صَبَوْتُ إِلَى المُدَامَةِ وَالْغَوَانِي

وَحَكَّمْتُ الْغَوَايَةَ فِي عِنَانِي

I inclined towards wine and songstresses,

And I let wantonness hold my reins.

وَقُلْتُ لِعِفَّتِي بَعْدَ امْتِنَاعٍ

إِلَيْكِ فَقَدْ عَنَانِي مَا عَنَانِي

And I said to my chastity after refusing:

"To you! For passion has slipped my reins."

فَمَا لِي عَنْ هَوَى الْحَسْنَاءِ صَبْرٌ

يُوقّرُ عِنْدَ سَوْرَتِهِ جَنَانِي

So I have no patience against the passion of a beauteous one,

Who esteems my love poems at her courtyards.

وَكَيْفَ يَضِيقُ مَنْ دَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ

كُؤُوسُ هَوَىً مِن الْحَدْقِ الْحِسَانِ

And how can one whose cups of passion

Revolved around the gazelles of her eyes be straitened?

أَعَاذِلُ خَلَّنِي وَشُؤُونَ قَلْبِي

وَخُذْ مَا شِئْتَهُ فِي أَيِّ شَانِ

The censor blames me and the concerns of my heart,

So take what you wish however you want.

فَقَدْ شَبَّ الْهَوَى مَنْ رَامَ نُصْحِي

وَأَغْرَى فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ مَنْ نَهَانِي

For passion has grown on the one who wanted my advice,

And tempted in love the one who prohibited me.

رَضِيتُ مِنَ الْهَوَى بِنُحُولِ جِسْمِي

وَمِنْ صِلَةِ الْبَخِيلَةِ بِالأَمَانِي

I was content with the leanness of my body

And the association of the miserly one with my wishes.

وَلَسْتُ بِطَالِبٍ فِي النَّاسِ خِلّاً

يُنَاصِحُنِي فَعَقْلِي قَدْ كَفَانِي

And I am no seeker among people for a wise confidante

For my mind has already sufficed me.

بَلَوْتُ النَّاسَ وَاسْتَخْبَرْتُ عَنْهُمْ

صُرُوفَ الدَّهْرِ آناً بَعْدَ آنِ

I have tested people and asked about them -

The turns of fate time after time.

فَمَا أَبْصَرْتُ غَيْرَ أَخِي كِذَابٍ

خَلُوبِ الْوُدِّ مَصنُوعِ الْحَنانِ

So I did not see anyone except a lying brother

With feigned affection and contrived intimacy.

يُصَرِّحُ بِالْعَدَاوَةِ وَهْوَ نَاءٍ

وَيَمْذُقُ فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ وَهْوَ دَانِي

He declares enmity while cooing,

And tastes bitterness in love while being close.

لَهُ فِي كُلِّ جَارِحَةٍ لِسَانٌ

يَدُورُ بِهِ عَلَى حُكْمِ الزَّمَانِ

In every limb he has a tongue

That turns according to the ruling of time.

فَلا تَأْمَنْ عَلَى نَجْوَاكَ صَدْرَاً

فَرُبَّ خَدِيعَةٍ تَحْتَ الأَمَانِ

So do not feel safe confessing your secret to a breast,

For many a deceit lies under confidence.

وَلا يَغْرُرْكَ قَوْلٌ دُونَ فِعْلٍ

فَإِنَّ الْحُسْنَ قبْحٌ فِي الْجَبَانِ

And do not be fooled by words without action,

For beauty is ugliness in the cowardly.

وَمَا أَنَا وَالطِّبَاعُ لَهَا انْخِدَاعٌ

بِذِي تَرَفٍ يُرَوَّعُ بِالشِّنَانِ

And I and my nature are not susceptible to being deceived

By one of luxury who is startled by censure.

رَغِبْتُ بِشِيمَتِي وَعَرَفْتُ نَفْسِي

وَلَمْ أَدْخُلْ لَعَمْرُكَ فِي قِرَانِ

I was content with my temperament and knew myself,

And I did not, by your life, enter into any contracts.

وَمَا شُرْبِي الْمُدَامَ هَوىً وَلَكِنْ

عَقَدْتُ بِحَدِّ سَوْرَتِهَا لِسَانِي

And it is not passion for wine that loosens my tongue,

But I held it back out of fear it would unleash my chest,

مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تَهِيجَ بَنَاتِ صَدْرِي

فَيَظْهَرَ بَعْضُ سِرِّي لِلْعيانِ

And some of my secret would appear to the eyes.

And why would I desire in this world a friend

وَفِيمَ وَقَدْ بَلَوْتُ الدَّهْرَ أَبْغِي

صَدِيقاً أَوْ أَحِنُّ إِلَى مَكَانِ

Or incline towards a place, when I have tasted time?

