يا صاحِ مَهلاً أَقِلَّ العَذلَ يا صاحِ

وَلا تَكونَنَّ لي بِاللائِمِ اللاحي

O friend, go slowly, be less severe with me, O friend

And do not be my blamer, haunting me

حَلَفتُ بِاللَهِ إِنَّ اللَهَ ذو نِعَمٍ

لِمَن يَشاءُ وَذو عَفوٍ وَتَصفاحِ

I swear by God, surely God is full of bounty

To whom He wills, and is forgiving and reconciling

ما الطَرفُ مِنّي إِلى ما لَستُ أَملِكُهُ

مِمّا بَدا لي بِباغي اللَحظِ طَمّاحِ

My eyes are not inclined to what I do not possess

Of what appears to me, tempting my roving eyes

وَلا أُجالِسُ صُبّاحاً أُحادِثُهُ

حَديثَ لَغوٍ فَما جِدّي بِصُبّاحِ

Nor do I sit conversing in the morn with one

Whose talk is vain, so my earnestness is not for morning

إِذا اِتَّكَوا فَأَدارَتها أَكُفُّهُمُ

صِرفاً تُدارُ بِأَكواسٍ وَأَقداحِ

When they lean on their elbows, and their palms turn them

Aside, changing course, turned by cups and goblets

إِنّي لَأَخشى الجَهولَ الشَكسَ شيمَتُهُ

وَأَتَّقي ذا التُقى وَالحِلمِ بِالراحِ

Truly I fear the rude, ill-mannered ignoramus

And avoid the God-fearing and gentle at rest

وَلا يُفارِقُني ما عِشتُ ذو حَقَبٍ

نَهدُ القَذالِ جَوادٌ غَيرُ مِلواحِ

Never leaving me, as long as I live, one whose love

Is my necklace, a generous steed, smooth-gaited

أَو مُهرَةٌ مِن عِتاقِ الخَيلِ سابِحَةٌ

كَأَنَّها سَحقُ بُردٍ بَينَ أَرماحِ

Or a mare from my prized horses, swimming

As if she were the flowing train of a bride's dress

وَمَهمَهٍ مُقفِرِ الأَعلامِ مُنجَرِدٍ

نائي المَناهِلِ جَدبِ القاعِ مِنزاحِ

A grandsire of flags, stripping bare,

Far from waterskins, barren land, displaced

أَجَزتُهُ بِعَلَنداةٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ

كَالعَيرِ مَوّارَةِ الضَبعَينِ مِمراحِ

I rewarded him with a she-camel, male-like

Like a roaming hyena with two cubs

وَقَد تَبَطَّنتُ مِثلَ الرِئمِ آنِسَةً

رُؤدَ الشَبابِ كَعاباً ذاتَ أَوضاحِ

And I have become amorous like an oryx

The spittle of youth overflowing, bright-faced

تُدفي الضَجيعَ إِذا يَشتو وَتُخصِرُهُ

في الصَيفِ حينَ يَطيبُ البَردُ لِلصاحي

She lulls to sleep her lover when he tosses and turns

And makes him cling when in summer the coolness is pleasant for the wakeful

تَخالُ ريقَ ثَناياها إِذا اِبتَسَمَت

كَمِزجِ شُهدٍ بِأُترُجٍّ وَتُفّاحِ

The saliva of her mouth seems when she smiles

Like a mixing of honey with quince and apple

كَأَنَّ سُنَّتَها في كُلِّ داجِيَةٍ

حينَ الظَلامُ بَهيمٌ ضَوءُ مِصباحِ

It's as if her habit in every dark night

Is the lamp's light when darkness is confused

إِنّي وَجَدِّكَ لَو أَصلَحتُ ما بِيَدي

لَم يَحمَدِ الناسُ بَعدَ المَوتِ إِصلاحي

By your life, even if I tried to correct what is in my hands

Men would not praise, after death, my reforming

أَشري التِلادَ بِحَمدِ الجارِ أَبذُلُهُ

حَتّى أَصيرَ رَميماً تَحتَ أَلواحِ

I perfume my robe with praise of my neighbor, spending it

Until I become dust beneath boards

بَعدَ الظَلالِ إِذا وُسِّدتُ حَثحَثَةً

في قَعرِ مُظلِمَةِ الأَرجاءِ مِكلاحِ

After shadows, when I am sealed in a grave

In the depths of a gloomy, dark tomb

أَو صِرتُ ذا بومَةٍ في رَأسِ رابِيَةٍ

أَو في قَرارٍ مِنَ الأَرضينَ قِرواحِ

Or become a corpse in the head of a valley

Or in a cavity in the ground, buried

كَم مِن فَتىً مِثلِ غُصنِ البانِ في كَرَمٍ

مَحضِ الضَريبَةِ صَلتِ الخَدِّ وَضّاحِ

How many a youth like a twig of mimosa in a vineyard

Pure complexion, connecting cheek and temple

فارَقتُهُ غَيرَ قالٍ لي وَلَستُ لَهُ

بِالقالِ أَصبَحَ في مَلحودَةٍ ناحي

I left him without bidding him farewell or being bidden

At dawn in a ramshackle shelter

هَل نَحنُ إِلّا كَأَجسادٍ تَمُرُّ بِها

تَحتَ التُرابِ وَأَرواحٍ كَأَرواحِ

Are we ought but bodies passing under the soil

And spirits like spirits