بِخَطبِ الشَّارِبينَ يَضيقُ صَدري

بِخَطبِ الشَّارِبينَ يَضيقُ صَدري

وَتُرمِضُني بَلِيَّتُهُم لَعَمري

وَتُرمِضُني بَلِيَّتُهُم لَعَمري

My breast tightens at the plight of the drinkers,

The talk of drinkers saddens my heart,

And their affliction scorches me, by my life.

And their plight pains me, by my life!

وَهَل هُم غَيرُ عُشَّاقٍ أُصيبوا

وَهَل هُم غَيرُ عُشَّاقٍ أُصيبوا

بِفَقدِ حَبائِبٍ وَمُنوا بِهَجرِ

بِفَقدِ حَبائِبٍ وَمُنوا بِهَجرِ

And are they anything but lovers stricken

Are they not just lovers struck down

By the loss of beloveds, and tried by estrangement?

By the loss of sweethearts, suffering separation?

أَعُشَّاقَ المُدامَةِ إِن جَزِعتُم

أَعُشَّاقَ المُدامَةِ إِن جَزِعتُم

لِفُرقَتِها فَلَيسَ مَكانَ صَبرِ

لِفُرقَتِها فَلَيسَ مَكانَ صَبرِ

O lovers of wine, if you despair

O lovers of wine, if you grieve

At parting from her, there is no room for patience.

For being parted from it, resignation is not the way!

سَعى طُلابُكمُ حَتّى أُريقَت

سَعى طُلابُكمُ حَتّى أُريقَت

دِماء فَوقَ وَجهِ الأَرضِ تَجري

دِماء فَوقَ وَجهِ الأَرضِ تَجري

Your pursuers strove until there was spilled

Your seekers strove until they spilled

Blood, flowing over the face of the earth.

Blood over the face of the earth flowing.

تَضَوَّعَ عَرفُها شَرقاً وَغَرباً

تَضَوَّعَ عَرفُها شَرقاً وَغَرباً

وَطبَّقَ أُفقَ قُرطُبَةٍ بعطرِ

وَطبَّقَ أُفقَ قُرطُبَةٍ بعطرِ

Her fragrance wafted east and west,

Its fragrance spread east and west

And filled Córdoba's horizon with perfume.

And perfumed every corner of Cordoba.

فَقُل لِلمُسفحين لَها بِسَفحٍ

فَقُل لِلمُسفحين لَها بِسَفحٍ

وَما سَكَنتهُ مِن ظَرفٍ بِكَسرِ

وَما سَكَنتهُ مِن ظَرفٍ بِكَسرِ

Then say to those who poured her away,

So say to those who kiss it to excess -

And shattered whatever vessel she had dwelt in,

It did not quell their thirst however much they drank!

وَلِلأَبوابِ إِحراقاً إِلى أَن

وَلِلأَبوابِ إِحراقاً إِلى أَن

تَرَكتُم أَهلَها سُكَّانَ قَفرِ

تَرَكتُم أَهلَها سُكَّانَ قَفرِ

And set the doors ablaze, until

And burning down doors until

You left their people dwelling in a wasteland:

You left its people in empty ruins.

تَحَرَّيتُم بِذاكَ العَدل فيها

تَحَرَّيتُم بِذاكَ العَدل فيها

بِزَعمِكُمُ فَإِن يَكُ عَن تَحرِّي

بِزَعمِكُمُ فَإِن يَكُ عَن تَحرِّي

‘Through this you sought justice concerning her,

You claimed to champion justice there -

So you claim; if this came of careful judgment,

But if that were true,

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفَةَ وَهوَ عَدلٌ

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفَةَ وَهوَ عَدلٌ

وَفَرَّ عَنِ القَضاءِ مَسِيرَ شَهرِ

وَفَرَّ عَنِ القَضاءِ مَسِيرَ شَهرِ

Then Abu Hanifa, a man of integrity,

Abu Hanifa, the just one,

Who fled a month's journey from the judgeship,

Fled from judging for a month!

