تعزّى قلبُنا عن ذكرِ راح

تعزّى قلبُنا عن ذكرِ راح

فكيف عزاءُ قلبٍ مُستباح

فكيف عزاءُ قلبٍ مُستباح

Our heart consoled itself, putting thoughts of wine aside.

Our hearts find solace in the memory of departed friends

Our heart sought solace from the memory of wine,

Yet how can a ravaged heart find solace?

How can a heart find solace when it is violated?

But how can a plundered heart find any peace?

يظلّ الليلَ يرقبُ كلَّ نجمٍ

يظلّ الليلَ يرقبُ كلَّ نجمٍ

يواليه يغورُ إلى الصياحِ

يواليه يغورُ إلى الصياحِ

It spends the night watching every star,

The night lingers as each star keeps watch

It spends the night observing every star,

Following each as it sets, until cockcrow.

Only to disappear into the darkness

Watching them sink until the break of dawn.

أراد محمّدُ بنُ رياح شتمي

أراد محمّدُ بنُ رياح شتمي

فعادَ وبالُ ذاك على رياح

فعادَ وبالُ ذاك على رياح

Muhammad ibn Riyah wished to insult me,

Muhammad ibn Riyah intended to insult me

Muhammad ibn Riyah sought to slander me,

So the harm of that recoiled upon Riyah.

But that insult rebounded upon Riyah

But the shame of that rebounded on Riyah.

أتنسى صَدعَ أمّكَ فوق أيري

أتنسى صَدعَ أمّكَ فوق أيري

تدورُ كما يدورُ أبو رياحِ

تدورُ كما يدورُ أبو رياحِ

Do you forget your mother's cleft atop my cock,

Have you forgotten your mother’s death atop Al-Ayri?

Do you forget your mother’s cleft upon my cock,

As she turns just as Abu Riyah turns?

She spins around like the spinning of Abu Riyah

Whirling around just as a wind-vane spins?

تغنّت لي وقد ركبت عليه

تغنّت لي وقد ركبت عليه

وصارت فوق مندمج وقاح

وصارت فوق مندمج وقاح

She sang to me when she had mounted it,

She sang to me as I rode atop her

She sang to me while she was straddling it,

And settled atop a solid, hard shaft:

Becoming an inseparable, attached friend

Settled upon a pillar hard and stout:

ألسنا خير مَن ركبَ المطايا

ألسنا خير مَن ركبَ المطايا

وأندى العالمين بطونَ راح

وأندى العالمين بطونَ راح

“Are we not the best of those who ride mounts,

Are we not better than those who rode mares

"Are we not the finest riders of the beasts,"

And the most generous-handed in all the world?”

And called humanity to rest at meadows?

"And the most generous of all the world in gifts?"

فقلتُ دعي التمثّل ليس هذا

فقلتُ دعي التمثّل ليس هذا

وعيشكِ وقتَ هجوٍ وامتداحِ

وعيشكِ وقتَ هجوٍ وامتداحِ

So I said, “Stop quoting verse; this is not,

So I said “Enough with the pretenses, this is not

I said, "Leave off the quoting, for this is not,"

By your life, a time for satire and praise.

A time of satire or flattering odes.”

"Upon your life, the time for praise or scorn;"

ولكنّ الأوانَ أوانُ نيكٍ

ولكنّ الأوانَ أوانُ نيكٍ

وإدخال الفياشي في الفقاح

وإدخال الفياشي في الفقاح

But this is the hour for fucking,

But now is a good time

"Rather, this moment is the time to fuck,"

And inserting cocks into assholes.”

To turn the nobles into commoners

"And thrust the heavy head into the rear."

فقالت هاكَ رجلي فارفعنها

فقالت هاكَ رجلي فارفعنها

وغرّق رمحَ بطنكَ جوف راحي

وغرّق رمحَ بطنكَ جوف راحي

She said, “Take my leg and lift it,

She said “Here are my legs, raise them

She said, "Then take my leg and raise it up,"

And plunge your belly's spear into my palm's hollow.”

And drive your spear into the belly of Raha.”

"And drown your belly’s spear within my grasp."

فلمّا أن مضى فيها تغنّت

فلمّا أن مضى فيها تغنّت

تنادى آل ليلى بالرواحِ

تنادى آل ليلى بالرواحِ

And when it had entered her, she sang:

After he had his way, she sang

And when it plunged into her deep, she sang:

“Layla's kin called one another to depart.”

Calling the family of Layla to comfort her spirit.

"The folk of Layla call out to depart!"