لي في التَصابي وَاللَهوِ حاجاتُ

لي في التَصابي وَاللَهوِ حاجاتُ

لَيسَ لِقَلبي مِنهُنَّ إِفلاتُ

لَيسَ لِقَلبي مِنهُنَّ إِفلاتُ

I have desires for youthful dalliance and amusement;

I have desires for revelry and play,

My heart has no escape from them.

My heart cannot escape from them,

كَم تَوبَةٍ قَد فَضَضتُ خاتَمَها

كَم تَوبَةٍ قَد فَضَضتُ خاتَمَها

عَنّي وَلِلتائِبينَ رَجعاتُ

عَنّي وَلِلتائِبينَ رَجعاتُ

How many a repentance have I broken the seal of,

How many times have I torn off the seal of repentance,

casting it off myself—and penitents have their relapses.

Only for repentants to relapse,

فَاِشرَب غَداةَ النَيروزِ صافِيَةً

فَاِشرَب غَداةَ النَيروزِ صافِيَةً

أَيّامُها في السُرورِ ساعاتُ

أَيّامُها في السُرورِ ساعاتُ

So drink clear wine on the morning of Nowruz;

So drink on Nayrouz morning the pure wine,

Its days amid joy are but hours.

Its days are hours of joy,

قَد ظَهَرَ الجِنُّ بِالنَهارِ لَنا

قَد ظَهَرَ الجِنُّ بِالنَهارِ لَنا

مِنهُم صُنوفٌ مُردٌ عَتِيّاتُ

مِنهُم صُنوفٌ مُردٌ عَتِيّاتُ

The jinn have appeared to us in daylight;

Jinn have appeared to us in daylight,

Among them are beardless, unruly groups.

Among them unruly, obstinate types,

تَميلُ في رَقصِهِم قُدودُهُم

تَميلُ في رَقصِهِم قُدودُهُم

كَما تَأَنَّت في الريحِ سَرواتُ

كَما تَأَنَّت في الريحِ سَرواتُ

Their figures sway as they dance,

Their slender waists sway,

As cypresses sway languidly in the wind.

As palm trees gently bend in the wind,

وَرُكِّبَ القُبحُ فَوقَ حُسنُهُمُ

وَرُكِّبَ القُبحُ فَوقَ حُسنُهُمُ

فَفي سَماجاتِهِم مَلاحاتُ

فَفي سَماجاتِهِم مَلاحاتُ

And ugliness was laid over their beauty;

Ugliness is mounted on their beauty,

So in their ungainliness there are charms.

So in their allurements are coquetries.