كُنّا وَقُضبان وَهيَ تُسمِعُنا

وَالقَومُ مِن مُطرِقٍ وَمُقتَرِحِ

We were like rods and she made us listen,

While the people prepared and proposed.

نَشرَبُ صِرفاً كَأَنَّ مسكَتَها بِهِ

نارٌ بِكَفّي ملاعِبِ مَرِحِ

We drank wine as if its intoxication in it

Was fire in the hands of playful boys.

حاضِرُنا نَرجسٌ كَأَنَّ بِهِ

عِناقَ خَيلٍ سَفَرنَ عَن قَرحِ

Before us was a narcissus as if in it

Was an embrace of horses who journeyed from a wound.

وَالقَومُ كُلّ أَعَدَّ زينَتَه

تَسحَبُ عِطفاهُ أَذيُلَ الفَرَحِ

And the people, each adorned their beauty,

Dragging the trains of joy.

حَتّى إِذا الكَأسُ باحَ بِما

أَخفوا لِحَيِّ الصبى وَلَم أَبُحِ

Until when the cup overflowed with what

They had concealed for the sake of vivacious youth, and I did not reveal.

فَاِنتَصَحَت رَأيها فَكانَ لَها

شَرَّ مُشيرٍ وَشَرَّ مُنتَصِحِ

Then her reason sobered up, so for her

There was evil in the advisor and the sober.

لَو تَعلَمُ العلم كُنت أَوَّل ما

مُبتَذل عِندَها فُمَطَّرحِ

If she knew knowledge, the first thing

Debased to her would be my mouth.

صاحَت فَقالوا العَفاف نَفَّرَها

ما بالها قَبلَ ذاكَ لَم تَصِحِ

She shouted, so they said chastity disgusted her.

Why, before this, was she not sober?

راحوا بَراءً وَرحتُ أَسحَبُ من

ذَيل اِمرئٍ لِلذُّنوبِ مُجتَرِحِ

They left innocent, while I dragged myself

From the tail of a man prone to sins.