عَذَّبَني ذو الجَلالِ بِالنارِ

عَذَّبَني ذو الجَلالِ بِالنارِ

إِن هامَ قَلبي بِذاتٍ إِسوارِ

إِن هامَ قَلبي بِذاتٍ إِسوارِ

May the Lord of Majesty torment me with fire

The Majestic One tortured me with fire

if my heart becomes enamored of a woman with a bracelet.

If my heart became enamored with a lovely maiden

وَلا تَعَشَّقَت قَينَةً أَبَداً

وَلا تَعَشَّقَت قَينَةً أَبَداً

حَتّى تَراني رَهينَ أَحجارِ

حَتّى تَراني رَهينَ أَحجارِ

Nor shall I ever fall in love with a singing slave-girl

And she never fell in love forever

until you see me a captive of stones.

Until you see me captive in chains

كَم مِن غَبِيٍّ تَرَكنَ ذا عَدَمٍ

كَم مِن غَبِيٍّ تَرَكنَ ذا عَدَمٍ

أَورَثنَهُ الذُلَّ بَعدَ إِكثارِ

أَورَثنَهُ الذُلَّ بَعدَ إِكثارِ

How many a fool they have left destitute,

How many fools it left without esteem

bequeathing him humiliation after wealth!

It inherited from him humiliation after pride

سَلَبنَ مِنهُ الفُؤادَ بِالنَظَرِ ال

سَلَبنَ مِنهُ الفُؤادَ بِالنَظَرِ ال

رَطبِ وَغُنجٍ وَغَمزِ أَبصارِ

رَطبِ وَغُنجٍ وَغَمزِ أَبصارِ

They stole his heart with their gaze—

It stole his heart with glance, charm, and winks

soft—and with coquetry and winking eyes.

And with flirtation it destroyed his brain

وَبِالتَشاجي أَتلَفنَ مُهجَتَهُ

وَبِالتَشاجي أَتلَفنَ مُهجَتَهُ

وَحُسنِ لَحنٍ وَقَرعِ أَوتارِ

وَحُسنِ لَحنٍ وَقَرعِ أَوتارِ

And with feigned sorrow they consumed his lifeblood,

And beauty of melody and rhythm of strings

and with beautiful melody and the plucking of strings.

Until when his money was spent

حَتّى إِذا ما مَضَت دَراهِمُهُ

حَتّى إِذا ما مَضَت دَراهِمُهُ

وَصارَ ذا فِكرَةِ وَتَسهارِ

وَصارَ ذا فِكرَةِ وَتَسهارِ

Until, once his dirhams were gone

And he became anxious and sleepless

and he became a man of worry and sleeplessness,

They gave him wiping, then told him

ناوَلَنَهُ المَسحَ ثُمَّ قُلنَ لَهُ

ناوَلَنَهُ المَسحَ ثُمَّ قُلنَ لَهُ

بَيِّضهُ بِالنَهرِ نَهرِ بَشّارِ

بَيِّضهُ بِالنَهرِ نَهرِ بَشّارِ

they handed him the sackcloth, then said to him:

Whiten it in the river, the river of good news

"Bleach it in the river—the river of Bashshar."

So never be fooled by a maiden forever

فَلا تَغُرَّنكَ قَينَةٌ أَبَداً

فَلا تَغُرَّنكَ قَينَةٌ أَبَداً

وَدَع وِصارَ القِيانِ في النارِ

وَدَع وِصارَ القِيانِ في النارِ

So never let a singing slave-girl deceive you,

And leave the burning of the furnace

and consign the singing girls' pledges to the fire.

For with them there is no shame in betrayal

فَلَيسَ في الغَدرِ عِندَهُنَّ إِذا

فَلَيسَ في الغَدرِ عِندَهُنَّ إِذا

هَوَينَ أَو شِئنَ ذاكَ مِن عارِ

هَوَينَ أَو شِئنَ ذاكَ مِن عارِ

For treachery, in their eyes—whenever

If they fancied or desired that from disgrace

they desire or wish it—is no disgrace.