عاجَ الشَقِيُّ عَلى دارٍ يُسائِلُها
وَعُدتُ أَسأَلُ عَن خَمّارَةِ البَلَدِ
The wretched one turned aside to question a ruin,
While I went seeking the local tavern.
لا يُرقِئُ اللَهُ عَينَي مَن بَكى حَجَراً
وَلا شَفى وَجدَ مَن يَصبو إِلى وَتَدِ
May God never dry the eyes of one who weeps over stones,
Nor heal the heartache of him who pines for a tent-peg.
قالوا ذَكَرتَ دِيارَ الحَيِّ مِن أَسَدٍ
لا دَرَّ دَرُّكَ قُل لي مَن بَنو أَسَدِ
They said, "You recalled the dwellings of the tribe of Asad,"
Woe to you! Tell me, who are the Banu Asad?
وَمَن تَميمٌ وَمَن قَيسٌ وَإِخوَتُهُم
لَيسَ الأَعاريبُ عِندَ اللَهِ مِن أَحَدِ
And who are Tamim, and Qays, and their kin?
In the eyes of God, the Bedouins count for nothing.
دَع ذا عَدِمتُكَ وَاِشرَبها مُعَتَّقَةً
صَفراءَ تُعنِقُ بَينَ الماءِ وَالزَبَدِ
Leave that—may you be lost—and drink the aged wine,
Golden, embracing the mingling of water and foam.
مِن كَفِّ مُختَصِرِ الزُنّارِ مُعتَدِلٍ
كَغُصنِ بانٍ تَثَنّى غَيرِ ذي أَوَدِ
From the hand of a poised lad, cinched in a slender belt,
Like a swaying willow branch, bending but unbowed.
لَمّا رَآني أَبوهُ قَد قَعَدتُ لَهُ
حَيّا وَأَيقَنَ أَنّي مُتلِفٌ صَفَدي
When his father saw that I had settled in,
He greeted me, certain I would squander my wealth.
فَجاءَني بِسُلافٍ لا يَحِفُّ لَها
وَلا يُمَلِّكُها إِلّا يَداً بِيَدِ
He brought me a vintage he would not part with,
Nor sell except for cash, hand to hand.
اِسمَح وَجُد بِالَّذي تَحوي يَداكَ لَها
لا تَدخَرِ اليَومَ شَيئاً خَوفَ فَقرِ غَدِ
Be generous, give all your hands possess for it;
Hoard nothing today for fear of tomorrow's poverty.
كَم بَينَ مَن يَشتَري خَمراً يَلَذُّ بِها
وَبَينَ باكٍ عَلى نُؤيٍ وَمُنتَضَدِ
What a difference between one who buys wine for delight,
And one who weeps over a trench and piled stones!
يا عاذِلي قَد أَتَتني مِنكَ بادِرَةٌ
فَإِن تَغَمَّدَها عَفوي فَلا تَعُدِ
O you who blame me, a harsh word has slipped from you;
If my forgiveness covers it now, do not return to it.
لَو كانَ لَومُكَ نُصحاً كُنتُ أَقبَلُهُ
لَكِنَّ لَومَكَ مَحمولٌ عَلى الحَسَدِ
Had your blame been honest counsel, I would have accepted it,
But your blame is borne of nothing but envy.
