أَعاذِلَ بِعتُ الجَهلَ حَيثُ يُباعُ

أَعاذِلَ بِعتُ الجَهلَ حَيثُ يُباعُ

وَأَبرَزتُ رَأسي ما عَلَيهِ قِناعُ

وَأَبرَزتُ رَأسي ما عَلَيهِ قِناعُ

O reprover, I sold folly where it is sold,

I have shunned ignorance wherever it is sold

O blamer, I have sold my folly in the market where it is sold,

And I bared my head, with no veil upon it.

And I have held my head high, though it wears a mask

And I have bared my head; there is no veil remaining upon it.

نَهاني أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ عَنِ الصَبا

نَهاني أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ عَنِ الصَبا

وَأَمرُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ مُطاعُ

وَأَمرُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ مُطاعُ

The Commander of the Faithful forbade me youthful dalliance,

The Commander of the Faithful has forbidden me from folly

The Commander of the Faithful has forbidden me from youthful passion,

And the Commander of the Faithful's command is obeyed.

And obeying the Commander of the Faithful is imperative

And the command of the Commander of the Faithful must be obeyed.

وَلَهوٍ لِتَأنيبِ الإِمامِ تَرَكتُهُ

وَلَهوٍ لِتَأنيبِ الإِمامِ تَرَكتُهُ

وَفيهِ لِلاهٍ مَنظَرٌ وَسَماعُ

وَفيهِ لِلاهٍ مَنظَرٌ وَسَماعُ

And many a pastime I abandoned at the Imam's rebuke,

For fear of the Imam's rebuke, I have forsaken diversion

How many diversions I abandoned due to the Imam's rebuke,

Though it offered the pleasure-seeker sights and song.

In which there is frivolity and entertainment

Though in them, for the reveler, were spectacles and song.

وَرَيّانَ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ كَأَنَّما

وَرَيّانَ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ كَأَنَّما

يُظَمّأُ مِن ضُمرِ الحَشا وَيُجاعُ

يُظَمّأُ مِن ضُمرِ الحَشا وَيُجاعُ

And a youth, brimming with the water of youth, as though

Like one who slakes his thirst with the water of youth

And [I left] many a lush youth, fresh with the water of life, as though

Made thirsty and starved by the slenderness of his waist—

From the udder of a fat cow when famished

He were parched and famished by the slenderness of his waist.

قَصَرتُ عَلَيهِ النَفسَ دونَ مُدامَةٍ

قَصَرتُ عَلَيهِ النَفسَ دونَ مُدامَةٍ

هِيَ اليَومَ حَربٌ وَهيَ أَمسِ شِياعُ

هِيَ اليَومَ حَربٌ وَهيَ أَمسِ شِياعُ

I devoted myself to him rather than to wine,

I have curbed my soul without persistent effort

I confined my soul to him alone, apart from the wine,

Which is an enemy today, though yesterday it was freely shared.

For today it wages war and yesterday it was broken to pieces

Which is today a war to me, though yesterday it was an ally.