طَرِبتُ إِلى قُطرَبُّلٍ فَأَتَيتُها

طَرِبتُ إِلى قُطرَبُّلٍ فَأَتَيتُها

بِمالٍ مِنَ البيضِ الصِحاحِ وَعَينِ

بِمالٍ مِنَ البيضِ الصِحاحِ وَعَينِ

I longed for Quṭrabbul, so I went there,

I yearned for Qutrubbul, so I came to her

I yearned for Qutrabbul with rising joy, and so I sought her out,

with money in full-weight silver coins and gold:

With eighty flawless white coins as capital

With wealth of sound and unclipped silver, and of minted gold;

ثَمانينَ ديناراً جِياداً ذَخَرتُها

ثَمانينَ ديناراً جِياداً ذَخَرتُها

فَأَنفَقتُها حَتّى شَرِبتُ بِدَينِ

فَأَنفَقتُها حَتّى شَرِبتُ بِدَينِ

eighty fine dinars I had saved.

I spent them until I was in debt

Eighty dinars of the finest strike, which I had stored away,

Then I spent them until I drank on credit.

And I sold a striped shirt and robe

I spent them all, until at last I drank upon a debt.

وَبِعتُ قَميصاً سابِرِيّاً وَجُبَّةٍ

وَبِعتُ قَميصاً سابِرِيّاً وَجُبَّةٍ

وَبِعتُ رِداءً مُعلَمَ الطَرَفَينِ

وَبِعتُ رِداءً مُعلَمَ الطَرَفَينِ

And I sold a Sābirī shirt and a robe,

And I sold a gown with embroidered hems

I sold a shirt of Sabiri silk, I sold my outer gown,

and sold a mantle ornamented at both ends,

To a wine-seller whose debt was the debt of Ibn Imran's son

I sold a cloak with embroidered borders marking either end,

لَخَمّارَةٍ دينُ ابنِ عِمرانَ دينُها

لَخَمّارَةٍ دينُ ابنِ عِمرانَ دينُها

مُهَذَّبَةٍ تُكنى بِأُمِّ حُصَينِ

مُهَذَّبَةٍ تُكنى بِأُمِّ حُصَينِ

to a wine-selling woman whose faith was that of the son of ʿImrān,

A refined one nicknamed Umm Husain

To a lady wine-seller who holds to Moses' ancient creed,

a refined woman known as Umm Ḥuṣayn.

And I said to her, “If you do not give generously

A refined dame, known by the epithet of Umm Husayn.

وَقُلتُ لَها إِن لَم تَجودي بِنائِلٍ

وَقُلتُ لَها إِن لَم تَجودي بِنائِلٍ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن تَقبيلِيَ الشَفَتَينِ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن تَقبيلِيَ الشَفَتَينِ

And I said to her, 'If you will not grant me a gift,

I must kiss your lips”

I said to her: 'If you will not be generous with a gift,'

then I must kiss your two lips.'

She said, “Are you content with less than them, passion

'Then there is no escape for me from kissing your two lips.'

فَقالَت فَهَل تَرضى بِغَيرِهِما هَوىً

فَقالَت فَهَل تَرضى بِغَيرِهِما هَوىً

بِأَمرَدَ كَالدينارِ فاتِرَ عَينِ

بِأَمرَدَ كَالدينارِ فاتِرَ عَينِ

She said, 'Would you accept another love in their place—

For a tender cheek like a slack-eyed coin?”

She said: 'Would you be satisfied with another love instead?'

a beardless youth, like a dinar, languid-eyed?'

So she came with a face shining like the full moon

'A beardless fawn, bright as a dinar, with languor in his eyes?'

فَجاءَت بِهِ كَالبَدرِ يَشرِقُ وَجهُهُ

فَجاءَت بِهِ كَالبَدرِ يَشرِقُ وَجهُهُ

أَغَنُّ غَضيضٌ راجِحُ الكَفَلَينِ

أَغَنُّ غَضيضٌ راجِحُ الكَفَلَينِ

Then she brought him, like the full moon, his face shining:

A most melodious voice, pendulous cheeks

She brought him forth, like the full moon, his face a radiant light,

nasal-voiced, tender, with full buttocks.

But I turned away from her, destitute, not wealthy

With nasal voice and lowered gaze, and heavy haunches fine.

فَرَوَّحتُ عَنها مُعسِراً غَيرَ مَوسِرٍ

فَرَوَّحتُ عَنها مُعسِراً غَيرَ مَوسِرٍ

أُقَرطِسُ في الإِفلاسِ مِن مِئَتَينِ

أُقَرطِسُ في الإِفلاسِ مِن مِئَتَينِ

Then I went away from her, insolvent, not wealthy,

Broke by two hundred coins

I took my leave of her in want, a wealthy man no more,

hitting bankruptcy's bull's-eye from a range of two hundred.

And the wine-seller said to me at his farewell

Striking the mark of bankruptcy, two hundred reduced to naught.

فَقالَ لِيَ الخَمّارُ عِندَ وَداعِهِ

فَقالَ لِيَ الخَمّارُ عِندَ وَداعِهِ

وَقَد أَلبَسَتني الخَمرُ خُفَّ حُنَينِ

وَقَد أَلبَسَتني الخَمرُ خُفَّ حُنَينِ

Then the wine-seller said to me at parting,

As wine had shod me in the slippers of yearning:

The vintner called out to me as I bade them my farewell,

when wine had already shod me in Ḥunayn's boot:

“Live decently wherever you go openly

When wine had clothed me in the empty boots of old Hunayn:

أَلا عِش بِزَينٍ أَينَ سِرتَ مُسَلَّماً

أَلا عِش بِزَينٍ أَينَ سِرتَ مُسَلَّماً

وَقَد رُحتُ مِنهُ حينَ رُحتُ بِشَينِ

وَقَد رُحتُ مِنهُ حينَ رُحتُ بِشَينِ

'Ah, live in honor wherever you go, safe and sound!'

Since I left you in disgrace when I left in debt”

'Live on in grace and safety, wherever you may go!'

Yet when I left him, I left in disgrace.

Though I departed from that place in scandal and in shame.