طَرِبتُ إِلى قُطرَبُّلٍ فَأَتَيتُها

بِمالٍ مِنَ البيضِ الصِحاحِ وَعَينِ

I yearned for Qutrubbul, so I came to her

I yearned for Qutrabbul with rising joy, and so I sought her out,

With eighty flawless white coins as capital

With wealth of sound and unclipped silver, and of minted gold;

ثَمانينَ ديناراً جِياداً ذَخَرتُها

فَأَنفَقتُها حَتّى شَرِبتُ بِدَينِ

I spent them until I was in debt

Eighty dinars of the finest strike, which I had stored away,

And I sold a striped shirt and robe

I spent them all, until at last I drank upon a debt.

وَبِعتُ قَميصاً سابِرِيّاً وَجُبَّةٍ

وَبِعتُ رِداءً مُعلَمَ الطَرَفَينِ

And I sold a gown with embroidered hems

I sold a shirt of Sabiri silk, I sold my outer gown,

To a wine-seller whose debt was the debt of Ibn Imran's son

I sold a cloak with embroidered borders marking either end,

لَخَمّارَةٍ دينُ ابنِ عِمرانَ دينُها

مُهَذَّبَةٍ تُكنى بِأُمِّ حُصَينِ

A refined one nicknamed Umm Husain

To a lady wine-seller who holds to Moses' ancient creed,

And I said to her, “If you do not give generously

A refined dame, known by the epithet of Umm Husayn.

وَقُلتُ لَها إِن لَم تَجودي بِنائِلٍ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن تَقبيلِيَ الشَفَتَينِ

I must kiss your lips”

I said to her: 'If you will not be generous with a gift,'

She said, “Are you content with less than them, passion

'Then there is no escape for me from kissing your two lips.'

فَقالَت فَهَل تَرضى بِغَيرِهِما هَوىً

بِأَمرَدَ كَالدينارِ فاتِرَ عَينِ

For a tender cheek like a slack-eyed coin?”

She said: 'Would you be satisfied with another love instead?'

So she came with a face shining like the full moon

'A beardless fawn, bright as a dinar, with languor in his eyes?'

فَجاءَت بِهِ كَالبَدرِ يَشرِقُ وَجهُهُ

أَغَنُّ غَضيضٌ راجِحُ الكَفَلَينِ

A most melodious voice, pendulous cheeks

She brought him forth, like the full moon, his face a radiant light,

But I turned away from her, destitute, not wealthy

With nasal voice and lowered gaze, and heavy haunches fine.

فَرَوَّحتُ عَنها مُعسِراً غَيرَ مَوسِرٍ

أُقَرطِسُ في الإِفلاسِ مِن مِئَتَينِ

Broke by two hundred coins

I took my leave of her in want, a wealthy man no more,

And the wine-seller said to me at his farewell

Striking the mark of bankruptcy, two hundred reduced to naught.

فَقالَ لِيَ الخَمّارُ عِندَ وَداعِهِ

وَقَد أَلبَسَتني الخَمرُ خُفَّ حُنَينِ

As wine had shod me in the slippers of yearning:

The vintner called out to me as I bade them my farewell,

“Live decently wherever you go openly

When wine had clothed me in the empty boots of old Hunayn:

أَلا عِش بِزَينٍ أَينَ سِرتَ مُسَلَّماً

وَقَد رُحتُ مِنهُ حينَ رُحتُ بِشَينِ

Since I left you in disgrace when I left in debt”

'Live on in grace and safety, wherever you may go!'

Though I departed from that place in scandal and in shame.