شيخٌ لنا من شيوخِ بَغدادِ
أغذَّ في اللَّهوِ أيَّ إغذاذِ
A sheikh to us from Baghdad's sheikhs
Indulged in vain amusements galore
رَقَّ طِباعاً ومَنطِقاً فغَدا
وراحَ في المُستَشَفِّ كاللاّذِ
Refined in nature and speech, he turned
A frequenter of every hospital ward
تَطِنُّ تحت الأكُفِّ هامُته
إذا عَلْتها طَنينَ فُولاذِ
His turban rumbles beneath his cowl
When clanging with coins it's adorned
قَوَّادُ إخوانِه فإن ظَمِئوا
سقاهُمُ الرَّاحَ سَقْيَ نَبَّاذِ
A pimp for his brethren, should they thirst
He offers wine, poured without accord
له على الشَّطِّ غرفةٌ جمَعَتْ
كلَّ خَليعٍ نَشا ببغداذِ
On the riverbank he owns a room
That gathered each debauched wretch of Baghdad
أعدَّ فيها ابنةَ الشِّباكِ لهم
مَمْقُورَةَ الجنْبِ وَابْنَةَ الداذي
Prepared for them the innkeeper's daughter
Plump of hip and loose daughter of taverns
وكَدَّةً من صَباحِ قُطْرُبُّلٍ
وجُؤذُراً من مِلاحِ كَلْوَاذِ
And a brandy-nosed wench of Saba Qutrubbul
And a hussy of vinegar-sellers from Kallawaz
يقولُ للزائرِ المُلِمِّ بهِ
أَوَصلُ هذا أَلذَُ أَم هَذي
He says to the intimate visitor:
"Is this sweeter or is it that?"
وشاعرٌ جوهرُ الكلامِ له
مِلْكٌ فمن تاركٍ وأَخَّاذِ
A poet whose words are pure treasure
A king, yet careless and negligent
كأنَّ ألفاظَه لرِقَّتِها
وحُسنِها خمرُ طِيزَناباذِ
His words are as if they are gentle wine
Of choicest ruby Tokay
تَصُدُّ عن نكهةٍ له خَبُثَتْ
وهي عِذابٌ كُينْعِ آزاذِ
That wards off any trace of his vileness
Though it be torment like aloe's acrid taste
كم كَبِدٍ بالعِراقِ ناجيةٍ
منها وأُخرى بجَزِّ أفلاذِ
How many hearts in Iraq groaning
And others across the Gulf wailing
قلْ لعليٍّ سَقتْكَ غاديةٌ
مُسِفَّةُ الوَدْقِ ذاتُ إرذاذِ
Say to Ali, whom the wanton Ghadiya served
Her bowl brimming, droplets spraying
فخيرُ ما فيه أنَّه رجلٌ
يخدُمُني الدهرَ وهو أُستاذي
The best thing about him is he's a man
Who serves me, and he is my teacher
إذا انتشى أقبلت أنامله
تنشر ميتا خلال أفخاذي
When he feels frisky, his fingers come
To spread wide my thighs for pleasure
