لَو لَم أَكُن مُشبَعاً مِنَ الحُمُقِ

لَو لَم أَكُن مُشبَعاً مِنَ الحُمُقِ

ما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَوَدُّ يا حَلَقي

ما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَوَدُّ يا حَلَقي

Had I not been steeped in folly,

Were I not filled with foolishness,

I would never have been one to risk my throat

I would not be among those I love, O Halaqi.

إِيّاكَ أَرضى يا اِبنَ البَغِيِّ لَقَد

إِيّاكَ أَرضى يا اِبنَ البَغِيِّ لَقَد

رَضيتُ بَعدَ التَقريبِ بِالعَنَقِ

رَضيتُ بَعدَ التَقريبِ بِالعَنَقِ

by accepting you, you son of a whore. Indeed,

I accept you, son of a whore; indeed,

after the taqrīb gait, I have settled for ʿanaq.

I have settled for a trot after a canter.

إِنّي لَمُستَوجِبٌ مِن أَجلِكَ أَن

إِنّي لَمُستَوجِبٌ مِن أَجلِكَ أَن

تُشَدَّ كِلتا يَدَيَّ في عُنُقي

تُشَدَّ كِلتا يَدَيَّ في عُنُقي

Because of you, I surely deserve

I surely deserve, because of you, that

to have both my hands bound at my neck.

both my hands be bound to my neck.

تَنفِرُ عَمداً وَلَو قَدِرتَ إِذَن

تَنفِرُ عَمداً وَلَو قَدِرتَ إِذَن

حَمَلتَها لِلوَرى عَلى طَبَقِ

حَمَلتَها لِلوَرى عَلى طَبَقِ

You shy away on purpose; and if you could,

You shy away deliberately; yet if you could, then

you would carry the pair before all creation on a platter—

you would carry it to humankind on a platter,

مِثلَ الَّتي تَنبِشُ القُبورَ وَلا

مِثلَ الَّتي تَنبِشُ القُبورَ وَلا

تَدنو إِلى ظِلِّها مِنَ الفَرَقِ

تَدنو إِلى ظِلِّها مِنَ الفَرَقِ

like one that digs up graves, yet will not

like the one who digs up graves, but does not

draw near even its own shadow, from sheer fright.

approach her own shadow out of fear.