يُقالُ لماذا ليسَ يَسْكَرُ بعدَمَا

يُقالُ لماذا ليسَ يَسْكَرُ بعدَمَا

تَوالتْ عليهِ من نَداماهُ قَرْقَفُ

تَوالتْ عليهِ من نَداماهُ قَرْقَفُ

They say, “Why does he not get drunk after

It is said, why is he not drunk after

wine has come to him repeatedly from his drinking companions?”

His regrets have accumulated upon him like small drinking cups

فَقلتُ سَبيلُ الخَمرِ أنْ تُنقِصَ الحِجا

فَقلتُ سَبيلُ الخَمرِ أنْ تُنقِصَ الحِجا

فإن لم تَجِدْ عَقْلًا فماذا تَحَيَّفُ

فإن لم تَجِدْ عَقْلًا فماذا تَحَيَّفُ

So I said, “Wine’s way is to diminish reason;

So I said, it is the way of wine to diminish reason

for if it finds no mind, what can it diminish?”

If it finds no reason, then what can it twist?