حَديثُ فَواجِرٍ وَشِرابُ خَمرِ

وَقَتلى يُطرَحونَ لِأُمِّ عَمرِ

Talk of the wanton and wine's bitter draught,

And slain men cast before a mother bereft.

وَمَهلِكُ دَولَةٍ وَقِيامُ أُخرى

كَذاكَ الدَهرُ أَمرٌ بَعدَ أَمرِ

Thus kingdoms fall and others rise anew;

So is the world - today one thing, tomorrow another.

وَمَوتٌ لا تُؤَخَّرُ عَنهُ نَفسٌ

تُهَدَّدُ بَعدَهُ بِصَلاءِ جَمرِ

Death brooks no delay for any soul;

After it, souls are threatened with hellfire's blaze.

وَإِنَّ الغَمرَ كانَ بِهِ أُناسٌ

يُرَوَّونَ العُفاةَ بِكُلِّ غَمرِ

By wine some men were deluded indeed,

Quenching thirst again and again with each goblet.

تَفَرَّقَ أَيُّها الجِسمُ المُعَنّى

فَجَمعُكَ لِلحَوادِثِ باتَ يَمري

Oh flesh, you who know, you're torn asunder!

To gather you against misfortunes is in vain.

وَجَدتُ بِخَيبَرَ الحِمّى كَثيراً

وَلَم توسِعكَ مِن رُطَبٍ وَتَمرِ

In Khaybar I found fever aplenty,

But no soft dates nor raisins to appease my thirst.

وَما عاشَرتَ في الدُنِّيا خَليلاً

يُريكَ مَوَدَّةً إِلّا لِقَمَرِ

In life you've known no true friend

Who shows you love, save for his own benefit.