يا طالِباً منْ جارِهِ إسْكَرْفَجا

هَذا يُخَبِّرُ أن جوعَكَ فاجَا

O seeker from his neighbor a drink

This tells your hunger has flared

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ تَداوِياً

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ ترَكْتَ عِلاجا

And indicates you've abandoned remedy

And indicates you've neglected treatment

وكَلِفْتَ بالمَمْلوكِ تؤثِرُ أكْلَهُ

أبَداً وتَرْفُضُ صِحّةً ومِزاجا

And tasked the slave, preferring his food

Forever, and refused health and balance

خَفْ منْ غِذاءٍ غَيْرِ مُعْتَدِلِ القُوى

واحْذَرْ طَعاماً يُفْسِدُ الأمْشاجا

Fear food not moderate in strength

And beware a meal that spoils the temperament

هَيْهاتَ تعْتَبِرُ الهِجاءَ طَبيعةً

في خِيسِها أسَدُ الخَساسةِ هاجَا

Alas, you don't consider railing as nature

In its vileness, the lion of meanness roared

والمرءُ منْ فَمِهِ يُصابُ وفَرْجِهِ

فيَعودُ مَوْرِدُهُ الشّرُوبُ أُجاجا

And man is struck by his mouth and loins

So his resort is the bitter drinks

فكأنّني بكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ مُهَرْقِماً

وقَصَدْتَ في أعْقابِهِ سَفّاجا

It's as if you've cast off the wise one

And headed in his wake the reckless one

وصَحِبْتَ جَزّاراً للَحْمٍ طيّبٍ

وخَدَمْتَ غيرَ مُقَصِّرٍ دَجّاجا

And befriended a butcher of fine meat

And served the untiring poultryman

وفَتَحْتَ بابَ الزّرْدِ تُدْخِلُهُ اللّهَا

في دينِ كُلِّ نَهامَةٍ أفْواجا

And opened the door of dissipation to let in

Into the religion of every greedy pack

وبَلَعْتَ كالكَبّونِ فَضْلَ عَصيدَةٍ

وشرِبْتَ منْ ماءِ العَصيرِ مجاجا

And swallowed like a gulper the excess gruel

And drank from the water of vinegar undiluted

وغَدَوْتَ كالحُبْلَى جَنينُك خَرْيَةٌ

تأتي بها عِنْدَ الصّباحِ خِداجا

And became like a pregnant woman whose fetus is waste

That comes to her in the morning rotten