1. The spring has left and the days have turned,
So farewell to spring and to time!
١. ذَهَبَ الصِّبَا وَتَوَلَّتِ الأَيَّامُ
فَعَلَى الصِّبَا وَعَلَى الزَّمَانِ سَلامُ
2. By God, I forget the pacts I lived,
For every pact has a fixed term.
٢. تَاللَّهِ أَنْسَى مَا حَيِيتُ عُهُودَهُ
وَلِكُلِّ عَهْدٍ فِي الْكِرَام ذِمَامُ
3. When we lived in luxurious ease
And sinned in the battlefield of passion.
٣. إِذ نَحْنُ فِي عَيْشٍ تَرِفُّ ظِلالُهُ
وَلَنَا بِمُعْتَرِك الْهَوَى آثَامُ
4. The goblet circulated between gatherings
Wherein were intimacy, union and binding.
٤. تَجْرِي عَلَيْنَا الْكَأْسُ بَيْنَ مَجَالِسٍ
فِيهَا السَّلامُ تَعَانُقٌ وَلِزَامُ
5. Among youths overwhelmed with bliss,
Whom esteem and respect made grow.
٥. فِي فِتْيَةٍ فَاضَ النَّعِيمُ عَلَيْهِمُ
وَنَمَاهُمُ التَّبْجِيلُ وَالإِعْظَامُ
6. The traits of kings left them, thus in
Their play there was no nonsense or haughtiness.
٦. ذَهَبَتْ بِهِمْ شِيَمُ الْمُلُوكِ فَلَيْسَ فِي
تَلْعَابِهِمْ هَذْرٌ وَلا إِبْرَامُ
7. They spoke not but the etiquette of love -
The generosity of soul in ordeal is nobility.
٧. لا يَنْطِقُونَ بِغَيْرِ آدَابِ الْهَوَى
سُمحُ النُّفُوسِ عَلَى الْبَلاءِ كِرَامُ
8. Eyes yearn for them in their deeds
And the people walk under their flags.
٨. مِنْ كُلِّ أَبْلَجَ يُسْتَضَاءُ بِنُورِهِ
كَالْبَدْرِ حَلَّى صَفْحَتَيْهِ غَمَامُ
9. So if he speaks the heads bow down
And if he calls to arms the ranks stand up.
٩. سَهْلُ الْخَلِيقَةِ لا يَسُوءُ جَلِيسَهُ
بَيْنَ الْمَقَامَةِ وَاضِحٌ بَسَّامُ
10. We sported and played in the green gardens,
None but our steeds roamed in them.
١٠. مُتَوَاضِعٌ لِلْقَوْمِ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّهُ
مَوْلىً لَهُمْ فِي الدَّارِ وَهْوَ هُمَامُ
11. Until we awoke when the spring had gone -
Lo, sweetness and spring are dreams.
١١. تَرْنُو الْعُيُونُ إِلَيْهِ فِي أَفْعَالِهِ
وَتَسِيرُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِهِ الأَقْوَامُ
12. Think not that life lasts for one living softly -
Alas, time has no permanence.
١٢. فَإِذَا تَكَلَّمَ فَالرُّؤُوسُ خَوَاضِعٌ
وَإِذَا تَنَاهَضَ فَالصُّفُوفُ قِيَامُ
13. The months come and their hours pass
Like mirage's gleam, and the years fade away,
١٣. نَلْهُو وَنَلْعَبُ بَيْنَ خُضْرِ حَدَائِقٍ
لَيْسَتْ بِغَيْرِ خُيُولِنَا تُسْتَامُ
14. While people between them come and go,
As the days flow by with them.
١٤. حَتَّى انْتَبَهْنَا بَعْدَ مَا ذَهَبَ الصِّبَا
إِنَّ اللَّذَاذَةَ وَالصِّبَا أَحْلامُ
15. No bird escapes nor clawed beast remains,
And the fate of life is annihilation.
١٥. لا تَحْسَبَنَّ الْعَيْشَ دَامَ لِمُتْرَفٍ
هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ دَوَامُ
16. So repel the worries of your soul when they afflict you
With the cup, for it is over worries a sword.
١٦. تَأْتِي الشُّهُورُ وَتَنْتَهِي سَاعَاتُهَا
لَمْعَ السَّرَابِ وَتَنْقَضِي الأَعْوَامُ
17. For life lasts not in its colors
Except when the goblet circulates round it.
١٧. وَالنَّاسُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَارِدٌ
أَوْ صَادِرٌ تَجْرِي بِهِ الأَيَّامُ
18. Of wine that leaves the aged when he gets intoxicated
After the flames of old age - but he is a lad.
١٨. لا طَائِرٌ يَنْجُو وَلا ذُو مِخْلَبٍ
يَبْقَى وَعَاقِبَةُ الْحَيَاة حِمَامُ
19. Time toyed with it and left its body
A wraith over which imaginations collapse.
١٩. فَادْرَأْ هُمُومَ النَّفْسِ عَنْكَ إِذَا اعْتَرَتْ
بِالْكَأْسِ فَهْيَ عَلَى الْهُمُومِ حُسَامُ
20. Red wine which lovers circulated and which formed
A firmament around which constellations revolve.
٢٠. فَالْعَيْشُ لَيْسَ يَدُومُ فِي أَلْوَانِهِ
إِلَّا إِذَا دَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْجَامُ
21. The eye goes not straight in its glitter
And feet slip when meeting it.
