عَطَّلْتُ دَارِسَةَ المَغاني

عَطَّلْتُ دَارِسَةَ المَغاني

وعَمرْتُ عُمْرَ الزَّعْفَرانِ

وعَمرْتُ عُمْرَ الزَّعْفَرانِ

I left the timeworn dwellings deserted,

I neglected the study of songs

and inhabited the monastery of al-Zaʿfarān.

And lived the life of saffron

وأَقَمْتُ في غُرَفٍ لَدَيْ

وأَقَمْتُ في غُرَفٍ لَدَيْ

هِ كَأَنَّها غُرَفُ الجِنانِ

هِ كَأَنَّها غُرَفُ الجِنانِ

And I stayed in chambers within

And dwelled in chambers that seemed

it, as though they were chambers of Paradise.

Like the chambers of Paradise

وتَرى قَنانِياً مُفَدْ

وتَرى قَنانِياً مُفَدْ

دمةً بِآَسٍ خسْرَواني

دمةً بِآَسٍ خسْرَواني

And you see bottles stoppered

You see flagons brought before me

with Khosrowian myrtle.

Of fine glass like those of Kisra's court

ومُعانِقي ظَبْيُ وبَدْ

ومُعانِقي ظَبْيُ وبَدْ

رُ دُجُنَّةٍ وقَضيبُ بانِ

رُ دُجُنَّةٍ وقَضيبُ بانِ

And the one embracing me is a gazelle, a full

And my lover an gazelle and a full moon

moon in the night's darkness, and a bān-tree shoot.

Of a garden, and an erect bough

والرَّاحُ أَحْصَنُ جُنَّةٍ

والرَّاحُ أَحْصَنُ جُنَّةٍ

لَكَ في مُقارَعَةِ الزَّمانِ

لَكَ في مُقارَعَةِ الزَّمانِ

And wine is the strongest shield

And pleasure the fortified garden

for you in battling time.

For you in challenging fate

لا تَأْمَنَنَّ صُروفَهُ

لا تَأْمَنَنَّ صُروفَهُ

فَالدَّهْرُ لَيْسَ بِذي أَمانِ

فَالدَّهْرُ لَيْسَ بِذي أَمانِ

Never feel safe from its vicissitudes,

Do not feel safe from its vicissitudes

for time offers no safety.

For time is not to be trusted