Umar Ibn al-Farid (1181-1235)
Translation by Martin Lings

Rememb’ring the belovèd, wine we drink
Which drunk had made us ere the vine’s creation…
They tell me: “Thou hast drunk iniquity”.
Not so, I have but drunk what not to drink
Would be for me iniquitous indeed.

Listen to the poem translation, read by Guy Ogilvy for the Matheson Trust:

Or click below to download or listen to the Arabic recitation:

• Click here for a bilingual PDF of the poem

Originally published by the Islamic Texts Society, and reproduced here by kind permission. With thanks to Adilko Hilly for the Sudanese audio recording.

This library item is part of our Mystical Poetry Collection.