انا المذنب الخطأ والعفو واسعٌ

انا المذنب الخطأ والعفو واسعٌ

ولو لم يكن ذنبٌ لما عرف العفو

ولو لم يكن ذنبٌ لما عرف العفو

I am the guilty, ever-erring one—and pardon is vast.

I am guilty of the error, and pardon is vast.

Had there been no sin, pardon would never have been known.

And were there no sin, pardon would not be known.

سكرت فأبدت مني الكأس بعض ما

سكرت فأبدت مني الكأس بعض ما

كرهت وما ان يستوي السكر والصحو

كرهت وما ان يستوي السكر والصحو

I grew drunk, and the cup brought out of me some of what

I grew drunk, and the cup brought out of me some of what

I detested; drunkenness and sobriety are never alike.

I disliked; drunkenness and sobriety are not alike.

ولا سيما اذ كنت عند خليفةٍ

ولا سيما اذ كنت عند خليفةٍ

وفي مجلسٍ ما أن يليق به اللغو

وفي مجلسٍ ما أن يليق به اللغو

All the more so since I was in a caliph’s presence,

Especially since I was in a caliph's presence,

in a gathering where idle talk was utterly unfitting.

And in a gathering where idle talk is unfitting.

ولولا حميا الكأس كان احتمال ما

ولولا حميا الكأس كان احتمال ما

بدهت به لا شك فيه هو السرو

بدهت به لا شك فيه هو السرو

Were it not for the wine’s fever, the bearing of what

And were it not for the cup's heady force, bearing what

I suddenly assailed you with would doubtless be magnanimity itself.

I was suddenly confronted with would, beyond doubt, have been nobility.

تنصلت من ذنبي تنصل ضارعٍ

تنصلت من ذنبي تنصل ضارعٍ

الى من لديه يغفر العمد والسهو

الى من لديه يغفر العمد والسهو

I sought to excuse myself from my sin, pleading as one abased,

I sought pardon for my sin, with a humble supplicant's plea,

before one who can forgive both willful offense and inadvertent error.

To one with whom deliberate and inadvertent faults are forgiven.

فان تعف عني تلف خطوي واسعاً

فان تعف عني تلف خطوي واسعاً

وألا يكن عفو فقد قصر الخطو

وألا يكن عفو فقد قصر الخطو

If you pardon me for that, wide will be my stride;

So if you pardon me, you will find my stride broad;

but if pardon is not to be, then my stride has fallen short.

And if there is no pardon, the stride has already grown short.