شَغَلَت خِداشاً عَن مَساعي مَخلَدِ

خَمرٌ تَوَقَّدُ في صِحافِ العَسجَدِ

Wine has distracted him from the pursuits of an immortal

Khidash is turned aside from the noble pursuits of Makhlad,

Burning in the goblets of the tall and slender[wine-pourer]

By wine that burns bright in vessels of beaten gold.

فَلَيُصبِحَنَّ مِنَ الدَراهِمِ مُفلِساً

وَلِيُمسِيَنَّ مِنَ النَدى صِفرَ اليَدِ

He will surely spend the day penniless of coins

He shall surely wake at dawn bankrupt of all coin,

And come the evening empty-handed from generosity

And by evening find his hands empty of all means to give.

قَد شَرَّدَت أَموالَهُ فَضِحاتُهُ

وَمَقالُهُ لِنَديمِهِ هاتِ اِنشُدِ

His foolishness has squandered his wealth

His shameful excesses have scattered his wealth abroad,

And his words to his drinking companion are "recite some poetry!"

Along with his cry to his cup-companion: "Pour and recite!"

قُل لِلمَليحَةِ في الخِمارِ الأَسوَدِ

ماذا فَعَلتِ بِراهِبٍ مُتَعَبِّدِ

Say to the pretty one in the black veil

Tell the lovely one in the black veil:

"What have you done to a devout monk?"

"What have you done to a devout and ascetic monk?"

قَد كانَ شَمَّرَ لِلصَلاةِ إِزارَهُ

حَتّى وَقَفتِ لَهُ بِبابِ المَسجِدِ

He used to prepare his waist-wrap for prayers

"He had gathered his robes in readiness for prayer,"

Until you stood at the mosque door for him

"Until you stood before him at the mosque's very gate."

وَالخَمرُ شاغِلَةٌ إِذا ما عوقِرَت

يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ عَنِ النَدى وَالسُؤدُدِ

Drink is engaging when abundantly poured

Wine is indeed a diversion, if quaffed incessantly,

O son of Zubair, away from generosity and gifts

O Ibn al-Zubayr, from generosity and high command.

ما يُثبِتُ الإِخوانُ حِليَةَ وَجهِهِ

مِمّا يَغيبُ فَلا يُرى في مَشهَدِ

What makes the brothers maintain his handsome face

His brethren can barely recall the features of his face,

From that which is absent and unseen in public

For he is so often absent, unseen in any assembly.

هَذا وَلَيسَ مِنَ الخُمارِ بِعارِفٍ

سَمتَ الطَريقِ إِلى مُصَلّى المَسجِدِ

This one is no connoisseur of wine

Such is he, that in his stupor he no longer knows

Who found his way to the mosque for prayers

The way that leads to the mosque’s place of prayer.