قيثارَتي لَم أُلَطِّخها بِأَقذارِ

قيثارَتي لَم أُلَطِّخها بِأَقذارِ

عَلى طَوافي بِها في بُؤرَةِ العارِ

عَلى طَوافي بِها في بُؤرَةِ العارِ

My lyre I have not stained with filth,

My lyre I have not defiled with filth

Despite my roaming with it through the pit of shame.

Though circling with it in disgrace's haunt

عَذراءُ تَتَّهِم العُرّى بكارَتها

عَذراءُ تَتَّهِم العُرّى بكارَتها

في كُل خَمّارَة أَصغَت لِأَوتاري

في كُل خَمّارَة أَصغَت لِأَوتاري

A virgin whose maidenhood the naked impugn

A virgin accuses the naked of her chastity

In every tavern that has listened to my strings.

In every veil that listened to my strings

وَكُلُّ قاذورَة تَرقى بِعورتها

وَكُلُّ قاذورَة تَرقى بِعورتها

إِلى لسانٍ ذَريف الخُبثِ سَيّار

إِلى لسانٍ ذَريف الخُبثِ سَيّار

And every filthy woman rises through her nakedness

And every foul one elevates her shame

To a roaming tongue dripping malice.

To a tongue adept in wickedness wandering

تَنكّر الخفر المَمسوخ في دَمها

تَنكّر الخفر المَمسوخ في دَمها

يَزخرف عاقِر في مَنطِق عارِ

يَزخرف عاقِر في مَنطِق عارِ

Modesty, distorted in her blood, has put on a disguise;

The cursed hypocrite disguises in his blood

Barren, it embellishes naked speech.

A barren one embellishing in the garb of disgrace

أَوتار قيثارها الموبوء فاجِعَة

أَوتار قيثارها الموبوء فاجِعَة

كَأَنَّها حَيَّة لاذَت بِقيثارِ

كَأَنَّها حَيَّة لاذَت بِقيثارِ

The strings of her plague-stricken lyre are a tragedy,

The strings of her infected lyre are mournful

As though they were a snake that sought refuge in a lyre.

As if a serpent took refuge in the lyre

أَفعى أُصيبَت بِحمّى المَجدِ فَاِنقَلَبَت

أَفعى أُصيبَت بِحمّى المَجدِ فَاِنقَلَبَت

مِن كَهفِها مِزَقاً سَكرى عَلى الغارِ

مِن كَهفِها مِزَقاً سَكرى عَلى الغارِ

A viper struck by glory's fever, then tumbling

A viper stricken with the fever of glory

From her cave in shreds, drunken, onto the laurel.

Came out of its cave, intoxicated, upon the cave

إِبليسُ خُذ هذِهِ العَرّى فَإِن بِه

إِبليسُ خُذ هذِهِ العَرّى فَإِن بِه

ما في جَحيمِك مِن زَفت وَمن نارِ

ما في جَحيمِك مِن زَفت وَمن نارِ

Iblis, take this naked one, for therein lies

Iblis, take this naked one, for in it

All the pitch and fire within your hell.

Is what is in your hell of sulfur and fire

خُذها إِلَيكَ وَعَقِّمها فَلا حَبَلَت

خُذها إِلَيكَ وَعَقِّمها فَلا حَبَلَت

أُنثى مِن الأنس بِالكِبريتِ وَالقارِ

أُنثى مِن الأنس بِالكِبريتِ وَالقارِ

Take her to yourself and sterilize her; may none conceive—

Take her to you and sterilize her, so she will not conceive

No woman of humankind—with brimstone and tar.

A female from mankind with sulfur and tar

كَم شاعِر خبثَت فيهِ عَرائِسُه

كَم شاعِر خبثَت فيهِ عَرائِسُه

فَراحَ يُملي بِأَنياب وَأَظفارِ

فَراحَ يُملي بِأَنياب وَأَظفارِ

How many a poet has had his brides turn foul within him,

How many a poet whose maidens corrupted him

Then begun dictating with fangs and claws

So he went reciting with fangs and claws

مِن المَواخيرِ أَو حينَ الجَمال لَهُ

مِن المَواخيرِ أَو حينَ الجَمال لَهُ

مُعَرَّف الشَهوَة السُفلى بِأَزهارِ

مُعَرَّف الشَهوَة السُفلى بِأَزهارِ

From brothels, or when beauty, for him,

From the wine-skins, or when the camels aroused him

Is base lust defined by flowers,

The lower passions known by flowers

وَجئنَه بِأَكاليلِ مُفَجَّعَة

وَجئنَه بِأَكاليلِ مُفَجَّعَة

نَمَت سموماً عَلى حافاتِ أَوجارِ

نَمَت سموماً عَلى حافاتِ أَوجارِ

And they came to him with grief-stricken wreaths

And brought to him crowns, made woeful,

That grew as poisons along the edges of dens.

Grown poison at the edges of branches

تاج مِن الدَرك الأَدنى يَطوفُ بِهِ

تاج مِن الدَرك الأَدنى يَطوفُ بِهِ

عَلى الخَفافيشِ في أَشلاءِ أَطمارِ

عَلى الخَفافيشِ في أَشلاءِ أَطمارِ

A crown from the lowest depth, which he carries on his rounds

A crown of the lowest gloom circulating him

Among the bats, in shreds of rags.

