أَطَعْتُ الْغَيَّ فِي حُبِّ الْغَوَانِي

أَطَعْتُ الْغَيَّ فِي حُبِّ الْغَوَانِي

وَلَمْ أَحْفِلْ مَقَالَةَ مَنْ نَهَانِي

وَلَمْ أَحْفِلْ مَقَالَةَ مَنْ نَهَانِي

I obeyed waywardness in loving fair women,

I obeyed passion in loving the beautiful maidens,

And paid no heed to the words of those who dissuaded me.

And cared not for the words of those who reproached me.

وَمَا لِي لا أَهيمُ وَكُلُّ شَهْمٍ

وَمَا لِي لا أَهيمُ وَكُلُّ شَهْمٍ

بِحُبِّ الْغِيدِ مَشْغُوفُ الْجَنَانِ

بِحُبِّ الْغِيدِ مَشْغُوفُ الْجَنَانِ

Why should I not be love-struck, when every gallant man

Why should I not be madly in love, when every youth

Has a heart enthralled by love of graceful women?

Is love-sick for the black-eyed gazelle.

وَلِي فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ مَجَالُ لَهْوٍ

وَلِي فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ مَجَالُ لَهْوٍ

تَنَالُ يَدِي بِهِ عَقْدَ الرِّهَانِ

تَنَالُ يَدِي بِهِ عَقْدَ الرِّهَانِ

At forty, I still have scope for pleasure,

In my forties I still indulge in play and fun

Where my hand can claim the wager's stakes.

Grasping the wine-cup and staking my wager.

فَكَيْفَ أَذُودُ عَنْ نَفْسِي غَرَامَاً

فَكَيْفَ أَذُودُ عَنْ نَفْسِي غَرَامَاً

تَضَيَّفَ مُهْجَتِي بِاسْمِ الْحِسَانِ

تَضَيَّفَ مُهْجَتِي بِاسْمِ الْحِسَانِ

How, then, can I drive from myself a passion

How can I protect myself from a love

That has come as a guest to my heart in the name of fair women?

That has lodged in my soul like a most cherished guest?

أَبَحْتُ لَهُ الْفُؤَادَ فَعَاثَ فِيهِ

أَبَحْتُ لَهُ الْفُؤَادَ فَعَاثَ فِيهِ

وَحَقُّ الضَّيْفِ إِعْزَازُ الْمَكَانِ

وَحَقُّ الضَّيْفِ إِعْزَازُ الْمَكَانِ

I opened my heart to it, and it ran riot there,

I laid bare my heart to him, and he made free in it,

And a guest is entitled to an honored dwelling.

For the due right of a guest is to honor his lodging.

فَدَعْنِي مِنْ مَلامِكَ إِنَّ قَلْبِي

فَدَعْنِي مِنْ مَلامِكَ إِنَّ قَلْبِي

أَبِيٌّ لا يَقُرُّ عَلَى الْهَوَانِ

أَبِيٌّ لا يَقُرُّ عَلَى الْهَوَانِ

So spare me your reproach, for my heart

Spare me your blame, for my heart

Is proud and will not submit to humiliation.

Is too proud to settle for humiliation.

فَمَا بِالْحُبِّ عَارٌ أَتَّقِيهِ

فَمَا بِالْحُبِّ عَارٌ أَتَّقِيهِ

وَإِنْ أَخْنَى عَلَى دَمْعِي زَمَانِي

وَإِنْ أَخْنَى عَلَى دَمْعِي زَمَانِي

For there is no shame in love for me to shun,

What shame is there in love that I should fear it

Even though my days have ravaged my tears.

Even if my days should weep for me?

رَضِيتُ مِنَ الْهَوَى بِنُحُولِ جِسْمِي

رَضِيتُ مِنَ الْهَوَى بِنُحُولِ جِسْمِي

وَمِنْ صِلَةِ الْبَخِيلَةِ بِالأَمَانِي

وَمِنْ صِلَةِ الْبَخِيلَةِ بِالأَمَانِي

I am content to take from love my body's wasting,

I am content with the leanness of my body

And, instead of the withholding woman's favors, mere wishes.

And the miserliness of my hopes.

وَلَسْتُ بِطَالِبٍ فِي النَّاسِ خِلاً

وَلَسْتُ بِطَالِبٍ فِي النَّاسِ خِلاً

يُنَاصِحُنِي فَعَقْلِي قَدْ كَفَانِي

يُنَاصِحُنِي فَعَقْلِي قَدْ كَفَانِي

Nor do I seek among people a friend

I do not seek an intimate among people to advise me

To counsel me sincerely; my reason has sufficed me.

