خليليَ أقعد للصبوح ولا تقل

خليليَ أقعد للصبوح ولا تقل

قفا نبكِ من ذكرى حبيب ومنزلِ

قفا نبكِ من ذكرى حبيب ومنزلِ

My friend, sit for the morning wine, and do not say:

My friend, sit in the morn and do not say,

Sit for the morning cup, my friend, and do not say to me:

“Stop, you two; let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling.”

"Stand, let us weep at the memory of a beloved and abode."

'Halt, let us weep over the memory of a beloved and an encampment,'

ويا ربّ لا تُنبت ولا تُسقط الحيا

ويا ربّ لا تُنبت ولا تُسقط الحيا

بسقطِ اللوى بين الدخول فحومل

بسقطِ اللوى بين الدخول فحومل

And, Lord, make nothing grow, nor let rain fall

O Lord, do not let the serpent shed its skin or fall,

And O Lord, let no grass grow nor refreshing rain fall

At al-Liwa’s sandy edge, between al-Dakhul and Hawmal;

At the falling of the banners between going in and pregnancy.

Upon Saqt al-Liwa, between al-Dakhul and Hawmal.

ولا تقرِ مقراةَ امرىء القيس قطرةً

ولا تقرِ مقراةَ امرىء القيس قطرةً

من المزن وارجم ساكنيها بجندل

من المزن وارجم ساكنيها بجندل

Nor offer Imru’ al-Qays’s Miqrat a single drop

Do not settle, like the settlement of Imru’ al-Qais, a drop

Grant not a single drop to the pool of Imru' al-Qais

From the rain clouds—and pelt its inhabitants with stones.

Of rain from the clouds, and stone its residents with hailstones.

From the rain-clouds, but stone its dwellers with gravel.

نصيبيَ منها للنعام وللمَها

نصيبيَ منها للنعام وللمَها

واللذئبِ يعوي كالطريد المؤلولِ

واللذئبِ يعوي كالطريد المؤلولِ

My share in those places is for the ostriches and oryxes,

My share of it is for ostriches and foxes,

Let the ostriches and the wild oryx take my share of it,

And for the wolf, howling like a wailing outcast.

The wolves howling like frightened beasts.

And the wolf that howls like an outcast, hunted and wailing.

ولكن ديار اللهوِ يا ربّ فاسقِها

ولكن ديار اللهوِ يا ربّ فاسقِها

ودرّ على خضرائِها كل جدوَل

ودرّ على خضرائِها كل جدوَل

But, Lord, water the abodes of revelry,

But the lands of revelry, O Lord, water them,

But the abodes of revelry, O Lord, send rain upon them,

And pour every stream over their greenery:

And pour upon their greenery every stream—

And let every stream flow freely through their verdant grounds.

بهيتٍ وعاناتٍ وبنّي ودسكر

بهيتٍ وعاناتٍ وبنّي ودسكر

وقطربل ذات الرحيق المُفَلفَلِ

وقطربل ذات الرحيق المُفَلفَلِ

In Hit, Anat, Bunni, and Daskar,

Beautiful, suffering, date palms and chamomile,

In Hit, and 'Anat, and Binni, and Daskar,

And Qutrabbul, with its pepper-spiced wine;

And clovewhose scent is pungent—

And Qutrabbul, home of the biting, peppered vintage.

على كلّ محسورِ الذراع سمَيذَعِ

على كلّ محسورِ الذراع سمَيذَعِ

جوادٍ بما يحويه غير مبخّلِ

جوادٍ بما يحويه غير مبخّلِ

Upon every bare-armed, noble fellow,

Upon every disabled person extend

Pour for every noble youth with bared arm, generous of spirit,

Generous with what he possesses, not deemed miserly,

A generous horse with an unstinting hoard.

Open-handed with all he possesses, never holding back.

قليل هموم القلبِ إلّا للذّة

قليل هموم القلبِ إلّا للذّة

ينعّمُ نفساً آذنت بتنقّل

ينعّمُ نفساً آذنت بتنقّل

With few cares at heart, save for pleasure;

The worries of the heart are few, except for pleasure

His heart bears few burdens, save the pursuit of pleasure,

He pampers a soul that has given notice of departure.

That gives comfort to a soul inclined to amusement.

Indulging a soul that knows its departure is nigh.

فإن تطلبيهِ تقتضيهِ بحانةٍ

فإن تطلبيهِ تقتضيهِ بحانةٍ

كمثل سراج لاحَ في الليل مشعَل

كمثل سراج لاحَ في الليل مشعَل

So if you seek him, you will claim your due from him in a tavern,

If you seek it, you will find it in a tavern,

Should you seek him, you will find him within a tavern,

Like a kindled lamp shining in the night.

Like a lamp shining in the night.

Glowing like a lamp that shines bright in the night.

ولستَ تراهُ سائلاً عن خليقةٍ

ولستَ تراهُ سائلاً عن خليقةٍ

ولا قائلاً من يُعزلونَ ومَن يلي

ولا قائلاً من يُعزلونَ ومَن يلي

And you do not see him asking about character,

You will not see him asking about a creature,

You will not see him inquiring about the nature of men,

Nor saying, “Who gets dismissed, and who takes office?”

Or saying, “Who should be brought near and who kept away?”

Nor discussing who has been deposed and who now rules.

ولا صائحاً كالعَير في يوم لذةٍ

ولا صائحاً كالعَير في يوم لذةٍ

يناظرُ في تفضيل عثمان أو علي

يناظرُ في تفضيل عثمان أو علي

Nor shouting like an ass on a day of pleasure,

Nor clamoring on a day of joy like a camel train,

Nor braying loud as a wild ass on a day of joy,

Debating the superiority of Uthman or Ali;

Looking into the preference of ‘Othman or ‘Ali.

Debating the merits of 'Uthman versus 'Ali.

ولا لابساً تقديمَ شمسٍ وكوكب

ولا لابساً تقديمَ شمسٍ وكوكب

ليعرفَ إحياءَ العلوّ من أسفل

ليعرفَ إحياءَ العلوّ من أسفل

Nor wrapped up in the advance of sun and star,

Nor wearing the precedence of a sun or planet

Nor wearying himself with the positions of sun and star,

To understand the revival of the heights from below,

To know the revival of the highest from lowest.

To discern the ascendant signs from the descendant.

يقومُ بأوقاتِ الظهيرة مائلاً

يقومُ بأوقاتِ الظهيرة مائلاً

يقلب في أسطر لابه عينَ أحوَل

يقلب في أسطر لابه عينَ أحوَل

Standing at noontime, leaning,

He stands at midday leaning over,

Standing at the hour of noon, bending and leaning,

Running a cross-eyed gaze over the lines of his astrolabe.

Turning in the lines of his tears an awl-like eye.

Scanning the lines of his astrolabe with a squinting eye.

ولكنّهُ فيما عناهُ وسرَّهُ

ولكنّهُ فيما عناهُ وسرَّهُ

وفي غير ما يعنيه فهو بمعزَل

وفي غير ما يعنيه فهو بمعزَل

But he is absorbed in what concerns and delights him,

But in what he cares about and his secret,

Nay, he is absorbed only in what concerns and delights him,

And he keeps apart from what does not concern him.

And in other than his concerns, he is aloof.

And from all that concerns him not, he stands apart.