ألم تَرَني والعلجَ في السُّوق بيننا

ألم تَرَني والعلجَ في السُّوق بيننا

مناوشةٌ في بيعنا وتلاطمُ

مناوشةٌ في بيعنا وتلاطمُ

Did you not see me and the foreigner in the market? Between us:

Did you not see me in the market among us

a scuffle over our sale, and an exchange of blows.

A skirmish in our sale and tumult

رأى بكراتٍ بالياتٍ تساوَكتْ

رأى بكراتٍ بالياتٍ تساوَكتْ

بها ذهبتْ من دونهنَّ الدَّراهمُ

بها ذهبتْ من دونهنَّ الدَّراهمُ

He saw worn-out pulleys jostling together;

He saw shiny copper coins by which

for which the dirhams were lost, without my getting them.

The dirhams went from them without return

أسلتُ دماءَ العلج من أُمِّ رأسهِ

أسلتُ دماءَ العلج من أُمِّ رأسهِ

بمنحوتةٍ تستكُّ منها الخياشمُ

بمنحوتةٍ تستكُّ منها الخياشمُ

I made the foreigner's blood flow from the crown of his head

I shed the camel’s blood from the top of its head

with a carved club that stops up the nostrils.

With an engraved sword from which serpents hiss

تعمَّد حلْقي من يدَيه بعصره

تعمَّد حلْقي من يدَيه بعصره

محلّجة تنهدُّ منها اللَّهازمُ

محلّجة تنهدُّ منها اللَّهازمُ

He went for my throat with his two hands, squeezing it—

He deliberately slit my throat with his hands

a crushing squeeze under which the jaw joints give way.

A deadly wound from which blood spills

وشوَّصَني تشويصةً خلتُ أنَّها

وشوَّصَني تشويصةً خلتُ أنَّها

ستأتي على نفسي فها أنا سالمُ

ستأتي على نفسي فها أنا سالمُ

And he gave me such a pinch that I thought it

And he wounded me with a wound after which I thought

would end my life; yet here I am, unharmed.

It would take my soul but here I am, unharmed

وفاتَ الحسامُ العضبُ رجعة طَرفه

وفاتَ الحسامُ العضبُ رجعة طَرفه

وولَّيت عنه غارماً وهو غانمُ

وولَّيت عنه غارماً وهو غانمُ

And the keen sword outstripped the return of his glance;

The sharp sword missed its way back

I turned away from him at a loss, while he profited.

And I escaped from it losing while it won

ورحتُ إلى ظلٍّ ظليلٍ ومنظرٍ

ورحتُ إلى ظلٍّ ظليلٍ ومنظرٍ

أنيق وما يهواه لاهٍ وطاعمُ

أنيق وما يهواه لاهٍ وطاعمُ

I went off to deep shade and a prospect

I went to a shady, shaded place and a

lovely, and all that a pleasure-seeker and a diner crave.

Beautiful sight that appeals to the lost and hungry

وزيتيَّة صهباء أخرج كرمَها

وزيتيَّة صهباء أخرج كرمَها

لشاربها ن جنَّة الخلد آدمُ

لشاربها ن جنَّة الخلد آدمُ

And an oil-like, tawny wine, whose vine was brought out

And a blond olive tree whose fruits

for its drinker [from?] the Garden of Eternity by Adam.

Give its drinker the gardens of eternal Eden

وتاهتْ بألباب النَّدامَى خُشيبة

وتاهتْ بألباب النَّدامَى خُشيبة

بها عند تحريك الحبالِ غماغمُ

بها عند تحريك الحبالِ غماغمُ

And a little piece of wood bewildered the drinking companions' minds;

And an alluring flute with which the regretful are confused

within it were murmurs whenever the strings were stirred.

When the strings are moved, it hums

إذا ظالمٌ أنحَى عليها بكفِّه

إذا ظالمٌ أنحَى عليها بكفِّه

أماتَ وأحيَا من يغنِّيه ظالمُ

أماتَ وأحيَا من يغنِّيه ظالمُ

When Zalim bore down on it with his palm,

If an oppressor leans toward it with his palm

Zalim killed and revived everyone he sang to.

It kills and revives whoever sings for the oppressor

فبتُّ وندماني فريقان قاعدٌ

فبتُّ وندماني فريقان قاعدٌ

من السُّكر في عيني وآخرَ قائمُ

من السُّكر في عيني وآخرَ قائمُ

So I passed the night, my companions appearing as two groups: one seated,

So I slept and two groups sat around me

in my eyes, because of drunkenness, and the other standing.

One drunk with eyes clouded and one standing

وأصبحتُ في يومٍ من الشَّرِّ كالحٍ

وأصبحتُ في يومٍ من الشَّرِّ كالحٍ

كأنِّي فيما كنتُ بالأمسِ حالمُ

كأنِّي فيما كنتُ بالأمسِ حالمُ

And I awoke on a day grim with trouble,

And I woke up one day feeling very hungover

as though I had dreamed what I went through yesterday.

As if I was not the same as I was yesterday

تقولُ لي الصّبيانُ إنَّك راذِمٌ

تقولُ لي الصّبيانُ إنَّك راذِمٌ

ورغميَ فيما قيل إنَّك راذِمُ

ورغميَ فيما قيل إنَّك راذِمُ

The boys say to me, “You are a farter,”

The boys say to me that you are chiding

and my humiliation lay in the words, “You are a farter.”

And they bother me with what is said that you are chiding

فقلتُ لهم خلُّو الطريقَ فإنني

فقلتُ لهم خلُّو الطريقَ فإنني

كريم نَماني الصَّالحون الأكارمُ

كريم نَماني الصَّالحون الأكارمُ

So I told them, “Clear the road, for I am

So I said to them clear the way for I

a noble man, raised by righteous, honorable men.

Am generous and good people are generous

لئن كانت الوجعاء منِّي فربَّما

لئن كانت الوجعاء منِّي فربَّما

يخون الفتَى وجعاؤه وهوَ نائمُ

يخون الفتَى وجعاؤه وهوَ نائمُ

Even if that fart came from me, sometimes

If I was hurt perhaps

a man's wind betrays him while he sleeps.

The youth betrays his hurting while asleep

أما في خفوق الشَّرْب أن يحمل الأذَى

أما في خفوق الشَّرْب أن يحمل الأذَى

ويكرم عن نشر القبيحِ المُنادمُ

ويكرم عن نشر القبيحِ المُنادمُ

When drinkers nod off, should not the offense be borne,

But with the intoxication of drinking to carry harm

and the drinking companion be too noble to spread shame?

And the drinking companion avoids spreading ugly things

ويستأنف النّدمان أُنساً مجدَّدا

ويستأنف النّدمان أُنساً مجدَّدا

فيرفعُ مَعْ رفع النَّبيذِ الملاوِمُ

فيرفعُ مَعْ رفع النَّبيذِ الملاوِمُ

Let the drinking companions begin their conviviality anew,

And the regretful start a new companionship

and with the raising of the wine, let reproaches be lifted away.”

So he raises along with raising the obedient wine