طَرِبتُ إِلى الصَنجِ وَالمِزهَرِ

طَرِبتُ إِلى الصَنجِ وَالمِزهَرِ

وَشُربِ المُدامَةِ بِالأَكبَرِ

وَشُربِ المُدامَةِ بِالأَكبَرِ

I yearned for the cymbals and the lute,

I was drawn to revelry and flowers,

I thrilled to the rhythm of cymbals and the lute,

And for drinking wine from the largest cup.

And drinking wine in large vessels.

And to draining the wine from the greatest goblet,

وَأَلقَيتُ عَنّي ثِيابَ الهُدى

وَأَلقَيتُ عَنّي ثِيابَ الهُدى

وَخُضتُ بُحوراً مِنَ المِنكَرِ

وَخُضتُ بُحوراً مِنَ المِنكَرِ

And I cast off the garments of righteousness,

I cast off the garb of piety,

I cast off from myself the robes of pious guidance,

And plunged into seas of wrongdoing.

And plunged into oceans of sin.

And plunged deep into oceans of forbidden sin,

وَأَقبَلتُ أَسحَبُ ذَيلَ المُجونِ

وَأَقبَلتُ أَسحَبُ ذَيلَ المُجونِ

وَأَمشي إِلى القَصفِ في مِئزَرِ

وَأَمشي إِلى القَصفِ في مِئزَرِ

And I came dragging the train of licentiousness,

I began to let my skirt trail behind me,

I advanced, trailing the hem of debauchery behind me,

And walked toward carousing in a waistcloth.

And walked with my ankles showing.

Walking toward the revelry in but a single wrap.

لَيالٍ أَروحُ عَلى أَدهَمٍ

لَيالٍ أَروحُ عَلى أَدهَمٍ

كُمَيتٍ وَأَغدو عَلى أَشقَرِ

كُمَيتٍ وَأَغدو عَلى أَشقَرِ

Night after night, I ride out on a black steed,

At night I mounted a bay horse,

Nights when I depart in the evening upon a dark steed,

Dark bay—and at dawn I ride a chestnut.

At dawn a gray one.

A deep bay, and set out at dawn on a golden sorrel—

خُيولٌ مِنَ الراحِ ما عُرِّيَت

خُيولٌ مِنَ الراحِ ما عُرِّيَت

لِيَومِ رِهانٍ وَلَم تُضمَرِ

لِيَومِ رِهانٍ وَلَم تُضمَرِ

Horses of wine, never stripped

Horses whose manes were never braided

Steeds fashioned from wine, that were never stripped bare

For race day, nor trained lean.

For a race day or parade.

For a day of racing, nor trained to be lean.

بَراقِعُها مِن سَحيقِ العَبيرِ

بَراقِعُها مِن سَحيقِ العَبيرِ

وَمِن ياسَمينٍ وَسَيسَنبَرِ

وَمِن ياسَمينٍ وَسَيسَنبَرِ

Their face-veils are of powdered perfume,

Their blankets were made of fragrant musk,

Their bridles are woven of crushed perfume,

And of jasmine and wild mint.

Of jasmine and lilac.

Of jasmine and wild marjoram intertwined.

ذَخائِرُ كِسرى لِأَولادِهِ

ذَخائِرُ كِسرى لِأَولادِهِ

وَغَرسُ كِرامِ بَني الأَصفَرِ

وَغَرسُ كِرامِ بَني الأَصفَرِ

Kisra's treasures for his sons,

The treasures of Chosroes for his sons,

Hoards of Chosroes kept safe for his heirs,

And the plantings of the noble sons of al-Asfar.

And a plantation for the noble yellow-skins.

And the vintage planted by noble Byzantines.

غَدا المُشتَرونَ عَلى أَهلِها

غَدا المُشتَرونَ عَلى أَهلِها

فَقالوا أَتَيناكُمُ نَشتَري

فَقالوا أَتَيناكُمُ نَشتَري

The buyers came in the morning to their owners,

The next day the buyers came to their owners

The buyers went early to the keepers of the vine,

And said, 'We have come to you to buy

And said: “We’ve come to buy

Saying, "We have come to purchase from you

خُيولاً لَكُم قَد أَتَت فُرَّهاً

خُيولاً لَكُم قَد أَتَت فُرَّهاً

فَمِن بَينِ أَحوى إِلى أَحوَرِ

فَمِن بَينِ أَحوى إِلى أَحوَرِ

Horses of yours that have proved splendid,

Horses whose prime is past.”

Horses of yours that have arrived brisk and spirited,

Ranging from dark brown to white.'

Among the twisted ones I inclined to the crooked one.

Ranging from dark hues to the starkly bright."

