يا صاحِ مَهلاً أَقِلَّ العَذلَ يا صاحِ

يا صاحِ مَهلاً أَقِلَّ العَذلَ يا صاحِ

وَلا تَكونَنَّ لي بِاللائِمِ اللاحي

وَلا تَكونَنَّ لي بِاللائِمِ اللاحي

O friend, gently! Lessen your reproach, O friend.

O friend, go slowly, be less severe with me, O friend

And never be a blaming fault-finder toward me.

And do not be my blamer, haunting me

حَلَفتُ بِاللَهِ إِنَّ اللَهَ ذو نِعَمٍ

حَلَفتُ بِاللَهِ إِنَّ اللَهَ ذو نِعَمٍ

لِمَن يَشاءُ وَذو عَفوٍ وَتَصفاحِ

لِمَن يَشاءُ وَذو عَفوٍ وَتَصفاحِ

I have sworn by God: God bestows blessings

I swear by God, surely God is full of bounty

On whomever He wills, and possesses pardon and forgiveness.

To whom He wills, and is forgiving and reconciling

ما الطَرفُ مِنّي إِلى ما لَستُ أَملِكُهُ

ما الطَرفُ مِنّي إِلى ما لَستُ أَملِكُهُ

مِمّا بَدا لي بِباغي اللَحظِ طَمّاحِ

مِمّا بَدا لي بِباغي اللَحظِ طَمّاحِ

My eye does not, toward what I do not possess,

My eyes are not inclined to what I do not possess

Of what appears to me, cast a seeking, covetous glance.

Of what appears to me, tempting my roving eyes

وَلا أُجالِسُ صُبّاحاً أُحادِثُهُ

وَلا أُجالِسُ صُبّاحاً أُحادِثُهُ

حَديثَ لَغوٍ فَما جِدّي بِصُبّاحِ

حَديثَ لَغوٍ فَما جِدّي بِصُبّاحِ

Nor do I sit with a morning drinker and converse with him

Nor do I sit conversing in the morn with one

In idle talk; morning drinking is not my serious purpose.

Whose talk is vain, so my earnestness is not for morning

إِذا اِتَّكَوا فَأَدارَتها أَكُفُّهُمُ

إِذا اِتَّكَوا فَأَدارَتها أَكُفُّهُمُ

صِرفاً تُدارُ بِأَكواسٍ وَأَقداحِ

صِرفاً تُدارُ بِأَكواسٍ وَأَقداحِ

When they recline and their hands pass it round,

When they lean on their elbows, and their palms turn them

Unmixed wine, passed around in cups and goblets.

Aside, changing course, turned by cups and goblets

إِنّي لَأَخشى الجَهولَ الشَكسَ شيمَتُهُ

إِنّي لَأَخشى الجَهولَ الشَكسَ شيمَتُهُ

وَأَتَّقي ذا التُقى وَالحِلمِ بِالراحِ

وَأَتَّقي ذا التُقى وَالحِلمِ بِالراحِ

Indeed, I fear the ignorant man whose nature is quarrelsome,

Truly I fear the rude, ill-mannered ignoramus

And I am wary of the pious, forbearing man over wine.

And avoid the God-fearing and gentle at rest

وَلا يُفارِقُني ما عِشتُ ذو حَقَبٍ

وَلا يُفارِقُني ما عِشتُ ذو حَقَبٍ

نَهدُ القَذالِ جَوادٌ غَيرُ مِلواحِ

نَهدُ القَذالِ جَوادٌ غَيرُ مِلواحِ

Nor, as long as I live, does a girthed mount leave me,

Never leaving me, as long as I live, one whose love

Strong of nape, swift and not quick to thirst,

Is my necklace, a generous steed, smooth-gaited

أَو مُهرَةٌ مِن عِتاقِ الخَيلِ سابِحَةٌ

أَو مُهرَةٌ مِن عِتاقِ الخَيلِ سابِحَةٌ

كَأَنَّها سَحقُ بُردٍ بَينَ أَرماحِ

كَأَنَّها سَحقُ بُردٍ بَينَ أَرماحِ

Or a filly of noble-bred horses, swimming in her stride,

Or a mare from my prized horses, swimming

As though she were a threadbare mantle among spears.

As if she were the flowing train of a bride's dress

وَمَهمَهٍ مُقفِرِ الأَعلامِ مُنجَرِدٍ

وَمَهمَهٍ مُقفِرِ الأَعلامِ مُنجَرِدٍ

نائي المَناهِلِ جَدبِ القاعِ مِنزاحِ

نائي المَناهِلِ جَدبِ القاعِ مِنزاحِ

And a wilderness, its landmarks desolate, stripped bare,

A grandsire of flags, stripping bare,

With distant watering places, barren flats, far-flung,

Far from waterskins, barren land, displaced

أَجَزتُهُ بِعَلَنداةٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ

أَجَزتُهُ بِعَلَنداةٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ

كَالعَيرِ مَوّارَةِ الضَبعَينِ مِمراحِ

كَالعَيرِ مَوّارَةِ الضَبعَينِ مِمراحِ

I crossed it on a tall, sturdy she-camel, male-like in strength,

I rewarded him with a she-camel, male-like

Like a wild ass, her forelegs swinging, high-spirited.

Like a roaming hyena with two cubs

وَقَد تَبَطَّنتُ مِثلَ الرِئمِ آنِسَةً

وَقَد تَبَطَّنتُ مِثلَ الرِئمِ آنِسَةً

رُؤدَ الشَبابِ كَعاباً ذاتَ أَوضاحِ

رُؤدَ الشَبابِ كَعاباً ذاتَ أَوضاحِ

And I have lain with a gentle woman, like a white gazelle,

And I have become amorous like an oryx

Tender in youth, full-breasted, adorned with silver ornaments.

