أَطْلِقْ عِقَالَ الرُّوحِ بالرًّاحِ

أَطْلِقْ عِقَالَ الرُّوحِ بالرًّاحِ

إني إلَيْها جِدُّ مُرْتَاحِ

إني إلَيْها جِدُّ مُرْتَاحِ

Release the spirit's fetter with wine;

Release the shackles of the soul with comfort

I am deeply drawn to it.

I am truly at ease with it

قد كَدَّتِ الحِكْمَةُ رُوحي فَرَوْ

قد كَدَّتِ الحِكْمَةُ رُوحي فَرَوْ

وِحْهَا بِأوْتَارٍ وأقداحِ

وِحْهَا بِأوْتَارٍ وأقداحِ

Wisdom has wearied my spirit; so

Wisdom has nearly exhausted my spirit, so

refresh it with strings and winecups.

Revive it with strings and goblets

بَكَرَتْ تلومُ على السَّماحِ

بَكَرَتْ تلومُ على السَّماحِ

وتَعُدُّ ذلك من صَلاَحِي

وتَعُدُّ ذلك من صَلاَحِي

She came at dawn to chide my generosity,

It rebuked me for forgiveness

and thinks it serves my betterment.

And considered that my righteousness

هَيْهَاتَ ليس يَصُونُ لي

هَيْهَاتَ ليس يَصُونُ لي

عِرْضي سِوَى المالِ المُرَاحِ

عِرْضي سِوَى المالِ المُرَاحِ

Far from it! Nothing safeguards

Alas! None preserve my honor

my honor but wealth freely spent.

Except wealth spent on entertainment

فاقْنَى حياءَكِ إنَّ لوْ

فاقْنَى حياءَكِ إنَّ لوْ

مَكِ غيرُ ثانٍ من جِماحي

مَكِ غيرُ ثانٍ من جِماحي

So keep your modesty; your reproach

So deny your shyness, for if only

will not curb my unruliness.

I had other than my wings for flight

وأَبَى اللّوَاحي إنّني

وأَبَى اللّوَاحي إنّني

لهِجُ بعصيانِ اللّواحي

لهِجُ بعصيانِ اللّواحي

And by the reproachers' father, I

And the boards refused, I indeed

delight in disobeying the reproachers.

Am defiant of the boards

قَمِنٌ بإتلافِ اللُّهى

قَمِنٌ بإتلافِ اللُّهى

في الحَمْدِ نَشْواناً وصاحي

في الحَمْدِ نَشْواناً وصاحي

Ready to exhaust my wealth

Determined on squandering divine praise

for praise, whether drunk or sober;

Happy and shouting in celebration

مُعْطي الشَّبيبَةَ ما تُحِبْ

مُعْطي الشَّبيبَةَ ما تُحِبْ

بُ من البَطَالَةِ والمِرَاحِ

بُ من البَطَالَةِ والمِرَاحِ

giving youth what it loves

Giving youth what it loves

of idleness and merriment;

Of idleness and comfort

مُتَصَرّفاً في الجِدّ أَحْ

مُتَصَرّفاً في الجِدّ أَحْ

ياناً وَطَوْراً في المُزَاحِ

ياناً وَطَوْراً في المُزَاحِ

turning to earnest work at times,

Dealing seriously at times and

and at other times to jest.

At other times joking around

بَيْنَا أَجُرُّ من الغلا

بَيْنَا أَجُرُّ من الغلا

ئِلِ رُحْتُ في شَكَكِ السِّلاحِ

ئِلِ رُحْتُ في شَكَكِ السِّلاحِ

While I trailed my fine robes,

While I pull the train of sins, I rode

I set out in full battle gear;

Among the tents of weapons

وَأُغِيرُ في بهم الكُمَا

وَأُغِيرُ في بهم الكُمَا

ةِ صَبَوْتُ بالخَوْدِ الرَّداحِ

ةِ صَبَوْتُ بالخَوْدِ الرَّداحِ

and as I charged among mighty warriors,

And attack in the battles of glory, I poured

I fell for the full-hipped maiden.

