فَثابَ لَهُ لُبُّ

إِذا اِرتَعَشَت يُمناهُ بِالكَأسِ رَقَّصَت

بِهِ ساعَةً حَتّى يُسَكِّنَها الشُربُ

فَغَنّى وَما دارَت لَهُ الكَأسُ ثالِثاً

تَعَزّى بِصَبرٍ بَعدَ فاطِمَةَ القَلبُ