بِخَطبِ الشَّارِبينَ يَضيقُ صَدري

وَتُرمِضُني بَلِيَّتُهُم لَعَمري

The talk of drinkers saddens my heart,

And their plight pains me, by my life!

وَهَل هُم غَيرُ عُشَّاقٍ أُصيبوا

بِفَقدِ حَبائِبٍ وَمُنوا بِهَجرِ

Are they not just lovers struck down

By the loss of sweethearts, suffering separation?

أَعُشَّاقَ المُدامَةِ إِن جَزِعتُم

لِفُرقَتِها فَلَيسَ مَكانَ صَبرِ

O lovers of wine, if you grieve

For being parted from it, resignation is not the way!

سَعى طُلابُكمُ حَتّى أُريقَت

دِماء فَوقَ وَجهِ الأَرضِ تَجري

Your seekers strove until they spilled

Blood over the face of the earth flowing.

تَضَوَّعَ عَرفُها شَرقاً وَغَرباً

وَطبَّقَ أُفقَ قُرطُبَةٍ بعطرِ

Its fragrance spread east and west

And perfumed every corner of Cordoba.

فَقُل لِلمُسفحين لَها بِسَفحٍ

وَما سَكَنتهُ مِن ظَرفٍ بِكَسرِ

So say to those who kiss it to excess -

It did not quell their thirst however much they drank!

وَلِلأَبوابِ إِحراقاً إِلى أَن

تَرَكتُم أَهلَها سُكَّانَ قَفرِ

And burning down doors until

You left its people in empty ruins.

تَحَرَّيتُم بِذاكَ العَدل فيها

بِزَعمِكُمُ فَإِن يَكُ عَن تَحرِّي

You claimed to champion justice there -

But if that were true,

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفَةَ وَهوَ عَدلٌ

وَفَرَّ عَنِ القَضاءِ مَسِيرَ شَهرِ

Abu Hanifa, the just one,

Fled from judging for a month!

فَقيهٌ لا يُدانيهِ فَقيهٌ

إِذا جاءَ القِياسُ أَتى بدُرِّ

A jurist whom no jurist can match

When analogy comes, he is the full moon.

وَكانَ مِن الصَّلاةِ طَويلَ لَيلٍ

يُقَطِّعُهُ بِلا تَغمِيضِ شَفرِ

He spent long nights in prayer

Severing them without rest or sleep.

وَكانَ لَهُ مِن الشرابِ جَارٌ

يُواصِلُ مَغرِباً فيها بِفَجرِ

And he had a drinking companion

Who joined him from dusk till dawn.

وَكانَ إِذا اِنتَشى غَنَّى بِصَوتِ ال

مُضَاعِ بِسَجنِهِ مِن آلِ عَمرِو

When he woke he sang with the voice

Of one imprisoned by the clan of Amr.

أَضاعُوني وَأيَّ فَتىً أَضاعُوا

لِيَومِ كَريهَةٍ وَسَدادِ ثَغرِ

"They destroyed me, and what man they destroyed,

For an evil day and to thwart danger!"

فَغَيَّبَ صَوت ذاكَ الجارِ سجنٌ

وَلَم يَكنِ الفَقيهُ بِذاكَ يَدري

But prison silenced that companion's voice

And the jurist knew nothing of it.

فَقالَ وَقَد مَضى لَيلٌ وَثانٍ

وَلَم يَسمَعهُ غنَّى لَيتَ شِعري

He said, when a second night had passed

And he did not hear his singing, "I wonder -

أجاري المُؤنِسي لَيلاً غِناءً

لخَيرٍ قَطعُ ذَلِكَ أَم لِشَرِّ

did my companion's singing bring good

or evil, that it has ceased?"

فَقالُوا إِنَّهُ في سجنِ عيسى

أَتاهُ بِهِ المُحارِسُ وَهوَ يَسري

They said, "He is in Isa's prison,

Seized by the guards as he walked at night."

فَنادى بِالطَّويلَةِ وَهيَ مِمّا

يَكونُ بِرَأسِه لجَليل أَمرِ

So he called out this long poem, which suits

One whose matter is momentous.

وَيَمَّمَ جارَهُ عيسى بنَ مُوسى

فَلاقاهُ بِإِكرامٍ وَبِرِّ

And he turned to Isa ibn Musa

And met him with honour and righteousness,

وَقالَ أَحاجَةٌ عَرَضَت فَإِني

لَقاضِيها وَمُتبِعها بِشُكرِ

Saying, "A need has arisen, so I

Will judge it and pursue it thankfully."

فَقالَ سَجَنتَ لي جاراً يُسَمَّى

بِعمروٍ قالَ يُطلقُ كلُّ عمرِو

He said, "You imprisoned a neighbour named

Amr." He said, "Every Amr shall be released,

بِسجني حينَ وَافَقَهُ اسمُ جارِ ال

فَقيه وَلَو سَجَنتَهُمُ بِوِترِ

For imprisoning my jurist neighbour's

Namesake, even if you chained them hand and foot!"

فَأَطلَقَهُم لَهُ عيسى جَميعاً

لِجارٍ لا يَبيتُ بِغَير سُكرِ

So Isa released them all, for that neighbour

Who does not sleep without drunkenness.

فَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِجوارِ جارٍ

وَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِطِلابِ أَجرِ

Say, if you wish, neighbours have rights,

Or say, if you wish, seekers have reward.

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفة لَم يَؤُب من

تَطَلُّبهِ تَخَلُّصَهُ بِوزرِ

For Abu Hanifa did not cease

Seeking deliverance from his burden.

نواقِعُها مِن أجلِ النّهي سراً

وَكَم نهيٍ نواقِعُهُ بِجَهرِ

How many forbidden things occur in secret

Whose occurrence openly is also banned!