جاهِر بنفسِكَ واهتك السترا

جاهِر بنفسِكَ واهتك السترا

واخلع عذاركَ في الهوى جهرا

واخلع عذاركَ في الهوى جهرا

Declare yourself openly and tear away the veil.

Reveal yourself and rend the veil asunder,

Proclaim your self aloud and tear the veil of decency,

And openly cast off your bridle in passion.

And openly profess your love affair.

And cast off the bridle of shame in passion, openly.

لا يردعنّكَ عن هواكَ تحرّج

لا يردعنّكَ عن هواكَ تحرّج

إنّ التحرّج يورثُ الفقرا

إنّ التحرّج يورثُ الفقرا

Let no scruple deter you from your desire.

Let no bashfulness deter you from your love,

Let no pious hesitation deter you from your desire,

Indeed, scrupulousness breeds poverty.

For bashfulness leads only to destitution.

For truly, such hesitation bequeaths but poverty.

نِك مَن لقيتَ فإنّني لكَ ناصحٌ

نِك مَن لقيتَ فإنّني لكَ ناصحٌ

واشرب وإن حرِمَت أخي الخمرا

واشرب وإن حرِمَت أخي الخمرا

Fuck whomever you meet, for I am your sincere adviser.

Drink with whomsoever you meet, for I counsel you sincerely,

Lay with whomever you meet, for I advise you true,

And drink wine, my brother, even if it is forbidden.

And drink though unlawful to my brother wine may be.

And drink the wine, my brother, though forbidden unto you.

وافرض لنفسِكَ كل يوم ركعةً

وافرض لنفسِكَ كل يوم ركعةً

لا تكثرنَ فتوجب الأجرا

لا تكثرنَ فتوجب الأجرا

And prescribe yourself one prayer cycle each day.

Appoint for yourself each day one prayer alone,

And impose upon yourself but one prostration every day,

Do not do more, lest you earn reward.

Pray not overly much, lest recompense you earn.

Do not increase it, lest you earn the heavenly pay.

والبيت إن حجّوا فحجّ مبادراً

والبيت إن حجّوا فحجّ مبادراً

حانوتَ خمّارٍ وعج سهرا

حانوتَ خمّارٍ وعج سهرا

And if they make pilgrimage to the House, hasten on pilgrimage

And when the pilgrims go on pilgrimage, set out before them quickly,

And the House—if they go on Hajj—then make your pilgrimage flee,

To a wine-seller's shop, and linger there awake at night.

To a wine-seller's booth, and pass the night in wakefulness.

To the tavern of a vintner, and turn there for revelry.

وإذا أحلّ المحرمون فغنّنى

وإذا أحلّ المحرمون فغنّنى

يا من يلاحظُ خيفةُ شزرا

يا من يلاحظُ خيفةُ شزرا

And when the pilgrims leave ritual consecration, sing to me:

And when the pilgrims end prohibitions, let songs delight me!

And when the pilgrims leave their sacred state, then sing to me:

O you who cast fearful sidelong glances.

O you who scans the horizon for a glimpse of lightening!

"O you who watches in fear, glancing sideways warily."

وأطلع فطاعتهُ عليكَ فريضة

وأطلع فطاعتهُ عليكَ فريضة

إبليسَ عمّكَ تُكملُ الكفرا

إبليسَ عمّكَ تُكملُ الكفرا

And bring forth—for obedience to him is your duty—

Obey Iblis your uncle completely,

And obey—for obedience to him is a duty laid on you—

Iblis, your uncle; you will complete your unbelief.

For obedience to him is an obligation you must not shirk.

Your uncle Iblis, to make your disbelief come true.

لا تركبنَّ من الخطايا هيّناً

لا تركبنَّ من الخطايا هيّناً

وإذا ركبت فجاوز القَدرا

وإذا ركبت فجاوز القَدرا

Never commit a trifling sin.

Do not commit venial sins,

Do not commit of sins the ones that are merely slight,

And when you commit one, go beyond all measure.

And if you commit them, exceed the limit.

But if you commit them, exceed the bounds and height.