أَعاذِلَ إِنَّ اللَومَ مِنكِ وَجيعُ

أَعاذِلَ إِنَّ اللَومَ مِنكِ وَجيعُ

وَلي إِمرَةٌ أَعصي بِها وَأُطيعُ

وَلي إِمرَةٌ أَعصي بِها وَأُطيعُ

O reproacher, your blame is indeed painful.

O censurer, truly the blame coming from you is painful,

And mine is the authority by which I disobey and obey.

Yet I possess a sovereign will by which I disobey and obey.

كَفَيتُ الصَبا مَن لا يَهِشُّ إِلى الصِبا

كَفَيتُ الصَبا مَن لا يَهِشُّ إِلى الصِبا

وَجَمَّعتُ مِنهُ ما أَضاعَ مُضيعُ

وَجَمَّعتُ مِنهُ ما أَضاعَ مُضيعُ

I have taken on youthful folly for those who take no delight in youth,

I have sufficed for youthful passion in place of those who do not delight in it,

And gathered from it what a squanderer wasted.

And I have gathered up from it what the squanderer has lost.

أَعاذِلَ ما فَرَّطتُ في جَنبِ لَذَّةٍ

أَعاذِلَ ما فَرَّطتُ في جَنبِ لَذَّةٍ

وَلا قُلتُ لِلخَمّارِ كَيفَ تَبيعُ

وَلا قُلتُ لِلخَمّارِ كَيفَ تَبيعُ

O reproacher, I have never been remiss where pleasure is concerned,

O censurer, I have never been negligent in the pursuit of pleasure,

Nor said to the wine-seller, “At what price do you sell?”

Nor have I ever asked the vintner, "At what price do you sell?"

أُسامِحُهُ إِنَّ المِكاسَ ضَراعَةٌ

أُسامِحُهُ إِنَّ المِكاسَ ضَراعَةٌ

وَيَرحَلُ عِرضي عَنهُ وَهوَ جَميعُ

وَيَرحَلُ عِرضي عَنهُ وَهوَ جَميعُ

I deal generously with him: haggling is abasement,

I deal with him generously, for haggling is a form of abasement,

And my honor departs from him intact.

So that my honor may depart from him remaining whole and intact.