وَفِتيَةٍ وَلِعوا بِالراحِ فَاِنتَبَذوا

وَفِتيَةٍ وَلِعوا بِالراحِ فَاِنتَبَذوا

لَهُم مَكاناً وَجَدّوا في تَعاطيها

لَهُم مَكاناً وَجَدّوا في تَعاطيها

And some young men, enamored of wine, withdrew

The youth were enamored with wine, so they indulged,

to a place of their own and applied themselves to drinking it.

They found a place for themselves to imbibe it.

ظَهَرتَ حائِطَهُم لَمّا عَلِمتَ بِهِم

ظَهَرتَ حائِطَهُم لَمّا عَلِمتَ بِهِم

وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرُ الأَرجاءِ ساجيها

وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرُ الأَرجاءِ ساجيها

You scaled their wall when you learned of them,

You learned of them, so you exposed their wall,

while night was dark and still in its reaches,

While the night cloaked the expanse in darkness.

حَتّى تَبَيَّنتَهُم وَالخَمرُ قَد أَخَذَت

حَتّى تَبَيَّنتَهُم وَالخَمرُ قَد أَخَذَت

تَعلو ذُؤابَةَ ساقيها وَحاسيها

تَعلو ذُؤابَةَ ساقيها وَحاسيها

until you made them out, while the wine had already begun

Until you recognized them, while the wine had already

to mount to the crowns of its cupbearer and its drinker.

Elevated the server's jug and cup.

سَفَّهتَ آراءَهُم فيها فَما لَبِثوا

سَفَّهتَ آراءَهُم فيها فَما لَبِثوا

أَن أَوسَعوكَ عَلى ما جِئتَ تَسفيها

أَن أَوسَعوكَ عَلى ما جِئتَ تَسفيها

You judged their views on it foolish; they were not slow

It muddled their minds within it, so without delay

to heap charges of folly on you for what you had done.

They rebuked you for what you came to vilify.

وَرُمتَ تَفقيهَهُم في دينِهِم فَإِذا

وَرُمتَ تَفقيهَهُم في دينِهِم فَإِذا

بِالشَربِ قَد بَرَعوا الفاروقَ تَفقيها

بِالشَربِ قَد بَرَعوا الفاروقَ تَفقيها

And you sought to instruct them in their religion, but behold:

You sought to guide them in their faith, but lo,

the drinkers had outdone al-Faruq in religious instruction.

With drinking they surpassed al-Farooq in guidance.

قالوا مَكانَكَ قَد جِئنا بِواحِدَةٍ

قالوا مَكانَكَ قَد جِئنا بِواحِدَةٍ

وَجِئتَنا بِثَلاثٍ لا تُباليها

وَجِئتَنا بِثَلاثٍ لا تُباليها

They said, “Hold on! We have committed one offense,

They said: "You have come with one,

but you came to us with three, heedless of them.

While we came with three, heedless of it."

فَأتِ البُيوتَ مِنَ الأَبوابِ يا عُمَرٌ

فَأتِ البُيوتَ مِنَ الأَبوابِ يا عُمَرٌ

فَقَد يُزَنُّ مِنَ الحيطانِ آتيها

فَقَد يُزَنُّ مِنَ الحيطانِ آتيها

So enter houses through their doors, O Umar,

"Come through the doors, O Umar,

for whoever enters them over the walls may fall under suspicion.

For one who comes by the walls is a sneak."

وَاِستَأذِنِ الناسَ أَن تَغشى بُيوتَهُمُ

وَاِستَأذِنِ الناسَ أَن تَغشى بُيوتَهُمُ

وَلا تُلِمَّ بِدارٍ أَو تُحَيّيها

وَلا تُلِمَّ بِدارٍ أَو تُحَيّيها

And ask people's leave to enter their houses,

"Ask people's permission before barging into their homes,

and do not approach a dwelling unless you greet it.

Do not blame a house or rouse it."

وَلا تَجَسَّس فَهَذي الآيُ قَد نَزَلَت

وَلا تَجَسَّس فَهَذي الآيُ قَد نَزَلَت

بِالنَهيِ عَنهُ فَلَم تَذكُر نَواهيها

بِالنَهيِ عَنهُ فَلَم تَذكُر نَواهيها

And do not spy, for these verses have been revealed

"Do not spy, for this verse has come down

forbidding it, yet you did not recall their prohibitions.”

Forbidding it without mentioning its prohibitions."

فَعُدتَ عَنهُم وَقَد أَكبَرتَ حُجَّتَهُم

فَعُدتَ عَنهُم وَقَد أَكبَرتَ حُجَّتَهُم

لَمّا رَأَيتَ كِتابَ اللَهِ يُمليها

لَمّا رَأَيتَ كِتابَ اللَهِ يُمليها

So you withdrew from them, holding their argument in high regard,

You left them, exalting their argument,

when you saw God's Book dictating it.

When you saw God's Book dictating it.

وَما أَنِفتَ وَإِن كانوا عَلى حَرَجٍ

وَما أَنِفتَ وَإِن كانوا عَلى حَرَجٍ

مِن أَن يَحُجَّكَ بِالآياتِ عاصيها

مِن أَن يَحُجَّكَ بِالآياتِ عاصيها

And you did not disdain, though they were in the wrong,

You were not averse, though they were in predicament,

being outargued with the verses by one who disobeyed them.

That the verses would unduly constrain you.