لا يَنزِلَنَّ بِأَنطاكِيَّةَ وَرَعٌ

لا يَنزِلَنَّ بِأَنطاكِيَّةَ وَرَعٌ

كَم حَلَّلَ الدينَ عِقدٌ لِلزَنانيرِ

كَم حَلَّلَ الدينَ عِقدٌ لِلزَنانيرِ

Let no pious man lodge in Antioch.

No pious man descends in Antioch,

How many a girdle’s knot has undone faith!

how much has religion dissolved its knots for gold coins,

بِها مُدامٌ كَذوبِ التِبرِ تَمزُجُهُ

بِها مُدامٌ كَذوبِ التِبرِ تَمزُجُهُ

لِلشارِبينَ وُجوهٌ كَالدَنانيرِ

لِلشارِبينَ وُجوهٌ كَالدَنانيرِ

There is wine there, like molten gold, blended

in it is wine like the mud of Tibar that they mix

for the drinkers by faces like dinars.

for the drinkers, and faces like gold coins,

بيضُ لَوابِسُ ديباجٍ حَمَدتُ لَها

بيضُ لَوابِسُ ديباجٍ حَمَدتُ لَها

سودَ الإِياءِ وَشَعرِيَ الصَنانيرِ

سودَ الإِياءِ وَشَعرِيَ الصَنانيرِ

Fair ones wearing brocade—for their sake I praised

white smooth silk I praised,

black wine vessels and hair-covered wineskins.

the black of coyness and my hair of bracelets.