أَلا هَل إِلى دَيرِ العَذارى وَنَظرَةٍ

أَلا هَل إِلى دَيرِ العَذارى وَنَظرَةٍ

إِلى الديرِ مِن قَبلِ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

إِلى الديرِ مِن قَبلِ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

Ah, is there a way to the Monastery of the Virgins, and a glimpse

Shall I make my way to the convent of virgins for a visit

Of the monastery before death?

Before death, a path leads to the convent

وَهَل لي بِسوقِ القادِسِيَّةِ سَكرَةٌ

وَهَل لي بِسوقِ القادِسِيَّةِ سَكرَةٌ

تُعَلِّلُ نَفسي وَالنَسيمُ عَليلُ

تُعَلِّلُ نَفسي وَالنَسيمُ عَليلُ

And might I find a spell of drunkenness in al-Qadisiyyah's market,

Shall I wander intoxicated in the Suq Al-Qadisiyyah

To soothe my soul while the breeze is gentle?

To indulge myself, while the breeze is languid

وَهَل لي بِحاناتِ المَطيرَةِ وَقفَةٌ

وَهَل لي بِحاناتِ المَطيرَةِ وَقفَةٌ

أُراعي خُروجَ الزِقِّ وَهوَ حَميلُ

أُراعي خُروجَ الزِقِّ وَهوَ حَميلُ

And might I pause at the taverns of al-Matirah,

Shall I pause awhile in the taverns of Al-Matirah

Watching the wineskin emerge, carried along

To watch the jars brought out, full to the brim

إِلى فِتيَةٍ ما شَتَّتَ العَذلُ شَملَهُم

إِلى فِتيَةٍ ما شَتَّتَ العَذلُ شَملَهُم

شِعارُهُ عِندَ الصَباحِ شُمولُ

شِعارُهُ عِندَ الصَباحِ شُمولُ

To young men whose fellowship reproach has not scattered?

To youths whom separation has not divided

Its watchword at dawn is wine.

United, their motto when morn appears

وَقَد نَطَقَ الناقوسُ بَعدَ سُكوتِهِ

وَقَد نَطَقَ الناقوسُ بَعدَ سُكوتِهِ

وِشَمعَلَ قِسّيسٌ وَلاحَ فَتيلُ

وِشَمعَلَ قِسّيسٌ وَلاحَ فَتيلُ

And the bell has spoken after its silence,

The bell has sounded after its silence

And a priest hastened, and a wick gleamed.

A priest has lit a candle, its wick alight

يُريدُ اِنتِصاباً لِلمُدامِ بِزَعمِهِ

يُريدُ اِنتِصاباً لِلمُدامِ بِزَعمِهِ

وَيُرعِشُهُ الإِدمانُ فَهوَ يَميلُ

وَيُرعِشُهُ الإِدمانُ فَهوَ يَميلُ

He wants to stand upright for the wine, so he claims,

Seeking to stand up to alcohol, so he claims

And habitual drinking makes him tremble, so he sways.

Yet addiction makes him waver, about to fall

يُغَنّي وَأَسبابُ الصَوابِ تُمِدِّهُ

يُغَنّي وَأَسبابُ الصَوابِ تُمِدِّهُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ فيما يَقولُ عَديلُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ فيما يَقولُ عَديلُ

He sings, and the means of apt expression sustain him,

He sings though sobriety's reasons aid him

So he has no equal in what he says:

So his words have no match, no equal

أَلا هَل إِلى شَمِّ الخُزامى وَنَظرَةٍ

أَلا هَل إِلى شَمِّ الخُزامى وَنَظرَةٍ

إِلى قَرقَرى قَبلَ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

إِلى قَرقَرى قَبلَ المَماتِ سَبيلُ

"Ah, is there a way to smell lavender, and to gaze

Shall I make my way to smell the Khuzama and stop to see

Upon Qarqara before death?"

The taverns before death, a path to take

وَثَنّى فَغَنّى وَهوَ يَلمِسُ كَأَسَهُ

وَثَنّى فَغَنّى وَهوَ يَلمِسُ كَأَسَهُ

وَأَدمُعُهُ في وَجنَتَيهِ تَسيلُ

وَأَدمُعُهُ في وَجنَتَيهِ تَسيلُ

And he sang again, while touching his cup,

He sang and sang as he touched his glass

And his tears flow down his cheeks:

Tears streamed down both his cheeks

سَيُعرِضُ عَن ذِكري وَيَنسى مَوَدَّتي

سَيُعرِضُ عَن ذِكري وَيَنسى مَوَدَّتي

وَيَحدُثُ بَعدي لِلخَليلِ خَليلُ

وَيَحدُثُ بَعدي لِلخَليلِ خَليلُ

"He will turn away from remembering me and forget my affection,

He will forget me and our affection

And after me, my friend will have a new friend."

And find after me another friend

سَقى اللَهُ عَيشاً لَم يَكُن فيهِ عُلقَةٌ

سَقى اللَهُ عَيشاً لَم يَكُن فيهِ عُلقَةٌ

لِهَمٍّ وَلَم يُنكِر عَلَيهِ عَذولُ

لِهَمٍّ وَلَم يُنكِر عَلَيهِ عَذولُ

May God bless with rain a life untouched

May God water a life without attachment

By sorrow, and which no faultfinder condemned.

To worries or denial of requests

لَعَمرُكَ ما اِستَحمَلتُ صَبراً لِفَقدِهِ

لَعَمرُكَ ما اِستَحمَلتُ صَبراً لِفَقدِهِ

وَكُلُّ اِصطِبارٍ عَن سِواهُ جَميلُ

وَكُلُّ اِصطِبارٍ عَن سِواهُ جَميلُ

By your life, I could not muster patience for its loss,

By your life, I cannot endure patience for his loss

And patient endurance of every other loss is beautiful.

All patience but His is ugly