لعَمرُكَ إِنّي بِالمُدامَةِ قَوّالُ

وَإِنّي لِما يَهوى النُدامى لَفَعّالُ

By your life, I have much to say of wine,

And whatever the boon companions desire, I am sure to do.

وَإِنّيَ لِلخِلِّ الخَليلِ لَناعِشُ

وَإِنّيَ لِلقَتلِ المُناوي لَقَتّالُ

I raise up the friend who is truly faithful,

And against the hostile adversary, I am a formidable fighter.

قَسَمتُ زَماني بَينَ كَدٍّ وَراحَةٍ

فَلِلرأيِ أَسحارٌ وَلِلطّيبِ آصالُ

I have divided my time between toil and rest:

My predawn hours belong to counsel, my evenings to perfume.

فَأُمسي عَلى اللَذاتِ وَاللَهوِ عاكِفاً

وَأُضحي بِساحاتِ الرِئاسَةِ أَختالُ

By evening I devote myself to pleasures and diversion,

And by morning I strut through the precincts of leadership.

وَلَستُ عَلى الإِدمانِ أُغفِلُ بُغيَتي

مِنَ المَجدِ إِنّي في المَعالي لَمُحتالُ

Though constant indulgence does not make me lose sight of my aim—

Glory—for I am resourceful in attaining the heights.

إِذا نامَ أَقوامُ عَنشِ المَجدِ ضَلَّةً

أُسَهِّرُ عَيني أَن تَنامَ بي الحالُ

When some men sleep, straying heedlessly from glory,

I keep my eye awake, lest Fortune sleep on me.

وَإِن راقَ أَقواماً مِنَ الناس منطِقٌ

يرُقْ أَبَداً مني مَقالٌ وَأَفعالُ

If eloquence delights some among humankind,

My words and my deeds will always delight.