نَهاني أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عَنِ الصِبا

فَدونَ الغَواني عَومَةٌ لا أَعومُها

The Commander of the Faithful forbade me from folly,

Yet beyond the passion there is a sea I cannot swim.

وَأَغيَدَ مِطرابِ العَشِيَّاتِ مُرعَشٍ

مِنَ الخَمرِ لا يَلقاكَ إِلاّ نَديمُها

And the showers of eve rain down wine

From which none can slake their thirst but its pourer.

كَرَرنا أَحاديثَ الزَمانِ الَّذي مضى

فَلَذَّ لنا مَحمودُها وَذَميمُها

We recounted the stories of days gone by,

Both its praise and its blame were sweet to us.

فَوَاللَهِ لا أَدري أَقَضّى لُبانَةً

مِنَ الصَحوِ أَم وَلّى بِنَفسٍ يَلومُها

By God, I know not if I will outlive desire

Or if my soul will flee, blaming it.

وَإِنّي لَفَيّاضُ اليَدَينِ عَلى الغِنى

وَفي الفَقرِ عَفُّ النَفسُ عَمّا يَذيمُها

And I have hands generous in plenty

Yet in want, pride spurns what would debase it.

وَإِنّي لَمَخشِيُّ العُرام وَرُبَّما

صَفَحتُ عَنِ العَوراءِ بادٍ شَكيمُها

I fear insult, yet at times

I pardon the bare-backed their foolishness.

إِذا ما وَلِيُّ العَهدِ قَضّى لُبانَتي

وَقَفتُ بِأُخرى عِندَهُ أَستَديمُها

When the Heir brings my revelry to an end

I will come to him with another, and make it last.

فِدىً لَكَ ما أَلقَت إِلَيكَ مَطِيَّتي

إِذا فِتنَةٌ قامَت وَقامَ زَعيمُها

I ransom you - when sedition rises

And its chieftain with it.

تَقَلَّبتَ في بَيتِ النُبُوَّةِ يافِعاً

وَخِرقاً وَمَعقوداً عَلَيكَ تَميمُها

You tossed as a boy in the Prophet's house,

Bundled and tied to you - its amulet.