ارى العودَ نشواناً يميلُ فقيل لي

الم ترَ كَم اذنٍ لَهُ للتَسمُّعِ

I saw the oud, drunken, swaying, and was told:

“Have you not seen how many ears it has for listening?

وَقَد وُصلت آذانهُ بلحونهِ

فَبات نَزيفاً لا يَفيق ولا يَعي

Its ears are joined to its own melodies,

so it spent the night drunk senseless—neither sobering nor aware.”