عَشِيت عَيني فَلا أُبصِرُ ما

عَشِيت عَيني فَلا أُبصِرُ ما

خُطَّ في صُحفٍ وَلا شَيءَ حَسن

خُطَّ في صُحفٍ وَلا شَيءَ حَسن

My eyes have dimmed, so I cannot see what

My eye has grown dim, so I cannot see what

was penned upon pages, nor anything beautiful.

is written on pages, nor anything beautiful.

وَلَقد كانَ أَنيسي بَصَريِ

وَلَقد كانَ أَنيسي بَصَريِ

فَعَدمتُ الأُنسَ مِنهُ وَالوَسَن

فَعَدمتُ الأُنسَ مِنهُ وَالوَسَن

Yet my sight had been my companion;

And indeed my eyesight was my companion;

now I lack its comfort—and sleep as well.

so I lost its solace, and drowsiness.

طالَما أَنضيتُ طَرفاً لِلصِبا

طالَما أَنضيتُ طَرفاً لِلصِبا

ذا شَبابٍ مُرخياً مِنهُ الرَسَن

ذا شَبابٍ مُرخياً مِنهُ الرَسَن

How long I wore out my gaze in youth’s pursuit,

How often I wore out my gaze for youthful passion,

young as I was, letting its bridle hang loose;

while young, letting its reins hang loose.

وَاهتصَرتُ القَد غُصنا مائِساً

وَاهتصَرتُ القَد غُصنا مائِساً

وَارتَشَفتُ الرِيقَ عَذبانا أَسِن

وَارتَشَفتُ الرِيقَ عَذبانا أَسِن

I drew close that figure, a swaying branch,

And I drew that figure close—a swaying bough—

and sipped saliva—sweet, though it had grown stale.

and sipped the saliva, sweet, not stale.

وَفَرضتُ عِشقَ ريمٍ أَهيفٍ

وَفَرضتُ عِشقَ ريمٍ أَهيفٍ

وَسَنَنتُ صَبوَتي فيهِ مَسَن

وَسَنَنتُ صَبوَتي فيهِ مَسَن

I made love for a slender gazelle my binding law,

And I made loving a slender gazelle my duty,

and honed my passion on him as on a whetstone:

and whetted my youthful passion on him, a whetstone.

مِن بَني التُركِ صَغيرٌ دَمِثُ ال

مِن بَني التُركِ صَغيرٌ دَمِثُ ال

خُلق لَينٌ حَسنُ الخَلقِ بَسَن

خُلق لَينٌ حَسنُ الخَلقِ بَسَن

a young son of the Turks, gracious in—

From among the sons of the Turks—a youth, gentle in

character, tender, handsome of form and tender in age.

character, tender, fair of form and comely.

كُنتُ قدماً عاشِقاً في عَرَبٍ

كُنتُ قدماً عاشِقاً في عَرَبٍ

وَأَنا اليَومَ بِحُبٍّ في أَسَن

وَأَنا اليَومَ بِحُبٍّ في أَسَن

Long ago, I was a lover among the Arabs;

Long ago I was a lover among Arabs,

and today, in older age, I am in love.

and today I am in love with Asan.

كُلَّما قُلتُ لَهُ من ذا الَّذي

كُلَّما قُلتُ لَهُ من ذا الَّذي

فيكَ أَضحى هائِماً يَقول سَن

فيكَ أَضحى هائِماً يَقول سَن

Whenever I asked him, “Who is this that

Whenever I say to him, 'Who is the one

has become so wildly enamored of you?” he said, “Sen”—“you.”

who has become mad with love for you?' he says, 'Sen'—'you.'

فَمَضى هَذا وَلمّا يَبقَ لي

فَمَضى هَذا وَلمّا يَبقَ لي

غَيرُ فكرٍ وَلِسانٍ ذي لَسَن

غَيرُ فكرٍ وَلِسانٍ ذي لَسَن

That has passed, and nothing now remains to me

So this has passed, and nothing remains to me

but thought and an eloquent tongue.

except thought and a tongue endowed with eloquence.

أَيُّ لَهوٍ لامرئٍ يَبقى خلي

أَيُّ لَهوٍ لامرئٍ يَبقى خلي

وَقد الفَودانِ مِنهُ وأَسَن

وَقد الفَودانِ مِنهُ وأَسَن

What pleasure can there be for a man who remains carefree

What pleasure remains for a man, my friend,

when his two temples—and he himself—have aged?

whose temples have blazed and who has grown old?