أَلا هَتَفَتْ بِالأَيْكِ سَاجِعَةُ الْقُمْرِ

فَطُفْ بِالْحُمَيَّا فَهْيَ رَيْحَانَةُ الْعُمْرِ

Alas! The moon called out to her beloved in agony

So wander among the sand dunes, for it is the meadow of life

وَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَتْرَعْتَ الأَبَارِيقَ فَلْتَكُنْ

سُلافاً وَإِيَّاكَ الْفَضِيخَ مِنَ التَّمْرِ

And if you have sipped from the wine-skin, let it be

A pleasure, but beware intoxication of the dates

فَقَاتِلَةُ الْعُرْجُونِ لِلْفَاقِدِ النَّدَى

وَصَافِيَةُ الْعُنْقُودِ لِلْمَاجِدِ الْغَمْرِ

The deadly enemy of the limping one, is the one who's lost all happiness

And the clarity of the vine is for the glorious drunk

مُوَرَّدَةٌ تَمْتَدُّ مِنْهَا أَشِعَّةٌ

تَدُورُ بِهَا في ظِلِّ أَلْوِيَةٍ حُمْرِ

Rosy red, rays emanate from it

Circling in the shade of crimson tents

إِذَا شَجَّهَا السَّاقُونَ دَارَ حَبَابُها

عَلَيْهَا كَمَا دَارَ الشَّرَارُ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ

When the cupbearers stir it, its bubbles rise

Upon it like embers swirling on burning coal

ثَوَتْ فِي ضَمِيرِ الدَّهْرِ والْجَوُّ ظُلْمَةٌ

بِلا كَوْكَبٍ وَالأَرْضُ تَسْبَحُ في غَمْرِ

It lay hidden in the conscience of time, and the sky was dark

With no stars, while the earth swam in murkiness

فَجَاءَتْ وَلَوْلا عَرْفُهَا وَبَرِيقُهَا

لَكَانَتْ خَفاً بَيْنَ الدَّسَاكِرِ كَالضَّمْرِ

And had it not been for its aroma and sparkle

It would have been just a trinket amidst the carpets like worthless beads

تُزَفُّ بِأَلْحَانِ الْمَثَانِي كُؤُوسُهَا

كَمَا زُفَّتِ الْحَسْنَاءُ بِالطَّبْلِ وَالزَّمْرِ

It was brought forth to rhythms and songs

Just as the beauty was brought forth with drums and lutes

كُمَيْتٌ جَرَتْ فِي حَلْبَةِ الدَّهْرِ فَانْطَوَتْ

ثَمِيلَتُهَا وَالْخَيْلُ تُحْمَدُ بِالضُّمْرِ

A wild mare who raced in the arena of time and folded

Her forelocks, while the steeds were prized for their zeal

فَكَمْ بَيْنَ آصَالٍ أَدَرْنَا كُؤُوسَهَا

وَبَيْنَ لَيَالٍ مِنْ كَواكِبِها نُمْرِ

How many nights between its mornings have we made its cups go round

And between its stars we have whiled away the dewy nights

إِذَا أَنْتَ قَامَرْتَ الزَّمَانَ عَلَى الْمُنَى

بِمَا دَارَ مِنْ أَقْدَاحِهَا فُزْتَ بِالْقَمْرِ

When you gambled with time over the desires

Fulfilled by its goblets, you won the moon

فَخُذْ في أَفَانِينِ الْخَلاعَةِ وَالصِّبَا

وَدَعْنِي مِنْ زَيْدِ النُّحَاةِ وَمِنْ عَمْرِو

So partake of the goblets of revelry and youth

And leave me be from Zayd the grammarian and Amr

أُولَئِكَ قَوْمٌ في حُروبٍ تَفَاقَمَتْ

وَلَكِنْ خَلَتْ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الْبِيضِ وَالسُّمْرِ

They are people embroiled in ongoing wars

Though devoid of the violence of white and red death

فَمَا تَصْلُحُ الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا إِذَا خَلَتْ

قُلُوبُ الْوَرَى فِيها مِنَ الْحِقْدِ وَالْغِمْرِ

Days cannot be wholesome unless in them

The hearts of all people are spared malice and rage

وَلا تَتَعَرَّضْ لاِمْرِئٍ بِمَسَاءَةٍ

وَلا تَحْتَلِبْ ضَرْعَ الشِّقَاقِ وَلا تَمْرِ

Do not mistreat anyone for their faults

Nor milk the teat of dissent, nor pass

وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ ذَا فَاقَةٍ بَيْنَ طِمْرِهِ

فَيَا رُبَّ فَضْلٍ يَبْهَرُ الْعَقْلَ فِي طِمْرِ

Do not look down on one in dire poverty

By God, outstanding merit dazzles reason in the bleary-eyed

وَكَيْفَ يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ فِي الدَّهْرِ آمِناً

وَلِلْمَوتِ فِينا وَثْبَةُ اللَّيْثِ والنِّمْرِ

And how can one live safely in this life

When death crouches in us like a lion or a leopard

وَمَا أَحْسَبُ الأَيَّامَ تَصْفُو لِعَاقِلٍ

وَلَكِنْ صَفَاءُ الْعَيْشِ لِلْجَاهِلِ الْغُمْرِ

And I do not think days will ever be clear for one who's wise

Rather it's the fool whose life will be serene in bleariness

سَعَيْتُ فَأَدْرَكْتُ الْمُنَى في طِلابِها

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ فِي الدَّهْرِ يَسْعَى إِلَى أَمْرِ

I strove and attained my desires in pursuing them

And every person in this life strives for their own purpose