خَليلَيَّ قوما فَاِعذِرا أَو تَعَتَّبا

خَليلَيَّ قوما فَاِعذِرا أَو تَعَتَّبا

وَلا تَعذُلاني أَن أَلَذَّ وَأَطرَبا

وَلا تَعذُلاني أَن أَلَذَّ وَأَطرَبا

My two companions, rise: either excuse me or reproach me;

My two friends, rise: excuse me, or reproach me,

but do not blame me for savoring delight and yielding to rapture.

but do not blame me for taking pleasure and rejoicing.

إِذا ذُكِرَت صَفراءُ أَذرَيتُ عَبرَةً

إِذا ذُكِرَت صَفراءُ أَذرَيتُ عَبرَةً

وَأَمسَكتُ نَفسي رَهبَةً أَن تَصَبَّبا

وَأَمسَكتُ نَفسي رَهبَةً أَن تَصَبَّبا

Whenever I remember a fair-skinned woman, I shed a tear

When Safra is mentioned, I shed a tear,

and hold my soul in check, afraid it may pour itself away.

and restrain my soul, for fear it might pour away.

وَما اِستَفرَغَ اللَذّاتِ إِلّا مُشَيَّعٌ

وَما اِستَفرَغَ اللَذّاتِ إِلّا مُشَيَّعٌ

إِذا هَمَّ لَم يَذكُر رِضى مَن تَغَضَّبا

إِذا هَمَّ لَم يَذكُر رِضى مَن تَغَضَّبا

No one drains pleasures to the dregs but a squanderer

Only a dauntless man takes his fill of pleasures,

who, once resolved, gives no thought to the approval of one who is absent.

who, once resolved, gives no thought to pleasing anyone offended.

تَغَنّى رَفيقي بِاِسمِها فَكَأَنَّما

تَغَنّى رَفيقي بِاِسمِها فَكَأَنَّما

أَصابَ بِقَلبي طائِراً فَتَضَرَّبا

أَصابَ بِقَلبي طائِراً فَتَضَرَّبا

My companion sang her name, and it was as though

My companion sang her name, and it was as though

he had struck a bird within my heart, and it thrashed about.

he struck a bird within my heart, which fluttered wildly.

وَمِن عَجَبِ الأَيّامِ أَنَّ اِجتِنابَنا

وَمِن عَجَبِ الأَيّامِ أَنَّ اِجتِنابَنا

رَشادٌ وَلَكِن لا نُطيقُ التَجَنُّبا

رَشادٌ وَلَكِن لا نُطيقُ التَجَنُّبا

Among the marvels of the age is that our abstaining

Among the wonders of the days is that our keeping apart

is sound judgment—yet we cannot endure abstinence.

is wisdom, yet we cannot bear to keep apart.

إِذا حَنَّ مُشتاقٌ حَنَنتُ عِراضَةً

إِذا حَنَّ مُشتاقٌ حَنَنتُ عِراضَةً

كَما عارَضَ العودُ اليَراعَ المُثَقَّبا

كَما عارَضَ العودُ اليَراعَ المُثَقَّبا

Whenever a yearning lover sighs, I sigh in answer,

Whenever a longing lover sighs, I sigh in answer,

as the lute answers the finger-pierced reed.

as the lute answers the pierced reed-pipe.

وَحاجاتِ نَفسٍ كُنَّ مِن دَرَكِ الهَوى

وَحاجاتِ نَفسٍ كُنَّ مِن دَرَكِ الهَوى

لَقيتُ بِها ضَيفاً وَلَم أَلقَ مَرحَبا

لَقيتُ بِها ضَيفاً وَلَم أَلقَ مَرحَبا

A soul’s needs arose from the pursuit of love;

And many desires of the soul lay within love's reach;

through them I came as a guest, yet met no welcome.

through them I met distress, and found no welcome.

أُقَلِّبُ في صَفراءَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

أُقَلِّبُ في صَفراءَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

هَوايَ وَيَأبى القَلبُ إِلّا تَقَلُّبا

هَوايَ وَيَأبى القَلبُ إِلّا تَقَلُّبا

Each evening I turn, toward a fair-skinned woman,

Each evening, with Safra in mind, I turn over

my passion; but the heart will accept nothing but change.

my passion; yet my heart insists on wavering.

