فَإِنّي لَكَالخَمرِ الشَمولِ شَمائِلاً

إِذا اِشتَمَلَت يَوماً عَلى عَقلِيَ الخَمرُ

For I am like wine in my attributes,

When wine takes possession of my reason one day,

تَراني مَعَ الأَحرارِ في الصَحوِ مِنهُم

وَعَبدُ العِبِدّي حينَ يَملِكُني السُكرُ

You see me with the noble when I am sober

And a slave of slaves when drunkenness rules me

وَذاكَ لِأَنّي أَجعَلُ الخَيرَ هِمَّتي

وَلا خَيرَ في الإِنسانِ هِمَّتُهُ الشَرُّ

That is because I make goodness my aim,

And there is no good in a person whose aim is evil,

وَلَو لَم يَكُن وَصفي إِذا طالَ خَطوُهُ

يُقَصِّرُ عَن نَفسي لِما كانَ لي فَخرُ

And if it were not that when my step goes far,

It falls short of myself, I would have no pride