كانَ عَلى خِوانِ رَبِّ المالِ

كَأسانِ مِن خَمرٍ وَمِن زُلالِ

Upon the table of a master of wealth,

Stood two cups: one of wine and one of pure water.

هاتيكَ في الحُمرَةِ مِثلُ العَندَمِ

وَتِلكَ في بَياضِها كَالدِرهَمِ

The former, in its redness, was like dragon's blood,

While the latter, in its whiteness, shone like a silver coin.

فَقالَتِ السُلافَةُ الثَرثارَه

عِندي حَديثٌ فَاِسمَعي يا جارَه

Then the garrulous wine spoke out,

"I have a tale to tell, so listen, O neighbor.

أَنا الَّتي تَخضَعُ لِيَ الرُؤوسُ

أَنا الَّتي يَعبُدُني المَجوسُ

I am the one to whom heads bow down;

I am the one whom the Magians worship.

كَم قائِدٍ أَضحَكتُ مِنهُ جِندَه

وَسَيّدٍ حَكَمتُ فيهِ وَبدَه

How many a commander have I made the laughingstock of his troops,

And how many a master have I let his slave overrule.

وَمَلِكٍ أَسقَطتُ عَنهُ التاجا

وَساكِنٍ هَيَّجتُهُ فَهاجا

From many a king have I toppled the crown,

And the calm man I have provoked until he raged.

وَزَوجَةٍ عَلَّمتُها لخِيانَه

وَوالِدٍ أَنسَيتُهُ الأَمانَه

I have taught the wife how to betray,

And made the father forget his sacred trust.

وَحَدَثٍ خدَعتُهُ فَاِنخَدَعا

حَتّى إِذا ما شَبَّ عَضَّ الإِصبَعا

I deceived the youth, and he was beguiled,

Until, when he grew old, he bit his finger in regret.

إِنَّ الغِنى وَالصيتَ وَالذَكاءَ

مَتى أُرِد صَيَّرتُها هَباءَ

Verily, wealth, renown, and intelligence—

Whenever I wish, I turn them all to scattered dust."

فَسَمِعَ الماءُ فَهاجَ غَضَبا

وَقالَ مَهلاً بَلَغَ السَيلُ الزُبى

The water heard this and surged with anger,

And said, "Hold on! The flood has reached the heights!

إِن تَفخَري يا جارَتي بِالشَرِّ

فَإِنَّ بِالفِعلِ الجَميلِ فَخري

If you boast, O neighbor, of your evil deeds,

Then in beautiful deeds lies my own pride.

أَنا الَّذي تُغسَلُ بِيَ الكُلومُ

وَيَرتَوي الظامِئُ وَالمَحمومُ

I am the one by whom wounds are washed clean,

And the thirsty and the fevered quench their thirst.

يُحِبُّني المالِكُ وَالمَملوكُ

وَالسَيّدُ المُطاعُ وَالصُعلوكُ

The master and the slave both love me,

The obeyed lord and the destitute beggar.

حَيثُ أَكونُ جارِياً يَكونُ

الوَردُ وَالأَقاحُ وَالنِسرينُ

Wherever I flow, there also exist

The rose, the chamomile, and the eglantine.

إِنَّ المُروجَ الخُضرَ لا يُحيِّها

غَيرُ وُجودي حَولَها وَفيها

Verily, the green meadows are given life

By nothing but my presence around and within them.

كَم سِرتُ في الوادي وَفي الغَديرِ

عَلى شَبيهِ الدُرِّ وَالكافورِ

How often have I flowed through the valley and the stream,

Glistening like scattered pearls and camphor;

وَجَلَسَ العُشّاقُ حَولي في السَحَر

عَلى بِساطِ العُشبِ في ضَوءِ القَمَر

And lovers have sat around me at the break of dawn,

Upon the carpet of grass, in the light of the moon.

كَمِ اِشتَهوا إِذ سَمِعوا خَريري

لَو أَنَّني أَسيرُ في الصُدورِ

How they yearned, when they heard my murmuring,

That I might flow within their very breasts.

أَنا الَّذي لَولاهُ ماتَ الناسُ

وَالطَيرُ وَالأَسماكُ وَالأَغراسُ

I am the one without whom mankind would perish,

As would the birds, the fish, and the saplings.

يا خَمرُ كَم ذا تَدَّعينَ الفَضلا

وَبِالمِياهِ تَقتُلينَ قَتلا

O Wine, how long will you claim superiority,

When by water you are thoroughly vanquished?

وَأُمُّكِ الكَرمَةُ يا صَهباءُ

ما وُجِدَت في الأَرضِ لَولا الماءُ

And your mother, the grapevine, O russet wine,

Would not exist on earth were it not for water."