البابِلِيَّةُ بابُ كُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ

البابِلِيَّةُ بابُ كُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ

فَتَوَقَّيَنَّ هُجومَ ذاكَ البابِ

فَتَوَقَّيَنَّ هُجومَ ذاكَ البابِ

Babylonian wine is the gate to every calamity.

Babylon is the gate of every affliction,

So be sure to avoid rushing through that gate.

So beware the onslaught of that gate.

جَرَّت مُلاحاةَ الصَديقِ وَهَجرَهُ

جَرَّت مُلاحاةَ الصَديقِ وَهَجرَهُ

وَأَذى النَديمِ وَفُرقَةَ الأَحبابِ

وَأَذى النَديمِ وَفُرقَةَ الأَحبابِ

She brought quarrels with a friend and estrangement from him,

It brought about the estrangement of a friend and his abandonment,

and harm to a drinking companion, and separation from loved ones.

And the harm of a companion and the separation of loved ones.

أُمُّ الحَبابِ وَإِن أُميتَ لَهيبُها

أُمُّ الحَبابِ وَإِن أُميتَ لَهيبُها

بِمَزاجِها وافَت كَأُمِّ حُبابِ

بِمَزاجِها وافَت كَأُمِّ حُبابِ

The mother of bubbles, even if her blaze is quenched

Mother of passions, even if its flames are quelled

by dilution, still comes like Umm Ḥubāb—the world.

With her temperament, it matches a fiery mother.

هَتَكَت حِجابَ المُحَصَناتِ وَجَشَّمَت

هَتَكَت حِجابَ المُحَصَناتِ وَجَشَّمَت

مُهَنَ العَبيدِ تَهَضُّمُ الأَربابِ

مُهَنَ العَبيدِ تَهَضُّمُ الأَربابِ

She tore the veil of chaste women and forced

It stripped the veils of virtuous women and defiled

masters, abased, to undertake the drudgery of slaves.

The vocation of slaves, gnawing at masters.

وَتُوَهِّمُ الشَيبَ المَدالِفَ أَنَّهُم

وَتُوَهِّمُ الشَيبَ المَدالِفَ أَنَّهُم

لَبِسوا عَلى كِبَرٍ بُرودَ شَبابِ

لَبِسوا عَلى كِبَرٍ بُرودَ شَبابِ

And she makes shuffling graybeards imagine that they

And it makes white-haired elders believe

have donned, despite old age, the mantles of youth.

They donned, despite old age, the cloak of youth.

وَإِذا تَأَمَّلتَ الحَوادِثَ أُلفِيَت

وَإِذا تَأَمَّلتَ الحَوادِثَ أُلفِيَت

صُهُبُ الدَنانِ أَعادِيَ الأَلبابِ

صُهُبُ الدَنانِ أَعادِيَ الأَلبابِ

And when you ponder events, you find

And if you contemplate the events, you will find

the jars’ tawny wines to be enemies of reason.

The blows of fate are hostile to sensible minds.