يا أَيُّها المَغرورُ لَبَّ مِنَ الحِجى

يا أَيُّها المَغرورُ لَبَّ مِنَ الحِجى

وَإِذا دَعاكَ إِلى التُقى داعٍ فَلَب

وَإِذا دَعاكَ إِلى التُقى داعٍ فَلَب

O deluded one, grow wise through reason.

O you who are deluded, abstain from sinful ways

And when a caller summons you to piety, answer.

And when one calls you to piety, respond to his plea

إِنَّ الشُرورَ لَكَالسَحابَةِ أَثجَمَت

إِنَّ الشُرورَ لَكَالسَحابَةِ أَثجَمَت

لاكِ السُرورُ كَأَنَّهُ بَرقٌ خَلَب

لاكِ السُرورُ كَأَنَّهُ بَرقٌ خَلَب

Evils are surely like a cloud that rains unceasingly;

Evil is like a gloomy cloud that has gathered

But joy is like deceptive, rainless lightning.

While good fortune is like a twinkling star

وَأَبُرُّ مِن شُربِ المَدامَةِ صُفِّنَت

وَأَبُرُّ مِن شُربِ المَدامَةِ صُفِّنَت

في عَسجَدٍ شُربُ الرَثيئَةِ في العُلَب

في عَسجَدٍ شُربُ الرَثيئَةِ في العُلَب

And more virtuous than drinking wine held

Drinking pure wine in a goblet is better

in golden vessels is drinking fresh milk mixed with sour milk from wooden bowls.

Than drinking fermented date juice in flasks

جاءَتكَ مِثلَ دَمِ الغَزالِ بِكَأسِها

جاءَتكَ مِثلَ دَمِ الغَزالِ بِكَأسِها

مَقتولَةً قَتَلَتكَ فالَهُ عَنِ السَلب

مَقتولَةً قَتَلَتكَ فالَهُ عَنِ السَلب

She came to you in her cup, like the blood of a gazelle;

It comes to you like the blood of a gazelle in a cup

Slain herself, she killed you; so turn away from the spoils.

Slain, though you are spared from plunder

حَلَبِيَّةٌ في النِسبَتَينِ لِأَنَّها

حَلَبِيَّةٌ في النِسبَتَينِ لِأَنَّها

حَلَبُ الكُرومِ وَأَنَّ مَوطِنَها حَلَب

حَلَبُ الكُرومِ وَأَنَّ مَوطِنَها حَلَب

She is Halabian in both senses, for she is

A woman from Aleppo in lineage and in name

the milk of the vines, and her home is Halab.

For Aleppo is known for its vineyards and its grapes

وَالعَقلُ أَنفَسُ ما حُبيتَ وَإِن يُضَع

وَالعَقلُ أَنفَسُ ما حُبيتَ وَإِن يُضَع

يَوماً يَضَع فَغوى الشَرابِ وَما حَلَب

يَوماً يَضَع فَغوى الشَرابِ وَما حَلَب

And reason is the most precious gift you were given; if it is brought low

Reason is the most precious thing you are endowed with

one day, wine's fragrance and its milked yield bring it low.

Though one day, it fails before drink and fermented grapes

وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّها مَطلوبَةٌ

وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّها مَطلوبَةٌ

بِالحادِثاتِ فَما تُراعُ مِنَ الطَلَب

بِالحادِثاتِ فَما تُراعُ مِنَ الطَلَب

And the soul knows that it is pursued

The soul knows it is answerable

by calamities, yet it is unafraid of the pursuit.

For occurrences, so it no longer seeks

وَالدَهرُ أَرقَمُ بِالصَباحِ وَبِالدُجى

وَالدَهرُ أَرقَمُ بِالصَباحِ وَبِالدُجى

كَالصِلِّ يَفتُكُ بِاللَديغِ إِذا اِنقَلَب

كَالصِلِّ يَفتُكُ بِاللَديغِ إِذا اِنقَلَب

And Time is a speckled serpent, in the morning and the dark;

Fate is fickle, in dusk and dawn

Like an asp, it kills the bitten one when it turns.

Like a serpent, it fatally strikes when least expected

وَأَرى المُلوكَ ذَوي المَراتِبِ غالَبوا

وَأَرى المُلوكَ ذَوي المَراتِبِ غالَبوا

أَيّامَهُم فَاِنظُر بِعَيشِكَ مِن غَلَب

أَيّامَهُم فَاِنظُر بِعَيشِكَ مِن غَلَب

And I see kings of high rank have contended with

I see kings of high rank, they spent

their days; look, by your life, who has prevailed.

Their days, so look to your life and what it yields

سِيّانَ عِندي مادِحٌ مُتَخَرِّصٌ

سِيّانَ عِندي مادِحٌ مُتَخَرِّصٌ

في قَولِهِ وَأَخو الهِجاءِ إِذا ثَلَب

في قَولِهِ وَأَخو الهِجاءِ إِذا ثَلَب

Alike to me are a praiser who fabricates

Flatterers and critics are equal to me

in his speech, and a satirist when he reviles.

In their words, though one adorns and one maligns