أَنا لِلرَحمَنِ عاصي

أَنا لِلرَحمَنِ عاصي

لِجُنوني بِرُخاصِ

لِجُنوني بِرُخاصِ

I am disobedient to the All-Merciful,

I disobey the Most Merciful

because of my madness for Rukhāṣ;

Due to my madness and cheapness

ثُمَّ للنّاسِ جَميعاً

ثُمَّ للنّاسِ جَميعاً

مِن أَدانٍ وَأَقاصي

مِن أَدانٍ وَأَقاصي

then to all people,

Then to all people

both near and far.

Both near and far

وَرُخاصِ الكَرخِ ظَبيٌ

وَرُخاصِ الكَرخِ ظَبيٌ

لَم أَنَل مِنهُ اِفتِراصي

لَم أَنَل مِنهُ اِفتِراصي

And Rukhāṣ of al-Karkh is a gazelle;

Cheapness of youth, a gazelle

I have found no chance to seize it.

I could not hunt it down

وَلَقَد طالَ بأَبوا

وَلَقَد طالَ بأَبوا

بِ الخُرَيمِيِّ اِقتِصاصي

بِ الخُرَيمِيِّ اِقتِصاصي

And long, indeed, at the doors

And I have longed in the dwellings

of al-Khuraymī, has my pursuit lasted,

Of Al-Khureymi for revenge

طَمَعاً في صَيدِ ظَبيٍ

طَمَعاً في صَيدِ ظَبيٍ

ذي شِماسٍ وَمِلاصِ

ذي شِماسٍ وَمِلاصِ

in hope of catching a gazelle

Hoping to hunt a gazelle

skittish and elusive.

With beauty and softness

صَيدُهُ أَعسَرُ مِن صَي

صَيدُهُ أَعسَرُ مِن صَي

دِ الضَواري وَالقِلاصِ

دِ الضَواري وَالقِلاصِ

Catching it is harder than hunting

Hunting it is harder than hunting

beasts of prey and young she-camels.

Predators and hunters

يا رُخاصٌ يا رُخاصَ ال

يا رُخاصٌ يا رُخاصَ ال

كَرخِ يا ذاتَ العِقاصِ

كَرخِ يا ذاتَ العِقاصِ

O Rukhāṣ, O Rukhāṣ of

O gazelle, O gazelle of youth, O owner of splendor

al-Karkh, you with the braids,

And folds like shining hills in plain view

وَالثَنايا الغُرِّ كَالبَر

وَالثَنايا الغُرِّ كَالبَر

قِ تَلالا في النشاصِ

قِ تَلالا في النشاصِ

and gleaming white front teeth like lightning

Then a rump like palm trees

flashing in towering clouds;

And innards of perfect form

ثُمَّ رِدفٍ كَنَقا الرَم

ثُمَّ رِدفٍ كَنَقا الرَم

لِ وَأَحشاءٍ خِماصِ

لِ وَأَحشاءٍ خِماصِ

then a rump like a dune of sand,

I am steadfast in preferring you

and a slender midriff.

I profess and pursue

أَنا في تَفضيلِكِ الدَه

أَنا في تَفضيلِكِ الدَه

رَ أُلاحى وَأُناصي

رَ أُلاحى وَأُناصي

I, for preferring you, all my days

I do not care who berates me

face quarrels and seize forelocks.

For you or seeks to belittle me

ما أُبالي مَن لَحاني

ما أُبالي مَن لَحاني

فيكِ أَو رامَ اِنتِقاصي

فيكِ أَو رامَ اِنتِقاصي

I care nothing for whoever reproaches me

You have tormented my soul

over you, or seeks to belittle me.

So when will I be saved from you

وَلَقَد عَذَّبتِ روحي

وَلَقَد عَذَّبتِ روحي

فَمَتى مِنكِ خَلاصي

فَمَتى مِنكِ خَلاصي

You have indeed tormented my soul:

So I fear the Most Merciful regarding us

so when shall I be free of you?

