عُقِرَتْ لَهُمْ مَعْقُورَةً لَوْ سَالَمَتْ

شُرَّابَها مَا سُمِّيَتْ بِعُقَارِ

A drink was poisoned for them, though had it been left untainted

It would not have been called poison.

ذَكَرَتْ طَوائِلَهَا القَدِيمَةَ إِذْ غَدَتْ

صَرْعى تُداسُ بِأَرْجُلِ العُصَّارِ

It recalled its ancient virtues when it became

A lifeless body trampled under the feet of the pressers.

لانَتْ لَهُمْ حَتَّى انْتَشَوا فَتَمَكَّنَتْ

مِنْهُمْ وَنَادَتْ فِيهِمُ بِالثَّارِ

It pined for them until they were relaxed and off guard,

Then it took hold of them and called out among them for vengeance,

وَأَمَاتَهُمْ طَرَبُ الأَغَاني مِيْتَةً

أَخَذُوا لَها الأَوْتَارَ بِالأَوْتَارِ

And the rapture of the songs killed them,

As they took away its strings string by string.