شَغِفتُ زَمانِي بِالعُلومِ وَلَم يَكُن

شَغِفتُ زَمانِي بِالعُلومِ وَلَم يَكُن

لِروحِيَ مَيلٌ لِلكَواعِبِ عَن قَصدِ

لِروحِيَ مَيلٌ لِلكَواعِبِ عَن قَصدِ

All my life I was enamored of the sciences, and there was no

I devoted my life to knowledge, and my soul

deliberate inclination in my soul toward full-breasted maidens.

Had no desire for entertainers or jest.

وَجَمَّعتُ مالاً راحَ في غَير لَذةٍ

وَجَمَّعتُ مالاً راحَ في غَير لَذةٍ

فَأعقَبَني فَقديهِ وَجداً عَلى وَجدِ

فَأعقَبَني فَقديهِ وَجداً عَلى وَجدِ

And I amassed wealth that vanished without pleasure;

I gathered wealth that went for no delight,

so my losing it brought me grief upon grief.

Then losing it brought misery and plight.

وَأَنتَجت أَفراخاً مَضوا لِسَبيلهم

وَأَنتَجت أَفراخاً مَضوا لِسَبيلهم

عَلى حينِ نَقلٍ مِن سَريرٍ وَمِن مَهدِ

عَلى حينِ نَقلٍ مِن سَريرٍ وَمِن مَهدِ

And I begot chicks who went their way,

I raised chicks who went their destined way

when borne away from bed and cradle.

As I was carried from couch to deathbed.

وَبُلِّغتُ مِن عُمري ثَمانينَ حِجَّةً

وَبُلِّغتُ مِن عُمري ثَمانينَ حِجَّةً

وَثنتينِ أُمسِي دائِماً نائِماً وَحدِي

وَثنتينِ أُمسِي دائِماً نائِماً وَحدِي

And I have been brought to eighty years of age,

Of my life I've completed eighty pilgrimages,

and two; I always spend the evening sleeping alone.

And eighty-two years I’ve spent asleep alone.

فَقَلبيَ مُسوَدٌ وَليلي مِثلُهُ

فَقَلبيَ مُسوَدٌ وَليلي مِثلُهُ

سواداً فَجاءوني بِمسوَدَّةِ الجلدِ

سواداً فَجاءوني بِمسوَدَّةِ الجلدِ

So my heart is blackened, and my night is like it

My heart is blackened and so is my night,

in blackness; then they brought me a black-skinned woman.

Then they brought me a shroud blacker than my woes.

فَصِرنا ثَلاثاً ظُلمَة مَع ظُلمَةٍ

فَصِرنا ثَلاثاً ظُلمَة مَع ظُلمَةٍ

عَلى ظُلمَةٍ تَتلُو لَنا ظُلمةُ اللَحدِ

عَلى ظُلمَةٍ تَتلُو لَنا ظُلمةُ اللَحدِ

So we became three: darkness with darkness

So we became three darknesses in the gloom

upon darkness; for us, the grave’s darkness comes next.

Upon darkness, and the gloom of the grave follows.

وَدُنياهُمُ ما نِلتُ مِنها نَعيمَها

وَدُنياهُمُ ما نِلتُ مِنها نَعيمَها

وَأَرجُو نَعيماً دامَ في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

وَأَرجُو نَعيماً دامَ في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

And their world—I have gained none of its bliss;

Their worldly life brought me no joy,

and I hope for enduring bliss in the Garden of Eternity.

Yet I hope for lasting bliss in Paradise.