يا طالِباً منْ جارِهِ إسْكَرْفَجا

يا طالِباً منْ جارِهِ إسْكَرْفَجا

هَذا يُخَبِّرُ أن جوعَكَ فاجَا

هَذا يُخَبِّرُ أن جوعَكَ فاجَا

O you who ask your neighbor for iskarfaj,

O seeker from his neighbor a drink

this reveals that your hunger has burst forth.

This tells your hunger has flared

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ تَداوِياً

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ تَداوِياً

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ ترَكْتَ عِلاجا

ويَدُلُّ أنّكَ قدْ ترَكْتَ عِلاجا

And it shows that you have cast aside medical care,

And indicates you've abandoned remedy

and it shows that you have abandoned treatment,

And indicates you've neglected treatment

وكَلِفْتَ بالمَمْلوكِ تؤثِرُ أكْلَهُ

وكَلِفْتَ بالمَمْلوكِ تؤثِرُ أكْلَهُ

أبَداً وتَرْفُضُ صِحّةً ومِزاجا

أبَداً وتَرْفُضُ صِحّةً ومِزاجا

and become enamored of al-mamluk, preferring to eat it

And tasked the slave, preferring his food

always, spurning health and bodily balance.

Forever, and refused health and balance

خَفْ منْ غِذاءٍ غَيْرِ مُعْتَدِلِ القُوى

خَفْ منْ غِذاءٍ غَيْرِ مُعْتَدِلِ القُوى

واحْذَرْ طَعاماً يُفْسِدُ الأمْشاجا

واحْذَرْ طَعاماً يُفْسِدُ الأمْشاجا

Fear food whose properties are unbalanced,

Fear food not moderate in strength

and beware food that corrupts the humors.

And beware a meal that spoils the temperament

هَيْهاتَ تعْتَبِرُ الهِجاءَ طَبيعةً

هَيْهاتَ تعْتَبِرُ الهِجاءَ طَبيعةً

في خِيسِها أسَدُ الخَساسةِ هاجَا

في خِيسِها أسَدُ الخَساسةِ هاجَا

Little hope that such a nature will heed satire—

Alas, you don't consider railing as nature

in its thicket the lion of baseness has raged.

In its vileness, the lion of meanness roared

والمرءُ منْ فَمِهِ يُصابُ وفَرْجِهِ

والمرءُ منْ فَمِهِ يُصابُ وفَرْجِهِ

فيَعودُ مَوْرِدُهُ الشّرُوبُ أُجاجا

فيَعودُ مَوْرِدُهُ الشّرُوبُ أُجاجا

A person is afflicted through his mouth and his genitals,

And man is struck by his mouth and loins

so his drinkable spring turns briny.

So his resort is the bitter drinks

فكأنّني بكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ مُهَرْقِماً

فكأنّني بكَ قدْ نَبَذْتَ مُهَرْقِماً

وقَصَدْتَ في أعْقابِهِ سَفّاجا

وقَصَدْتَ في أعْقابِهِ سَفّاجا

So it is as though I see you having discarded Muharqim,

It's as if you've cast off the wise one

and sought a fritter-seller in his wake,

And headed in his wake the reckless one

وصَحِبْتَ جَزّاراً للَحْمٍ طيّبٍ

وصَحِبْتَ جَزّاراً للَحْمٍ طيّبٍ

وخَدَمْتَ غيرَ مُقَصِّرٍ دَجّاجا

وخَدَمْتَ غيرَ مُقَصِّرٍ دَجّاجا

and befriended a butcher for fine meat,

And befriended a butcher of fine meat

and served a poultry-seller without slackening,

And served the untiring poultryman

وفَتَحْتَ بابَ الزّرْدِ تُدْخِلُهُ اللّهَا

وفَتَحْتَ بابَ الزّرْدِ تُدْخِلُهُ اللّهَا

في دينِ كُلِّ نَهامَةٍ أفْواجا

في دينِ كُلِّ نَهامَةٍ أفْواجا

and opened the gate of gorging, ushering uvulas through it

And opened the door of dissipation to let in

into the creed of utter gluttony, in throngs,

Into the religion of every greedy pack

وبَلَعْتَ كالكَبّونِ فَضْلَ عَصيدَةٍ

وبَلَعْتَ كالكَبّونِ فَضْلَ عَصيدَةٍ

وشرِبْتَ منْ ماءِ العَصيرِ مجاجا

وشرِبْتَ منْ ماءِ العَصيرِ مجاجا

and swallowed leftover porridge like a capon,

And swallowed like a gulper the excess gruel

and drank spittle from the pressed juice.

And drank from the water of vinegar undiluted

وغَدَوْتَ كالحُبْلَى جَنينُك خَرْيَةٌ

وغَدَوْتَ كالحُبْلَى جَنينُك خَرْيَةٌ

تأتي بها عِنْدَ الصّباحِ خِداجا

تأتي بها عِنْدَ الصّباحِ خِداجا

And you have become like a pregnant woman: your fetus is a turd,

And became like a pregnant woman whose fetus is waste

which you deliver in the morning, prematurely.

That comes to her in the morning rotten