يا ويحَ روحي لَكم عاصيتُ عُذّالا

يا ويحَ روحي لَكم عاصيتُ عُذّالا

حَتّى جَرَرتُ إِلى الآثامِ أَذيالا

حَتّى جَرَرتُ إِلى الآثامِ أَذيالا

Ah, woe to my soul! How often I defied reprovers,

Oh woe is my soul, how often I disobeyed the Just

Until I dragged my trailing hems into sin!

Dragging my robes through sins and crimes

أَيامَ أَصبُو إلى هَصرِ القُدودِ وَتَف

أَيامَ أَصبُو إلى هَصرِ القُدودِ وَتَف

ريكِ النُهودِ وَنَضوِ الرَود مِفضالا

ريكِ النُهودِ وَنَضوِ الرَود مِفضالا

In days when I yearned to embrace slender figures and fondle

Days I yearn for the fragrance of ambergris and camphor

Breasts, and strip a tender beauty of her loose gown;

And the bubbling springs and meadows so delightful

وَالدَهرُ في غَفلاتٍ مِن تَواصُلِنا

وَالدَهرُ في غَفلاتٍ مِن تَواصُلِنا

قَد غَضَّ طَرفاً وَلَم يَجعَل لَنا بالا

قَد غَضَّ طَرفاً وَلَم يَجعَل لَنا بالا

While Time, heedless of our meetings,

And Time in our heedlessness of each other’s company

Had lowered his gaze and paid us no heed.

Has turned its glance and left us without concern

أَوقاتُنا ذَهبيّاتٌ نُسَرُّ بِها

أَوقاتُنا ذَهبيّاتٌ نُسَرُّ بِها

كَأَنَّما أَنشأَت في الدَهرِ أُصّالا

كَأَنَّما أَنشأَت في الدَهرِ أُصّالا

Our hours were golden; we delighted in them,

Our days are golden, we revel in them

As though they had created late afternoons within Time.

As though made just for joy in this life

وَبي مِن التُركِ مَن لَو كُنتُ أَذكُرُه

وَبي مِن التُركِ مَن لَو كُنتُ أَذكُرُه

لأَصبَحَ الدَهرُ مِن ذِكراهُ مُختالا

لأَصبَحَ الدَهرُ مِن ذِكراهُ مُختالا

And I love one of the Turks: were I to speak of him,

And I have among the Turks someone, if I remembered him

Time would surely strut with pride at his mention.

Life itself would pride itself on recalling him

تَظَلُّ شَمسُ الضُحى خجلى إِذا بصرت

تَظَلُّ شَمسُ الضُحى خجلى إِذا بصرت

بِهِ وَيَسجُدُ بَدرُ الأُفقِ إِجلالا

بِهِ وَيَسجُدُ بَدرُ الأُفقِ إِجلالا

The midmorning sun remains abashed whenever it catches sight

The morning sun hides its face in shame

Of him, and the full moon on the horizon prostrates itself in reverence.

When it sees him, and the horizon moon bows in awe

للحسنِ جِنسٌ وَنَوعٌ كانَ قَد حُصِرا

للحسنِ جِنسٌ وَنَوعٌ كانَ قَد حُصِرا

في شَخصِهِ إِذ لَهُ لَم تُلفِ أَمثالا

في شَخصِهِ إِذ لَهُ لَم تُلفِ أَمثالا

Beauty's genus and species had both been contained

For beauty he has a race and kind that once

In his person, for you could find no equals to him.

Were confined in him, as none can match him

يديرُ لَخصاءَ فيها سكرُ من رَمَقت

يديرُ لَخصاءَ فيها سكرُ من رَمَقت

كَأنَّ في اللَحظِ نَبّاذاً وَنَبالا

كَأنَّ في اللَحظِ نَبّاذاً وَنَبالا

He turns a heavy-lidded eye that intoxicates whomever it regards,

He sways slender waists wherein the drunk of a glance

As though his glance held a wine-maker and an archer.

Seems in the eyes a draft of wine

وَيَنثَني خُوطَ بانٍ فَوقَ حِقف نَقاً

وَيَنثَني خُوطَ بانٍ فَوقَ حِقف نَقاً

كَأنّ في الخَصر أَرماحاً وَأَرمالا

كَأنّ في الخَصر أَرماحاً وَأَرمالا

And he sways, a bān bough above a curving sand dune,

And he bends a figure with curves over firm breasts

As though his waist held spears and sands.

As though in his waist were spears and shields

قَد كانَ هَذا وريعانُ الشَبابِ لَنا

قَد كانَ هَذا وريعانُ الشَبابِ لَنا

غضٌّ وَطَرفُ الصِبا في حَلبةٍ جالا

غضٌّ وَطَرفُ الصِبا في حَلبةٍ جالا

This was when the first bloom of our youth was

This had been the first fuzz of youth for us

Fresh, and youth's steed galloped in the arena.

Young and new, the springtide of our days in bloom

وَالآن أَحدثَ شَيبي فيَّ ضَعفَ قِوىً

وَالآن أَحدثَ شَيبي فيَّ ضَعفَ قِوىً

وَأَورَثَ القَلبَ أَوجاعاً وَأَوجالا

وَأَورَثَ القَلبَ أَوجاعاً وَأَوجالا

But now my gray hair has weakened my powers,

And now my white hair brought me frail strength

And bequeathed my heart pains and fears.

And bequeathed my heart pains and sorrows

وَصارَمَتنِي وَصارَمتُ الغَوانيَ لا

وَصارَمَتنِي وَصارَمتُ الغَوانيَ لا

يَجفلن بي كُلَها في ودِّهِ حالا

يَجفلن بي كُلَها في ودِّهِ حالا

The beauties broke with me, and I with them; they no longer

And he turned from me and I from delusions, still

Take fright at me; all have changed in affection.

Unperturbed, they surround me with affection

وَتُبتُ لِلّهِ أَرجُو مِنهُ مَغفِرَةً

وَتُبتُ لِلّهِ أَرجُو مِنهُ مَغفِرَةً

وَرَحمَةً تُوسِعُ المِسكين أَفضالا

وَرَحمَةً تُوسِعُ المِسكين أَفضالا

And I repented to God, hoping for forgiveness from Him,

And I repent to God, hoping from Him forgiveness,

And mercy that lavishes bounties upon this poor soul.

And mercy to expand the poor man’s boons

فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ إِذ لَم يَأتِني أَجَلي

فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ إِذ لَم يَأتِني أَجَلي

حَتّى اِكتَسَيتُ مِن الطاعاتِ سِربالا

حَتّى اِكتَسَيتُ مِن الطاعاتِ سِربالا

So praise be to God, for my appointed death did not come

So praise God that death has not yet come to me

Until I had clad myself in a robe of obedience.

That I clothed myself in righteous deeds aplenty