1. بانَ الشَبابُ وَرُبَّما عَلَّلتُهُ

    بِالغانِياتِ وَبِالشَرابِ الأَصهَبِ

    Youth has departed, and often I beguiled it

    With beautiful women and tawny wine.

  2. وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الخَمرَ في حانوتِها

    وَلَعِبتُ بِالقَيناتِ عَفَّ المَلعَبِ

    And I have indeed drunk wine in its tavern,

    And played with singing slave-girls, chaste in my play.

  3. وَلَقَد أُوَكَّلُ بِالمُدَجَّجِ تُتَّقى

    بِالسَيفِ عُرَّتُهُ كَعُرَّةِ أَجرَبِ

    And I am indeed set against an armored warrior, whose scourge is warded off

    With the sword, like the scourge of a mangy beast.

  4. يَسعى إِلَيَّ بِبَزَّهِ وَسِلاحِهِ

    يَمشي بِشِكَّتِهِ كَمَشيِ الأَنكَبِ

    He hurries toward me in his armor and with his weapons,

    Walking in his battle gear like one lame on one side.

  5. وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى التِجارِ بِمِسمَحٍ

    هَرَّت عَواظِلُهُ هَريرَ الأَكلُبِ

    And I have indeed gone at dawn to the merchants with an open-handed man,

    Whose reproachful women barked like dogs.

  6. لَذٌّ تُقَبَّلَهُ النَعيمُ كَأَنَّما

    مُسِحَت تَرائِبُهُ بِماءٍ مُذهَبِ

    Pleasure-loving, embraced by luxury, as though

    His breast had been anointed with golden water.

  7. لَبّاسُ أَردِيَةِ المُلوكِ يَروقُهُ

    مِن كُلِّ مُرتَقَبٍ عُيونُ الرَبرَبِ

    A wearer of kings' robes, he is charmed by

    The eyes of the wild-cow herd, from every lookout.

  8. يَنظُرنَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ إِذا بَدا

    نَظَرَ الهِجانِ إِلى الفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ

    They gaze through gaps in the curtains when he appears,

    As noble white she-camels gaze at a pampered, untamed stallion.

  9. خَضلُ الكِئاسِ إِذا تَنَشّى لَم تَكُن

    خُلُفاً مَواعِدُهُ كَبَرقِ الخُلَّبِ

    His cups are ever wet; when he grows tipsy, he makes no

    Empty promises like lightning that brings no rain.

  10. وَإِذا تُعُوِّرَتِ الزُجاجَةُ لَم يَكُن

    عِندَ الشَرابِ بِفاحِشٍ مُتَقَطِّبِ

    And when the bottle is passed around, he is not

    Foul-mouthed or scowling while drinking.

  11. إِنَّ السُيوفَ غُدُوَّها وَرَواحَها

    تَرَكَت هَوازِنَ مِثلَ قَرنِ الأَعضَبِ

    Indeed, the swords, in their morning and evening forays,

    Left Hawazin like the horn of a broken-horned beast.

  12. وَتَرَكنَ عَمَّكَ مِن غَنِيٍّ مُمسِكاً

    بازاءِ مُنخَرِقٍ كَجُحرِ الثَعلَبِ

    And they left your uncle of Ghani holding fast

    Before a gaping hole like a fox's burrow.

  13. وَتَرَكنَ فَلَّ بَني سُلَيمٍ تابِعاً

    لِبَني ضَبينَةَ كَاِتِّباعِ التَولَبِ

    And they left the routed remnant of Banu Sulaym following

    Banu Dabinah, as a donkey foal follows.

  14. أَلقوا البِرينَ بَني سُلَيمٍ إِنَّها

    شانَت وَإِنَّ حَزازَها لَم يَذهَبِ

    Cast off the nose-rings, Banu Sulaym, for they

    Have disgraced you, and indeed their sting has not faded.

  15. وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّها إِذ عُلِّقَت

    سِمَةُ الذَليلِ بِكُلِّ أَنفٍ مُغضَبِ

    And I knew well that, when fastened, they were

    The mark of the abased on every enraged nose.

  16. وَالخَيلُ تَعدو بِالكُماةِ كَأَنَّها

    أُسدُ الغَياطِلِ مِن فَوارِسِ تَغلِبِ

    And the horses gallop with armored warriors, as though they were

    Lions of dense thickets—their riders horsemen of Taghlib.