دَعِ الراحَ في راحِ الغُواةِ مُدارَةً
يَظُنّونَ فيها حَنوَةً وَقُرُنفُلا
Leave wine for the reckless revellers
Who find sweetness and cloves in it
كَأَنَّ شَذاها العَسجَدِيَّ بِطَبعِهِ
تَضَوَّعَ هِندِيّاً وَأودِعَ فُلفُلا
As if its bouquet from the vines
Was scented with Indian essences and pepper
تَريعُ لَها أَجنادُ إِبليسَ رَغبَةً
وَتَنفُرُ جَرّاها المَلائِكُ جُفَّلا
Iblis' hordes greedily drink of it
While angels avoid its lees with disgust
يَضِنُّ بِها لَمّا تَطَعَّمَ شُربَها
فَلَيسَ بِساخٍ أَن يُمَجَّ وَيُتفَلا
One who has tasted it is miserly with it
So it’s no wonder he gets tipsy and spatters it
غَفَلتُ وَمِن غَزوي فَقُلتُ بِخَيبَةٍ
وَلَم يَعدُني ريبُ الحَوادِثِ مُغفِلا
Heedlessly I erred, and in remorse I said
Misfortunes’ doubts did not caution the heedless one
وَلَم أَقضِ فَرضاً في مِنىً وَبِلادِها
وَكَم عاجِزٍ قَد زارَها مُتَنَفِّلا
Nor did I perform pilgrimage rites in Minā
Though many helpless ones frequented it as visitors
وَوَسَّعتُ دُنياكُم عَلى مَن سَعى لَها
فَما أَنا آتٍ لِلمَعاشِرِ مَحفِلا
I expanded your world for those who strove for it
Yet I do not come to assemblies as a boon companion
سِوى أَنَّ خَطّاً في البَسيطَةِ ضَيِّقاً
يَكونُ عَلى شَخصي يَدَ الدَهرِ مُقفَلا
Save that in the desert a narrow path
The days of fate for me are shut fast
وَأَصمُتُ صَمتاً لا تَكَلُّمَ بَعدَهُ
وَلا قَولَ داعٍ يا فُلانُ وَيا فُلا
And I keep silent thereafter, no speaking
No saying “O So-and-so” and “O Such-and-such”
فَما دِرهَمي إِن مَرَّ بي مُتَلَبِّثاً
وَلا طَفلَ لي حَتّى تَرى الشَمسَ مُطفِلا
I have no money if one passes by tarrying
Nor do I have a child who might see the sun playfully
وَيَرزُقُني اللَهُ الَّذي قامَ حُكمُهُ
بِأَرزاقِنا في أَرضِهِ مُتَكَفِّلا
But God, whose rule is established, provides me
With our sustenance in His land, undertaking.
