سل عن فِعَالي الراحَ والصحوَ والسُكْرا

سل عن فِعَالي الراحَ والصحوَ والسُكْرا

وعن راحتي الجَدْوَى وعن همَّتِي الدهرا

وعن راحتي الجَدْوَى وعن همَّتِي الدهرا

Ask wine, sobriety, and drunkenness about my deeds,

Ask about my sobriety, wakefulness, and intoxication

And bounty about my palm, and time about my resolve.

And about my seriousness and my ambition through time

ألستُ إذا صاحبتُ أكرَمَ مَنْ صحا

ألستُ إذا صاحبتُ أكرَمَ مَنْ صحا

وأكرمَ من أَسُقَى ومن شرِب الخمرا

وأكرمَ من أَسُقَى ومن شرِب الخمرا

Am I not, when I keep company, the most generous of those who are sober,

Am I not, when I accompany the noblest of men

And the most generous of those who serve drinks and those who drink wine?

The most generous to those I quench and those who drink wine

أحسّن للنفس الوفاءَ وطُرْقَهُ

أحسّن للنفس الوفاءَ وطُرْقَهُ

وأمنعها هَجْر الأَخِلاَّءِ والغدرا

وأمنعها هَجْر الأَخِلاَّءِ والغدرا

I make loyalty and its ways appealing to my soul,

I treat my soul to loyalty and its ways

And keep it from forsaking dear friends and from betrayal.

And prevent it from abandoning and betraying loved ones

إذا ما انتشى صحْبي من الراحِ لم أكن

إذا ما انتشى صحْبي من الراحِ لم أكن

ولو أسمعوني مُسمِعاً لهمُ هُجْرا

ولو أسمعوني مُسمِعاً لهمُ هُجْرا

Whenever my companions grew tipsy on wine, I was never—

When my friends recover from drinking, I am not

Even if they insulted me—one to speak foully to them.

Even if they hear me, shunning them

ولم تخش نَدْماني لسانِي ولا يدي

ولم تخش نَدْماني لسانِي ولا يدي

ولم أُبْدِ للعافين دون الندى عذرا

ولم أُبْدِ للعافين دون الندى عذرا

Nor did my drinking companions fear my tongue or my hand,

Neither my tongue nor my hands fear regret

Nor did I offer petitioners an excuse in place of generosity.

And I make no excuse to the virtuous for my passion

بلوتُ خِلالَ الخيرِ والشرّ والورى

بلوتُ خِلالَ الخيرِ والشرّ والورى

سُدىً وسلكتُ السهلَ للمجِد والوعرا

سُدىً وسلكتُ السهلَ للمجِد والوعرا

I have tested the ways of good and evil, while mankind was

I have experienced the ups and downs of good and evil in life

Aimless; and I have trodden the smooth and rugged paths to glory.

Aimlessly, and taken the easy path for glory and hardship

أنا ابن مُعِزّ الدِّين أَبنِي كما بَنَى

أنا ابن مُعِزّ الدِّين أَبنِي كما بَنَى

وأُشبِهه سِراً وأٌشبِهه جهرا

وأُشبِهه سِراً وأٌشبِهه جهرا

I am the son of Muʿizz al-Dīn; I build as he built,

I am the son of Muiz al-Din, I build as he built

And I resemble him in private, and resemble him in public.

And resemble him secretly and resemble him openly