يَشرَبُ بِنتَ الكَرمِ بَعضَ الناسِ

لِكُربَةٍ في النَفسِ أَو وَسواسِ

Some people drink the daughter of the vine,

To soothe a distress in the soul or anxious whispers,

وَبَعضُهُم لِأَنَّهُ قَد ظَفِرا

وَبَعضُهُم لِأَنَّهُ قَد خَسِرا

And some because they have achieved a triumph,

And others because they have suffered a loss,

وَبَعضُهُم لِأَنَّهُ في فَرَحِ

وَبَعضُهُم لِأَنَّهُ في تَرَحِ

And some because they are filled with joy,

And others because they are in deep sorrow,

وَبَعضُهُم كَي يَستَرِدَّ الأَمسا

وَبَعضُهُم يَجرَعُها كَي يَنسى

And some in order to reclaim the past,

And some gulp it down simply to forget,

وَبَعضُهُم لِيَستَفيدَ قُوَّه

وَبَعضُهُم لِسَورَةِ الفُتُوَّه

And some to gain a sense of strength,

And others for a burst of youthful bravado,

وَبَعضُهُم كَيما يَحُلُّ مُشكِلَه

وَبَعضُهُم لِأَنَّهُ لا شُغلَ لَه

And some in order to solve a problem,

And others because they have nothing to do,

وَبَعضُهُم عَن رَغبَةٍ وَعَن هَوى

وَبَعضُهُم لَعَلَّهُ يَرضي السِوى

And some out of sheer desire and passion,

And others, perhaps, to please their company,

وَبَعضُهُم مِن حُبِّهِ لِلبائِعِ

وَبَعضُهُم نِكايَةً لِلمانِعِ

And some out of affection for the seller,

And others to spite the one who forbids it,

وَبَعضُهُم يَشرَبُها أَحياناً

وَبَعضُهُم في أَيِّ وَقتٍ كانا

And some of them drink it only occasionally,

While others drink it at any given time,

وَبَعضُهُم مَع صَحبِهِ في الدارِ

وَبَعضُهُم في حانَةِ الخَمّارِ

And some with their companions at home,

And others in the vintner's tavern,

وَبَعضُهُم مَع زُمرَةِ النُدمانِ

وَبَعضُهُم في وُحدَةِ الرُهبانِ

And some with a circle of drinking buddies,

And others in the solitude of monks,

وَبَعدُهُم في الصَيفِ ذي الرَمضاءِ

وَبَعضُهُم في زَمَنِ الشِتاءِ

And some in the scorching heat of summer,

And others in the season of winter,

وَبَعضُهُم عِندَ اِنجِيابِ الظُلمَه

وَبَعضُهُم عِندَ طُلوعِ النَجمَه

And some when the darkness clears away,

And others when the stars begin to rise,

وَبَعضُهُم يَذُمُّها اِستِهجانا

وَبَعضُهُم يَمدَحُها اِستِحسانا

And some criticize it with disapproval,

And others praise it with admiration,

لَكِنَّهُم كُلُّهُم يَحسوها

المادِحوها وَالمُقَبِّحوها

Yet every single one of them sips it—

Those who praise it and those who condemn it,

فَما وَجَدتُ في زَمانِيَ رَجُلاً

وَقُلتُ هَل تُحِبُّها فَقالَ لا

For I have not found a man in my time,

Whom I asked, "Do you love her?" and who answered, "No,"

وَسِرُّ هَذا أَنَّها كَالدُنيا

تُؤذي وَلَكِن مَع أَذاها تُهوى

And the secret of this is that she is like the world:

She causes harm, yet despite her harm, she is desired.