أَعاذِلَ إِنَّ اللَومَ مِنكِ وَجيعُ

وَلي إِمرَةٌ أَعصي بِها وَأُطيعُ

O censurer, truly the blame coming from you is painful,

Yet I possess a sovereign will by which I disobey and obey.

كَفَيتُ الصَبا مَن لا يَهِشُّ إِلى الصِبا

وَجَمَّعتُ مِنهُ ما أَضاعَ مُضيعُ

I have sufficed for youthful passion in place of those who do not delight in it,

And I have gathered up from it what the squanderer has lost.

أَعاذِلَ ما فَرَّطتُ في جَنبِ لَذَّةٍ

وَلا قُلتُ لِلخَمّارِ كَيفَ تَبيعُ

O censurer, I have never been negligent in the pursuit of pleasure,

Nor have I ever asked the vintner, "At what price do you sell?"

أُسامِحُهُ إِنَّ المِكاسَ ضَراعَةٌ

وَيَرحَلُ عِرضي عَنهُ وَهوَ جَميعُ

I deal with him generously, for haggling is a form of abasement,

So that my honor may depart from him remaining whole and intact.