إِذا شِئتَ فَاندُبني إِلى الراحِ وَانعِني

إِذا شِئتَ فَاندُبني إِلى الراحِ وَانعِني

إِلى الشَربِ مِن ذي خُلَّةٍ وَنَديمِ

إِلى الشَربِ مِن ذي خُلَّةٍ وَنَديمِ

If you wish, summon me to wine—and announce my death

If you wish, mourn me to the wine and announce my death

among the drinkers, as that of a faithful friend and boon companion.

to the drinkers, close friend and boon companion alike.

أَميلوا الزُجاجَ الصَفوَ عَنّي فَإِنَّكُم

أَميلوا الزُجاجَ الصَفوَ عَنّي فَإِنَّكُم

أَقَمتُم وَما شَخصي لَكُم بِمُقيمِ

أَقَمتُم وَما شَخصي لَكُم بِمُقيمِ

You two, turn the glass of unmixed wine away from me, for you

Turn the clear glasses away from me, for you

will remain, while I will not remain with you.

have stayed, but I am not staying with you.

بِجِسمي سَقامٌ كُلَّما جُزتُ رَدَّني

بِجِسمي سَقامٌ كُلَّما جُزتُ رَدَّني

إِلى كَمَدٍ في الصَدرِ غَيرِ سَقيمِ

إِلى كَمَدٍ في الصَدرِ غَيرِ سَقيمِ

Take bodily form as sickness: whenever I pass beyond it, it drives me back

There is illness in my body; whenever I pass beyond it, it sends me back

into anguish within a breast otherwise sound.

to anguish in a breast that is not ill.

فَإِن مِتُّ كانَ المَوتُ مِن كَرَمِ الهَوى

فَإِن مِتُّ كانَ المَوتُ مِن كَرَمِ الهَوى

وَلَيسَ الهَوى إِن لَم أَمُت بِكَريمِ

وَلَيسَ الهَوى إِن لَم أَمُت بِكَريمِ

If I die, death will have come from love’s generosity;

So if I die, death will come from love's generosity;

for love, if I do not die, is not generous.

and love, if I do not die, is not generous.

فَقُل لِنَسيمِ الوَردِ عَنكَ فَإِنَّني

فَقُل لِنَسيمِ الوَردِ عَنكَ فَإِنَّني

أُعاديكَ إِجلالاً لِوَجهِ نَسيمِ

أُعاديكَ إِجلالاً لِوَجهِ نَسيمِ

Then tell the rose-breeze, “Away with you!”—for I

So say to the rose's breeze: 'Away with you! For I

make an enemy of you, in reverence for Nasim’s face.

am hostile to you in reverence for Nasim's face.'

نَدِمتُ وَقالَ الناسُ كَيفَ تَرَكتَهُ

نَدِمتُ وَقالَ الناسُ كَيفَ تَرَكتَهُ

فَقُل في مَلامٍ واقِعٍ بِمُليمِ

فَقُل في مَلامٍ واقِعٍ بِمُليمِ

I regretted it, and people asked, “How could you leave him?”

I regretted it, and people said, 'How could you leave him?'

Then voice your reproach—it falls upon one deserving blame.

So say, in reproach falling upon one deserving blame:

أَبا الفَضلِ راجِع مِن حِجاكَ فَإِنَّني

أَبا الفَضلِ راجِع مِن حِجاكَ فَإِنَّني

عَلى خَطَرٍ مِمّا يُخافُ عَظيمِ

عَلى خَطَرٍ مِمّا يُخافُ عَظيمِ

O Abu al-Fadl, reconsider, in your wisdom, for I

O Abu al-Fadl, recover some of your good sense, for I

stand in grave peril before a thing much to be feared.

am in great peril, of a kind to be feared.

وَخَبَّرتَني أَنَّ العَزاءَ تَكَرُّم

وَخَبَّرتَني أَنَّ العَزاءَ تَكَرُّم

وَهَل يَتَعَزّى عَنهُ غَيرُ لَئيمِ

وَهَل يَتَعَزّى عَنهُ غَيرُ لَئيمِ

You told me that taking consolation is magnanimous;

And you told me that taking solace is a noble act;

yet who but a base man could find consolation for his loss?

yet would anyone but a base man find solace for losing him?

فَما الدارُ فيما بَينَنا بِبَعيدَةٍ

فَما الدارُ فيما بَينَنا بِبَعيدَةٍ

وَلا العَهدُ فيما بَينَنا بِقَديمِ

وَلا العَهدُ فيما بَينَنا بِقَديمِ

The dwelling that lies between us is not far away,

For the dwelling is not far from us,

nor has it been long since we were together.

nor is our last meeting long past.