أَنا وَاللَهِ مُشتاقٌ

أَنا وَاللَهِ مُشتاقٌ

إِلى الحيرَةِ وَالخَمرِ

إِلى الحيرَةِ وَالخَمرِ

I am, by God, longing

By God, I am consumed with longing

for al-Hirah and wine,

For the city of Al-Hirah and for wine,

وَأَصواتِ النَواقيسِ

وَأَصواتِ النَواقيسِ

عَلى الزيراتِ بِالفَجرِ

عَلى الزيراتِ بِالفَجرِ

and the sounds of church bells

And the peeling of the church bells

over the zīrāt at dawn.

Resounding over the wine jars at dawn,

وَمُشتاقٍ إِلى الحانا

وَمُشتاقٍ إِلى الحانا

تِ يَومَ الذَبحِ وَالنَحرِ

تِ يَومَ الذَبحِ وَالنَحرِ

And I long for the taverns

And I yearn for the taverns

on the day of slaughter and sacrifice,

On the day of feast and sacrifice,

وَمُفنٍ في طِلابِ المُر

وَمُفنٍ في طِلابِ المُر

دِ وَالخَمرِ مَعاً وَفري

دِ وَالخَمرِ مَعاً وَفري

and squander, in pursuit of beardless

Squandering, in pursuit of beardless youths

youths and wine together, my wealth.

And wine together, my entire fortune.

أَما وَاللَهِ لَو تَسمَ

أَما وَاللَهِ لَو تَسمَ

عُ ما قُلتُ مِنَ الشِعرِ

عُ ما قُلتُ مِنَ الشِعرِ

Indeed, by God, if you were to hear

Nay, by God, if you were to hear

what I have said in verse,

The verses of poetry I have composed,

لَآيَستَ مِنِ فلاحي

لَآيَستَ مِنِ فلاحي

يَقيناً آخِرَ العُمرِ

يَقيناً آخِرَ العُمرِ

you would despair of my salvation,

You would surely despair of my salvation

certainly, until the end of my life.

With certainty, until the end of my days.