أَمَرَّ عَلَيَّ العَيشَ يَومٌ عَدِمتُهُ

أَمَرَّ عَلَيَّ العَيشَ يَومٌ عَدِمتُهُ

وَلا أَشتَهي لَيلي إِذا ما تَأَوَّبا

وَلا أَشتَهي لَيلي إِذا ما تَأَوَّبا

I school myself to live without her, against the day I lose her;

A day when I lacked it made life bitter for me,

nor do I long for my night when it comes back.

and I have no taste for my night when it returns.

فَقُل في فَتىً سُدَّت عَلَيهِ سَبيلُهُ

فَقُل في فَتىً سُدَّت عَلَيهِ سَبيلُهُ

فَضاعَ وَقَد كانَ الطَلوبَ المُطَلَّبا

فَضاعَ وَقَد كانَ الطَلوبَ المُطَلَّبا

Then speak of a young man whose path has been barred against him:

What can you say of a young man whose path was barred,

he went astray, though he had tirelessly sought what he sought.

who was lost, though once an eager seeker, much sought himself?

خَطَبتُ عَلى حَبلِ الزَمانِ لَعَلَّهُ

خَطَبتُ عَلى حَبلِ الزَمانِ لَعَلَّهُ

يُساعِفُني يَوماً وَقَد كانَ أَنكَبا

يُساعِفُني يَوماً وَقَد كانَ أَنكَبا

I made my suit, holding to Time’s bond, in hope that it

I pressed my suit upon Time's rope, hoping it

might favor me one day, though it had turned hostile.

might favor me one day, though it had been adverse.

خُلِقتُ عَلى ما فِيَّ غَيرَ مُخَيَّرٍ

خُلِقتُ عَلى ما فِيَّ غَيرَ مُخَيَّرٍ

هَوايَ وَلَو خُيِّرتُ كُنتُ المُهَذَّبا

هَوايَ وَلَو خُيِّرتُ كُنتُ المُهَذَّبا

I was fashioned with what is within me, without any choice;

I was created with what is in me, not free to choose

such is my passion—had I been given a choice, I would have been refined.

my passion; had I been given choice, I would have been refined.

أُريدُ فَلا أُعطى وَأُعطى فَلَم أُرِد

أُريدُ فَلا أُعطى وَأُعطى فَلَم أُرِد

وَقَصَّرَ عِلمي أَن أَنالَ المُغَيَّبا

وَقَصَّرَ عِلمي أَن أَنالَ المُغَيَّبا

I desire and am denied; I am given, yet do not desire;

I want, but am not given; I am given what I did not want,

and my knowledge falls short of attaining what is unseen.

and my knowledge falls short of reaching the unseen.

وَأُصرَفُ عَن قَصدي وَحِلمِيَ مُبلِغي

وَأُصرَفُ عَن قَصدي وَحِلمِيَ مُبلِغي

وَأُضحي وَما أَعقَبتُ إِلّا التَعَجُّبا

وَأُضحي وَما أَعقَبتُ إِلّا التَعَجُّبا

I am turned aside from my aim, while forbearance is the limit of my reach;

I am diverted from my goal, though my forbearance would bring me there,

and I end with nothing gained but bewilderment.

and reach the morning having gained nothing but astonishment.

وَما البِرُّ إِلّا حُرمَةٌ إِن رَعَيتَها

وَما البِرُّ إِلّا حُرمَةٌ إِن رَعَيتَها

رَشَدتَ وَإِن لَم تَرعَها كُنتَ أَخيَبا

رَشَدتَ وَإِن لَم تَرعَها كُنتَ أَخيَبا

Virtue is nothing but a sacred bond: if you honor it,

Goodness is nothing but a sacred obligation: if you honor it,

you are rightly guided; if you do not, you are utterly thwarted.

you go aright; if you neglect it, you fare worse.

أَيَحيى بنَ زَيدٍ فيمَ تَقطَعُ خُلَّتي

أَيَحيى بنَ زَيدٍ فيمَ تَقطَعُ خُلَّتي

لَقَد خُنتَ وُدّاً بَل تَجَشَّمتَ مُعجَبا

لَقَد خُنتَ وُدّاً بَل تَجَشَّمتَ مُعجَبا

O Yahya ibn Zayd, why sever my friendship?

O Yahya son of Zayd, why do you sever your friendship with me?

You have betrayed my affection—indeed, you have ventured an astonishing deed.

You have betrayed affection—indeed, undertaken an astonishing deed.

