وَقائِلٍ هَل تُريدُ الحَجَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَقائِلٍ هَل تُريدُ الحَجَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

نَعَم إِذا فَنِيَت لَذّاتُ بَغداذِ

نَعَم إِذا فَنِيَت لَذّاتُ بَغداذِ

And to one who asked, “Do you wish to make the pilgrimage?” I said:

A questioner asked, "Do you want to go on pilgrimage?"

To one who asked, "Do you desire the Pilgrimage?" I replied,

“Yes, when Baghdad’s pleasures have vanished.”

I said to him, "Yes, when the pleasures of Baghdad are gone."

"Yes, but only when the pleasures of Baghdad are exhausted.

أَمّا وَقُطرَبُّلٌ مِنها بِحَيثُ أَرى

أَمّا وَقُطرَبُّلٌ مِنها بِحَيثُ أَرى

فَقُبَّةُ الفِركِ مِن أَكنافِ كِلواذِ

فَقُبَّةُ الفِركِ مِن أَكنافِ كِلواذِ

But with Qutrabbul among them, within my sight,

As long as I see the dome of al-Firka from the environs of Kiloa,

For as long as Qutrabbul remains within my sight,

and the Dome of al-Firk in the environs of Kilwadh,

And al-Salihiyya and al-Karkh which gathered

And the Dome of al-Fark in the environs of Kilwadh,

فَالصالِحيَّةُ فَالكَرخُ الَّتي جَمَعَت

فَالصالِحيَّةُ فَالكَرخُ الَّتي جَمَعَت

شُذّاذَ بَغدادَ ما هُم لي بِشُذّاذِ

شُذّاذَ بَغدادَ ما هُم لي بِشُذّاذِ

and al-Salihiyya and al-Karkh, which gathered

The elite of Baghdad - they are no elite to me -

And al-Salihiyah, and al-Karkh, which has gathered

Baghdad’s outcasts—who are no outcasts to me—

How can I go on pilgrimage when I am immersed

The rogues of Baghdad—who are no strangers to me—

فَكَيفَ بِالحَجِّ لي ما دُمتُ مُنغَمِساً

فَكَيفَ بِالحَجِّ لي ما دُمتُ مُنغَمِساً

في بَيتِ قَوّادَةٍ أَو بَيتِ نَبّاذِ

في بَيتِ قَوّادَةٍ أَو بَيتِ نَبّاذِ

how can I make the pilgrimage while I remain immersed

In the house of a procuress or the house of a wine-seller?

How could the Hajj be for me, while I remain immersed

in a procuress’s house or a wine-maker’s house?

And the debris of Baghdad - how can it release me

In the house of a procuress or the den of a winemaker?

وَهَبكَ مِن قَصفِ بَغدادٍ تُخَلِّصُني

وَهَبكَ مِن قَصفِ بَغدادٍ تُخَلِّصُني

كَيفَ التَخَلُّصُ لي مِن طِزَناباذِ

كَيفَ التَخَلُّصُ لي مِن طِزَناباذِ

And suppose you free me from Baghdad’s revelry—

From the clutches of Tiznabaz?

And even if—grant you—you could save me from Baghdad's carousing,

how am I to escape from Tizanabadh?

How could I ever find deliverance from Tizanabadh?"