For my own reason suffices to guide me.

فَإِنْ يَكُنِ الْهَوَى قَدْ رَاضَ نَفْسِي

فَإِنْ يَكُنِ الْهَوَى قَدْ رَاضَ نَفْسِي

فَلَسْتُ لِغَيْرِهِ سَلِسَ الْعِنَانِ

فَلَسْتُ لِغَيْرِهِ سَلِسَ الْعِنَانِ

For if love has indeed tamed my soul,

If passion has pleased my soul,

I yield the reins to nothing else.

I do not easily put the reins in another's hands.

أَشَدُّ مِنَ الصُّخُورِ الصُّمِّ قَلْبِي

أَشَدُّ مِنَ الصُّخُورِ الصُّمِّ قَلْبِي

وَأَرْهَفُ مِنْ شَبَا سَيْفِي لِسَانِي

وَأَرْهَفُ مِنْ شَبَا سَيْفِي لِسَانِي

My heart is harder than solid rocks,

My heart is harder than rocks,

And my tongue is keener than the edge of my sword.

My tongue sharper than an Indian sword.

وَلَوْ كَانَ الْغَرَامُ يَخَافُ بَأْسَاً

وَلَوْ كَانَ الْغَرَامُ يَخَافُ بَأْسَاً

أَمَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ كَفِّي بِالسنَانِ

أَمَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ كَفِّي بِالسنَانِ

And if passion feared martial might,

And if love feared violence

I would turn my hand against it with the spearhead.

I would confront it with my right hand and spear.

فَكَمْ بَطَلٍ خَضَبْتُ الأَرْضَ مِنْهُ

فَكَمْ بَطَلٍ خَضَبْتُ الأَرْضَ مِنْهُ

بِأَحْمَرَ مِنْ دَمِ التَّأْمُورِ قَانِي

بِأَحْمَرَ مِنْ دَمِ التَّأْمُورِ قَانِي

I have dyed the earth with many a champion's blood,

How many champions have I felled,

Deep crimson drawn from the blood of his heart.

Dyeing the ground red with their blood?

وَمَا أَنَا بِالذَّلِيلِ أَرَدْتُ خَتْلاً

وَمَا أَنَا بِالذَّلِيلِ أَرَدْتُ خَتْلاً

وَلَكِنِّي أَزِفُّ إِلَى الطِّعَانِ

وَلَكِنِّي أَزِفُّ إِلَى الطِّعَانِ

Nor am I an abject man intent on guile;

It is not because I am cowardly that I sue for peace,

Rather, I hasten to spear combat.

Rather it is my way to dash into the fray.

وَلِي فِي سَرْنَسُوفَ مَقَامُ صِدْقٍ

وَلِي فِي سَرْنَسُوفَ مَقَامُ صِدْقٍ

أَقَرَّ بِهِ إِلَيَّ الْخَافِقَانِ

أَقَرَّ بِهِ إِلَيَّ الْخَافِقَانِ

And at Sarnasuf mine was an honorable stand,

In love I have a steadfast, faithful station

Which East and West alike have acknowledged in my favor.

To which beating hearts draw near.

وَمَا أَبْقَتْ بِهِ الأَشْوَاقُ مِنِّي

وَمَا أَبْقَتْ بِهِ الأَشْوَاقُ مِنِّي

سِوَى رَمَقٍ تَجُولُ بِهِ الأَمَانِي

سِوَى رَمَقٍ تَجُولُ بِهِ الأَمَانِي

And there, longings have left of me

Of me the longings have left

Only a flicker of life in which wishes wander.

Only a breath on which hopes wander.

وَيَسْلُبُ أَنْفُسَ الأَبْطَالِ سَيْفِي

وَيَسْلُبُ أَنْفُسَ الأَبْطَالِ سَيْفِي

وَتَسْلُبُ مُهْجَتِي حَدَقُ الْحِسَانِ

وَتَسْلُبُ مُهْجَتِي حَدَقُ الْحِسَانِ

And my sword steals the lives of champions,

My sword robs the souls of heroes

And the eyes of fair women steal my soul.

While eyes of gazelles rob my soul.

فَلَوْ بَرَزَ الْحِمَامُ إِلَيَّ شَخْصَاً

فَلَوْ بَرَزَ الْحِمَامُ إِلَيَّ شَخْصَاً

دَلَفْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِالسَّيْفِ الْيَمَانِي

دَلَفْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِالسَّيْفِ الْيَمَانِي

Then, if death were to appear before me in bodily form,

If the driver came out to face me

I would advance upon it with my Yemeni sword.

I would rush at him with my Yemeni sword!