يا ربّ مجلس لذّةٍ شاهَدتُها

كَرْهاً وجُنْحُ الليلِ مدّ جناحَا

O Lord, I witnessed a gathering of pleasure

Reluctantly, as night spread its wings

جَمَعَ الشبابُ به بنيهِ وبينهم

شيخٌ غَدا شيبٌ عليه وراحا

The youth gathered with their sons

An old man with white hair among them

وكأنّه في كلّ داجي شعرةٍ

في الرأسِ منهُ مُوقِدٌ مِصباحا

As if every strand of white hair

In his head was a lit lamp

أمسَيتُ مَفطوماً عَنِ الكَأسِ الَّتي

يتراضعُ الندمَاءُ منها راحا

I was deprived of the cup

Which the remorseful sip from

إلّا شميماً كان هَمّاً سُكْرُهُ

وغناؤهُ في مسمعي نياحا

Except its aroma that was worrying intoxication

And its song sounding like weeping in my ears

جُرْنا على زمنِ الصبا الزَاهي الَّذي

عزَلَ الهمومَ ومَلّكَ الأفراحا

We reminisced about the prime of youth

That dismissed worries and owned joys

أبناءُ عصرٍ فَتّقُوا من بَينهم

مِسْكَ الشّبيبَةِ بالمُدامِ ففاحا

Sons of an era who excel among them

Inholding fast the wine glass, so it overflowed

جَعَلوا حُداءَهُمُ السَماعَ وأَوجَفوا

بدلَ القَلائِصِ بينَهم أَقداحا

They made their sharpness listening,

And instead of daggers between them, goblets

وَكَأنّما نَبَضَتْ لهم أَفواهُهُم

بِالشُربِ مِن أَجسامِها أَرواحا

As if their mouths pulsated for them

With drinking from their bodies, spirits

حَتّى إذا اصطَبَحوا فررتُ فلم يجِد

للشيبِ بَينَهمُ الصباحُ صَباحا

Until when they woke up at dawn, I slipped away

And morning found no morning for old age among them

ما لي أُكافحُ قِرْنَ كأسٍ جالَ في

مَيدانِ نشوَته وجال كِفاحا

Why should I struggle against a generation

That roamed the field of bliss and battled

ومجدَّلٌ شاكي السّلاحِ من الصِّبا

من لم يُبَقّ له المشيبُ سِلاحا

Decked out, complaining of arms

For whom old age left no arms