إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ ماجِناً خَرِقاً

إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ ماجِناً خَرِقاً

لا يَخطِرُ النُسكُ لي عَلى بالِ

لا يَخطِرُ النُسكُ لي عَلى بالِ

I, though I am a reckless libertine,

Though I am wanton and dissolute,

Though I may be a reckless libertine,

With piety never crossing my mind,

Religion occurs not to my mind.

And thoughts of piety never cross my mind,

لَذو حَياءٍ وَذو مُحافَظَةٍ

لَذو حَياءٍ وَذو مُحافَظَةٍ

مُبتاعُ حَمدِ الرِجالِ بِالغالي

مُبتاعُ حَمدِ الرِجالِ بِالغالي

Do have modesty and a sense of propriety,

Modest I am, decorous withal;

Yet I possess true shame and keep my word,

Buying men's praise at a high price.

My honor by gold won from mankind.

Buying the praise of men at the highest price.

فَإِن دَنَّسَ المالُ عِرضَ ذي شَرَفٍ

فَإِن دَنَّسَ المالُ عِرضَ ذي شَرَفٍ

فَإِنَّ عِرضي يُصانُ بِالمالِ

فَإِنَّ عِرضي يُصانُ بِالمالِ

For if wealth sullies a noble man's honor,

If riches can stain the freeborn man,

For if hoarding wealth stains the honor of the noble,

Then my honor is safeguarded by wealth.

My honor is kept by riches fine.

My honor is preserved by the wealth I spend.

وَأَعشَقُ الجُؤذُرَ الرَخيمَ وَلا

وَأَعشَقُ الجُؤذُرَ الرَخيمَ وَلا

أَكتُمُ حُبّي لَهُ فَيَخفى لي

أَكتُمُ حُبّي لَهُ فَيَخفى لي

And I love the sweet-voiced young oryx, and do not

The ample-hipped and lovely doe

I adore the fawn of soft and melodious voice,

Conceal my love for him and keep it to myself.

I love, nor cloak I that love of mine.

And conceal not the passion I bear for him.

وَخَندَريسٍ باكَرتُ حانَتَها

وَخَندَريسٍ باكَرتُ حانَتَها

فَوَدَّجوا خَصرَها بِمِبزالِ

فَوَدَّجوا خَصرَها بِمِبزالِ

And aged wine—I visited its tavern at dawn;

In the tavern of pipeline fair

And ancient wine—I sought its tavern at dawn,

Then they opened a vein in its waist with a tapping tool.

They strap her hips with a figured belt.

Where they pierced its waist with the vintner's tap,

فَسالَ عِرقٌ عَلى تَرائِبِها

فَسالَ عِرقٌ عَلى تَرائِبِها

كَأَنَّ مَجراهُ فَتلُ خَلخالِ

كَأَنَّ مَجراهُ فَتلُ خَلخالِ

A vein then flowed across its breast,

Down her neck the sweat trickles, like

And a vein flowed down across its breast,

As though its course were an anklet's twisted coil.

A stream where a bracelet has lately dwelt.

Gleaming in its course like a twisted anklet.

حَتّى إِذا صَبَّها مُفَدَّمَةً

حَتّى إِذا صَبَّها مُفَدَّمَةً

تَضحَكُ عَن جَوهَراتِ لِآلِ

تَضحَكُ عَن جَوهَراتِ لِآلِ

Until, when he poured it out, deep red,

Till when, the wine working, she smiles,

Until, when he poured it out, strained and bright,

Laughing to reveal jewels of pearl,

Throwing her pearls away in play.

It laughed to reveal bubbles like scattered pearls.

دَعَوتُ إِبليسَ ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

دَعَوتُ إِبليسَ ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

لا تَسقِ هَذا الشَرابَ عُذّالي

لا تَسقِ هَذا الشَرابَ عُذّالي

I summoned Iblis, then said to him:

Then I summon Satan and say to him,

I summoned Iblis, and said to him:

Do not serve this wine to those who reproach me.

"Prithee, spare that drink to our little clay!"

"Do not serve this draught to those who scold me."

فَبِتُّ أُسقى وَمَن كَلِفتُ بِهِ

فَبِتُّ أُسقى وَمَن كَلِفتُ بِهِ

مُدامَةً صُفِّقَت بِسَلسالِ

مُدامَةً صُفِّقَت بِسَلسالِ

So all night I and the one I adored were served

So we pass the night, while the golden flask

So I passed the night being served, alongside my love,

Wine mixed with sweet, clear water.

Goes round the circle in merriment.

Vintage wine tempered with water, cool and pure.