والهف للمرء الذي

والهف للمرء الذي

عادت مسرّته مضرّه

عادت مسرّته مضرّه

Alas for the man whose

And alas for the man whose

delight has turned to harm.

joy turned into harm.

أمّا النهار فسرّني

أمّا النهار فسرّني

واللي أعقبني مضرّه

واللي أعقبني مضرّه

By day it delighted me,

As for the day, it delighted me;

but the night brought harm in its wake.

and the night brought me harm.

سقيتها فشربتها

سقيتها فشربتها

حتى تغيّبت المجرّه

حتى تغيّبت المجرّه

I was served it, and I drank it

I was given it to drink, so I drank it

until the Milky Way vanished.

until the Milky Way disappeared.

وسحبت ذيل شبيبتي

وسحبت ذيل شبيبتي

متنزّها في سرّ كرّه

متنزّها في سرّ كرّه

I swept along the train of my youth,

And I dragged the train of my youth,

strolling for pleasure in Sarr Karrah.

taking my ease in Sirr Karrah.

وسببت قوما في الجزي

وسببت قوما في الجزي

رة وانتسبت بذل عرّه

رة وانتسبت بذل عرّه

I abused some people in al-Jazī—

And I cursed some people in al-Jazi—

—rah, and in abasement claimed a lineage of shame.

—ra, and declared my lineage in shameful abasement.

أما النبذ فإنّني

أما النبذ فإنّني

لم ألقه ولقيت شرّه

لم ألقه ولقيت شرّه

As for nabīdh, I

As for casting it away, I

have never met it without meeting its evil.

did not discard it, and encountered its evil.

ورجعت محمولاً على

ورجعت محمولاً على

كتف العتيق وما أبرّه

كتف العتيق وما أبرّه

And I returned, borne upon

And I returned, carried upon

al-ʿAtīq’s shoulder—how kind he was!

the shoulder of al-ʿAtiq—how kind he was!

وسببت أهل محلتي

وسببت أهل محلتي

يا قبح فعلي ما أمرّه

يا قبح فعلي ما أمرّه

And I abused the people of my quarter—

And I cursed the people of my neighborhood.

how ugly my deed, and how bitter!

Oh, the ugliness of my deed—how bitter it was!

وحمدتُ ربّي إذ كفي

وحمدتُ ربّي إذ كفي

ت الطعن في وسط المصرّه

ت الطعن في وسط المصرّه

And I praised my Lord, for I escaped

And I praised my Lord, for I was spared

a stabbing in the midst of al-Maṣarra.

a stabbing in the middle of the town.

والسكرُ كلفني العصا

والسكرُ كلفني العصا

عرجا وما أحمدت درّه

عرجا وما أحمدت درّه

Drunkenness cost me a cane,

And drunkenness made me need a stick,

a limp—and I have no praise for its yield.

limping—and I did not find its bounty praiseworthy.