And beware of the day of requital

فَأَتَّقي الرَحمَنَ فينا

فَأَتَّقي الرَحمَنَ فينا

وَاِحذَري يَومَ القِصاصِ

وَاِحذَري يَومَ القِصاصِ

So fear the All-Merciful in our affair,

A scene where feet are held accountable

and beware the Day of Retribution,

And forelocks seized

مَشهَداً يُؤخَذُ بِالأَق

مَشهَداً يُؤخَذُ بِالأَق

دامِ فيهِ وَالنَواصي

دامِ فيهِ وَالنَواصي

a scene where one is seized by the feet

They asked me about the poets of mankind

and, there, by the forelocks.

Did they dive into deep waters

سائِلي عَن شُعَراءِ الناسِ

سائِلي عَن شُعَراءِ الناسِ

هَل غاصوا مَغاصي

هَل غاصوا مَغاصي

Ask about the poets among people:

I said poetry that would make the deaf hear

have they dived to my depths?

From the top of their heads

قُلتُ شِعراً يُنزِلُ الأَع

قُلتُ شِعراً يُنزِلُ الأَع

صَمَ مِن رَأسِ الصِياصي

صَمَ مِن رَأسِ الصِياصي

I have uttered verse that brings the white-footed ibex down

And singing girls enticers

from the tops of the strongholds.

Passionate about possessing me

وَالغَواني مُغوِياتٌ

وَالغَواني مُغوِياتٌ

مولَعاتٌ بِاِقتِناصي

مولَعاتٌ بِاِقتِناصي

And the beautiful women are seductresses,

We have pledged our love to each other

eager to capture me.

How excellent such a pact

قَد تَواصَينا بِحُبّي

قَد تَواصَينا بِحُبّي

حَبَّذا ذاكَ التَواصي

حَبَّذا ذاكَ التَواصي

We have urged one another to love me—

And a gentle, cheerful drinking companion

how fine that mutual urging!

Clear of face though disobedient

وَنَديمٍ أَريحِيٍّ

وَنَديمٍ أَريحِيٍّ

واضَحِ الوَجهِ مُعاصي

واضَحِ الوَجهِ مُعاصي

And a generous drinking companion,

A Qurashi from the tribe of Abd Manaf

bright of face and defiant,

Among the allies

قُرَشِيٍّ مِن بَني عَب

قُرَشِيٍّ مِن بَني عَب

دِ مَنافٍ في العناصي

دِ مَنافٍ في العناصي

a Qurayshi from Banū ʿAbd

Freely spending without hesitation or stinginess

Manāf, among their foremost nobles,

Destroying wealth in pleasures, fearing requital

باذِلٍ في الخَيرِ لا يَن

باذِلٍ في الخَيرِ لا يَن

ظُرُ مِنهُ في اِرتِخاصِ

ظُرُ مِنهُ في اِرتِخاصِ

lavish in good works, never looking

She and he were given to drink

to economize on them,

By a splendorous cupbearer

مُهلِكِ الأَموالِ في الْ

مُهلِكِ الأَموالِ في الْ

لَذاتِ مَخشِيِّ القِصاصِ

لَذاتِ مَخشِيِّ القِصاصِ

squandering wealth on

From flasks of pressed grapes

pleasures, feared for his retribution—

Not flasks of lead

قَد سَقَتني وَسَقَتهُ

قَد سَقَتني وَسَقَتهُ

قَينَةٌ ذاتُ عِقاصِ

قَينَةٌ ذاتُ عِقاصِ

indeed, she has given me and him drink—

And with us the darkest cheeked one

a singing girl with braids—

Like an Abyssinian with filed teeth

في أَباريقِ لُجَينٍ

في أَباريقِ لُجَينٍ

لا أَباريقِ رَصاصِ

لا أَباريقِ رَصاصِ

in ewers of silver,

That is from disobeying Allah and my indulgence in sins

not ewers of lead.

وَلَدَينا أَدكَنُ الجِل

وَلَدَينا أَدكَنُ الجِل

دَةِ كَالزِنجِيِّ شاصي

دَةِ كَالزِنجِيِّ شاصي

And with us is one dark of skin,

like a Zanj man, standing erect.

ذاكَ مِن مَعصِيَةِ ال

ذاكَ مِن مَعصِيَةِ ال

لاَهِ وَهَمّي في المَعاصي

لاَهِ وَهَمّي في المَعاصي

That is disobedience to

God, and my mind is set on sins.