نَضا من شَبيبتِه ما نَضا

نَضا من شَبيبتِه ما نَضا

وكان الصِبا إلفَهُ فانقضى

وكان الصِبا إلفَهُ فانقضى

He has shed of his youth all that could be shed;

He shed what he shed of his youth,

youth had been his intimate companion, then passed away.

And youth had been his companion, then passed away.

وخلّى السوادَ لأصحابِه

وخلّى السوادَ لأصحابِه

وبيّض في وجهِ بيّضا

وبيّض في وجهِ بيّضا

He left black hair to its companions,

And left blackness to those who possessed it,

and whitened his face with white hairs.

And whiteness appeared upon his face.

فكم غادةٍ عنهُ قد أعرضَتْ

فكم غادةٍ عنهُ قد أعرضَتْ

وكم رشأٍ عنه قد أعْرَضا

وكم رشأٍ عنه قد أعْرَضا

How many a maiden has turned away from him,

How many a graceful maiden has turned away from him,

and how many a gazelle-like youth has turned away!

And how many a young gazelle has turned away from him!

ولو عادَ دهرٌ كما قد بَدا

ولو عادَ دهرٌ كما قد بَدا

له وزمانٌ كما قد مضى

له وزمانٌ كما قد مضى

And if an age returned just as once it began,

And if an age returned as it once dawned

for him, and a time returned just as once it passed,

For him, and a time as it once passed,

لقابَلْتُهُ بوجوهِ الوصالِ

لقابَلْتُهُ بوجوهِ الوصالِ

ولاحظتُهُ بعيونِ الرضا

ولاحظتُهُ بعيونِ الرضا

she would receive him with every face of union,

I would meet him with faces of union,

and look upon him with eyes of favor.

And look upon him with eyes of favor.

وأحورٍ مهما رَنا ناظراً

وأحورٍ مهما رَنا ناظراً

أعلَّ الجوارحَ أو أمرَضا

أعلَّ الجوارحَ أو أمرَضا

And a dark-eyed youth, whenever he turns his gaze,

And a dark-eyed youth, whenever he gazes,

afflicts the limbs or strikes them sick;

Makes the limbs ail or fall sick.

له في تثنّيه فعلُ الرماحِ

له في تثنّيه فعلُ الرماحِ

وفي لحظِه الصارمُ المُنتَضى

وفي لحظِه الصارمُ المُنتَضى

in his swaying is the work of lances,

His swaying has the effect of spears,

and in his glance, the keen unsheathed sword.

And in his glance is the keen, unsheathed sword.

تعرضتُه كيْ يردّ السلامَ

تعرضتُه كيْ يردّ السلامَ

وسلمتُ بدْءاً فما أعْرَضا

وسلمتُ بدْءاً فما أعْرَضا

I crossed his path so he might return my greeting,

I put myself in his path so he would return my greeting,

and greeted him first; he did not turn away.

And greeted him first; he did not turn away.

وقلت له رِقَّ لي إنّ في

وقلت له رِقَّ لي إنّ في

فؤادي بحبكَ جَمْرَ الغَضا

فؤادي بحبكَ جَمْرَ الغَضا

I said to him, “Have pity on me, for within

And I said to him, “Have pity on me, for in

my heart, through love of you, glow embers of ghada wood.”

My heart, through love of you, are embers of ghada wood.”

فقال أمَا لك من زاجِرٍ

فقال أمَا لك من زاجِرٍ

وبرقُ مشيبِكَ قد أوْمَضا

وبرقُ مشيبِكَ قد أوْمَضا

He said, “Have you no one to restrain you,

Then he said, “Have you nothing to restrain you,

though the lightning of your gray hair has already flashed?

When the lightning of your gray hair has already flashed?

ألا إن رأسَك قد أطلعتْ

ألا إن رأسَك قد أطلعتْ

جوانبُها شعَراً أبيضا

جوانبُها شعَراً أبيضا

Behold, your head has already put forth

Look: your head has sprouted

along its sides hairs of white.

White hair along its sides.

وحقِّ الصبابةِ للشائبينَ

وحقِّ الصبابةِ للشائبينَ

إذا أنصفوا الشَيْبَ أن يُرْفَضا

إذا أنصفوا الشَيْبَ أن يُرْفَضا

Passion’s claim upon the gray-haired,

And by passion’s sanctity, the gray-haired—

if they do justice to gray hair, is to be refused.”

If they give gray hair its due—should be rejected.”

فقلتُ ونَهنَهْتُ دمعَ العيونِ

فقلتُ ونَهنَهْتُ دمعَ العيونِ

بذاك الإلهُ علينا قَضى

بذاك الإلهُ علينا قَضى

I said, as I checked the tears in my eyes,

Then I said, holding back the tears of my eyes,

“Thus has God decreed against us.”

“That is what God has decreed for us.”