أحسنُ من رحلةِ الفراق

أحسنُ من رحلةِ الفراق

تحدو بها البينُ بانطلاقِ

تحدو بها البينُ بانطلاقِ

Better than a journey of separation,

Better than a journey of separation,

which parting urges swiftly onward,

Driven swiftly by the call of parting,

ومن بكاءٍ على رسومٍ

ومن بكاءٍ على رسومٍ

جاهلةٍ بالتي تُلاقي

جاهلةٍ بالتي تُلاقي

and than weeping over ruined traces

And better than weeping over traces of ruins,

unaware of what you endure,

Which are ignorant of the fate they meet,

لِفُرقةِ البدرِ يوم ولى

لِفُرقةِ البدرِ يوم ولى

فوق جُماليّةٍ عتاق

فوق جُماليّةٍ عتاق

for the full moon's departure, the day he turned away

At the leaving of the full moon the day he turned away,

upon a powerful, noble-bred she-camel,

Mounted upon a noble, swift she-camel,

ليس لها بالمهبّ عهدٌ

ليس لها بالمهبّ عهدٌ

ولا سبيل إلى التلاقِ

ولا سبيل إلى التلاقِ

unfamiliar with the wind's course,

That has no acquaintance with where the wind blows,

with no way to meet again,

And no path left for a reunion—

حماسيَ اللهوُ رُبَّ لهوٍ

حماسيَ اللهوُ رُبَّ لهوٍ

يحلفُ بالسيفِ والنطاقِ

يحلفُ بالسيفِ والنطاقِ

is my passion for pleasure—many a pleasure

My passion is amusement—and what amusement!

swears by the sword and the girdle,

It swears by the sword and the waist-belt,

في حللٍ كالبهارِ صفر

في حللٍ كالبهارِ صفر

مُددنَ طوعاً بكفّ ساق

مُددنَ طوعاً بكفّ ساق

in robes yellow as bahār blossoms,

In robes yellow as the meadow daisy,

willingly extended in a cupbearer's hand.

Extended willingly by the cupbearer's hand.

فإنّ لي ماجِناً غويّاً

فإنّ لي ماجِناً غويّاً

أغبرُ من حلّ بالعراقِ

أغبرُ من حلّ بالعراقِ

For I have a wayward libertine,

For I possess a shameless, misguided rogue,

the dustiest of those who settled in Iraq,

The dustiest of all who settled in Iraq,

مموّه الدين عسكرياً

مموّه الدين عسكرياً

يُعرفُ بالفُسقِ والنفاقِ

يُعرفُ بالفُسقِ والنفاقِ

a soldier whose religion is a sham,

Feigning religion, yet soldier-like in bearing,

known for debauchery and hypocrisy.

Known for debauchery and hypocrisy.

يُكتبُ في ميمهِ بلامٍ

يُكتبُ في ميمهِ بلامٍ

يشفيهِ من لوعة الحِلاق

يشفيهِ من لوعة الحِلاق

In his mīm one writes with a lām,

In his 'Mim', a 'Lam' is inscribed,

curing him of the burning anguish of shaving.

Curing him of the burning pain of the blade,

حتى إذا استنَّ من خلاقٍ

حتى إذا استنَّ من خلاقٍ

وآل في قبضة السياق

وآل في قبضة السياق

Until, when he had galloped away from virtue

Until, when he races upon his course,

and come into the grip of death's throes,

And falls into the grip of the driving hand,

فزقّهُ لا بقرعِ سوط

فزقّهُ لا بقرعِ سوط

ونوّخَ الرأسَ بالبصاقِ

ونوّخَ الرأسَ بالبصاقِ

he fed him—not with the stroke of a whip—

He is fed—not by the strike of a whip,

and bowed the head with spittle,

But bowing his head to spit,

فجادَ من طرفهِ بدمع

فجادَ من طرفهِ بدمع

من غير شُفر ولا مآقي

من غير شُفر ولا مآقي

then tears poured freely from his tip,

Generously shedding a tear from his tip,

with neither eyelid rims nor inner eye-corners.

Without an eyelid or tear duct.

فذاكَ بين الغواةِ أدرى

فذاكَ بين الغواةِ أدرى

من دَلَجِ الليلِ بالرفاقِ

من دَلَجِ الليلِ بالرفاقِ

That one, among the wayward, knows more

That one is more knowledgeable among the seducers,

than night travel knows its fellow travelers.

Than night-travelers are of their companions.