أَحينَ أَشارَت بي الأَكُفُّ مُعيدَةً

أَحينَ أَشارَت بي الأَكُفُّ مُعيدَةً

وَحَفَّت بِيَ الحَمراءُ خُرقاً مُعَصَّبا

وَحَفَّت بِيَ الحَمراءُ خُرقاً مُعَصَّبا

Is it now—when hands point me out as I recite,

Just when hands pointed me out again and again,

and the Persians throng around me while I am lavishly generous and turbaned;

and the red-complexioned folk gathered round me, a generous, turbaned man,

وَقامَت عُقَيلٌ مِن وَرائِيَ بِالقَنا

وَقامَت عُقَيلٌ مِن وَرائِيَ بِالقَنا

حِفاظاً وَعاقَدتُ الهُمامَ المُحَجَّبا

حِفاظاً وَعاقَدتُ الهُمامَ المُحَجَّبا

when Uqayl has risen behind me with spears,

and Uqayl stood behind me with spears

in protective zeal, and I have sworn alliance with the guarded champion?

in loyal defense, and I made a pact with the magnanimous lord behind his screen?

تَنَحَّ أَبا فِعلٍ لِأُمِّكَ حاجَةٌ

تَنَحَّ أَبا فِعلٍ لِأُمِّكَ حاجَةٌ

إِلَينا وَلا تَشغَب فَما كُنتَ مِشغَبا

إِلَينا وَلا تَشغَب فَما كُنتَ مِشغَبا

Stand aside, Abu Fi‘l—your mother has need

Stand aside, Abu Fi‘l; your mother has need

of us; do not stir up trouble, for you have never been a troublemaker.

of us. Raise no uproar—you were never a troublemaker.

أَبوكَ يَهودِيٌّ وَأُمُّكَ عِلجَةٌ

أَبوكَ يَهودِيٌّ وَأُمُّكَ عِلجَةٌ

وَأَشبَهتَ خِنزيرَ السَوادِ المُسَيَّبا

وَأَشبَهتَ خِنزيرَ السَوادِ المُسَيَّبا

Your father is a Jew, and your mother an uncouth foreigner,

Your father is Jewish, and your mother a non-Arab woman,

and you resemble a pig of the Sawad turned loose to roam.

and you resemble a pig of al-Sawad let loose.

وَكُنتَ تَرى حَربي كَحَربِ خَرائِدٍ

وَكُنتَ تَرى حَربي كَحَربِ خَرائِدٍ

فُواقاً فَلَمّا رُحنَ راجَعنَ مَلعَبا

فُواقاً فَلَمّا رُحنَ راجَعنَ مَلعَبا

You imagined warfare with me was like sheltered maidens’ warfare,

You thought my warfare was like the fighting of bashful maidens,

lasting but the pause between two milkings; once they left, they returned to play.

for a brief moment; then, once gone, they returned to their playground.

وَهَيهاتَ ظَنُّ الجاهِلينَ مِن اِمرِىءٍ

وَهَيهاتَ ظَنُّ الجاهِلينَ مِن اِمرِىءٍ

بَعيدِ الرِضى سُقمٍ عَلى مَن تَحَزَّبا

بَعيدِ الرِضى سُقمٍ عَلى مَن تَحَزَّبا

Far indeed from truth is ignorant men’s estimate of a man

But far are the ignorant's notions from a man

slow to be appeased—a bane to whoever forms a faction against him.

hard to appease, a plague to whoever bands against him.

أَبى اللَهُ وُدّي لِلخَليلِ وَقُربَهُ

أَبى اللَهُ وُدّي لِلخَليلِ وَقُربَهُ

إِذا كانَ خَوّانَ الأَمانَةِ نَيرَبا

إِذا كانَ خَوّانَ الأَمانَةِ نَيرَبا

God forbids my loving a friend or drawing him near

God forbids my love for a friend and closeness to him

if he habitually betrays every trust and spreads malicious slander.

if he betrays his trust and spreads malicious gossip.

لَعَمريِ قَد غالَبتُ نَفسي عَلى الهَوى

لَعَمريِ قَد غالَبتُ نَفسي عَلى الهَوى

لِتَسلى فَكانَت شَهوَةُ النَفسِ أَغلَبا

لِتَسلى فَكانَت شَهوَةُ النَفسِ أَغلَبا

By my life, I have struggled against my soul over passion,

By my life, I have wrestled with myself over love,

that it might forget—but the soul’s desire proved stronger.

to make my soul forget; but the soul's desire was stronger.