The spittle of youth overflowing, bright-faced

تُدفي الضَجيعَ إِذا يَشتو وَتُخصِرُهُ

تُدفي الضَجيعَ إِذا يَشتو وَتُخصِرُهُ

في الصَيفِ حينَ يَطيبُ البَردُ لِلصاحي

في الصَيفِ حينَ يَطيبُ البَردُ لِلصاحي

She warms her bedfellow in winter and cools him

She lulls to sleep her lover when he tosses and turns

In summer, when coolness pleases the sober man.

And makes him cling when in summer the coolness is pleasant for the wakeful

تَخالُ ريقَ ثَناياها إِذا اِبتَسَمَت

تَخالُ ريقَ ثَناياها إِذا اِبتَسَمَت

كَمِزجِ شُهدٍ بِأُترُجٍّ وَتُفّاحِ

كَمِزجِ شُهدٍ بِأُترُجٍّ وَتُفّاحِ

You would think the moisture on her front teeth, when she smiles,

The saliva of her mouth seems when she smiles

Like honey mingled with citron and apples.

Like a mixing of honey with quince and apple

كَأَنَّ سُنَّتَها في كُلِّ داجِيَةٍ

كَأَنَّ سُنَّتَها في كُلِّ داجِيَةٍ

حينَ الظَلامُ بَهيمٌ ضَوءُ مِصباحِ

حينَ الظَلامُ بَهيمٌ ضَوءُ مِصباحِ

It is as though her face, on every dark night,

It's as if her habit in every dark night

When darkness is pitch-black, were the light of a lamp.

Is the lamp's light when darkness is confused

إِنّي وَجَدِّكَ لَو أَصلَحتُ ما بِيَدي

إِنّي وَجَدِّكَ لَو أَصلَحتُ ما بِيَدي

لَم يَحمَدِ الناسُ بَعدَ المَوتِ إِصلاحي

لَم يَحمَدِ الناسُ بَعدَ المَوتِ إِصلاحي

Indeed, by your fortune, if I husbanded what I possess,

By your life, even if I tried to correct what is in my hands

People would not praise my thrift after death.

Men would not praise, after death, my reforming

أَشري التِلادَ بِحَمدِ الجارِ أَبذُلُهُ

أَشري التِلادَ بِحَمدِ الجارِ أَبذُلُهُ

حَتّى أَصيرَ رَميماً تَحتَ أَلواحِ

حَتّى أَصيرَ رَميماً تَحتَ أَلواحِ

I trade inherited wealth for my neighbor's praise, lavishing it,

I perfume my robe with praise of my neighbor, spending it

Until I become crumbling remains beneath planks,

Until I become dust beneath boards

بَعدَ الظَلالِ إِذا وُسِّدتُ حَثحَثَةً

بَعدَ الظَلالِ إِذا وُسِّدتُ حَثحَثَةً

في قَعرِ مُظلِمَةِ الأَرجاءِ مِكلاحِ

في قَعرِ مُظلِمَةِ الأَرجاءِ مِكلاحِ

After the shade, when loose earth is made my pillow,

After shadows, when I am sealed in a grave

At the bottom of a grim pit, dark in its corners,

In the depths of a gloomy, dark tomb

أَو صِرتُ ذا بومَةٍ في رَأسِ رابِيَةٍ

أَو صِرتُ ذا بومَةٍ في رَأسِ رابِيَةٍ

أَو في قَرارٍ مِنَ الأَرضينَ قِرواحِ

أَو في قَرارٍ مِنَ الأَرضينَ قِرواحِ

Or come to have an owl on a hilltop,

Or become a corpse in the head of a valley

Or in a bare, open hollow of the earth.

Or in a cavity in the ground, buried

كَم مِن فَتىً مِثلِ غُصنِ البانِ في كَرَمٍ

كَم مِن فَتىً مِثلِ غُصنِ البانِ في كَرَمٍ

مَحضِ الضَريبَةِ صَلتِ الخَدِّ وَضّاحِ

مَحضِ الضَريبَةِ صَلتِ الخَدِّ وَضّاحِ

Many a noble youth, like a branch of the bān tree,

How many a youth like a twig of mimosa in a vineyard

Pure in nature, smooth-cheeked and radiant,

Pure complexion, connecting cheek and temple

فارَقتُهُ غَيرَ قالٍ لي وَلَستُ لَهُ

فارَقتُهُ غَيرَ قالٍ لي وَلَستُ لَهُ

بِالقالِ أَصبَحَ في مَلحودَةٍ ناحي

بِالقالِ أَصبَحَ في مَلحودَةٍ ناحي

I have parted from—he did not hate me, nor was I his

I left him without bidding him farewell or being bidden

Hater; he came to lie apart in a niche-cut grave.

At dawn in a ramshackle shelter

هَل نَحنُ إِلّا كَأَجسادٍ تَمُرُّ بِها

هَل نَحنُ إِلّا كَأَجسادٍ تَمُرُّ بِها

تَحتَ التُرابِ وَأَرواحٍ كَأَرواحِ

تَحتَ التُرابِ وَأَرواحٍ كَأَرواحِ

Are we anything but like bodies you pass by,

Are we ought but bodies passing under the soil

Beneath the soil, and souls like other souls?

And spirits like spirits