لَقَد وَضَعَت حَوّاءُ أُمُّكَ بِكرَها

بِدارِ الرَزايا مِن عَوانٍ وَمِن بِكرِ

Indeed Eve, your mother, placed her virginity

In the abode of chastity, protected and sheltered,

وَلَم يَتَناوَل دُرَّةَ الحَقِّ غائِصٌ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا بِالرَوِيَّةِ وَالفِكرِ

And none could grasp the pearl of truth, submerged,

Among the people except with intuition and reflection.

صُروفُ اللَيالي إِن سَمَحنَ لِماجِدٍ

بِذِكرٍ جَميلٍ عُدنَ يَعصِفنَ بِالذِكرِ

The nights go by - if they allow glory

To have a beautiful mention, they violently shake with memory,

مَكرنَ بِكُلِّ المُدرَكاتِ جُسومُها

وَأَعراضُها فَليَلحَقِ المَكرُ بِالمَكرِ

Deceiving with all comprehensions, their countenances,

So let deception meet with deception.

نَهارٌ كَذي اللُبِّ العَديمِ وَلَيلَةٌ

كَإِحدى بَناتِ الزِنجِ يَلعَبنَ بِالدَكرِ

A day like an empty heart, and a night

Like one of the daughters of the Negroes playing with the tom-tom,

فَهَل عَلِمَت شَغواءُ في النيقِ أَنَّها

سَيَخلِجُها رَيبُ المَنونِ مِنَ الوَكرِ

Does the delirious one in luxury know

That the pang of death will wring her from the den?

فَإِن جَهِلَت ذاكَ المُصابَ فَراحَةٌ

وَإِن أَيقَنَتهُ فَهيَ في نَبَإٍ نُكرِ

If she is ignorant of that misfortune, it is respite,

And if she is certain of it, then she is in odious news.

دَعِ النَسلَ إِنَّ النَسلَ عُقباهُ مَيتَةٌ

وَيُهجَرُ طيبُ الراحِ خَوفاً مِنَ السِكرِ

Leave offspring - offspring whose outcome is death

And the joy of spirit is abandoned for fear of drunkenness.

عَلى الذَمِّ بِتنا مُجمِعينَ وَحالُنا

مِنَ الرُعبِ حالُ المُجمِعينَ عَلى الشُكرِ

We meet for blame while our state

Is the state of those who meet for thanksgiving.

وَهَل يُصبِحُ الساديُ الجَديلِيُّ بازِلاً

إِذا لَم يَجُز في سِنِّهِ عُصُرَ البَكرِ

Can the formidable, stalwart one become weak

If the prime of his age does not pass?

أُراعُ فَلا أَرعى وَمِثلي مَعاشِرٌ

تَنامُ فَلا تَنمي وَتَكرى فَلا تُكري

I herd but do not graze, and the likes of me

Sleep but do not slumber, and hire but do not rent.