تَضَمَّنتَ لِيَ الحاجَ

ةَ مِن قَبلُ وَسارَعتا

You granted me the need

And rushed to assist before

وَقَد أَعطَيتَني عَهداً

فَوَثَّقتَ وَوَكَّدتا

You gave me a promise

Binding and enforcing it

وَقَرَّبتَ لِيَ الأَمرَ

بِإِطماعٍ وَقَصَّرتا

You made the matter close

With greed, shortening it

وَمَوَّتَّ لِيَ الجَدَّ

فَأَتقَنتَ وَأَحكَمتا

And swore to me with resolve

Perfecting and confirming it

وَأَطلَعتُ لَكَ الوُدَّ

بِشَيءٍ فَتَغَضَّبتا

I showed you some affection

At which you became angry

فَقُلتُ الحَظُّ في ذاكَ

وَتُبتُ فَأَنكَرتا

I said: it was just misfortune

And repented, but you denied it

فَما ضَمَّكَ مِضمارٌ

إِلى الجَريِ فَوَقَّفتا

No racetrack contained you

When you sped off and halted

وَقَد كَلَّفَكَ الشَيءَ

وَقَد كُنتَ تَعَوَّدتا

A thing tasked you

And you were well accustomed

وَما زِلتَ قَديماً فَ

رَساً فيهِ فَفَرزَنتا

You have long been upright

Judicious, discerning in it

فَأَنتَ الآنَ تَلقاني

بِلا شَيءٍ كَما كُنتا

Now you meet me

As you used to be

فَإِن صادَفتَ مِنّي غَف

لَةً عَنكَ تَغافَلتا

If I’m absentminded about you

Oblivious, forgetful

وَفي الأَيّامِ إِن سُوّي

تَ زَوَّدتُ وَزَوَّدتا

On days of ease, when leveled out

I prepare and make ready

وَقَد كُنتَ إِذا جاءَ

رَسولُ الشُربِ بَكَّرتا

You used to, when the cupbearer came

Be there early in the morn

فَقَد صِرتَ إِذا ما جِئ

تُ في الأَيّامِ حَجَّرتا

But now when I come on days

You bar the door and lock it

لَتَلقى عِندِيَ الجَمعَ

إِذا أَنتَ تَأَخَّرتا

You’ll find my gathering there

If late you chances to be

فَلا أَسأَلُ عَمّا قي

لَ في الأَمرِ وَما قُلتا

I’ll not question what was said

In the matter, nor your words

وَإِن أَومَأتُ بِالشَيءِ

وَما يَخفى تَكاتَمتا

And if I hint at something—

Hidden things—you’ll clam up

وَجَدَّدتَ إِلَيَّ اللَح

ظَ خَوفاً وَتَلَفَّتّا

Renewing your vigilance

Fearfully, evasively

فَإِن أَيقَنتَ بِالشُربِ

وَما يَحويهِ عَربَدتا

If you feel sure about the wine

And what it holds, you shun it

فَهَذا مِن خَطاياكَ

وَإِن شِئتَ لَأَحسَنتا

This stems from your sins

Though if you wished, you’d do right

وَلَو شِئتَ لَقَد صِرتا

إِلى حَظٍّ وَقَصَّرتا

If you wanted, you’d have luck

And be upright, excellent

وَقَد كُنتَ تَحَرَّدتا

وَلَكِنَّكَ بَرزَنتا

You used to be most noble

But now you’ve been disgraced

كَأَنّي بِكَ قَد قُلتا

وَأَطنَبتَ وَأَكثَرتا

It’s as though you said

And rambled on excessively

وَهَوَّنتَ وَعَظَّمتا

وَأَسرَفتَ وَأَفرَطتا

Belittled and magnified

Went too far, were immoderate

وَقَرَّبتَ وَبَعَّدتا

وَطَوَّلتَ وَعَرَّضتا

Brought close and pushed away

Lengthened and widened

وَوَلَّيتَ وَأَقبَلتا

وَقَدَّمتَ وَأَخَّرتا

Turned aside and drew near

Put first and deferred

فَدَع عَقلَكَ في هَذا

فَبِالعَقلِ تَبَرَّعتا

Leave your reason in this

By reason you were blessed