1. O my sweetness, had you flirted with me
Before my hair turned white, you would have seen wonders!
١. يا حُلْوتي لو كُنْتِ غازَلْتِني
قَبْلَ مَشِيبي لَرَأَيْتِ العُجابْ!
2. I would have surrendered to ecstasy
That would have guided me to the path of righteousness!
٢. لكُنتِ أَفْضَيْتِ إلى نَشْوَةٍ
تُنْسِكِ بالبَهْجَةِ نَهْجَ الصوابْ!
3. For I was a raging young man
Who seized the peak despite difficulties!
٣. فإِنَّني كُنْتُ الفتى عارِماً
يَفْتَرِعُ الذُّرْوَةَ رَغْمَ الصِّعابْ!
4. His veins contained fiery blood
That flowed through them conquering every door!
٤. عُروقُهُ تَحْوى دَماً لاهِباً
يَجْري بِها مُكْتَسِحاً كلَّ بابْ!
5. Oh my youth, with burning ardency
That dazzled me.. dazzled all cowards!
٥. يالَ شَبابي مِن لَظًى مُحْرِقٍ
أَذْهَلَني.. أَذْهَلَ كُلَّ الكِعابْ!
6. Tell me, after seeing him raging
What was he like?! The magic of this youth!
٦. قُلْنَ وقد شاهَدْنَهُ عَاصِفاً
ماذا بِهِ؟! يا سِحْرَ هذا الشَّبابْ!
7. And they dreamed of the sweetness of visions
Of him.. and multiplied their wishes for him!
٧. ورُحْنَ يَحْلَمْنَ بِحُلْوِ الرُّؤى
بِه.. ويُكْثِرْنَ عليه الطِّلابْ!
8. While he flirted mischievously
Ravaging the hearts of maidens.. like the speed of swords!
٨. وهو قَرِيرٌ بالهَوى جارِحاً
أَفْئِدَةَ الغِيدِ.. كماضِي الحِرابْ!
9. He sowed bliss in their bosoms
And they were happy with this torment!
٩. تَعِيْثُ في أَحْشائِهنُ المُنى
وهُنَّ يَسْعَدْنَ بِهذا العذابْ!
10. The sweetest bliss was their intention
Of good tidings of a fulfilling union!
١٠. أَحْلى المُنى كانَ مِنْها النَّوى
بُشْرى بِوَصْلِ حافِلٍ بالثَّوابْ!
11. She said to me when her apparition seduced me
From my sobriety among many friends!
١١. قالتْ وقد رَاوَدَني طَيْفُها
من صَحْوَتي بَيْنَ عَدِيدِ الصِّحابْ!
12. She who enchants the eyes of modesty
She who hovers above the clouds!
١٢. وهي التي تَسْحَرُ أَعْيُنَ النُّهى
وهي التي تَخْطُرُ فَوْقَ السَّحابْ!
13. What?! Do you not know that I am she
Beyond all the elegant ladies?!
١٣. ماذا؟! ألا تَعْرِفُ أنِّي التي
مِن دُونِ كُلِّ الفاتِناتِ اللُّبابْ؟!
14. Why do you spurn me so?!
And people, all people are angry with me?!
١٤. ما لَكَ عَنِّي هكذا مُعْرِضٌ؟!
والنَّاسُ. كلُّ النَّاسِ مِنِّي غِضابْ؟!
15. It is as if I were pure, limpid honey
And they gathered around me like flies!
١٥. كأَنَّني الشَّهْدُ حَلا صَافِياً
فاجْتَمعُوا مِن حَوْلِهِ كالذُّبابْ!
16. They complain of my aloofness, but I
Loosened - so they buzzed behind the veil!
١٦. يَشْكُونَ مِنِّي الصَّدَّ لكِنَّني
أَرْخَيْتُ –فانْجابُوا صَفيقَ الحِجابْ!
17. I did not celebrate except the bitterness of love
Your love.. after the sweetness of the drink!
١٧. لم أَحْتَفِلْ إلا بِمُرِّ الهَوى
هَواكَ هذا.. بَعْدَ عَذْبِ الشَّرابْ!
18. So proclaim your love, I am a brook
Clear. And your expectations are like mirages!
١٨. فاصْدَعْ بِحُبِّي إنَّني جَدْوَلٌ
صافٍ. وأَخْدانكَ مِثْلُ السَّرابْ!
19. I said to her, O my sweetness, O delight
Of a meadow.. you are like a shooting star!
١٩. قُلْتُ لها يا حُلْوَتي. يا جَنى
رَوْضٍ نَضِيرٍ.. أَنْتِ مِثْلُ الشِّهابْ!
20. Rising high from a lofty horizon
Spreading beauty, removing the veil!
٢٠. مُسْتَعْلِياً من أُفُقٍ شاهقٍ
مُنْتَشِياً بالحُسْنِ غَضِّ الإِهابْ!
