عَطَّلْتُ دَارِسَةَ المَغاني

وعَمرْتُ عُمْرَ الزَّعْفَرانِ

I neglected the study of songs

And lived the life of saffron

وأَقَمْتُ في غُرَفٍ لَدَيْ

هِ كَأَنَّها غُرَفُ الجِنانِ

And dwelled in chambers that seemed

Like the chambers of Paradise

وتَرى قَنانِياً مُفَدْ

دمةً بِآَسٍ خسْرَواني

You see flagons brought before me

Of fine glass like those of Kisra's court

ومُعانِقي ظَبْيُ وبَدْ

رُ دُجُنَّةٍ وقَضيبُ بانِ

And my lover an gazelle and a full moon

Of a garden, and an erect bough

والرَّاحُ أَحْصَنُ جُنَّةٍ

لَكَ في مُقارَعَةِ الزَّمانِ

And pleasure the fortified garden

For you in challenging fate

لا تَأْمَنَنَّ صُروفَهُ

فَالدَّهْرُ لَيْسَ بِذي أَمانِ

Do not feel safe from its vicissitudes

For time is not to be trusted