شبَتٌ جَدّي وَجَدّي مُؤثرٌ

لَم يُنازِعني عروقَ المؤتَشِبْ

My youth and vigor were influential

Shabat is my grandfather, and my grandfather is a distinguished man,

The veins of youth did not contend with me

No tainted roots of mixed lineage contend with mine.

مِن بَني شيبانَ أَصلي ثابِتٌ

وَبَني يَربوعَ فرسانُ العَرَبْ

I am from the established roots of Banu Shayban

From the Banu Shaiban my origin is firmly rooted,

And the horsemen of the Arabs, Banu Yarbou'

As well as from the Banu Yarbu', the knights of the Arabs.

أجمعُ المالَ وَما أَجمعُهُ

أَطلبُ اللَذَةَ في ماءِ العِنبْ

I gather wealth, though I don't gather it

I amass wealth, and whatever I amass,

I seek pleasure in the water of grapes

I seek pleasure by spending it on the water of the grape.

وَاِستبائي الزِّقَّ مِن حانوتِهِ

شائلَ الرجلينِ مَعضوبَ الذَنبْ

Taking my provision from its shop

And my purchasing of the wineskin from its tavern,

With the two legs, tail docked

Its legs raised high, its tail severed—

وَإِذا صُبَّت لِشِربٍ خلتَها

حَبَشِيّاً قطعَت منه الرُّكَبْ

And when poured for drinking, I left it

When it is poured for drinking, you would imagine it

An Abyssinian severed my legs from it

An Ethiopian whose knees have been cut off.

يا خَليليَّ اسقياني عفوَها

بِالبَواطي البيضِ لَيسَت بالعُلَبْ

O my friend, serve me its pardon

O my two companions, pour me its clearest draught,

In the white vessels, not cans

Into white bowls, not into wooden cups.

من شَرابٍ خُسروانيٍّ إِذا

ذاقَهُ الشَيخُ تَغَنّى وَطربْ

Of a Khosravani drink, which when

From a royal Khosrowani wine, which, when

An old man tastes, he sings and rejoices

An old man tastes it, he sings and is moved to joy.

يَترُك القَومَ إِذا ما طَرِبوا

في صياحٍ وَمِراءٍ وَصخَبْ

The people leave when they rejoice

It leaves the men, whenever they become elated,

In shouting, contention and clamor

In a state of shouting, arguing, and uproar.

وَإِذا ما مُنتشٍ قامَت بِهِ

رَفعَوا الأَوصالَ منهُ بِالخَشَبْ

And when he gets drunk, they stood him up

And when an intoxicated man tries to rise with it,

Raising the limbs off him with wood

They lift his limbs with wooden poles.

ثُمَّ ناحوا نوحَةً ثُمَّ بَكَوا

ثُمَّ ضَجّوا ضَحِكاً يا للَّعِبْ

Then they wailed, then they wept

Then they wail a loud lament, then they weep,

Then they roared with laughter, what play!

Then they burst into roaring laughter—oh, what sport!

وَهوَ مُنكَبٌّ عَلى جبهَتِهِ

مُزبِدَ الشدقين مُستَرخي العَصَبْ

Bent over on his forehead

While he lies slumped face-down upon his forehead,

Frothing at the lips, relaxing the nerves

Foaming at both sides of his mouth, his muscles slack.

رفعَ الشَربُ لَهُ يا فَوخَهُ

بَعدَ لأيٍ ما تَوَلّى وَاِنقلَبْ

The drink exalted him, oh what loss for him

The drinkers raise a shout at him: 'Oh, his heavy snoring!'

After well-being, he turned away and left

After much toil, he turns over and rolls away.

ساعَةً ثُمَّ دَعوهُ باسمهِ

فَأَجابَ المَرءَ صَوتاً وَوثبْ

An hour, then they called him by name

A moment passes, then they call him by his name,

The man answered with voice and leapt

And the man answers the voice and leaps up,

يَنفضُ الرأسَ عَلَيهِ غبرةً

مِن تُرابٍ وَرَمادٍ وَقشَبْ

He shakes the dust off his head

Shaking his head, upon which is the dust

Of soil, ashes, and straw

Of soil, and ashes, and foul grime.

وَأَتَوهُ بطهورٍ طَيِّبٍ

ليُصَلّي فَتَلَكّا وَقَطَبْ

They brought him pure ablution water

And they bring him pure water for his ablutions,

To pray, but he staggered and frowned

So that he may pray, but he balks and scowls.

أَيُّ رِجلٍ وكزَتهُ وَكزَةً

يَتَوَسَّدها وَطَنبور طَربْ

What man has been prodded by a prod

Whichever foot kicks him with a jab,

Using it as a pillow, and a tambour of delight

He takes it as a pillow, alongside a merry lute.

وَسَراويلٌ لَهُ مَرفوعَةٌ

حَلَق النَيفَق منها قَد ذهَبْ

With pants raised high for him

And his trousers are hitched up,

The lice have gone from them

The loop of their waistband having vanished entirely.