أَعاذِلَ ما عَلى وَجهي قُتومُ

أَعاذِلَ ما عَلى وَجهي قُتومُ

وَلا عِرضي لِأَوَّلِ مَن يَسومُ

وَلا عِرضي لِأَوَّلِ مَن يَسومُ

O censurer, no dark gloom lies upon my face,

I am innocent of what appears on my cheek as a scar

O she who blames, no dust of shame obscures my face,

nor is my honor for the first man who bids.

And my honor is not for the first slanderer

Nor is my honor cheap for the first who seeks to bid.

يُفَضِّلُني عَلى الفِتيانِ أَنّي

يُفَضِّلُني عَلى الفِتيانِ أَنّي

أَبيتُ فَلا أُلامُ وَلا أُليمُ

أَبيتُ فَلا أُلامُ وَلا أُليمُ

What sets me above the young men is that

He prefers me over the youths for I have stayed up at night

What sets me high above the common youths is this:

I pass the night neither blamed nor blameworthy.

So I am not blamed nor do I feel regret

I pass the night giving no cause for blame, nor casting it.

أَعاذِلَ إِن يَكُن بُردايَ رَثّا

أَعاذِلَ إِن يَكُن بُردايَ رَثّا

فَلا يَعدِمكَ بَينَهُما كَريمُ

فَلا يَعدِمكَ بَينَهُما كَريمُ

O censurer, if my two cloaks are threadbare,

I am innocent, if my cloak is worn out

O blamer, though the cloak I wear is worn and thin,

a noble man between them will not fail you.

A generous soul would not find fault between its threads

Yet wrapped within, you’ll find a spirit noble and true.

شُقِقتُ مِنَ الصِبا وَاِشتُقَّ مِنّي

شُقِقتُ مِنَ الصِبا وَاِشتُقَّ مِنّي

كَما اِشتُقَّت مِنَ الكَرَمِ الكُرومُ

كَما اِشتُقَّت مِنَ الكَرَمِ الكُرومُ

I was cleft from youthful passion, and it was derived from me,

I have been weaned from youth and it has been weaned from me

I was hewn from youthful passion, and it from me,

as grapevines were derived from generosity.

As the berries have been weaned from the vines

As the generous vine is named for generosity.

فَلَستُ أُسَوِّفُ اللَذّاتِ نَفسي

فَلَستُ أُسَوِّفُ اللَذّاتِ نَفسي

مُياوَمَةً كَما دُفِعَ الغَريمُ

مُياوَمَةً كَما دُفِعَ الغَريمُ

So I do not put my soul off with promises of pleasures,

I do not procrastinate in enjoying life’s pleasures

I do not make my soul wait long for its delights,

day after day, as a creditor is put off.

Like one who pays off his enemy bit by bit

Deferring day by day, as debtors delay their dues.

وَلا بِمُدافِعٍ بِالكَأسِ حَتّى

وَلا بِمُدافِعٍ بِالكَأسِ حَتّى

يُهَيِّجَني عَلى الطَرَبِ النَديمُ

يُهَيِّجَني عَلى الطَرَبِ النَديمُ

Nor do I hold back from the cup until

Nor with a drinking companion who inspires me to music

Nor do I push aside the cup, waiting until

my drinking companion rouses me to merriment.

And delight until the boon reveler arouses me

My boon companion stirs me to a state of bliss.

وَمُتَّصِلٍ بِأَسبابِ المَعالي

وَمُتَّصِلٍ بِأَسبابِ المَعالي

لَهُ في كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ قَديمُ

لَهُ في كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ قَديمُ

And a man linked to the paths of high distinction,

But with one well-connected in doing good deeds

I am allied with one tied to the cords of glory,

with a long-standing record in every noble deed—

For every act of kindness, he has pedigree

Who holds an ancient claim to every noble deed.

رَفَعتُ لَهُ النِداءَ بِقُم فَخُذها

رَفَعتُ لَهُ النِداءَ بِقُم فَخُذها

وَقَد أَخَذَت مَطالِعَها النُجومُ

وَقَد أَخَذَت مَطالِعَها النُجومُ

I raised my voice to him: 'Rise, then take it!'

I summoned him: “Arise and take it!”

I called aloud to him: "Arise and take the draught,"

when the stars had taken their rising stations,

For its auspicious times have risen like stars

While stars were climbing to their stations in the night.

بِتَفدِيَةٍ تُذالُ النَفسُ فيها

بِتَفدِيَةٍ تُذالُ النَفسُ فيها

وَتُمتَهَنُ الخُؤولَةُ وَالعُمومُ

وَتُمتَهَنُ الخُؤولَةُ وَالعُمومُ

with pledges of ransom in which the self is abased,

With a ransom that humbles the soul

With words of ransom, wherein the soul is freely spent,

and maternal and paternal uncles are humbled.

And demeans the cowardly and commoners

And highest kin are pledged away in reckless oaths.

فَقامَ وَقُمتُ مِن أَخَوَينِ هاجا

فَقامَ وَقُمتُ مِن أَخَوَينِ هاجا

عَلى طَرَبٍ وَلَيلُهُما بَهيمُ

عَلى طَرَبٍ وَلَيلُهُما بَهيمُ

So he rose and I rose, two brothers roused

So he arose and I arose, two passion-roused brothers

He rose, and I rose too—two brothers stirred to life,

to merriment, while their night was pitch-black.

In delight on a night made for them

By wine's delight, while yet the night was pitch and black.

أَجُرُّ الزِقَّ وَهوَ يَجُرُّ رِجلاً

أَجُرُّ الزِقَّ وَهوَ يَجُرُّ رِجلاً

يَجورُ بِها النُعاسُ وَيَستَقيمُ

يَجورُ بِها النُعاسُ وَيَستَقيمُ

I drag the wineskin, while he drags a leg

I pull the train of my gown while he pulls my leg

I dragged the heavy wineskin; he dragged a weary foot,

that drowsiness makes veer and straighten.

Drowsiness makes it deviate then straightens

Which slumber caused to swerve, then again to straighten.

سَلِ النُدمانَ ما أَولَتهُ مِنها

سَلِ النُدمانَ ما أَولَتهُ مِنها

وَسَلها ما اِحتَوى مِنها الكَريمُ

وَسَلها ما اِحتَوى مِنها الكَريمُ

Ask the drinking companions what she bestowed on him of herself,

Ask the two repentants what she granted him

Ask the companions what the vintage wrought on him,

and ask her how much of her the noble man took in.

And ask her what she contained for the generous one

And ask the wine how much of it the noble held.

كِلا الشَخصَينِ مُنتَصِفٌ وَلَكِن

كِلا الشَخصَينِ مُنتَصِفٌ وَلَكِن

قَضَت وَطَراً وَذا مِنها سَقيمُ

قَضَت وَطَراً وَذا مِنها سَقيمُ

Both figures have taken their due, but

The two persons share halfway but

Both rivals fought a balanced bout, but in the end,

she has satisfied a desire, and this one is sick because of her.

Fate has granted one health and the other sickness

She took her fill of triumph, leaving him subdued.