أَلا هَل إِلى دَيرِ العَذارى وَنَظرَةٍ

إِلى الديرِ مِن قَبلِ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

Shall I make my way to the convent of virgins for a visit

Before death, a path leads to the convent

وَهَل لي بِسوقِ القادِسِيَّةِ سَكرَةٌ

تُعَلِّلُ نَفسي وَالنَسيمُ عَليلُ

Shall I wander intoxicated in the Suq Al-Qadisiyyah

To indulge myself, while the breeze is languid

وَهَل لي بِحاناتِ المَطيرَةِ وَقفَةٌ

أُراعي خُروجَ الزِقِّ وَهوَ حَميلُ

Shall I pause awhile in the taverns of Al-Matirah

To watch the jars brought out, full to the brim

إِلى فِتيَةٍ ما شَتَّتَ العَذلُ شَملَهُم

شِعارُهُ عِندَ الصَباحِ شُمولُ

To youths whom separation has not divided

United, their motto when morn appears

وَقَد نَطَقَ الناقوسُ بَعدَ سُكوتِهِ

وِشَمعَلَ قِسّيسٌ وَلاحَ فَتيلُ

The bell has sounded after its silence

A priest has lit a candle, its wick alight

يُريدُ اِنتِصاباً لِلمُدامِ بِزَعمِهِ

وَيُرعِشُهُ الإِدمانُ فَهوَ يَميلُ

Seeking to stand up to alcohol, so he claims

Yet addiction makes him waver, about to fall

يُغَنّي وَأَسبابُ الصَوابِ تُمِدِّهُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ فيما يَقولُ عَديلُ

He sings though sobriety's reasons aid him

So his words have no match, no equal

أَلا هَل إِلى شَمِّ الخُزامى وَنَظرَةٍ

إِلى قَرقَرى قَبلَ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

Shall I make my way to smell the Khuzama and stop to see

The taverns before death, a path to take

وَثَنّى فَغَنّى وَهوَ يَلمِسُ كَأَسَهُ

وَأَدمُعُهُ في وَجنَتَيهِ تَسيلُ

He sang and sang as he touched his glass

Tears streamed down both his cheeks

سَيُعرِضُ عَن ذِكري وَيَنسى مَوَدَّتي

وَيَحدُثُ بَعدي لِلخَليلِ خَليلُ

He will forget me and our affection

And find after me another friend

سَقى اللَهُ عَيشاً لَم يَكُن فيهِ عُلقَةٌ

لِهَمٍّ وَلَم يُنكِر عَلَيهِ عَذولُ

May God water a life without attachment

To worries or denial of requests

لَعَمرُكَ ما اِستَحمَلتُ صَبراً لِفَقدِهِ

وَكُلُّ اِصطِبارٍ عَن سِواهُ جَميلُ

By your life, I cannot endure patience for his loss

All patience but His is ugly