And I see nothing but morn and eve

وَلَسْتُ أَرَى سِوَى صُبْحٍ وَجُنْحٍ

إِلَيْنَا بِالرَّدَى يَتَسَابَقَانِ

Racing towards us with harm.

So, O you who thinks good of the days,

فَيَا مَنْ ظَنَّ بِالأَيَّامِ خَيْرَاً

رُوَيْدَكَ فَهْيَ أَقْرَبُ لِلْحِرَانِ

Restrain yourself, for they are closer to confusion.

Do you desire safety when it is a disease,

أَتَرْغَبُ فِي السَّلامَةِ وَهْيَ دَاءٌ

وَتَجْمَعُ لِلْبَقَاءِ وَأَنْتَ فَانِي

And gather for eternity when you are bound to perish?

Leave this world, and set aside worries about it,

دَعِ الدُّنْيَا وَسَلِّ الْهَمَّ عَنْهَا

إِذَا اعْتَكَرَتْ بِصَافِيَةِ الدِّنَانِ

When its clarity is muddled by worldly life.

For comfort is the comfort of every soul,

فَإِنَّ الرَّاحَ رَاحَةُ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ

إِذَا دَارَتْ عَلَى نَغَمِ الْقِيَانِ

When it turns to the melody of the lutes.

From wine which sunsets and passing time

مِنَ الْخَمْرِ الَّتِي دَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهَا

أَفَانِينٌ مِنَ الْعُصُرِ الْفَوَانِي

Have trodden - intoxications of the departed ages which you see flashing in the cup like fire,

So touch them with your fingers.

تَخَالُ وَمِيضَهَا فِي الْكَأْسِ نَارَاً

فَتَلْمِسُهَا بِأَطْرَافِ الْبَنَانِ

Do not hoard them greedily, for life does not come with warranties.

And leave people alone, for there is no one among them

فَخُذْهَا غَيْرَ مُدَّخِرٍ نَفِيساً

فَلَيْسَ الْعُمْرُ يَدْخُلُ فِي ضَمَانِ

With a sound heart during trials.

Statues spinning without minds,

وَخَلِّ النَّاسَ عَنْكَ فَلَيْسَ فِيهِمْ

سَلِيمُ الْقَلْبِ عِنْدَ الاِمْتِحَانِ

And words passing without meanings.

The lower and higher types have become confused,

تَمَاثِيلٌ تَدُورُ بِلا عُقُولٍ

وَأَلْفَاظٌ تَمُرُّ بِلا مَعَانِي

So the legitimate and the illegitimate are not known from one another.

You see every son of a female caring for nothing

تَشَابَهَتِ الأَسَافِلُ بِالأَعَالِي

فَمَا يُدْرَى الْهَجِينُ مِنَ الْهِجَانِ

That was exposed of his disgrace.

He shows you his soul if I am absent from him,

تَرَى كُلَّ ابْنِ أُنْثَى لا يُبَالِي

بِمَا جَرَّتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْهَوَانِ

And rises at dawn if he sees me.

So who do I have when wishes are liars

يُدلُّ بِنَفْسِهِ إِنْ غِبْتُ عَنْهُ

وَيشْرقُ بِالزُّلالِ إِذَا رَآنِي

On a day of hate when they show me love,

When I play with the heights

فَمَنْ لِي وَالأَمَانِي كَاذِبَاتٌ

بِيَوْمٍ فِي الْكَرِيهَةِ أَرْوَنَانِ

And unleash my steed in its expanse?

You see me on it the first of every caller

أُلاعِبُ فِيهِ أَطْرَافَ الْعَوَالِي

وَأُطْلِقُ بَيْنَ هَبْوَتِهِ حِصَانِي

And dust rises so you cannot see me,

Until the clouds clear from it

تَرَانِي فِيهِ أَوَّلَ كُلِّ دَاعٍ

وَيَرْتَفِعُ الْغُبَارُ فَلا تَرَانِي

And the one I meet knows me by my deadly strike.

I am the son of night and steeds,

إِلَى أَنْ تَنْجَلِي الْغَمَرَاتُ عَنْهُ

وَيَعْرِفَنِي بِفَتْكِي مَنْ بَلانِي

And the white Hindi swords and supple spears.

If an eye competes with it with sharp ambition,

أَنَا ابْنُ اللَّيْلِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمَذَاكِي

وَبِيضِ الْهِنْدِ وَالسُّمْرِ اللِّدَانِ

I make the place of its pupil my teeth.

إِذَا عَيْنٌ أَجَدَّ بِهَا طِمَاحٌ

جَعَلْتُ مَكَانَ حَبَّتِهَا سِنَانِي