Upon bats in the remains of decay

تَسيرُ في رَكبِهِ الأَقزامُ حاشِيَةٌ

تَسيرُ في رَكبِهِ الأَقزامُ حاشِيَةٌ

قامَت لِتَأييدِهِ في مُلكِهِ الهاري

قامَت لِتَأييدِهِ في مُلكِهِ الهاري

Dwarfs march in his procession as a retinue

The dwarves march in his train, attendants

That rose to support him in his crumbling kingdom.

Who stood to support him in his transient kingdom

تَهَتَّكَت سُخُرِّياتُ الخُلودِ بِهِ

تَهَتَّكَت سُخُرِّياتُ الخُلودِ بِهِ

فَصاحَ تِلكَ عَلى الأَجيالِ آثاري

فَصاحَ تِلكَ عَلى الأَجيالِ آثاري

Immortality's mockeries ran riot at his expense,

The mockeries of immortality played with him

Then he cried: 'Those are my marks upon the generations!'

So he shouted, those are my ruins upon generations

لا يَضمر الحُبُّ إِلّا في مَحاجِرِه

لا يَضمر الحُبُّ إِلّا في مَحاجِرِه

فَعَينه لِلهَوى وَالقَلبُ لِلثارِ

فَعَينه لِلهَوى وَالقَلبُ لِلثارِ

Love lies hidden only in his eye sockets;

Love simmers only in his viscera

So his eye is for passion, and his heart for vengeance.

So his eye is for passion and his heart for revenge

إِبليسُ خُذه وَعَقِّمهُ فَلا نَشَأَت

إِبليسُ خُذه وَعَقِّمهُ فَلا نَشَأَت

مِن صُلبِهِ أُسرة شَوهاء في دارِ

مِن صُلبِهِ أُسرة شَوهاء في دارِ

Iblis, take him and sterilize him; may there never arise

Iblis, take him and sterilize him, so no offspring grew

From his loins a deformed family in any home.

From his loins, a wretched family in the house

كَم عاشِقٍ راغَ مِن عَذراء طاهِرَة

كَم عاشِقٍ راغَ مِن عَذراء طاهِرَة

عُلَّت مِن المَلَإِ الأَعلى بِأَنوارِ

عُلَّت مِن المَلَإِ الأَعلى بِأَنوارِ

How many a lover turned away from a pure virgin,

How many a lover surfeited from a pure virgin

Watered with light from the highest assembly,

Exalted by the highest company with lights

باكورَة الحُبِّ أَبقى في مَراشِفِها

باكورَة الحُبِّ أَبقى في مَراشِفِها

ثَديُ السَماءِ رَضاعَ الفاطِرِ الباري

ثَديُ السَماءِ رَضاعَ الفاطِرِ الباري

Love's first fruit—in her lips was preserved

The first fruits of love left in her pillows

By heaven's breast the milk of the Originator, the Maker—

The breast of the sky nursing the Creator Bountiful

حَتّى إِذا أَدنَأَت فيهِ وَفاجَرَها

حَتّى إِذا أَدنَأَت فيهِ وَفاجَرَها

وَقامَ يَطرَحَها عَن جِسمِهِ الضاري

وَقامَ يَطرَحَها عَن جِسمِهِ الضاري

Until, when she grew base in him and he debauched her,

Until when she came close and he corrupted her

And rose to cast her off his predatory body,

And he rose throwing her off his vicious body

أَهوَت عَلى يَأسِها وَاليَأسُ يَنخَزُها

أَهوَت عَلى يَأسِها وَاليَأسُ يَنخَزُها

إِما الضَريحُ وَإِما العارُ فَاِختاري

إِما الضَريحُ وَإِما العارُ فَاِختاري

She plunged into her despair, and despair stabbed at her:

She plunged into despair and despair pierces her

'Either the tomb or shame—so choose!'

Either the grave or disgrace, so choose!

وَكَم وَليّ رَعى شَعباً فَأَهلَكَه

وَكَم وَليّ رَعى شَعباً فَأَهلَكَه

تَرغي عَلى زُهدِهِ أَرياقُ عشّارِ

تَرغي عَلى زُهدِهِ أَرياقُ عشّارِ

And how many a holy man shepherded a people, then destroyed them,

And how many a guardian ruined the people he tended

A tax collector's spittle frothing over his asceticism.

His devout lips craving the drinkers' cups

وَحاكِم سَفَلَت فيهِ وَداعَتَهُ

وَحاكِم سَفَلَت فيهِ وَداعَتَهُ

فَأَظهَرَت حَملاً في قَلبِ جَزّارِ

فَأَظهَرَت حَملاً في قَلبِ جَزّارِ

And a ruler whose gentleness grew base within him,

And a ruler whose baseness was in him

Revealing a lamb in a butcher's heart.

Displayed a pregnancy in the heart of a butcher

إِبليسُ خُذهُم جَميعاً في بَراقِعِهِم

إِبليسُ خُذهُم جَميعاً في بَراقِعِهِم

وَاِرفَع جَناحَك عَن أَبكارِ أَوتاري

وَاِرفَع جَناحَك عَن أَبكارِ أَوتاري

Iblis, take them all in their veils,

Iblis, take them all in their wraps

And lift your wing from my virgin strings.

And lift your wing away from the brides of my strings

خُذهُم إِلَيكَ فَلا عادَت سُلالَتَهم

خُذهُم إِلَيكَ فَلا عادَت سُلالَتَهم

وَعَقِّمِ النارَ يا إِبليسُ بِالنارِ

وَعَقِّمِ النارَ يا إِبليسُ بِالنارِ

Take them to yourself; may their lineage never return,

Take them to you, so their offspring will not return

And sterilize fire, O Iblis, with fire.

And, O Iblis, sterilize the fire with fire!