وَمَجلِسٍ ضَمَّني وَشَخصاً

وَمَجلِسٍ ضَمَّني وَشَخصاً

ضَمَّ إِلى خِسَّةٍ سُقوطا

ضَمَّ إِلى خِسَّةٍ سُقوطا

And a gathering brought me together with a man

A gathering enclosed me and a person

who added degradation to baseness.

Who clung to vileness out of downfall

فَعادَ صَفوُ المُدامِ فينا

فَعادَ صَفوُ المُدامِ فينا

دَماً بِأَخلاقِهِ عَبيطا

دَماً بِأَخلاقِهِ عَبيطا

So the clear wine among us turned

So the wine’s essence in us returned

to fresh blood because of his manners.

Blood with morals most vile

وَعِندَنا قَينَةٌ وَجدِنا

وَعِندَنا قَينَةٌ وَجدِنا

في وَجهِها لِلهَوى شُروطا

في وَجهِها لِلهَوى شُروطا

And with us was a singing-girl; we found

We had a maiden and we found

in her face the prerequisites for love.

In her face for love conditions

خَمَشتُها فَاِستَحالَ لَوناً

خَمَشتُها فَاِستَحالَ لَوناً

وَكادَ بِالغَيظِ أَن يَشيطا

وَكادَ بِالغَيظِ أَن يَشيطا

I scratched her, and he changed color,

I teased her so her complexion changed

and nearly burned up with rage.

And was enraged to the point of frenzy

ما ساءَهُ ما فَعَلتُ إِلّا

ما ساءَهُ ما فَعَلتُ إِلّا

لِأَنَّهُ لَم يَكُن وَسيطا

لِأَنَّهُ لَم يَكُن وَسيطا

What I did displeased him only

He was not pleased by what I did

because he was not the go-between.

Just because he wasn’t the intermediary