فَقيهٌ لا يُدانيهِ فَقيهٌ

فَقيهٌ لا يُدانيهِ فَقيهٌ

إِذا جاءَ القِياسُ أَتى بدُرِّ

إِذا جاءَ القِياسُ أَتى بدُرِّ

Was a jurist whom no jurist could rival.

A jurist whom no jurist can match

When legal analogy came into play, he brought forth pearls.

When analogy comes, he is the full moon.

وَكانَ مِن الصَّلاةِ طَويلَ لَيلٍ

وَكانَ مِن الصَّلاةِ طَويلَ لَيلٍ

يُقَطِّعُهُ بِلا تَغمِيضِ شَفرِ

يُقَطِّعُهُ بِلا تَغمِيضِ شَفرِ

His night was long with prayer,

He spent long nights in prayer

He passed it without closing an eyelid.

Severing them without rest or sleep.

وَكانَ لَهُ مِن الشرابِ جَارٌ

وَكانَ لَهُ مِن الشرابِ جَارٌ

يُواصِلُ مَغرِباً فيها بِفَجرِ

يُواصِلُ مَغرِباً فيها بِفَجرِ

He had a neighbor among the drinkers,

And he had a drinking companion

Who drank on from sunset until dawn.

Who joined him from dusk till dawn.

وَكانَ إِذا اِنتَشى غَنَّى بِصَوتِ ال

وَكانَ إِذا اِنتَشى غَنَّى بِصَوتِ ال

مُضَاعِ بِسَجنِهِ مِن آلِ عَمرِو

مُضَاعِ بِسَجنِهِ مِن آلِ عَمرِو

And when tipsy, he sang the song of the

When he woke he sang with the voice

Man forsaken in prison, of the house of Amr:

Of one imprisoned by the clan of Amr.

أَضاعُوني وَأيَّ فَتىً أَضاعُوا

أَضاعُوني وَأيَّ فَتىً أَضاعُوا

لِيَومِ كَريهَةٍ وَسَدادِ ثَغرِ

لِيَومِ كَريهَةٍ وَسَدادِ ثَغرِ

“They forsook me—and what a youth they forsook,

"They destroyed me, and what man they destroyed,

For a day of battle and the defense of a frontier!”

For an evil day and to thwart danger!"

فَغَيَّبَ صَوت ذاكَ الجارِ سجنٌ

فَغَيَّبَ صَوت ذاكَ الجارِ سجنٌ

وَلَم يَكنِ الفَقيهُ بِذاكَ يَدري

وَلَم يَكنِ الفَقيهُ بِذاكَ يَدري

Then a prison silenced that neighbor's voice,

But prison silenced that companion's voice

And the jurist knew nothing of it.

And the jurist knew nothing of it.

فَقالَ وَقَد مَضى لَيلٌ وَثانٍ

فَقالَ وَقَد مَضى لَيلٌ وَثانٍ

وَلَم يَسمَعهُ غنَّى لَيتَ شِعري

وَلَم يَسمَعهُ غنَّى لَيتَ شِعري

So he said, after a night and a second had passed,

He said, when a second night had passed

And he had not heard him sing: “Would that I knew—

And he did not hear his singing, "I wonder -

أجاري المُؤنِسي لَيلاً غِناءً

أجاري المُؤنِسي لَيلاً غِناءً

لخَيرٍ قَطعُ ذَلِكَ أَم لِشَرِّ

لخَيرٍ قَطعُ ذَلِكَ أَم لِشَرِّ

Has my neighbor, who kept me company at night with song,

did my companion's singing bring good

Stopped this for good or for ill?”

or evil, that it has ceased?"

فَقالُوا إِنَّهُ في سجنِ عيسى

فَقالُوا إِنَّهُ في سجنِ عيسى

أَتاهُ بِهِ المُحارِسُ وَهوَ يَسري

أَتاهُ بِهِ المُحارِسُ وَهوَ يَسري

They said, “He is in Isa's prison;

They said, "He is in Isa's prison,

The watchman brought him in while he was out by night.”

