مَوْلاتُنا يا غُلامُ مُبْتَكِرَهْ

مَوْلاتُنا يا غُلامُ مُبْتَكِرَهْ

فَباكِرِ الكَأْسَ لِيْ بِلاَ نَظِرَهْ

فَباكِرِ الكَأْسَ لِيْ بِلاَ نَظِرَهْ

Our mistress, boy, has come early;

Our lord, O early rising lad

so bring me the cup early, without delay.

Serve the wine cup to me without delay

غَدَتْ على اللّهوِ والمُجونِ على

غَدَتْ على اللّهوِ والمُجونِ على

أَنَّ الفَتاةَ الحَيِيّةَ الخَفِرَهْ

أَنَّ الفَتاةَ الحَيِيّةَ الخَفِرَهْ

She has gone out for revelry and wantonness, although

The next day, to entertainment and fun

the maiden is bashful and demure.

As if the modest, lively, young girl

لِحُبِّها لا عَدِمْتُها حُرَقٌ

لِحُبِّها لا عَدِمْتُها حُرَقٌ

مَطْوِيّةٌ في الحَشَا ومُنْتَشِرَهْ

مَطْوِيّةٌ في الحَشَا ومُنْتَشِرَهْ

Love of her—may I never lose her—brings burning pangs,

For love of her, I felt no loss

folded within my breast and spreading.

Folded, in the night, widespread

ما ذُقْتُ منها سِوى مُقبَّلِها

ما ذُقْتُ منها سِوى مُقبَّلِها

وَضَمِّ تلكَ الفُروعِ مُنْحَدِرَهْ

وَضَمِّ تلكَ الفُروعِ مُنْحَدِرَهْ

I have tasted nothing of her but her lips

I have not tasted of her except her kisses

and clasping those drooping branches of hair.

And the embrace of her cascading branches

وانْتَهَرَتْني فَمِتُّ مِنْ فَرَقٍ

وانْتَهَرَتْني فَمِتُّ مِنْ فَرَقٍ

يا حُسْنَها في الرِّضَا ومُنْتَهِرَهْ

يا حُسْنَها في الرِّضَا ومُنْتَهِرَهْ

And she scolded me, so I died of fright.

She rebuked me, so I died of separation

Ah, how beautiful she is when pleased, and when she scolds!

Oh her beauty in consent and refusal

ثُمَّ انْثَنَتْ سَوْرَةُ الخُمارِ بنا

ثُمَّ انْثَنَتْ سَوْرَةُ الخُمارِ بنا

خِلالَ تلكَ الغَدائرِ الخَمِرَهْ

خِلالَ تلكَ الغَدائرِ الخَمِرَهْ

Then the surge of wine's lingering stupor turned us back

Then the veil of her veil inclined toward us

amid those dense braids.

Through that intoxicating, redolent hair

ولَيْلَةٍ أَشْرَفَتْ بِكَلْكَلِها

ولَيْلَةٍ أَشْرَفَتْ بِكَلْكَلِها

عَلَيَّ كالطّيْلَسَانِ مُعْتَجِرَهْ

عَلَيَّ كالطّيْلَسَانِ مُعْتَجِرَهْ

And many a night loomed with its breast

On a night that leaned toward me

over me, swathed like a head-shawl.

Like a new moon, turbanned

فَتّقْتُ دَيْجُورَهَا إلى قَمَرٍ

فَتّقْتُ دَيْجُورَهَا إلى قَمَرٍ

أَثْوابُهُ بالعَفَافِ مُسْتَتِرَهْ

أَثْوابُهُ بالعَفَافِ مُسْتَتِرَهْ

I tore its pitch-darkness open toward a moon

So I steered her planet to a moon

whose robes were veiled by chastity.

