يقول قومٌ أبصروني وقد

تلفتُ ما بينهم سكرا

Some people saw me wandering drunk,

Staggering between them intoxicated.

قم الحقِ الظهر ولو ركعةً

فالناس قد صلوا بنا العصرا

Stand for the afternoon prayer even if only one bow,

For the people have already prayed Asr with us.

فقلت ما أحسن ما قلتمُ

أقوم حتى ألحق الظهرا

So I said, how right you are in what you say!

I will stand to make up the afternoon prayer.

أقوم والركعة من عند من

نعم وإن قمت فمن يقرا

I will stand though the one bow comes from the One

Whose bounty is plenty even if I stand late.

قالوا فلا تسكر فلسنا نرى

لعاقلٍ في سكره عذرا

They said, "Do not be drunk!" For they do not see

Any excuse for a reasonable man's drunkenness.

والله لولا السكر يا سادتي

ما ذقت مطبوخاً ولا خمرا

By God, if not for drunkenness, O my lords,

I would have tasted neither wine nor fermented drink!

قالوا فهذا السكر ما حده

فقلت حد السكر أن أخرا

They said, "What is the limit of this drunkenness?"

I said, "The limit of drunkenness is to be delayed."