Myself into the basin of wine

فَغُدُوُّ يومي للعُلاَ

فَغُدُوُّ يومي للعُلاَ

ورواحُهُ أبداً لِراحي

ورواحُهُ أبداً لِراحي

So my day's morning belongs to glory,

So my day is for the eminent

and its evening always to my wine.

And its spirit always for my comfort

ومريضَةِ الأجْفان تَعْ

ومريضَةِ الأجْفان تَعْ

مَلُ في ضَنَى المُهَجِ الصِّحاحِ

مَلُ في ضَنَى المُهَجِ الصِّحاحِ

And a languid-eyed maiden works

And she of the sick eyes works

to make sound hearts waste away.

In the intimacy of the pure pages

رودُ القَوَامِ خريدةٌ

رودُ القَوَامِ خريدةٌ

أعطافُها طَوْعُ الرِّياحِ

أعطافُها طَوْعُ الرِّياحِ

Supple of figure, a bashful maiden,

The well-built, their curves

her sides bend at the winds' command.

Pliant to the winds

ريّا الروادِفِ طِفْلَةٌ

ريّا الروادِفِ طِفْلَةٌ

ظَمْأى الحَشَى غَرْثَى الوشاحِ

ظَمْأى الحَشَى غَرْثَى الوشاحِ

Rounded of haunches, tender-skinned,

The rider of the pintail, a child

her midriff thirsty, her girdle hungry.

Thirsty, satiated, loose dress

في حِجْرِها مُترنّمٌ

في حِجْرِها مُترنّمٌ

يَشْدُو بأوتارٍ فِصاحِ

يَشْدُو بأوتارٍ فِصاحِ

In her lap rests a singer,

In her lap one singing

singing with eloquent strings.

Strumming sincere strings

تصل المَثَانِي والمَثا

تصل المَثَانِي والمَثا

لِثُ بالصّياحِ وبالسَّجاحِ

لِثُ بالصّياحِ وبالسَّجاحِ

The second and third strings join

Connecting double and triple meanings

in ringing cries and mellow tones.

With shouting and prostrating

تُغْضِي على حَوَرٍ وتض

تُغْضِي على حَوَرٍ وتض

حَكُ حينَ تَضْحَكُ عَنْ أَقَاحِ

حَكُ حينَ تَضْحَكُ عَنْ أَقَاحِ

She lowers her eyes, dark against their white,

Winking at a fawn, she laughs

and when she smiles, her smile reveals daisies.

Revealing her white teeth

في كُلّ مازِيٍّ تَرُو

في كُلّ مازِيٍّ تَرُو

قُ وكلُّ ما تَشْدُو اقتِرَاحِي

قُ وكلُّ ما تَشْدُو اقتِرَاحِي

In every fine garment she enchants,

She floats in everything coquettish

and all she sings is at my request.

And all she sings is my suggestion

تَدَعُ الفَسيحَ من البِلا

تَدَعُ الفَسيحَ من البِلا

دِ بِنَشْرِها عَطِرَ النّواحِي

دِ بِنَشْرِها عَطِرَ النّواحِي

She leaves the wide expanse of the land

She leaves the vast wilderness

fragrant in every quarter with her scent.

Spreading thereby the scent of meadows

أنا ابنُ فُرْسَانِ الرِّما

أنا ابنُ فُرْسَانِ الرِّما

حِ مَعاً وفُرْسانُ الصِّفَاحِ

حِ مَعاً وفُرْسانُ الصِّفَاحِ

I am the son of the knights of spears

I am the son of horsemen of spears together

and of the knights of sword blades alike.

And horsemen of swords

قَوْمي بنُو سَاسَانَ لي

قَوْمي بنُو سَاسَانَ لي

سَ حِماهُمُ بالمُسْتَبَاحِ

سَ حِماهُمُ بالمُسْتَبَاحِ

My people are the sons of Sasan;

My people are the Banū Sāsān for me

their domain is not open to violation.

