لا طيبَ مِن ذِكري حَبيب وَمَنزِل

لا طيبَ مِن ذِكري حَبيب وَمَنزِل

بِسَقطِ اللَوى دارٌ بِشَرقِيِّ إربلِ

بِسَقطِ اللَوى دارٌ بِشَرقِيِّ إربلِ

No delight comes from my recalling a beloved and a dwelling

No joy in the beloved’s mention, or dwelling,

at Siqt al-Liwa; a house east of Erbil,

With vines cut down, a house in eastern Irbil.

وَصَهباءَ كَالمِصباحِ في كَفِّ شادِنٍ

وَصَهباءَ كَالمِصباحِ في كَفِّ شادِنٍ

رَقيقِ حَواشي الخَدِّ عَذبِ المَقبّلِ

رَقيقِ حَواشي الخَدِّ عَذبِ المَقبّلِ

and tawny wine like a lamp in the hand of a young gazelle,

Pale as a lamp in a drinker’s hand,

delicate in the cheek's contours, sweet at the lips.

Delicate the cheeks, sweet the kiss.

يَطوفُ بِها كَالخَيزرانَةِ ساحِرُ ال

يَطوفُ بِها كَالخَيزرانَةِ ساحِرُ ال

جُفونِ مَتى يَلحَظ بِعَينَيهِ يَقتُلِ

جُفونِ مَتى يَلحَظ بِعَينَيهِ يَقتُلِ

He passes it round, slender as bamboo, with enchanting

He circulates like a sorcerer of eyelids

eyelids—whenever he glances with his eyes, he kills.

When he glances with his eyes, he kills.

تَعافُ النَدامى عِندَ مَرشَفِ كاسِهِ

تَعافُ النَدامى عِندَ مَرشَفِ كاسِهِ

نَسيمَ الصِبا جاءَت بِرَيّا القُرُنفُلِ

نَسيمَ الصِبا جاءَت بِرَيّا القُرُنفُلِ

The drinking companions scorn, at the rim of his cup,

Regretters recover at the brim of his cup—

the east wind's breeze that came bearing the scent of cloves.

A zephyr brought the scent of cloves.

أَلا لا أَراكَ اللَهُ صَحباً بِمَوقِفٍ

أَلا لا أَراكَ اللَهُ صَحباً بِمَوقِفٍ

يَقولون لا تَهلِك أَسىً وَتَحَمُّلِ

يَقولون لا تَهلِك أَسىً وَتَحَمُّلِ

Ah, may God never show you companions at a halt

My God spare you from a stance where they say

who say, 'Do not perish of grief, and bear up.'

“Do not perish in misery! Endure!”

وَلا زالَ نَدماني رِجالٌ عَلَيهِم

وَلا زالَ نَدماني رِجالٌ عَلَيهِم

إِذا الكاسُ دارَت بَهجَةَ المُتَهلّلِ

إِذا الكاسُ دارَت بَهجَةَ المُتَهلّلِ

And may my drinking companions always be men who wear,

While the contrite remain with the cup

when the cup goes round, the joy of one who beams.

Passing in revelry of the cheery.

فَما العَيشُ إلابين حانٍ وَحانَةٍ

فَما العَيشُ إلابين حانٍ وَحانَةٍ

مَعَ الراحِ لا بَينَ الدُخولِ فَحَومَلِ

مَعَ الراحِ لا بَينَ الدُخولِ فَحَومَلِ

For life is only between a wine-seller and a tavern,

Life is but between a love and a tavern

with wine, not between al-Dakhul and Hawmal.

With ease—not between toil and strife!

أَعاذِلَ إِن لاقَيتَ مِنّي أَصاخَةً

أَعاذِلَ إِن لاقَيتَ مِنّي أَصاخَةً

إِلى اللَومِ في تَركِ المَلامَةِ فَاِعدِلِ

إِلى اللَومِ في تَركِ المَلامَةِ فَاِعدِلِ

O reproacher, if you find me lending an ear

Excuse me, if you see willful drunkenness in me,

to blame, then be fair by leaving reproach aside.

Blame my abandoning blame, do justice!

وَإِلّا فَذَرني وَالخَلاعَةُ وَالصبا

وَإِلّا فَذَرني وَالخَلاعَةُ وَالصبا

فَإِنّي مِن أَهلِ الوَقارِ بِمَعزِلِ

فَإِنّي مِن أَهلِ الوَقارِ بِمَعزِلِ

Otherwise, leave me to dissipation and youthful folly,

Else leave me to libertinage and youth—

for I stand apart from the people of dignity.

I am of dignified stock, apart.

إِذا أَنا لَم أَلثُم لِكاسٍ مِنَ الطَلا

إِذا أَنا لَم أَلثُم لِكاسٍ مِنَ الطَلا

فَما مَنزِلَ اللَذاتِ عِندي بِمَنزِلِ

فَما مَنزِلَ اللَذاتِ عِندي بِمَنزِلِ

If I do not press my lips to a cup of wine,

When I have not kissed a cup of wine,

then the abode of pleasures is no abode to me.

Then revels have no place for me.

رَعى اللَهُ لَيلاتِ العَقيقِ لَيالِياً

رَعى اللَهُ لَيلاتِ العَقيقِ لَيالِياً

وَأَكرِم بِأَيّامِ الصَبوحِ وَأَجمِلِ

وَأَكرِم بِأَيّامِ الصَبوحِ وَأَجمِلِ

May God guard the nights of al-Aqiq—what nights!

God tend the nights of cherished union

And how splendid, how lovely, the days of morning wine!

With nights of the whitest, most beautiful dawns!

إِذا الجَوُّ فَضّى لِلمَلابِسِ جَوَّهُ

إِذا الجَوُّ فَضّى لِلمَلابِسِ جَوَّهُ

مُحَجَّبَةٌ عَن ناظِرِ المُتَأَمِّلِ

مُحَجَّبَةٌ عَن ناظِرِ المُتَأَمِّلِ

When the sky silvered its expanse for garments,

When the air disrobes for raiment,

veiled from the eye of the contemplative beholder.

Hidden from the gazer’s eye.