سمعت بأَمرٍ ليتني لا سَمعْتُه

فعندِيَ منه مُقعِدٌ ومُقِيمٌ

I heard of something, I wish I had not heard of it

For I now have a resident and a lodger because of it

بأَنَّ الحَكيمَ الآنَ قَدْ تَرَكَ الطِّلاَ

وتابَ فَقُلْنا مَا الحكيمُ حَكيمُ

That the wise man has now abandoned drinking wine

And repented, so we said how can the wise man be wise

أَتُتركُ شَمْسُ الرَّاحِ وَهْيَ منيرةٌ

ويُتركُ وجْهُ البدر وهْوَ وَسيمُ

Would the sun abandon its brilliance while it is luminous

Would the beautiful face of the full moon be abandoned

وما كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَن يتوبَ لظَرْفِه

كمَا لسْتُ أَخشى أَنَّهُ سَيصُومُ

I did not fear that he would repent due to his sophistication

Just as I don't fear that he would fast

وكَمْ مِنْ يدٍ عند الحكيم لِكَأسِه

غَدَتْ وَلَها حَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ عَظِيمُ

And how many hands raised cups to the wise man

That now have a right over him, great indeed

أَنامَتْ له مَن لا يَنامُ وربَّما

أَقامَتْ له ما لاَ يَكَادُ يَقُومُ

They stayed up for him, though they don't usually stay up

And got up for him, though they can barely stand

وذلكَ إِنْعامٌ قَضى بنعيمهِ

ومَن جَحَد الإِنعامَ فَهْوَ لَئِيمُ

That is a blessing whose pleasure decreed

And whoever denies blessing is miserable

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَقمتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

فقد يعشَقُونَ الجَفْنَ وهْوَ سَقيم

And if he says I got sick from drinking it

Then they must love the eyelid even when it's sick

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَلِمْتُ فإِنَّه

كما قيل قِدْماً للَّدِيغ سَلِيمُ

And if he says I'm safe now, he's like

One who said to the bitten man, you're fine

على الكوبِ من بَعْدِ الحكيم كآبةٌ

وفي الجام مِنْ بعدِ الحَكيمِ وُجُومُ

There is gloom over the cup after the wise man

And darkness in the glass after the wise man

ومن بعدهِ زَوْجُ الخلاعةِ طالِقٌ

ومن بعدِه أُمُّ السرورِ عَقِيمُ

After him, the dress of revelry is divorced

And after him the mother of joy is barren

وعادت كؤوسُ الرَّاح وهي سِمَائِمٌ

لَديْنا وأَنفاسُ المُدامِ سُمُومُ

And the cups of comfort have returned drunk with wine

While breaths of wine are toxic to us

وطمَّنني إِبليسُ حين عَتِبْتُه

بأَنْ قال هَذا الأَمرُ لَيْسَ يَدُومُ

But Iblis reassured me when I complained to him

By saying this matter will not last

فإِنْ تَسْأَلُوني الحكيم فإِنَّني

خَبيرٌ بأَدْواءِ الحكيمِ عَلِيمُ

So if you ask me of the wise man, I

Am an expert in the wise man's remedies

إِذا ما خَبا وهْجُ المَصيِف فإنَّني

بتحليلِ ناموسِ الحكيمِ زَعيمُ

When the zeal of summer wanes, I

Am the leader in analyzing the wise man's law

على أَنَّهُ إِن كان قد تابَ مُخْلِصاً

وخاف عقابَ اللهِ وَهْوَ رَحِيم

On the condition that if he sincerely repented

And feared God's punishment, for He is Merciful

فتوبتُه من سوءِ ظنٍّ بربِّه

تَعالىَ وإِلاَّ فالكريمُ كَرِيمُ

Then his repentance from ill thoughts of his Lord

Most High is good, otherwise the generous one is generous