عَجِبتُ القَومَ جَنَّبو ثَمَنَ الغِنا

وَقَد شَرِبوا كاساتِهِم بِدُيونِ

I wondered at people who avoided the price of song

Yet drank their cups through loans

وَأَفضَلُ عِندي مِن أَكُفٍّ تَداوَلَت

سُلافَةَ خَمّارٍ أَكُفُّ قُيونِ

And better in my eyes than passed around palms

Are the palms of a vintner's apprentice, calloused

يَقولونَ لَم نَشرَب مَقالَ تَكَذُّبٍ

وَقَد شَهِدَت في أَوجُهٍ وَعُيونِ

They say, "We haven't drunk lies' talk,"

Yet it's witnessed in their faces and eyes