عَدِمتُ النُغَيلَ فَما أَدمَرَه

عَدِمتُ النُغَيلَ فَما أَدمَرَه

وَأَولى الصَديقَ بِأَن يَهجُرَه

وَأَولى الصَديقَ بِأَن يَهجُرَه

May I be rid of that little bastard—how ruinous he is!

I abandoned intoxication, how it destroys me,

And how fitting for a friend to forsake him!

And a friend deserves to abandon it.

إِذا قُلتُ قَدَّمَهُ كيسُهُ

إِذا قُلتُ قَدَّمَهُ كيسُهُ

عَناهُ مِنَ النَقصِ ما أَخَّرَه

عَناهُ مِنَ النَقصِ ما أَخَّرَه

Whenever I say his cleverness has advanced him,

When I said his pouch advanced him,

a failing besets him that holds him back.

He missed the deficiency that delayed him.

دَعانا إِلى مَجلِسٍ فاحِشٍ

دَعانا إِلى مَجلِسٍ فاحِشٍ

قَبيحٍ بِذي اللُبِّ أَن يَحضُرَه

قَبيحٍ بِذي اللُبِّ أَن يَحضُرَه

He invited us to a vile gathering,

He called us to an obscene gathering,

shameful for a man of sense to attend.

Ugly for the pure of heart to attend.

فَجاءَ نَبيذٌ لَهُ حامِضٌ

فَجاءَ نَبيذٌ لَهُ حامِضٌ

يَشُقُّ عَلى الكَبِدِ المُقفِرَه

يَشُقُّ عَلى الكَبِدِ المُقفِرَه

Then came a sour wine of his,

So wine came bitter for him,

hard on the empty liver.

Hard on a barren liver.

إِذا صُبَّ مُسوَدُّهُ في الزُجا

إِذا صُبَّ مُسوَدُّهُ في الزُجا

جِ فَكَأسُ النَديمِ بِهِ مَحبَرَه

جِ فَكَأسُ النَديمِ بِهِ مَحبَرَه

When its black brew is poured into glass,

When its blackness is poured in cups,

then the drinking companion's cup becomes an inkwell.

The cup of the companion is dyed by it.

تَرَكتَ مُشَمَّسَ قُطرُبُّلٍ

تَرَكتَ مُشَمَّسَ قُطرُبُّلٍ

وَجَرَّعتَنا دَقَلَ الدَسكَرَه

وَجَرَّعتَنا دَقَلَ الدَسكَرَه

You left the sun-matured wine of Qutrubbul,

You left sun-ripened raisins

and made us gulp al-Daskarah's low-grade date wine.

And made us drink the dregs of molasses.

وَما لي أَطَعتُكَ في شُربِهِ

وَما لي أَطَعتُكَ في شُربِهِ

كَأَن لَم أُخَبَّرهُ أَو لَم أَرَه

كَأَن لَم أُخَبَّرهُ أَو لَم أَرَه

And why did I obey you in drinking it,

Why did I obey you in drinking it

as though I had never tried it or seen it?

As if I hadn't been warned of it or seen it?

وَما لي شَرِهتُ إِلى مِثلِهِ

وَما لي شَرِهتُ إِلى مِثلِهِ

وَما كُنتُ أَعرِفُني بِالشَرَه

وَما كُنتُ أَعرِفُني بِالشَرَه

And why did I crave anything like it,

Why did I greedily desire the like of it

when I had never known myself to be greedy?

When I didn't know myself to be greedy?

وَما يَعتَريني الَّذي يَعتَري

وَما يَعتَريني الَّذي يَعتَري

كَ بِحَقِّ السَوادِ مِنَ الأَبخِرَه

كَ بِحَقِّ السَوادِ مِنَ الأَبخِرَه

And I am not afflicted by what afflicts

What afflicts me doesn't afflict you

you—by the blackness of the vapors!

By the truth of the robes of monks.

فَلَأياً عَزَمتُ عَلى الاِنصِرا

فَلَأياً عَزَمتُ عَلى الاِنصِرا

فِ وَقَد أَوجَبَ الوَقتُ أَن نَحذَرَه

فِ وَقَد أَوجَبَ الوَقتُ أَن نَحذَرَه

So at last I resolved to depart,

So I decided firmly on leaving

when the hour already called for caution.

Since the time demanded we be wary.

فَقُمنا عَلى عَجَلٍ وَالنُجو

فَقُمنا عَلى عَجَلٍ وَالنُجو

مُ مُوَلِّيَةٌ قَد هَوَت مُدبِرَه

مُ مُوَلِّيَةٌ قَد هَوَت مُدبِرَه

So we rose in haste, while the stars

We rose hastily while the stars

were turning away, already sinking in retreat.

Were setting, leaning to their setting.

وَكانَ الجَوازُ عَلى عِلَّةٍ

وَكانَ الجَوازُ عَلى عِلَّةٍ

فَكِدنا نُبَيِّتُ في المِقطَرَه

فَكِدنا نُبَيِّتُ في المِقطَرَه

And getting through depended on a pretext,

The bridge was out of service

so we nearly spent the night in the stocks.

And we almost spent the night at the dam.

وَلَمّا اِنصَرَفتُ أَطَلَّ الخُما

وَلَمّا اِنصَرَفتُ أَطَلَّ الخُما

رُ بِحَدِّ سَماديرِهِ المُسهِرَه

رُ بِحَدِّ سَماديرِهِ المُسهِرَه

And when I departed, the hangover loomed,

When I returned, hangovers

with its fierce, sleep-banishing dizzy spells.

Had reached their peak, keeping awake.

فَلا تَسأَلَنِّيَ عَن حالَةٍ

فَلا تَسأَلَنِّيَ عَن حالَةٍ

بُليتُ بِها صَعبَةً مُنكَرَه

بُليتُ بِها صَعبَةً مُنكَرَه

So do not ask me about the condition

So do not ask me about a condition

I was afflicted with—grievous and dreadful—

I suffered, difficult and strange.

وَلَيلَةِ سوءٍ أُمِرَّت عَلَيَّ

وَلَيلَةِ سوءٍ أُمِرَّت عَلَيَّ

كَلَيلَةِ شَيخِكَ في القَوصَرَه

كَلَيلَةِ شَيخِكَ في القَوصَرَه

or the night of misery made bitter for me,

It was an awful night forced upon me

like your sheikh's night in the date basket.

Like the night you spent in Al-Qawṣarah.