يا مكثراً قاله وقيله

يا مكثراً قاله وقيله

وجاعلاً كأسه فضيله

وجاعلاً كأسه فضيله

O you who abound in talk and chatter,

O one who multiplies his talk and chatter,

and make your cup a virtue—

and makes a virtue of his cup!

أفنى التراث الذي حواه

أفنى التراث الذي حواه

فيها ويفنى الذي بقي له

فيها ويفنى الذي بقي له

you have exhausted the wealth you possessed

He has spent the inheritance he possessed

on it, and what remains to you will be exhausted.

on it, and what remains to him wastes away.

وَيحُكَ لا يخدعنكَ أنسٌ

وَيحُكَ لا يخدعنكَ أنسٌ

من بعده وحشة طويله

من بعده وحشة طويله

Woe to you! Let no comfort deceive you;

Alas for you! Let no merriment deceive you,

after it comes a long desolation.

after which comes a long loneliness.

ترجو نجاةً بغير فعل

ترجو نجاةً بغير فعل

وتلك لا شكَّ مستحيله

وتلك لا شكَّ مستحيله

You hope for salvation without deeds,

You hope for salvation without action,

yet that is undoubtedly impossible.

and that is, without doubt, impossible.

يا ليت شعري بأي قولٍ

يا ليت شعري بأي قولٍ

بأي حول بأي حيله

بأي حول بأي حيله

Would that I knew: by what plea,

Oh, if only I knew: by what words,

by what power, by what device,

by what power, by what stratagem,

تأملُ زلفى لدى مليكٍ

تأملُ زلفى لدى مليكٍ

تأتي إليه بلا وسيله

تأتي إليه بلا وسيله

do you hope for nearness to a King,

do you hope for nearness to a King,

coming to Him without any means?

when you come to Him without a means of approach?

فقال والخوف قد أراه

فقال والخوف قد أراه

من رشده عندها سبيله

من رشده عندها سبيله

Then he said, as fear had shown him,

Then he said, fear having shown him

through his sound judgment, the way at that moment:

his path of right guidance at that moment:

أرجو إلهي وأتقيهِ

أرجو إلهي وأتقيهِ

لكن ظنوني به جميله

لكن ظنوني به جميله

I hope in my God and fear Him,

I hope in my God and fear Him,

yet my expectations of Him are fair.

but my expectations of Him are good.