وَقائِلٍ هَل تُريدُ الحَجَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

نَعَم إِذا فَنِيَت لَذّاتُ بَغداذِ

A questioner asked, "Do you want to go on pilgrimage?"

To one who asked, "Do you desire the Pilgrimage?" I replied,

I said to him, "Yes, when the pleasures of Baghdad are gone."

"Yes, but only when the pleasures of Baghdad are exhausted.

أَمّا وَقُطرَبُّلٌ مِنها بِحَيثُ أَرى

فَقُبَّةُ الفِركِ مِن أَكنافِ كِلواذِ

As long as I see the dome of al-Firka from the environs of Kiloa,

For as long as Qutrabbul remains within my sight,

And al-Salihiyya and al-Karkh which gathered

And the Dome of al-Fark in the environs of Kilwadh,

فَالصالِحيَّةُ فَالكَرخُ الَّتي جَمَعَت

شُذّاذَ بَغدادَ ما هُم لي بِشُذّاذِ

The elite of Baghdad - they are no elite to me -

And al-Salihiyah, and al-Karkh, which has gathered

How can I go on pilgrimage when I am immersed

The rogues of Baghdad—who are no strangers to me—

فَكَيفَ بِالحَجِّ لي ما دُمتُ مُنغَمِساً

في بَيتِ قَوّادَةٍ أَو بَيتِ نَبّاذِ

In the house of a procuress or the house of a wine-seller?

How could the Hajj be for me, while I remain immersed

And the debris of Baghdad - how can it release me

In the house of a procuress or the den of a winemaker?

وَهَبكَ مِن قَصفِ بَغدادٍ تُخَلِّصُني

كَيفَ التَخَلُّصُ لي مِن طِزَناباذِ

From the clutches of Tiznabaz?

And even if—grant you—you could save me from Baghdad's carousing,

How could I ever find deliverance from Tizanabadh?"