21. With arrogance, equal in vanity..
With passion.. for passion only brings confusion!
٢١. من خُيَلاءٍ يَسْتَوِي لاهِياً..
بالشَّجْوِ.. ما لِلشَّجْوِ إلاَّ التَّبابْ!
22. It has nothing but longing and nightly whispers..
It has nothing but grief and melancholy!
٢٢. وما لَهُ غَيْرُ النَّوى والقِلا..
وما لَهُ غَيْرُ ضَنًى واكْتِئابْ!
23. And I am not one of those flies
Whom you have made wretched.. brought to ruin!
٢٣. ولَسْتُ مِن هذا الذُّبابِ الذي
أَشْقَيْتِهِ.. عَرَّضْتِهِ لِلْخَرابْ!
24. Who have become blind, unable to see their path..
How?! When the fog has descended upon them?!
٢٤. أَمْسى عَمِيّاً ما يَرى دَرْبَهُ..
كيف؟! وقد خَيَّمَ فيه الضَّبابْ؟!
25. So there is no safe return they hope for
And they have no grace with you!
٢٥. فلا ذَهاباً يَرْتَجي سالِماً
وما لَهُ عِنْدَكِ حُسْنُ المآبْ!
26. Leave my heart be. It is content
With its share of Zainab and Rabab!
٢٦. دَعِي فُؤادِي. إنَّهُ قانِعٌ
بِحَظِّهِ مِن زَيْنَبٍ والرَّبابْ!
27. They, and a soft flock that desires
My love.. the count may err in it!
٢٧. هُما. وسِرْبٌ ناعِمٌ يَشْتَهي
هَوايَ.. قد يُخْطِىءُ فيه الحِسابُ!
28. While you.. the flies you repelled
May one day sting you.. the slap!
٢٨. وأَنْتِ.. قد يَغْدو الذُّبابُ الذي
صَدَدْتِهِ.. يُقْذِيهِ مِنْكِ الرُّضابُ!
29. So beware of them.. for many a lonely one
Can gnaw your body with the bite of wolves!
٢٩. فَلْتَحْذَرِيهِ.. رُبَّ مُسْتَوْحِشٍ
يَنْهشُ في جِسْمِكِ نَهْشَ الذِّئابْ!
30. I fear burning by a shooting star
That sees beneath it only molten debris!
٣٠. أَخْشى احْتِراقي من شِهابٍ
يرى ما تَحْتَهُ إلا الهَشيمَ المُذابْ
31. She wept.. but I chose patience
Over satiation that would stick me to the dust
٣١. بَكَتْ.. ولكِنِّي ارْتَضَيْتُ الطَّوى
عن شِبَعٍ يُلصِقُني بالتُّرابْ
32. Oh what decrepitude has afflicted me
That makes my voice like the croaking of crows!
٣٢. أوَّاهِ مِن شَيْخُوخَةٍ لاتَني
تَجْعَلُ مِنِّي الشَّدْوَ مِثْلَ النُّعابْ!
33. I was playful and joyous.. delightful
And I became from it a squawker like the raven!
٣٣. كُنْتُ هِزاراً شادِياً.. مُطْرِبا
وعُدْتُ مِنْها ناعِقاً كالغُرابْ!
34. If I were like yesterday, beauty would not have healed me
Nor would the blow have pierced my soul!
٣٤. لو كُنْتُ مِثْلَ الأَمْسِ ما شَفَّنِي
حُسْنٌ. ولا أَثْخَنَ رُوحي الضِّرابْ!
35. I would not frown if adversity touched me
Whether insult or abuse!
٣٥. ولم أَكُنْ أُغْضِي إذا مَسَّني
مِن العوادي جَنَفٌ أَوْ سِبابْ!
36. But it is time.. and woe is me..
From it I have been pained with affliction!
٣٦. لكِنَّهُ الدَّهْرُ.. ويا وَيْلَتا..
مِنْه فقد أَوْجَعَني بالمُصابْ!
37. I have nothing left but to be patient with
Its dark tunnel after burial!
٣٧. ولَيْسَ لي إلا اصْطِبارِي على
سِرْدابِهِ المُظْلِمِ بَعْد القِيابْ!
38. Blessed is God.. for how narrow
Is what we grow accustomed to after spaciousness!
٣٨. تَبارَكَ اللهُ.. فَكَم ضَيِّقٍ
نَأْلَفُهُ بَعْد وَسِيع الرِّحابْ!
39. It is no wonder I grew accustomed to sorrow
While it is my companion.. aversion is wonder!
٣٩. لَيْسَ عُجاباً أُلْفَتِي لِلأَسى
وهو ضجيعي.. فالنُّفُور العُجابْ!
40. This is me. I have become familiar with grief
After the complete victory. After the leap!
٤٠. هذا أَنا. إِنِّي أَلِفْتُ الضَّنى
بعد الغِلابِ التَّمِّ. بعد الوِثابْ!