يا من تعيرني بأني شاعر

يا من تعيرني بأني شاعر

عيرتني بمكارم الأخلاق

عيرتني بمكارم الأخلاق

O you who reproach me for being a poet,

O you who reproach me for being a poet,

You have reproached me for noble virtues.

You reproached me with noble morals.

لا تعجلي وذري الملام سفاهة

لا تعجلي وذري الملام سفاهة

فالشعر أحسن زينة العشاق

فالشعر أحسن زينة العشاق

Do not be hasty; leave off reproach—it is folly.

Do not be hasty and leave the blame in stupidity,

For poetry is lovers' finest adornment.

For poetry is the best adornment of lovers.

لو لم يكن في الشعر إلا أنه

لو لم يكن في الشعر إلا أنه

في مدح وصل أو هجاء فراق

في مدح وصل أو هجاء فراق

If poetry offered nothing more than

If there was nothing in poetry but

praise of union or invective against parting,

Praising union or satirizing separation,

أو نعت ندمان يظل بمجلس

أو نعت ندمان يظل بمجلس

لا بالملول له ولا المذاق

لا بالملول له ولا المذاق

or a portrait of a boon companion who lingers at a gathering,

Or describing a regretful one who remains in a gathering

neither weary of it nor insincere,

Neither bored of it nor of its taste.

أو رجع عود بستبيك يرجعه

أو رجع عود بستبيك يرجعه

والراح بارزة بكف الساقي

والراح بارزة بكف الساقي

or a lute's refrain that captivates you as he repeats it,

Or a returning melody brought back

while wine is visible in the cupbearer's palm—

By a player, hands exposed at the elbow.

وكفاك ان الشعر فيه غرائب

وكفاك ان الشعر فيه غرائب

ما أن تزال قلائد الاعناق

ما أن تزال قلائد الاعناق

it is enough for you that poetry holds marvels

It is enough that poetry has strange things

that never cease to be necklaces adorning necks.

That remain necklaces around necks.

وبه يعزى كل يوم تفرق

وبه يعزى كل يوم تفرق

وبه يهنا كل يوم تلافي

وبه يهنا كل يوم تلافي

And through it, consolation is offered on every day of parting,

Through it every day of separation is consoled

and through it, congratulations are offered on every day of reconciliation.

And through it every day of reunion is celebrated.