أَتَترُكُ لَذَّةَ الصَهباءِ عَمداً

أَتَترُكُ لَذَّةَ الصَهباءِ عَمداً

مُخالَفَةً لِأَقوالِ المُعري

مُخالَفَةً لِأَقوالِ المُعري

Do you deliberately forsake the pleasure of tawny wine,

Shall I abandon willingly the pleasure of wine

in defiance of al-Ma'arri's words?

Contradicting the words of al-Ma'arri?

وَإِلّا واثِقَ مِن غَيرِ شَكٍّ

وَإِلّا واثِقَ مِن غَيرِ شَكٍّ

بِما وَعَدوكَ مِن وَخَمرِ

بِما وَعَدوكَ مِن وَخَمرِ

Or are you certain, without a doubt,

Unless you are certain without any doubt

of what they promised you—... and wine?

Of what they promised you of wine and liquor

أَبعَثُ ثُمَّ حَشَرَ ثُمَّ نَشَرُ

أَبعَثُ ثُمَّ حَشَرَ ثُمَّ نَشَرُ

يَقولُ المُلحِدونَ بِلا تَحري

يَقولُ المُلحِدونَ بِلا تَحري

“Resurrection, then gathering, then rising again?”

I will be resurrected and then assembled and then dispersed

the atheists say, without careful inquiry.

The atheists say this without careful thought

نِعمَ هَذا الصَحيحُ وَما سِواهُ

نِعمَ هَذا الصَحيحُ وَما سِواهُ

حَديثُ خُرافَةً يا أُمَّ عُمَرِ

حَديثُ خُرافَةً يا أُمَّ عُمَرِ

Yes, this is the truth, and all else

Yes, this is true, and anything else

is a fanciful tale, O Umm Umar.

Is nonsense, O mother of Umar