1. إِنَّ كُؤوسَ المُدامِ تُشبِهُها السُ

    يوفُ وَالمَوتُ في مَضارِبِها

    Indeed, cups of wine are like swor-

    ds, and death lies in their cutting edges.

  2. شُموسُها شَمسُ باطِلٍ شَرَقَت

    فَلا يَكُن فوكَ مِن مَغارِبِها

    Its suns are a sun of falsehood that has risen;

    so do not let your mouth be one of its setting places.

  3. وَنَملُها إِن تَدِبَّ في جَسَدٍ

    أَضَرُّ لِلنَفسِ مِن عَقارِها

    And its ants, should they creep through a body,

    are more harmful to the soul than its scorpions [probable reading].

  4. وَكُلُّ ما أَذهَبَ العُقولَ وَإِن

    خالَفَها فَهوَ مِن أَقارِبِها

    And whatever takes away reason, even if

    it differs from wine, is one of its kin.

  5. جَرَّبَها عالِمٌ بِشيمَتِها

    وَيَذهَبُ اللُبُّ في تَجارِبِها

    Someone acquainted with its nature tried it,

    and reason is lost in putting it to the test.

  6. وَقَد تُقَضّى الحَياةُ راضِيَةً

    بِدونِ ما نيلَ مِن مَآرِبِها

    And life may be spent contentedly,

    without attaining the things it desires.

  7. إِن شَرِبَت راحَها زَنَت وَجَنَت

    فَلتَتَّقِ اللَهَ في مَشارِبِها

    If the soul drinks its wine, it fornicates and does wrong;

    so let it fear God in its drinking.