أَدم خلع العذار بِدون عُذر

أَدم خلع العذار بِدون عُذر

وَقُل يا لِلغَرام هَوايَ عُذري

وَقُل يا لِلغَرام هَوايَ عُذري

Keep casting off the bridle without excuse,

Adam shed his modesty without excuse

And say, “O love! My passion is my excuse.”

Say, "O for love's passion, my excuse!"

وَلُذ بِحِمى التَهتّك وَالتَصابي

وَلُذ بِحِمى التَهتّك وَالتَصابي

وَدَع مَن لا دَرى في الحُبّ يَدري

وَدَع مَن لا دَرى في الحُبّ يَدري

And seek refuge in the sanctuary of shameless abandon and youthful dalliance,

Indulge in the fever of dissolution and intimacy

And let whoever knew nothing of love learn.

And leave those who know not of love's ways to judge

وَطب نَفساً بِكُلّ رَشيق قَدٍّ

وَطب نَفساً بِكُلّ رَشيق قَدٍّ

وَلا تَعبأ بِكُلِّ رَفيع قَدرِ

وَلا تَعبأ بِكُلِّ رَفيع قَدرِ

And delight in every slender figure,

Gratify a soul with each delicious draft

And pay no heed to anyone of lofty rank.

And heed not each lofty dignity

وَفضّ خِتام كَأس العشق وَاِشرب

وَفضّ خِتام كَأس العشق وَاِشرب

بِأَقداح الصَبابة كُلّ خَمرِ

بِأَقداح الصَبابة كُلّ خَمرِ

And break the seal of love’s cup, and drink

Unseal the seal of the cup of passion and drink

Every wine from the goblets of longing.

Full drafts of wine, all sorts of wine

وَلا تسكر بِغَير مَدام عشق

وَلا تسكر بِغَير مَدام عشق

وَلا تَعشَق لِغَير مدام سكرِ

وَلا تَعشَق لِغَير مدام سكرِ

And grow drunk on nothing but the wine of love,

Intoxicate not but with love's wine

And love nothing but the wine of intoxication.

And love not but for intoxication's sake

وَلا تَشرَب سِوى صَهباء بكرٍ

وَلا تَشرَب سِوى صَهباء بكرٍ

تَجلّت كَالصبوح بِكَفّ بكرِ

تَجلّت كَالصبوح بِكَفّ بكرِ

And drink nothing but virgin, tawny wine,

Drink only the limpid white wine

Which shone forth like a morning draught in a virgin’s hand.

That shone like the morn in a virgin's palm

وَلا تَطرب بِغَير غِناء شادٍ

وَلا تَطرب بِغَير غِناء شادٍ

يَشيد بِناء كُلّ علىً وَفَخرِ

يَشيد بِناء كُلّ علىً وَفَخرِ

And find no delight except in a singer’s song,

Delight only in joyous singing

Who raises the edifice of all eminence and glory.

That extols each high and noble thing

وَلا تُطع الهَوى غيّاً فَتردى

وَلا تُطع الهَوى غيّاً فَتردى

كَما أَردى الهَوى حَملَ بن بَدرِ

كَما أَردى الهَوى حَملَ بن بَدرِ

And do not obey desire in error, lest you perish,

Obey not passion blindly, else you fall

As desire destroyed Hamal ibn Badr.

As passion caused Hammal ibn Badr to fall

وَلا تَشك الزَمان فكلُّ ذَنبٍ

وَلا تَشك الزَمان فكلُّ ذَنبٍ

جَناهُ بَنو الزَمان وَكُلُّ وزرِ

جَناهُ بَنو الزَمان وَكُلُّ وزرِ

And do not complain of time, for every sin

Blame not time, for every sin

Was committed by the sons of time, as was every offense.

Was wrought by time's sons, every burden theirs

وَكُلّ حَديث ذَمٍّ لَليالي

وَكُلّ حَديث ذَمٍّ لَليالي

حَديث خرافة يا أمَّ عَمرِو

حَديث خرافة يا أمَّ عَمرِو

And every account that blames the nights

All this talk dispraising nights

Is a tale of Khurafa, O Umm Amr.

