إِنّي لَفي شُغلٍ عَنِ العاذِلينَ

إِنّي لَفي شُغلٍ عَنِ العاذِلينَ

بِالراحِ وَالرَيحانِ وَالياسَمين

بِالراحِ وَالرَيحانِ وَالياسَمين

I am indeed too busy for those who reproach me,

I am occupied from the blamers

I am too occupied to heed the scoffers,

With wine, sweet basil, and jasmine.

With basil, sweet basil, and jasmine,

With vintage wine, sweet basil, and jasmine.

أَشرَبُها صِرفاً فَإِن هِيَ قَسَت

أَشرَبُها صِرفاً فَإِن هِيَ قَسَت

زَوَّجتُها بِالماءِ حَتّى تَلين

زَوَّجتُها بِالماءِ حَتّى تَلين

I drink it unmixed, and if it grows harsh,

I drink it pure; and if it is harsh

I drink it pure, but should it bite too hard,

I wed it to water until it softens.

I mix it with water till it turns gentle.

I wed it to the water till it yields,

لَدى شَريفٍ حَسَنٍ وَجهُهُ

لَدى شَريفٍ حَسَنٍ وَجهُهُ

أَحوَرَ قَلبي بِهَواهُ رَهين

أَحوَرَ قَلبي بِهَواهُ رَهين

In the company of a nobleman, fair of face,

With a noble and beautiful-faced one

Beside a noble youth of visage fair,

Dark-eyed; my heart is captive to love for him.

Who captivated my heart with his love held ransom,

Dark-eyed, holding my heart hostage to desire,

مِن وَلَدِ المَهدِيِّ في ذِروَةٍ

مِن وَلَدِ المَهدِيِّ في ذِروَةٍ

مُهَذَّبٍ يَخلِطُ حَزناً بِلين

مُهَذَّبٍ يَخلِطُ حَزناً بِلين

Of al-Mahdi's offspring, at the pinnacle,

From the sons of al-Mahdi in an exalted place

A scion of al-Mahdi, at the summit of his line,

Refined, mingling sternness with gentleness.

Refined, mixing sorrow with gentleness,

Refined, he mingles gravity with grace.

فَهوَ مُغَنٍّ لي وَساقٍ مَعاً

فَهوَ مُغَنٍّ لي وَساقٍ مَعاً

ثُمَّ خَدينٌ بِأَبي مِن خَدين

ثُمَّ خَدينٌ بِأَبي مِن خَدين

So he is both singer and cupbearer for me,

He entertains me and walks with me

He is my singer and my cupbearer combined,

And a close companion besides—what a companion! May my father be his ransom!

With cheeks like my father’s in their roundness

And intimate friend—by my father, what a friend!

سُبحانَ مَن سَخَّرَ هَذا لَنا

سُبحانَ مَن سَخَّرَ هَذا لَنا

يَوماً وَما كُنّا لَهُ مُقرِنين

يَوماً وَما كُنّا لَهُ مُقرِنين

Glory be to Him who made this one subject to us

Glory to Him who subjugated this for us

Glory to Him who made this yield to us,

One day, though we were no match for him.

One day though we were not foreordaining it.

On a day we could not master on our own.