يَرمي فلا أتحيَّدُ

يَرمي فلا أتحيَّدُ

وأقولُ ما يتعمَّدُ

وأقولُ ما يتعمَّدُ

He shoots, and I do not dodge,

He throws but I do not waver,

and I say, 'He does not do it on purpose.'

And I say what he intends,

فأقيمُ عذركَ عند عُذ

فأقيمُ عذركَ عند عُذ

ذالي وعذرُك يَقعُدُ

ذالي وعذرُك يَقعُدُ

So I uphold your excuse before my

So I make your excuse before reproach -

reproachers, though your excuse falls flat.

My own and yours halts.

ونحسُّ منكَ وساوساً

ونحسُّ منكَ وساوساً

أفماردٌ أم أمرَدُ

أفماردٌ أم أمرَدُ

And we sense whisperings from you:

And we guess from you insinuations -

are you, then, a rebellious demon or a beardless youth?

Is it a rebel or a slackard?

لا تبعُدنَّ فما بعِد

لا تبعُدنَّ فما بعِد

ت بل المفارق يبعَدُ

ت بل المفارق يبعَدُ

Never go far away: it is not you

Do not distance yourself, for distance

who have perished; rather, the one who parts perishes.

Does not, but the separater distances.

قالوا الجهاد فقلت ما

قالوا الجهاد فقلت ما

خَلفي أشدّ وأجهَدُ

خَلفي أشدّ وأجهَدُ

They said, 'Jihad'; I replied, 'What

They said jihad, so I said what

lies behind me is fiercer and more exhausting.'

I left behind is more intense and exhausting.

خلَّفتُ خلفيَ مقلةً

خلَّفتُ خلفيَ مقلةً

كاساتُها تتردَّدُ

كاساتُها تتردَّدُ

I left behind me an eye

I left behind me a beloved

whose cups pass to and fro.

Whose cups keep going around.

إني لأشربُهنَّ والس

إني لأشربُهنَّ والس

ساقي بهنَّ يُعربدُ

ساقي بهنَّ يُعربدُ

I do indeed drink them, while the

I drink them while the

cupbearer runs riot with them.

Cupbearer makes them overflow.

وإذا خَمِرتُ فعندَه

وإذا خَمِرتُ فعندَه

بردٌ به أتبرَّدُ

بردٌ به أتبرَّدُ

And when I become drunk, he has

And when I get drunk, with it is

coolness with which I cool myself.

Coolness with which I cool down.

والعَودُ أحمدُ لي ول

والعَودُ أحمدُ لي ول

كن عاقَ عنه محمدُ

كن عاقَ عنه محمدُ

And returning is more praiseworthy for me, but

The lute is most beloved to me, but

Muhammad has kept me from it,

The devoted Muhammad refused it

بخلائِق يُنسى لرق

بخلائِق يُنسى لرق

قَتها الحبيبُ المسعدُ

قَتها الحبيبُ المسعدُ

through traits whose tenderness makes one forget

Due to manners forgotten for its

the beloved who brings joy,

Gentleness by the happy beloved.

وندىً غدا بئسَ الخَلي

وندىً غدا بئسَ الخَلي

طُ له ونعم المقصدُ

طُ له ونعم المقصدُ

and bounty that has become a wretched

And a dew tomorrow is miserable company

companion to him, yet an excellent goal.

For him, and excellent is the destination.

حملت يداه لجوده

حملت يداه لجوده

ما ليس تحمله يدُ

ما ليس تحمله يدُ

In his generosity, his two hands have borne

I carried his hands for his generosity

what no hand can bear.

What my hands do not carry.

والمَكرُمات كأنها

والمَكرُمات كأنها

من كفِّه تتولدُ

من كفِّه تتولدُ

And noble deeds seem

And favors are as if

to be born from his palm,

They originate from his palm.

علماً بأنَّ المال يف

علماً بأنَّ المال يف

ني والثناءُ مخلدُ

ني والثناءُ مخلدُ

in the knowledge that wealth will

Knowing that money is vanishing

perish, while praise endures forever,

And praise immortalizing.

عن عادةٍ سلفت ولل

عن عادةٍ سلفت ولل

إنسانِ ما يتعودُ

إنسانِ ما يتعودُ

out of a habit of old; and a

Against a habit I preceded, and for the

person has what he grows accustomed to.

Human what he gets accustomed to.

وأبو المعالي منكر

وأبو المعالي منكر

وأبو المعالي يشهدُ

وأبو المعالي يشهدُ

And Abu al-Ma‘ali denies,

And Abu Al-Maali is denier

and Abu al-Ma‘ali bears witness.

And Abu Al-Maali testifies.