تباعد ما استطعتَ من الشقوق

تباعد ما استطعتَ من الشقوق

وأرشد من عناكَ إلى الطريق

وأرشد من عناكَ إلى الطريق

Keep as far as you can from clefts,

Keep your distance from faults as much as you can,

Keep far, as best you can, from causing rifts,

And guide whoever seeks you to the path.

And guide those who rely on you to the path.

And guide the one who seeks you to the path.

ولط بالخلقِ كلّهمُ جميعاً

ولط بالخلقِ كلّهمُ جميعاً

فإنّ العيشَ في الدين الرقيق

فإنّ العيشَ في الدين الرقيق

And practice sodomy with all mankind, every one,

Be gentle with all people,

Be gentle with the people, all of them,

For the good life lies in a lax faith.

For living morally is the finest life.

For life lies in a creed that is lenient.

وهب للنارِ نفسَكَ في هواها

وهب للنارِ نفسَكَ في هواها

وجاهر لا عدمتُكَ بالفسوقِ

وجاهر لا عدمتُكَ بالفسوقِ

And give your soul to the Fire in pursuit of its desires,

Give yourself to love’s fire passionately,

And yield your soul to the Fire in its desire,

And flaunt your debauchery—may I never lose you!

And openly declare, I will never commit wrongs.

And openly declare—may you remain—your vice.

وأيرُكَ ما استطعتَ فصنهُ إلّا

وأيرُكَ ما استطعتَ فصنهُ إلّا

عن الخلواتِ بالرشأ العتيقِ

عن الخلواتِ بالرشأ العتيقِ

And guard your cock as best you can, except

Protect all you can, except

Safeguard your member strictly as you can,

In private encounters with the noble gazelle.

From seclusions with the noble old wine.

Save from seclusion with a noble fawn.

ولا تقبل بهِ أحداً بديلاً

ولا تقبل بهِ أحداً بديلاً

وخذ في ذاكَ بالراي الوثيق

وخذ في ذاكَ بالراي الوثيق

And accept no one as a substitute for him,

Accept no one else as a substitute,

Accept no substitute in place of him,

And in that, hold to sound judgment.

And in this be of strong, sound opinion.

And take this as the firm, reliable view.

وإنّي ناصحٌ لكَ فاتّبعني

وإنّي ناصحٌ لكَ فاتّبعني

ودَعني من ثنيّات الطريق

ودَعني من ثنيّات الطريق

And I am your sincere adviser, so follow me,

I advise you sincerely, so follow me,

I am a sincere advisor, so follow me,

And spare me the twists and turns of the road.

And leave me be, O winding turns in the road.

And leave aside the winding, crooked roads.