Whose clothes are veiled in chastity

عُجْ عَبَراتِ المُدامِ نَحوِيَ مِنْ

عُجْ عَبَراتِ المُدامِ نَحوِيَ مِنْ

عَشْرٍ وعِشْرينَ واثْنَتَيْ عَشَرَهْ

عَشْرٍ وعِشْرينَ واثْنَتَيْ عَشَرَهْ

Turn wine's tears toward me, from

Urge the steps of the wine bearer toward me

ten, twenty, and twelve years.

Twelve, twenty-two, thirty-two

قَدْ ذكرَ الناسُ عن قِيامِهِمُ

قَدْ ذكرَ الناسُ عن قِيامِهِمُ

ذِكْرَى بِعَقْلي أَصْبَحتْ نَكرَهْ

ذِكْرَى بِعَقْلي أَصْبَحتْ نَكرَهْ

People have spoken of their rising—

Though people mention their rising

a recollection that has become strange to my mind.

My mind has forgotten

مَعْرِفَتي بالصَّوابِ مَعْرِفَةٌ

مَعْرِفَتي بالصَّوابِ مَعْرِفَةٌ

غَرَّاءُ إِمّا عَرَفْتُمُ النّكرهْ

غَرَّاءُ إِمّا عَرَفْتُمُ النّكرهْ

My knowledge of right is a knowledge

My knowledge of right - exalted knowledge

resplendent—if you recognize the unfamiliar.

Praiseworthy, whether you know the unknown

يا عَجَباً مِنْ أَبي الخَبيثِ ومِنْ

يا عَجَباً مِنْ أَبي الخَبيثِ ومِنْ

سُروحِهِ في البَقَائرِ الدَّثِرَهْ

سُروحِهِ في البَقَائرِ الدَّثِرَهْ

Ah, how astonishing are my vile father and

Oh, the wonder of my wicked father and his

his roaming in threadbare sleeveless tunics!

Putrid brain inside a rubbish heap

يَحملُ رَأْساً تَنْبُو المعاوِلُ عنْ

يَحملُ رَأْساً تَنْبُو المعاوِلُ عنْ

صَفْحَتِهِ والجَلامِدُ الوَعِرَهْ

صَفْحَتِهِ والجَلامِدُ الوَعِرَهْ

He bears a head: pickaxes rebound from

Bearing a head which tools recoil from

its surface, and rugged boulders too.

And solid rocks avoid

لَوِ البِغَالُ الكُمْتُ ارْتَقَتْ سَنَداً

لَوِ البِغَالُ الكُمْتُ ارْتَقَتْ سَنَداً

فيهِ لَمدَّتْ قَوائِماً خَدِرَهْ

فيهِ لَمدَّتْ قَوائِماً خَدِرَهْ

Were the dark-bay mules to climb a slope

If plodding mules ascended his body

on it, they would stretch out numbed legs.

They would stretch out paralyzed legs

ومَا المَجانيقُ فيه مُغْنِيَةٌ

ومَا المَجانيقُ فيه مُغْنِيَةٌ

أَلْفٌ تَسَامَى وأَلْفُ مُنْكَدِرَهْ

أَلْفٌ تَسَامَى وأَلْفُ مُنْكَدِرَهْ

Nor are catapults of any use against it:

A thousand catapults could not help him

a thousand soaring, and a thousand plunging down.

Rising and falling again without effect

أُنْظُرْ إلى مَوْضعِ المَقَصِّ مِنَ الهَا

أُنْظُرْ إلى مَوْضعِ المَقَصِّ مِنَ الهَا

مَةِ تلكَ الصَّفيحةِ العَجِرَهْ

مَةِ تلكَ الصَّفيحةِ العَجِرَهْ

Look at where the shears go upon the

Look at the place of his skull blade

head—that knobbly slab.