٢١. مِنْ خَمْرَةٍ تَذَرُ الْكَبِيرَ إِذَا انْتَشَى
بَعْدَ اشْتِعَالِ الشَّيْبِ وَهْوَ غُلامُ
22. The riders camp when its goblet glistens,
And when its light disappears they stop.
٢٢. لَعِبَ الزَّمَانُ بِهَا فَغَادَرَ جِسْمَهَا
شَبَحَاً تَهَافَتُ دُونَهُ الأَوْهَامُ
23. It was imprisoned in perfect musk -
Light upon which gloom did not descend.
٢٣. حَمْرَاءُ دَارَ بِهَا الْحَبَابُ فَصَوَّرَتْ
فَلَكاً تَحُفُّ سَمَاءَهُ الأَجْرَامُ
24. Till when it congealed and its essence evaporated,
And bodies could not bear it.
٢٤. لا تَسْتَقِيمُ الْعَيْنُ فِي لَمَعَانِهَا
وَتَزِلُّ عِنْدَ لِقَائِهَا الأَقْدَامُ
25. Its flammability kindled, so were it not for its blending
With water after water, flames would have ignited.
٢٥. تَعْشُو الرِّكَابُ فِإِنْ تَبَلَّجَ كَأْسُهَا
سَارُوا وَإِنْ زَالَ الضِّيَاءُ أَقَامُوا
26. It charms eyes with its light but is
A chill for its drinker and peace.
٢٦. حُبِسَتْ بِأَكْلَفَ لَمْ يَصِلْ لِفِنَائِهِ
نُورٌ وَلَمْ يَسْرَحْ عَلَيْهِ ظَلامُ
27. So by it polish the rust of worries and be not
A fool made dizzy by sorrows.
٢٧. حَتَّى إِذَا اصْطَفَقَتْ وَطَارَ فِدَامُهَا
وَثَبَتْ فَلَمْ تَثْبُتْ لَهَا الأَجْسَامُ
28. And know that no man lives forever
And that health and sickness are in time.
٢٨. وَقَدَتْ حِمَيَّتُهَا فَلَوْلا مَزْجُهَا
بِالْمَاءِ بَعْدَ الْمَاءِ شَبَّ ضِرَامُ
29. The youth pines all his life, and truly it
Is a disease to him, if balances be set right.
٢٩. تَسِمُ الْعُيُونَ بِنُورِهَا لَكِنَّهَا
بَرْدٌ عَلَى شُرَّابِهَا وَسَلامُ
30. So glance with your eye - do you see any nation
That lasted? And is there rest for a wayfarer?
٣٠. فَاصْقُلْ بِهَا صَدْأَ الْهُمُومِ وَلا تَكُنْ
غِرّاً تَطِيشُ بِلُبِّهِ الآلامُ
31. These cities - after their order their people left them,
And these pyramids - and they became ruins.
٣١. وَاعْلَمُ بِأَنَّ الْمَرْءَ لَيْسَ بِخَالِدٍ
وَالدَّهْرُ فِيهِ صِحَّةٌ وَسَقَامُ
32. Naught lasts but the deception
In fate over which dreams stumble.
٣٢. يَهْوَى الْفَتَى طُولَ الْحَيَاةِ وَإِنَّهَا
دَاءٌ لَهُ لَوْ يَسْتَبِينُ عُقَامُ
33. And I had realized matters through others
And reversal and decree came upon me.
٣٣. فَاطْمَحْ بِطَرْفِكَ هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ أُمَّةٍ
خَلَدَتْ وَهَلْ لاِبْنِ السَّبِيلِ مُقَامُ
34. So silence is motion and dimness
Burning, and silence - speech.
٣٤. هَذِي الْمَدَائِنُ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا
بَعْدَ النِّظَامِ وَهَذِهِ الأَهْرَامُ
35. And life - no life - passed away,
By which bodies live, and it is ruin.
٣٥. لا شَيءَ يَخْلُدُ غَيْرَ أَنَّ خَدِيعَةً
فِي الدَّهْرِ تَنْكُلُ دُونَهَا الأَحْلامُ
36. This changes and that departs against its will,
So at times harmony and at times discord.
٣٦. وَلَقَدْ تَبَيَّنْتُ الأُمُورَ بِغَيْرِهَا
وَأَتَى عَلَيَّ النَّقْضُ وَالإِبْرَامُ
37. And light - had you explained your matter clearly - is darkness,
And the beginning - had you reflected on it - is the end.
٣٧. فَإِذَا السُّكُونُ تَحَرُّكٌ وَإِذَا الْخُمُو
دُ تَلَهُّبٌ وَإِذَا السُّكُوتُ كَلامُ
٣٨. وَإِذَا الْحَيَاةُ وَلا حَيَاةَ مَنِيَّةٌ
تَحْيَا بِهَا الأَجْسَادُ وَهْيَ رِمَامُ
٣٩. هَذَا يَحُلُّ وَذَاكَ يَرْحَلُ كَارِهَاً
عَنْهُ فَصُلْحٌ تَارَةً وَخِصَامُ
٤٠. فَالنُّورُ لَوْ بَيَّنْتَ أَمْرَكَ ظُلْمَةٌ
وَالْبَدْءُ لَوْ فَكَّرْتَ فِيهِ خِتَامُ