فَمَن كانَ لَم يَسمَع عَجيباً فَإِنَّني

فَمَن كانَ لَم يَسمَع عَجيباً فَإِنَّني

عَجيبُ الحَديثِ يا أُمَيمَ وَصادِقُه

عَجيبُ الحَديثِ يا أُمَيمَ وَصادِقُه

Whoever has never heard a marvel—then I am

So if anyone has not heard a marvel, I am indeed

a wonder to tell of, O Umayma, and I tell it true.

A teller of marvels, O Umaym, and truthful in my tale.

وَقَد كانَ لي أُنسانِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَقَد كانَ لي أُنسانِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَكُلٌّ إِذا فَتَّشَتني أَنا عاشِقُه

وَكُلٌّ إِذا فَتَّشَتني أَنا عاشِقُه

I once had two intimates, O Umm Malik,

I had two sources of solace, O Umm Malik,

and each—if you search me—you will find me its lover:

And each, whenever she probes me, has me for her lover:

عَزيزَةُ وَالكَأَسُ الَّتي مَن يُحِلُّها

عَزيزَةُ وَالكَأَسُ الَّتي مَن يُحِلُّها

تُخادِعُهُ عَن عَقلِهِ فَتُصادِقُه

تُخادِعُهُ عَن عَقلِهِ فَتُصادِقُه

Aziza, and the cup that, whoever partakes of it,

Aziza and the cup, which, for whoever deems it lawful,

beguiles him out of his reason, then befriends him.

Lures him away from his reason, then befriends him.

تَحارَبَتا عِندي فَعَطَّلتُ دَنَّها

تَحارَبَتا عِندي فَعَطَّلتُ دَنَّها

وَأَكوابَها وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ بَوائِقُه

وَأَكوابَها وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ بَوائِقُه

The two fought within me, so I left her wine jar unused,

The two fought before me, so I left its wine jar unused,

and her goblets too, while Time’s afflictions multiplied.

And its goblets—and time's calamities are many.

وَحَرَّمتُها حَولَينِ ثُمَّ أَزَلَّني

وَحَرَّمتُها حَولَينِ ثُمَّ أَزَلَّني

حَديثُ النَدامى وَالنَشيدُ أُوافِقُه

حَديثُ النَدامى وَالنَشيدُ أُوافِقُه

For two years I forswore her; then I was made to slip

And I forbade it for two years; then I was led astray

by the drinking companions’ talk and the song I joined in.

By drinking companions' talk and the song I joined in.

فَلَمّا شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ بانَت بَأُختِها

فَلَمّا شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ بانَت بَأُختِها

فَبانَ الغَزالُ المُستَحَبُّ خَلائِقُه

فَبانَ الغَزالُ المُستَحَبُّ خَلائِقُه

When I drank the cup, she bore her sister away;

So when I drank the cup, it parted company with its sister,

and gone was the gazelle whose nature was so beloved.

And away went the gazelle, beloved for its character.

فَما أَطيَبَ الكَأسَ الَّتي اِعتَضتُ مِنكُم

فَما أَطيَبَ الكَأسَ الَّتي اِعتَضتُ مِنكُم

وَلَكِنَّها لَيسَت بِريمٍ أُعانِقُه

وَلَكِنَّها لَيسَت بِريمٍ أُعانِقُه

How sweet the cup I took in exchange for you—

How delightful the cup I took in exchange for you,

yet she is no white gazelle that I can embrace.

But it is no white gazelle for me to embrace.