None dare violate what is sacrosanct

العاقد والتيّجَانِ تَضْ

العاقد والتيّجَانِ تَضْ

حَكُ عن وجوهِهِمُ الصِّبَاحِ

حَكُ عن وجوهِهِمُ الصِّبَاحِ

Crown-binders, whose crowns smile

Diadems and crowns smile

to reveal their radiant faces,

From their morning faces

والجاعِلُون عِدَاهُمُ

والجاعِلُون عِدَاهُمُ

لهُمُ بمنزِلَةِ الأضَاحِي

لهُمُ بمنزِلَةِ الأضَاحِي

and men who make their enemies

And they make their number

as sacrificial victims before them.

As a place for sacrifices

وولاؤُنا للغُرِّ مِنْ

وولاؤُنا للغُرِّ مِنْ

ساداتِ مُعْتَلَجِ البِطاحِ

ساداتِ مُعْتَلَجِ البِطاحِ

And our allegiance belongs to the illustrious

And our loyalty is to the noble ones

among the lords of the broad valleys' meeting-place.

Of exalted family descent

وَإذا تشاجَرَتْ الرِّمَا

وَإذا تشاجَرَتْ الرِّمَا

حُ فإنَّ أَقْلامي رِماحي

حُ فإنَّ أَقْلامي رِماحي

And when spears clash,

And when spears clash

then my pens are my spears.

My pens are my spears

يمزُجْنَ نَضْح مِدَادُهُنْ

يمزُجْنَ نَضْح مِدَادُهُنْ

نَ بِمُسْتَعَاضِ دَمِ الجِرَاحِ

نَ بِمُسْتَعَاضِ دَمِ الجِرَاحِ

They mingle the spray of their ink

Their ink blends

with blood from wounds received in exchange.

With the blood of fresh wounds

وكأنّ صوتَ صَريرِها

وكأنّ صوتَ صَريرِها

جرحى تجاوَبُ بالأُحاحِ

جرحى تجاوَبُ بالأُحاحِ

And the sound of their scratching is like

As if the sound of their shrieking

wounded men answering one another with groans.

Is that of the wounded screaming

وإذا تغلّقَتِ الأمو

وإذا تغلّقَتِ الأمو

رُ حَكَمْنَ فيها بانْفِتَاحِ

رُ حَكَمْنَ فيها بانْفِتَاحِ

And when affairs are locked tight,

And if matters become obscured

they decree their opening.

We judge them with clarity

ويْلُ أمٍّ دهْري لو تَبَيْ

ويْلُ أمٍّ دهْري لو تَبَيْ

يَنَني لأحْجَمَ عن كِفَاحي

يَنَني لأحْجَمَ عن كِفَاحي

Woe to my age's mother! If it knew

Woe to a mother whose lifetime concealed me

me, it would shrink from fighting me.

Else I would refrain from my struggle

ولَجَاءَ معتذراً إِلَيْ

ولَجَاءَ معتذراً إِلَيْ

ىَ من اهتِضامي واطِّراحي

ىَ من اهتِضامي واطِّراحي

And it would come to me in apology

And come apologizing

for oppressing and casting me aside.

For my trespass and dispersion

ولقَدْ عجِبْتُ من اللّيا

ولقَدْ عجِبْتُ من اللّيا

لي كيف هاضَتْ من جَنَاحي

لي كيف هاضَتْ من جَنَاحي

And I have indeed marveled at the nights:

And I was amazed by the nights

how they have broken my wing.

How they fled from my wings

لكنّها حربُ الحَيِيْ

لكنّها حربُ الحَيِيْ

ي وسِلْم ذي الوَجْهِ الوِقَاحِ

ي وسِلْم ذي الوَجْهِ الوِقَاحِ

But they are war against the modest,

But it is the war of the passionate one

and peace for the brazen-faced.

And the peace of the brazen-faced

وعليَّ أنْ أسْعى وليْ

وعليَّ أنْ أسْعى وليْ

سَ عليّ إدْراكُ النًّجَاحِ

سَ عليّ إدْراكُ النًّجَاحِ

And my duty is to strive; it is not

And I must strive, but it is not

my duty to attain success.

For me to attain success