Is idle talk, O mother of Amr!

لعمرك لَيسَ هَذا الأَمر إِلّا

لعمرك لَيسَ هَذا الأَمر إِلّا

مَقادير بِها الأَفلاك تجري

مَقادير بِها الأَفلاك تجري

By your life, this matter is nothing but

By your life, this is naught

Decrees by which the celestial spheres move.

But the planets' prescribed courses

فَأَحوال تَحلّ بكلّ حالٍ

فَأَحوال تَحلّ بكلّ حالٍ

وَساعات تمرّ بكلّ مرِّ

وَساعات تمرّ بكلّ مرِّ

So circumstances arise in every state,

So states come upon each state

And hours pass with every bitter trial.

And hours pass upon each passing

بِذا حكم الإله عَلى البَرايا

بِذا حكم الإله عَلى البَرايا

بِكُلّ مَكانة وَبكلّ عَصرِ

بِكُلّ مَكانة وَبكلّ عَصرِ

Thus God has decreed for creation,

Thus has God judged all creation

In every station and in every age.

In every rank and every age

وَتَسليم الأُمور عَلَيك حتم

وَتَسليم الأُمور عَلَيك حتم

لذي الإِحسان مالك كُلّ أَمرِ

لذي الإِحسان مالك كُلّ أَمرِ

And you are bound to surrender all affairs

And to submit all affairs to You is incumbent

To the Beneficent One, Master of every affair.

O You of kindness, Master of all command

فَكَم فَرجٍ أَنالك بَعدَ ضيقٍ

فَكَم فَرجٍ أَنالك بَعدَ ضيقٍ

وَكَم يُسرٍ أَفادك بَعد عُسرِ

وَكَم يُسرٍ أَفادك بَعد عُسرِ

For how often He has granted you relief after distress,

How much relief I gained from You after straitness

And how often He has bestowed ease upon you after hardship.

How much ease You granted after hardship

وَكَم كَربٍ ألمَّ بِليل خَطبٍ

وَكَم كَربٍ ألمَّ بِليل خَطبٍ

فَكانَ عِلاج دُمّلهِ بِفَجرِ

فَكانَ عِلاج دُمّلهِ بِفَجرِ

And how often anguish descended in a night of calamity,

How many woes afflicted in nights of calamity

Then the cure for its abscess came at dawn.

Then their cure came with dawn

تَفكّر بالأَمور وَكُن حَكيماً

تَفكّر بالأَمور وَكُن حَكيماً

وَإِلّا فاِقتصر عَن كُلّ فكرِ

وَإِلّا فاِقتصر عَن كُلّ فكرِ

Reflect on affairs, and be wise;

Consider matters and be wise

Otherwise, refrain from all thought.

Else refrain from all thought

وَدَع عَنكَ التَعَمُّق رُبَّ فكر

وَدَع عَنكَ التَعَمُّق رُبَّ فكر

بِبَعض الأَمر أنتج رَيب كفرِ

بِبَعض الأَمر أنتج رَيب كفرِ

And leave deep probing aside; many a thought

Leave off delving, much reflection

On some matter has bred unbelieving doubt.

On some matters breeds but disbelief

وَلا تَضجر إِذا ما كُنت حرّاً

وَلا تَضجر إِذا ما كُنت حرّاً

فَإِنّ الصَبر شيمة كُلّ حُرِّ

فَإِنّ الصَبر شيمة كُلّ حُرِّ

And do not fret if you are a free man,

Grumble not if you're free

For patience is the trait of every free man.

For patience is the trait of each freeman

وَمُرّ الصَبر ذقهُ تَجدهُ حُلواً

وَمُرّ الصَبر ذقهُ تَجدهُ حُلواً

وَرُبّ أَذىً تُعالجه بِصَبرِ

وَرُبّ أَذىً تُعالجه بِصَبرِ

And taste patience’s bitterness; you will find it sweet,

Bitter patience, taste it, and you'll find it sweet

And many a hurt you can treat with patience.

Many a hurt is cured by patience