وَقَولٍ قُلتُهُ فَأَصَبتُ فيهِ

وَقَولٍ قُلتُهُ فَأَصَبتُ فيهِ

وَلَم أَحفِل مَقالَةَ مَن لَحاني

وَلَم أَحفِل مَقالَةَ مَن لَحاني

And a saying I uttered, in which I hit the mark—

Words I have spoken and therein succeeded,

And a declaration I made, wherein I struck the truth,

And I paid no heed to the words of whoever reproached me:

Heeding not the talk of him who blamed me.

Heeding not the speech of the one who chides me:

عِناقُ الغانِياتِ أَلَذُّ عِندي

عِناقُ الغانِياتِ أَلَذُّ عِندي

وَأَشهى مِن مُعانَقَةِ السِنانِ

وَأَشهى مِن مُعانَقَةِ السِنانِ

Embracing beautiful women is more delightful to me

The embrace of singing girls is sweetest to me,

The embrace of enchanting women is sweeter to me,

And more desirable than embracing the spearpoint.

And dearer than the clasping of white arms.

And more desirable than the clasp of the spearhead.

وَيَومٌ عِندَ نَدمانٍ كَريمٍ

وَيَومٌ عِندَ نَدمانٍ كَريمٍ

يُجاوِبُ فيهِ أَوتارَ القِيانِ

يُجاوِبُ فيهِ أَوتارَ القِيانِ

And a day with a generous drinking companion,

A day with a noble knight spent in sport

And a day with a generous drinking companion,

During which he answers the singing girls’ strings,

Is better than a thousand thrusts with lances.

Who harmonizes with the strings of the singing-girls,

يُواتيني النَديمُ عَلى التَصابي

يُواتيني النَديمُ عَلى التَصابي

أَلَذُّ إِلَيَّ مِن يَومِ الطِعانِ

أَلَذُّ إِلَيَّ مِن يَومِ الطِعانِ

The companion indulging me in youthful dalliance,

When my boon companion comes to visit me,

A comrade who indulges my youthful passion,

Is more delightful to me than a day of spear-fighting.

More pleasant is it than the day of spearing.

Is more delicious to me than a day of battle-thrusts.