أَيُّها القائِلُ غَيرَ الصَوابِ

أَيُّها القائِلُ غَيرَ الصَوابِ

أَمسِكِ النُصحَ وَأَقلِل عِتابي

أَمسِكِ النُصحَ وَأَقلِل عِتابي

O you who speak what is wrong,

O you who speak wrongly,

Withhold your advice, and reproach me less.

Hold your advice and lessen your rebuke,

وَاِجتَنِبني وَاِعلَم بِأَن سَوفَ تُعصى

وَاِجتَنِبني وَاِعلَم بِأَن سَوفَ تُعصى

وَلَخَيرٌ لَكَ بَعضُ اِجتِنابي

وَلَخَيرٌ لَكَ بَعضُ اِجتِنابي

And avoid me, and know that you will be disobeyed;

And avoid me, and know that you will be disobeyed,

Keeping some distance from me is surely better for you.

And it is better for you to avoid me somewhat.

إِن تَقُل نُصحاً فَعَن ظَهرِ غِشٍّ

إِن تَقُل نُصحاً فَعَن ظَهرِ غِشٍّ

دائِمِ الغِمرِ بَعيدِ الذَهابِ

دائِمِ الغِمرِ بَعيدِ الذَهابِ

If you offer counsel, it is backed by deceit,

If you give advice hypocritically,

Of enduring rancor, far from fading away.

Always being drunk, far from understanding,

لَيسَ بي عِيٌّ بِما قُلتَ إِنّي

لَيسَ بي عِيٌّ بِما قُلتَ إِنّي

عالِمٌ أَفقَهُ رَجعَ الجَوابِ

عالِمٌ أَفقَهُ رَجعَ الجَوابِ

I am not at a loss over what you said; I am

There is no fault in me for what you said, I

Well aware, and understand how to answer back.

Am a knowledgeable one, comprehending the answer.

إِنَّما قُرَّةُ عَيني هَواها

إِنَّما قُرَّةُ عَيني هَواها

فَدَعِ اللَومَ وَكِلني لِما بي

فَدَعِ اللَومَ وَكِلني لِما بي

My eye's delight is love for her alone.

The delight of my eye is its passion,

So leave off blame, and leave me to what ails me.

So leave the blame and leave me to what is in me.

لا تَلُمني في الرَبابِ وَأَمسَت

لا تَلُمني في الرَبابِ وَأَمسَت

عَدَلَت لِلنَفسِ بَردَ الشَرابِ

عَدَلَت لِلنَفسِ بَردَ الشَرابِ

Do not blame me over al-Rabab; she has become

Do not blame me for the wine, and evening

The equal, to the soul, of a drink's coolness.

Came, cooling drink appealed to the soul.

هِيَ وَاللَهِ الَّذي هُوَ رَبّي

هِيَ وَاللَهِ الَّذي هُوَ رَبّي

صادِقاً أَحلِفُ غَيرَ الكِذابِ

صادِقاً أَحلِفُ غَيرَ الكِذابِ

She—by God, who is my Lord,

By God, who is my Lord, truthfully

I swear truthfully, without falsehood—

I swear, not lying.

أَكرَمُ الأَحياءِ طُرّاً عَلَينا

أَكرَمُ الأَحياءِ طُرّاً عَلَينا

عِندَ قُربٍ مِنهُمُ وَاِغتِرابِ

عِندَ قُربٍ مِنهُمُ وَاِغتِرابِ

Is the most honored of all the living in our eyes,

The most generous people, a comfort upon us

Whether near them or far away.

When near them and when distant from them.

لَقِيَتنا في الطَوافِ وَصَدَّت

لَقِيَتنا في الطَوافِ وَصَدَّت

إِذ رَأَت هَجري لَها وَاِجتِنابي

إِذ رَأَت هَجري لَها وَاِجتِنابي

She met us during the circumambulation and turned away,

I met her circumambulating and she turned away

When she saw how I forsook her and kept away.

When she saw my estrangement and avoidance.

عاتَبَتني ساعَةً وَهيَ تَبكي

عاتَبَتني ساعَةً وَهيَ تَبكي

ثُمَّ عَزَّت خُلَّتي في الخِطابِ

ثُمَّ عَزَّت خُلَّتي في الخِطابِ

She reproached me for a while, weeping;

She reproached me a moment, crying,

Then my beloved prevailed in the argument.

Then my friend strengthened her address.

وَكَفا بي مِدرَهاً لِخُصومٍ

وَكَفا بي مِدرَهاً لِخُصومٍ

لَسِواها عِندَ جِدَّ تَنابي

لَسِواها عِندَ جِدَّ تَنابي

And I am advocate enough against opponents—

And it is enough for me as a lesson for opponents

Other than her, when my estrangement is in earnest.

Unlike her when my repentance was sincere.