That rough, coarse plate

فَلَوْ أَخَذْتُمْ لها المَطَارِقَ حَرَّا

فَلَوْ أَخَذْتُمْ لها المَطَارِقَ حَرَّا

نِيّةً صَنْعَةَ اليَدِ الخَبِرَهْ

نِيّةً صَنْعَةَ اليَدِ الخَبِرَهْ

Had you taken to it hammers from

If you took the hammers to it intensely

Harran, wrought by an expert hand,

With the skilled hand's artistry

إذاً لَرَاحَتْ أَكُفُّ جُلّتِهِمْ

إذاً لَرَاحَتْ أَكُفُّ جُلّتِهِمْ

كَلِيلَةً والأَداةُ مُنْكَسِرَهْ

كَلِيلَةً والأَداةُ مُنْكَسِرَهْ

then their finest men's palms would come away

Then the fists of his skull would go

wearied, and the tool shattered.

Shattered, and the tools smashed

كَمْ طَرَباتٍ أَفْسَدْتَهُنَّ وكَمْ

كَمْ طَرَباتٍ أَفْسَدْتَهُنَّ وكَمْ

صَفْوَةِ عَيْشٍ غَادَرْتَها كَدرَهْ

صَفْوَةِ عَيْشٍ غَادَرْتَها كَدرَهْ

How many raptures you have spoiled, and how much

How many happy times you have ruined

of life's clear sweetness you have left clouded!

And how much good living you have embittered

وكَمْ إذا ما رَأَوْكَ يا مَلَكَ الم

وكَمْ إذا ما رَأَوْكَ يا مَلَكَ الم

وتِ لهمْ مِنْ أَنامِلٍ خَصِرَهْ

وتِ لهمْ مِنْ أَنامِلٍ خَصِرَهْ

And how many—when they see you, O angel of

And how many, when they see you death's angel

death—are their cold-numb fingertips!

Clench their fingers in lament

وكَمْ لَهُمْ دَعْوَةٌ عليكَ وكَمْ

وكَمْ لَهُمْ دَعْوَةٌ عليكَ وكَمْ

قَذْفَةِ أَمٍّ شَنْعاءَ مُشْتَهِرَهْ

قَذْفَةِ أَمٍّ شَنْعاءَ مُشْتَهِرَهْ

And how many curses they have against you, and how many

And how many curses upon you, and how many

hideous, notorious slanders against a mother,

Vile, notorious mothers' stones are cast

كَرِيمَةٍ لُؤْمُكَ اسْتَخَفَّ بها

كَرِيمَةٍ لُؤْمُكَ اسْتَخَفَّ بها

ونالَها بالمَثَالِبِ الأَشِرَهْ

ونالَها بالمَثَالِبِ الأَشِرَهْ

a noble woman your baseness made light of

Noble woman, whom you toyed with

and stained with wanton vices.

And gained through the most evil treacheries

قِفُوا على رَحْلِهِ تَرَوْا عَجَباً

قِفُوا على رَحْلِهِ تَرَوْا عَجَباً

في الجَهْلِ يَحْكي طَرائِفَ البَصَرَهْ

في الجَهْلِ يَحْكي طَرائِفَ البَصَرَهْ

Stop at his dwelling; you will see a marvel

Stop at his luggage, you will see wonders

of ignorance, rivaling Basra's curiosities.

Describing the curiosities of Basra

يا كُلَّ مَنْيٍ وكُلَّ طالِعَةٍ

يا كُلَّ مَنْيٍ وكُلَّ طالِعَةٍ

نَحْسٍ ويا كُلَّ سَاعةٍ عَسِرَهْ

نَحْسٍ ويا كُلَّ سَاعةٍ عَسِرَهْ

O every doom, and every rising sign

O every loathsome star and every

of ill omen, and O every grievous hour!

Hour of ill luck and hardship

سُبْحانَ مَنْ يُمْسِكُ السّماءَ على ال

سُبْحانَ مَنْ يُمْسِكُ السّماءَ على ال

أرْض وفيها أَخْلاقُكَ القَذرَهْ

أرْض وفيها أَخْلاقُكَ القَذرَهْ

Glory to Him who holds the sky above the

Glory to Him who holds up the sky over

earth, with your filthy ways upon it!

The earth in which your foul morals exist