وَفِتيَةٍ وَلِعوا بِالراحِ فَاِنتَبَذوا

لَهُم مَكاناً وَجَدّوا في تَعاطيها

The youth were enamored with wine, so they indulged,

They found a place for themselves to imbibe it.

ظَهَرتَ حائِطَهُم لَمّا عَلِمتَ بِهِم

وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرُ الأَرجاءِ ساجيها

You learned of them, so you exposed their wall,

While the night cloaked the expanse in darkness.

حَتّى تَبَيَّنتَهُم وَالخَمرُ قَد أَخَذَت

تَعلو ذُؤابَةَ ساقيها وَحاسيها

Until you recognized them, while the wine had already

Elevated the server's jug and cup.

سَفَّهتَ آراءَهُم فيها فَما لَبِثوا

أَن أَوسَعوكَ عَلى ما جِئتَ تَسفيها

It muddled their minds within it, so without delay

They rebuked you for what you came to vilify.

وَرُمتَ تَفقيهَهُم في دينِهِم فَإِذا

بِالشَربِ قَد بَرَعوا الفاروقَ تَفقيها

You sought to guide them in their faith, but lo,

With drinking they surpassed al-Farooq in guidance.

قالوا مَكانَكَ قَد جِئنا بِواحِدَةٍ

وَجِئتَنا بِثَلاثٍ لا تُباليها

They said: "You have come with one,

While we came with three, heedless of it."

فَأتِ البُيوتَ مِنَ الأَبوابِ يا عُمَرٌ

فَقَد يُزَنُّ مِنَ الحيطانِ آتيها

"Come through the doors, O Umar,

For one who comes by the walls is a sneak."

وَاِستَأذِنِ الناسَ أَن تَغشى بُيوتَهُمُ

وَلا تُلِمَّ بِدارٍ أَو تُحَيّيها

"Ask people's permission before barging into their homes,

Do not blame a house or rouse it."

وَلا تَجَسَّس فَهَذي الآيُ قَد نَزَلَت

بِالنَهيِ عَنهُ فَلَم تَذكُر نَواهيها

"Do not spy, for this verse has come down

Forbidding it without mentioning its prohibitions."

فَعُدتَ عَنهُم وَقَد أَكبَرتَ حُجَّتَهُم

لَمّا رَأَيتَ كِتابَ اللَهِ يُمليها

You left them, exalting their argument,

When you saw God's Book dictating it.

وَما أَنِفتَ وَإِن كانوا عَلى حَرَجٍ

مِن أَن يَحُجَّكَ بِالآياتِ عاصيها

You were not averse, though they were in predicament,

That the verses would unduly constrain you.