فَقالوا لَهُم إِنَّما خَيلُنا

فَقالوا لَهُم إِنَّما خَيلُنا

سُلافَةُ كَرمِ بَني قَيصَرِ

سُلافَةُ كَرمِ بَني قَيصَرِ

They replied to them, 'Our horses are nothing but

They said to them: “Our horses

They replied, "These steeds of ours are but the essence,

The first-run wine of the vineyard of Caesar's sons.

Are the heritage of Caesar’s nobility.

The purest nectar of the vine of Caesar’s sons.

وَلا تَحمِلُ اللِبدَ لَكِنَّها

وَلا تَحمِلُ اللِبدَ لَكِنَّها

خُيولٌ لِكُلِّ فَتىً أَزهَرِ

خُيولٌ لِكُلِّ فَتىً أَزهَرِ

They bear no felt saddlecloths, but are

They bear no packs, rather they are horses

They bear no saddle-pads upon their backs,

Horses for every fair-faced youth,

For every blossoming youth.

Yet they are mounts for every radiant youth.

وَسيما إِذا أَنتَ باكَرتَها

وَسيما إِذا أَنتَ باكَرتَها

كَمِثلِ دَمِ الجَوفِ في الأَبهَرِ

كَمِثلِ دَمِ الجَوفِ في الأَبهَرِ

Especially when you drink it at dawn:

Especially when you first break them in

Especially when you seek them at the break of dawn,

Like the body's blood within the aorta,

They are like blood gushing from a slaughtered beast.

Like heart’s blood pulsing through the aorta.

مُشَعشَعَةٌ مِن بَناتِ الكُرو

مُشَعشَعَةٌ مِن بَناتِ الكُرو

مِ سالَت نِطافاً وَلَم تُعصَرِ

مِ سالَت نِطافاً وَلَم تُعصَرِ

Mixed with water, from the daughters of the vine-

Gleaming, the daughters of wild mares

Diluted with light, a daughter of the vineyard,

yards, it flowed in drops and was never pressed.

Whose streams flow freely, unmilked.

She flowed as droplets, never harshly pressed.

عَقيلَةُ شَيخٍ مِنَ المُشرِكينَ

عَقيلَةُ شَيخٍ مِنَ المُشرِكينَ

أَتَتنا تَهادى مِنَ الكَوثَرِ

أَتَتنا تَهادى مِنَ الكَوثَرِ

The treasured lady of an old man among the polytheists,

The she-camel of an aged pagan

The sequestered treasure of a pagan elder,

It came swaying to us from al-Kawthar.

Came to us from Paradise.

Coming to us swaying, as if from Paradise’s stream.

وَلَونانِ لَونٌ لَها أَصفَرٌ

وَلَونانِ لَونٌ لَها أَصفَرٌ

وَلَونٌ عَلى الماءِ كَالعُصفُرِ

وَلَونٌ عَلى الماءِ كَالعُصفُرِ

And it has two colors: one is yellow,

She has one coat colored golden

She possesses two hues: one of pale gold,

And one, upon water, is like safflower.

And another like crushed saffron.

And one upon the water, red as safflower.

لَو أَنَّ أَبا مَعشَرٍ ذاقَها

لَو أَنَّ أَبا مَعشَرٍ ذاقَها

لَخَرَّ صَريعاً أَبو مَعشَرِ

لَخَرَّ صَريعاً أَبو مَعشَرِ

If Abu Ma'shar tasted it,

If the Father of Ma’shar had tasted her

Had Abu Ma'shar ever tasted her draught,

Abu Ma'shar would fall stricken to the ground,

The Father of Ma’shar would have collapsed.

Abu Ma'shar would have fallen in a swoon,

وَكَبَّرَ مِن طيبِها ساعَةً

وَكَبَّرَ مِن طيبِها ساعَةً

وَقالَ بِها ثُمَّ لَم يَصبِرِ

وَقالَ بِها ثُمَّ لَم يَصبِرِ

And for a while cry 'God is greatest!' at its savor,

For a while her scent made him exalt

And praised God an hour for her scent,

And speak in its favor, then be unable to hold back.'

And say of it, then he could bear no more.

And sung her name, finding no patience to abstain."

فَما بَرِحَ القَومُ حَتّى اِشتَرَوا

فَما بَرِحَ القَومُ حَتّى اِشتَرَوا

وَمَن يَشتَرِ الراحَ لَم يَخسَرِ

وَمَن يَشتَرِ الراحَ لَم يَخسَرِ

So the company did not leave until they bought it,

The people had scarcely left when they bought her,

So the company did not depart until they bought,

And whoever buys wine never loses.

He who buys spirit loses nothing."

And he who purchases wine has never lost.