عاذل كم فيه تعذليني

عاذل كم فيه تعذليني

وكم إلى كم تؤنبيني

وكم إلى كم تؤنبيني

O censor, how long will you reproach me over him?

O reproacher, how often you chide me over him!

How long—how very long—will you rebuke me?

And how long—how long will you rebuke me?

لو بك ما بي من التصابي

لو بك ما بي من التصابي

لكنت لا شك تعذريني

لكنت لا شك تعذريني

If what I suffer of youthful infatuation were in you,

If you felt the youthful passion I feel,

you would surely excuse me.

You would, without doubt, excuse me.

إن الذي قد أذاب جسمي

إن الذي قد أذاب جسمي

بالثغر والجيد والجفون

بالثغر والجيد والجفون

The one who has melted my body

Indeed, the one who has melted my body

with his smile, his neck, and his eyelids

With his mouth, neck, and eyelids,

بدر تمام على قضيب

بدر تمام على قضيب

ركب من نغمة ولين

ركب من نغمة ولين

is a full moon upon a slender bough,

Is a full moon upon a slender branch,

fashioned of melody and softness,

Fashioned of melody and softness.

ما شئت من نرجس جني

ما شئت من نرجس جني

غض وورود وياسمين

غض وورود وياسمين

with all the tender, freshly plucked narcissus

All the freshly picked narcissus you could wish for,

and roses and jasmine one could desire.

Tender, and roses and jasmine.

عيناه تسطو على فؤادي

عيناه تسطو على فؤادي

والموت في سطوة العيون

والموت في سطوة العيون

His eyes assail my heart,

His eyes assail my heart,

and death lies in the eyes’ assault.

And death lies in the onslaught of eyes.

فأطيب العيش كان عندي

فأطيب العيش كان عندي

أيام للفسق قلدوني

أيام للفسق قلدوني

The sweetest life I knew

So the sweetest life, to me, was

was in the days when they made me master of debauchery.

The days they put me in charge of debauchery.

وكنت طباً به بصيراً

وكنت طباً به بصيراً

وأقود الناس في سكون

وأقود الناس في سكون

I was a skilled expert in it,

And I was an expert in it, discerning,

and quietly led the people on.

And quietly acted as a procurer for people.

فكم غزال أخذت قسراً

فكم غزال أخذت قسراً

وكم مليح حوت يميني

وكم مليح حوت يميني

How many a gazelle I took by force,

How many a gazelle I seized by force,

how many a beauty my right hand possessed!

And how many a handsome one my right hand held!

والناس يسعون نحو داري

والناس يسعون نحو داري

من كل أرض ويقصدوني

من كل أرض ويقصدوني

People hastened toward my house

And people hurried toward my house

from every land, seeking me out.

From every land, seeking me out.

فذا يوافي بثوب خز

فذا يوافي بثوب خز

وذا يوافي بثوب توني

وذا يوافي بثوب توني

This one arrived with a robe of silk,

So one would arrive with a silk-and-wool robe,

and that one arrived with a Tūnī robe;

And another would arrive with a robe of Tuni cloth.

وذا يفدي وذاك يهدي

وذا يفدي وذاك يهدي

وذاك يمضي وذا يجيني

وذاك يمضي وذا يجيني

this one offered a ransom, and that one brought a gift;

And one would pay ransom, while another gave gifts,

that one departed, and this one came to me.

And one would leave, while another came to me.

وكل علق إلى مراحي

وكل علق إلى مراحي

أهدى من الطير للوكون

أهدى من الطير للوكون

Every precious darling found the way to my courtyard

And every prized beauty, bound for my fold,

more surely than birds find their nests.

Was surer of the way than birds to their nests.

وكان خلقي لهم رضياً

وكان خلقي لهم رضياً

أصفعهم ثم يصفعوني

أصفعهم ثم يصفعوني

My disposition was agreeable to them:

And my manner was pleasing to them:

I would slap them, and then they would slap me.

I would slap them, then they would slap me.

قدأجمع الناس أن حمقي

قدأجمع الناس أن حمقي

أحسن من عفتي وديني

أحسن من عفتي وديني

The people have agreed that my folly

People have agreed unanimously that my folly

is better than my chastity and faith.

Is better than my chastity and my faith.

قد عشت دهراً أعول عقلي

قد عشت دهراً أعول عقلي

والناس إذ ذاك يبعدوني

والناس إذ ذاك يبعدوني

For an age I lived relying on my reason,

I lived an age, supporting my reason,

and people kept their distance from me then.

While people then kept me at a distance.

فمذ تحامقت قد كساني

فمذ تحامقت قد كساني

حمقي وقد عالني جنوني

حمقي وقد عالني جنوني

But since I began playing the fool,

But since I played the fool, I have been clothed

my folly has clothed me, and my madness has supported me.

By my folly, and my madness has supported me.

ومن بلائي أبو عمير

ومن بلائي أبو عمير

معرض لي إلى المنون

معرض لي إلى المنون

And among my afflictions is Abū ʿUmayr,

And among my afflictions is Abu Umayr,

exposing me to death—

Who exposes me to death.

منصب ما ينام وقتاً

منصب ما ينام وقتاً

وليس يهدي من الرنين

وليس يهدي من الرنين

ever erect, never sleeping for a moment,

Erect, he never sleeps for a moment,

never quieting his moan.

And never ceases his wailing.

من كان ذا زوجة فإني

من كان ذا زوجة فإني

لشقوتي زوجتي يميني

لشقوتي زوجتي يميني

Whoever else has a wife—as for me,

Whoever has a wife—as for me,

to my misery, my wife is my right hand.

To my misfortune, my wife is my right hand.

عميرة قد جلدت حتى

عميرة قد جلدت حتى

خشيت والله يجلدوني

خشيت والله يجلدوني

Little ʿUmayra has grown so calloused

I flogged Umayra until

that, by God, I fear they will flog me.

I feared, by God, that they would flog me.

فراقبوا الله في أموري

فراقبوا الله في أموري

فطلقوها وزوجوني

فطلقوها وزوجوني

So fear God in dealing with my plight:

So be mindful of God in my affairs:

divorce her from me and find me a wife!

So divorce her and marry me off.