عاذِلي لَو شِئتَ لَم تَلُمِ

عاذِلي لَو شِئتَ لَم تَلُمِ

فَبِسَمعي عَنكَ كَالصَمَمِ

فَبِسَمعي عَنكَ كَالصَمَمِ

My reproacher, if you wished, you would not reproach me.

Blame me if you wish, do not blame me

For my hearing is as though deaf to you.

For I am deaf to you, like the deaf

فَاِرضَ مِن سِرّي عَلانِيَتي

فَاِرضَ مِن سِرّي عَلانِيَتي

أَنِفَت مِن رَفضِها شِيَمي

أَنِفَت مِن رَفضِها شِيَمي

So accept my outward life instead of my secrets;

So let my secret be known openly

my nature has disdained to renounce it.

Though it offends my proper tact

وَأَرعَ سَرحَ اللَهوِ مُغتَدِياً

وَأَرعَ سَرحَ اللَهوِ مُغتَدِياً

غَيرَ مُستَبِطٍ وَلا سَئِمِ

غَيرَ مُستَبِطٍ وَلا سَئِمِ

And pasture pleasure's flock, setting out at dawn,

And freely I roam, living riotously

neither sluggish nor weary.

Not bored, nor tired, nor satiate

وَأَقِم بِالسوسِ مُعتَكِفاً

وَأَقِم بِالسوسِ مُعتَكِفاً

كَاِعتِكافِ الطَيرِ بِالحَرَمِ

كَاِعتِكافِ الطَيرِ بِالحَرَمِ

And remain in al-Sus in seclusion,

And stay ensconced in frivolity

as birds abide in the sacred sanctuary.

Like birds ensconced in sanctity

وَاِشرَبِ الراحَ الَّتي حُجِبَت

وَاِشرَبِ الراحَ الَّتي حُجِبَت

عَن عُيونِ الدَهرِ بِالخَتَمِ

عَن عُيونِ الدَهرِ بِالخَتَمِ

And drink the wine that was hidden

And drink the wine that is forbidden

from the eyes of Time under seal.

To the world's eyes, sealed, private

نارُها شَمسٌ وَمَشرَبُها

نارُها شَمسٌ وَمَشرَبُها

صَيِّبٌ مِن واكِفٍ سَجِمِ

صَيِّبٌ مِن واكِفٍ سَجِمِ

Its fire is a sun, and its drink

Its fire a sun, its drink a draught

a downpour from a dripping, streaming cloud.

From an ancient keeper, sublime

فَدَعا صِنوانَها لَقَحٌ

فَدَعا صِنوانَها لَقَحٌ

لَم يَكُن حَملاً عَلى عُقُمِ

لَم يَكُن حَملاً عَلى عُقُمِ

Then pollination called forth its kindred stems—

So its jars were impregnated

no pregnancy laid upon barren stock.

Though not by burdened camels' wombs

وَاِنثَنَت أَفياءُ نَبعَتِها

وَاِنثَنَت أَفياءُ نَبعَتِها

عَن نَباتٍ سالَ كَالجُمَمِ

عَن نَباتٍ سالَ كَالجُمَمِ

And the shadows of its shoot bent back

And its plenteous hills bent

from growth that flowed like locks of hair,

From growths flowing like hot lava

بِعَناقيدٍ مُعَثكَلَةٍ

بِعَناقيدٍ مُعَثكَلَةٍ

كَشُعورِ الزَنجِ في الحَمَمِ

كَشُعورِ الزَنجِ في الحَمَمِ

with densely bunched grape clusters,

In bunches twisted awry

like the hair of the Zanj in its coal-blackness.

Like the locks of Africans in steam baths

فَدَعاها الطَلقُ فَاِنفَطَرَت

فَدَعاها الطَلقُ فَاِنفَطَرَت

لِوِلادٍ لَيسَ في الرَحِمِ

لِوِلادٍ لَيسَ في الرَحِمِ

Then labor summoned it, and it split open

It was freed by dissolution, it burst

for a birth that was not in the womb.

Begetting that not in the womb

فَتَهادَتها ثَمودُ إِلى

فَتَهادَتها ثَمودُ إِلى

قَومِها مِن وارِثي إِرَمِ

قَومِها مِن وارِثي إِرَمِ

Then Thamud passed it as a gift to

It was passed down to Thamud till

its people, among the heirs of Iram.

Its people, heirs of Iram famed

وَتَخَطَّتها العُصورُ فَلَو

وَتَخَطَّتها العُصورُ فَلَو

نَطَقَت في الكَأسِ بِالكَلِمِ

نَطَقَت في الكَأسِ بِالكَلِمِ

And the ages passed it by; so, if it

And ages stepped over it, though had

were to speak in the cup with words,

It spoken in the cup, with words,

ثُمَّ أَدَّت كُلَّ ما شَهِدَت

ثُمَّ أَدَّت كُلَّ ما شَهِدَت

مِن قُرونِ الناسِ وَالأُمَمِ

مِن قُرونِ الناسِ وَالأُمَمِ

then recount all that it had witnessed

Then rendered all it witnessed

of human generations and nations...

Of peoples' generations and realms

فَاِقتَنَتها فِتيَةٌ سُمُحٌ

فَاِقتَنَتها فِتيَةٌ سُمُحٌ

مِن أُناسٍ سادَةٍ هُضُمُ

مِن أُناسٍ سادَةٍ هُضُمُ

Then generous young men acquired it,

So free nobles obtained it

from a people of unassuming lords.

Of lofty folk, wronged oft

فَاِستَنارَت في أَكُفِّهِمُ

فَاِستَنارَت في أَكُفِّهِمُ

كَسَنا النيرانِ في الأَجَمِ

كَسَنا النيرانِ في الأَجَمِ

Then it shone in their palms

And it shone in their palms

like the glow of fires in thickets.

Like the glow of coals in the brazier's heart

تِلكَ ما تَحيا النُفوسُ بِها

تِلكَ ما تَحيا النُفوسُ بِها

فَمَتى أَنزِل بِها أُقِمِ

فَمَتى أَنزِل بِها أُقِمِ

That is what souls live by;

That is what souls live by

so whenever I alight beside it, I stay

So when will I alight by it

في نَواحي هَيكَلٍ أَرِجٍ

في نَواحي هَيكَلٍ أَرِجٍ

عاكِفاً فيهِ عَلى صَنَمِ

عاكِفاً فيهِ عَلى صَنَمِ

in the precincts of a fragrant temple,

To settle in a scented temple's environs

devoted there to an idol

Worshipping in it an idol

نُقِشَت بِالحُسنِ صورَتُهُ

نُقِشَت بِالحُسنِ صورَتُهُ

مِن ذُرى قَرنٍ إِلى قَدَمِ

مِن ذُرى قَرنٍ إِلى قَدَمِ

whose form was engraved with beauty,

Carved in beauty from foot to pinnacle

from the tips of his locks down to his feet.

When I calm its ferocity

فَإِذا سَكَّنتُ رَوعَتَهُ

فَإِذا سَكَّنتُ رَوعَتَهُ

وَرَعى في مُقلَتَيهِ فَمي

وَرَعى في مُقلَتَيهِ فَمي

So when I had soothed his fright,

And it rests in my mouth

and my mouth had grazed in his two eyes,

To me returns the pole of joy

عادَ لي قُطبُ السُرورِ كَما

عادَ لي قُطبُ السُرورِ كَما

كُنتُ مُعتاداً عَلى القِدَمِ

كُنتُ مُعتاداً عَلى القِدَمِ

the axis of joy returned to me, as

As I was wont always before

was my wont in days of old.