أَيُّها القائِلُ غَيرَ الصَوابِ

أَمسِكِ النُصحَ وَأَقلِل عِتابي

O you who speak wrongly,

Hold your advice and lessen your rebuke,

وَاِجتَنِبني وَاِعلَم بِأَن سَوفَ تُعصى

وَلَخَيرٌ لَكَ بَعضُ اِجتِنابي

And avoid me, and know that you will be disobeyed,

And it is better for you to avoid me somewhat.

إِن تَقُل نُصحاً فَعَن ظَهرِ غِشٍّ

دائِمِ الغِمرِ بَعيدِ الذَهابِ

If you give advice hypocritically,

Always being drunk, far from understanding,

لَيسَ بي عِيٌّ بِما قُلتَ إِنّي

عالِمٌ أَفقَهُ رَجعَ الجَوابِ

There is no fault in me for what you said, I

Am a knowledgeable one, comprehending the answer.

إِنَّما قُرَّةُ عَيني هَواها

فَدَعِ اللَومَ وَكِلني لِما بي

The delight of my eye is its passion,

So leave the blame and leave me to what is in me.

لا تَلُمني في الرَبابِ وَأَمسَت

عَدَلَت لِلنَفسِ بَردَ الشَرابِ

Do not blame me for the wine, and evening

Came, cooling drink appealed to the soul.

هِيَ وَاللَهِ الَّذي هُوَ رَبّي

صادِقاً أَحلِفُ غَيرَ الكِذابِ

By God, who is my Lord, truthfully

I swear, not lying.

أَكرَمُ الأَحياءِ طُرّاً عَلَينا

عِندَ قُربٍ مِنهُمُ وَاِغتِرابِ

The most generous people, a comfort upon us

When near them and when distant from them.

لَقِيَتنا في الطَوافِ وَصَدَّت

إِذ رَأَت هَجري لَها وَاِجتِنابي

I met her circumambulating and she turned away

When she saw my estrangement and avoidance.

عاتَبَتني ساعَةً وَهيَ تَبكي

ثُمَّ عَزَّت خُلَّتي في الخِطابِ

She reproached me a moment, crying,

Then my friend strengthened her address.

وَكَفا بي مِدرَهاً لِخُصومٍ

لَسِواها عِندَ جِدَّ تَنابي

And it is enough for me as a lesson for opponents

Unlike her when my repentance was sincere.