Seized by the guards as he walked at night."

فَنادى بِالطَّويلَةِ وَهيَ مِمّا

فَنادى بِالطَّويلَةِ وَهيَ مِمّا

يَكونُ بِرَأسِه لجَليل أَمرِ

يَكونُ بِرَأسِه لجَليل أَمرِ

So he called for the tall cap, something

So he called out this long poem, which suits

He wore on his head for a weighty matter.

One whose matter is momentous.

وَيَمَّمَ جارَهُ عيسى بنَ مُوسى

وَيَمَّمَ جارَهُ عيسى بنَ مُوسى

فَلاقاهُ بِإِكرامٍ وَبِرِّ

فَلاقاهُ بِإِكرامٍ وَبِرِّ

And made for his neighbor, Isa ibn Musa,

And he turned to Isa ibn Musa

Who greeted him with honor and kindness,

And met him with honour and righteousness,

وَقالَ أَحاجَةٌ عَرَضَت فَإِني

وَقالَ أَحاجَةٌ عَرَضَت فَإِني

لَقاضِيها وَمُتبِعها بِشُكرِ

لَقاضِيها وَمُتبِعها بِشُكرِ

And said, “Has a need arisen? For I

Saying, "A need has arisen, so I

Shall surely fulfill it and follow it with thanks.”

Will judge it and pursue it thankfully."

فَقالَ سَجَنتَ لي جاراً يُسَمَّى

فَقالَ سَجَنتَ لي جاراً يُسَمَّى

بِعمروٍ قالَ يُطلقُ كلُّ عمرِو

بِعمروٍ قالَ يُطلقُ كلُّ عمرِو

He said, “You have jailed a neighbor of mine named

He said, "You imprisoned a neighbour named

Amr.” He said, “Let every Amr be released

Amr." He said, "Every Amr shall be released,

بِسجني حينَ وَافَقَهُ اسمُ جارِ ال

بِسجني حينَ وَافَقَهُ اسمُ جارِ ال

فَقيه وَلَو سَجَنتَهُمُ بِوِترِ

فَقيه وَلَو سَجَنتَهُمُ بِوِترِ

In my prison, since they share the name of the neighbor of the

For imprisoning my jurist neighbour's

Jurist—even if you jailed them for a blood-feud.”

Namesake, even if you chained them hand and foot!"

فَأَطلَقَهُم لَهُ عيسى جَميعاً

فَأَطلَقَهُم لَهُ عيسى جَميعاً

لِجارٍ لا يَبيتُ بِغَير سُكرِ

لِجارٍ لا يَبيتُ بِغَير سُكرِ

So Isa released them all for his sake,

So Isa released them all, for that neighbour

For a neighbor who never spent a night without drunkenness.

Who does not sleep without drunkenness.

فَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِجوارِ جارٍ

فَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِجوارِ جارٍ

وَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِطِلابِ أَجرِ

وَإِن أَحبَبتَ قُل لِطِلابِ أَجرِ

If you wish, say: out of regard for a neighbor;

Say, if you wish, neighbours have rights,

And if you wish, say: in pursuit of a reward.

Or say, if you wish, seekers have reward.

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفة لَم يَؤُب من

فَإِنَّ أَبا حَنيفة لَم يَؤُب من

تَطَلُّبهِ تَخَلُّصَهُ بِوزرِ

تَطَلُّبهِ تَخَلُّصَهُ بِوزرِ

For Abu Hanifa did not return from

For Abu Hanifa did not cease

Seeking his release with any burden of sin.’

Seeking deliverance from his burden.

نواقِعُها مِن أجلِ النّهي سراً

نواقِعُها مِن أجلِ النّهي سراً

وَكَم نهيٍ نواقِعُهُ بِجَهرِ

وَكَم نهيٍ نواقِعُهُ بِجَهرِ

We indulge in her secretly because of the ban,

How many forbidden things occur in secret

And how many a ban we violate openly!

Whose occurrence openly is also banned!