ثَبَتَ الناسُ عَلى راياتِهم

ثَبَتَ الناسُ عَلى راياتِهم

وَأَبو الهِنديِّ في كَويِ زِيانِ

وَأَبو الهِنديِّ في كَويِ زِيانِ

The people stood firm by their banners,

The people have persisted in their banners

The people stood firm beneath their banners,

while Abu al-Hindi is in Ziyan's quarter:

And Abu Al-Hindi in the land of Ziyan

While Abu al-Hindi remains in the alleys of Ziyan,

مَنزِلٌ يَزري بِمَن حَلَّ بِهِ

مَنزِلٌ يَزري بِمَن حَلَّ بِهِ

تُستحلُّ الخَمرُ فيهِ وَالزَواني

تُستحلُّ الخَمرُ فيهِ وَالزَواني

a dwelling that brings disgrace upon whoever settles there,

An abode which brings down whoever settles in it

A dwelling that disgraces whoever settles within it,

where wine and harlots are deemed lawful.

Wine and adultery become licit therein

Where wine and harlots are deemed lawful.

إِنَّما العَيشُ فَتاةٌ غادَةٌ

إِنَّما العَيشُ فَتاةٌ غادَةٌ

وَقُعودي عاكِفاً في بَيتِ حانِ

وَقُعودي عاكِفاً في بَيتِ حانِ

Life is nothing but a graceful young woman,

Indeed life is but a charming damsel

Life is nothing but a tender, graceful maiden,

and my sitting in devotion in a wine seller's house.

While I sit consecrated in a tavern

And my lingering, devoted, inside a tavern.

أشربُ الخمرَ وَأَعصي مَن نَهى

أشربُ الخمرَ وَأَعصي مَن نَهى

عَن طِلابِ الراحِ وَالبِيضِ الحِسانِ

عَن طِلابِ الراحِ وَالبِيضِ الحِسانِ

I drink wine and disobey whoever forbids

I drink wine and disobey those who prohibit

I drink wine and defy anyone who forbids me

the pursuit of wine and beautiful, fair-skinned women—

Seeking pleasure and beautiful white women

From seeking out wine and fair, beautiful women.

في حَياتي لَذةً أَلهو بِها

في حَياتي لَذةً أَلهو بِها

فَإِذا مِتُّ فَقَد أَودى زَماني

فَإِذا مِتُّ فَقَد أَودى زَماني

a pleasure I amuse myself with while I live;

In my life is a delight I am distracted with

In my life there is a pleasure I revel in,

so when I die, my time will have come to an end.

And when I die, my time will have passed

For when I die, my time will have perished.