سألتَ اللهَ مِمَّا كانَ عَفواً

سألتَ اللهَ مِمَّا كانَ عَفواً

وعُدْتَ بتوبةٍ تَرَكَتْكَ نِضْوَا

وعُدْتَ بتوبةٍ تَرَكَتْكَ نِضْوَا

You asked God for pardon for what had passed,

You asked God for forgiveness

And returned with repentance that left you gaunt.

And returned with repentance that left you refreshed

محوتَ صَحائِفَ اللَّذَّاتِ لمَّا

محوتَ صَحائِفَ اللَّذَّاتِ لمَّا

مَحوتَ بها سطورَ الزَّفْنِ مَحوا

مَحوتَ بها سطورَ الزَّفْنِ مَحوا

You erased the pages of pleasures when

You erased the pages of pleasures when

With it you wholly erased the lines of dancing.

You wiped out the lines of indulgence

فأضمرَ نَايُكَ الحنَّانُ هَمّاً

فأضمرَ نَايُكَ الحنَّانُ هَمّاً

وأعلنَ صَنجُك الصَّيَّاح شَكوى

وأعلنَ صَنجُك الصَّيَّاح شَكوى

So your plaintive flute harbored sorrow,

So your gentle flute harbored sorrow

And your clamorous cymbal proclaimed a lament.

And your loud horn proclaimed lament

وكم للقَصفِ من طَلَلٍ مُحيلٍ

وكم للقَصفِ من طَلَلٍ مُحيلٍ

تأبَّدَ مِنك مَنزِلُه فأقْوَى

تأبَّدَ مِنك مَنزِلُه فأقْوَى

And how many a weathered ruin of revelry

And how many ruins of an abandoned camp

Has had its dwelling grow desolate without you and lie empty!

Where you once stayed have persevered

تحِنُّ إليك حانةُ باطر تحى

تحِنُّ إليك حانةُ باطر تحى

ويبكي الزَّنْدِرُودُ عليك شجوى

ويبكي الزَّنْدِرُودُ عليك شجوى

The tavern of Bāṭar Taḥā longs for you,

The tavern yearns for you, alive

And the Zandirūd weeps for you in grief.

And the nightingale weeps for you in grief

أَحَقّاً عادَ طَعمُ العَيشِ مُرّاً

أَحَقّاً عادَ طَعمُ العَيشِ مُرّاً

وكانَ بزَفْتِك المَرْمُوقِ حُلوا

وكانَ بزَفْتِك المَرْمُوقِ حُلوا

Has the taste of life truly turned bitter,

Indeed, did the taste of life turn bitter

When it was sweet with your much-admired dancing?

When your polished instrument fell silent?

وجَفَّ قضيبُه الميَّاسُ رَقصاً

وجَفَّ قضيبُه الميَّاسُ رَقصاً

وطارَ هَزارُه الغِرِّيدُ شأوا

وطارَ هَزارُه الغِرِّيدُ شأوا

And its branch, swaying in dance, has withered,

And did his straight rod cease to dance?

And its melodious nightingale has flown afar.

And did his chirping take flight and hush?

أفارسُ أنتَ أحسنُ مَن تَثَّنى

أفارسُ أنتَ أحسنُ مَن تَثَّنى

على صَنجٍ وأملحُ من تلوَّى

على صَنجٍ وأملحُ من تلوَّى

O Fāris, you are the finest of those who swayed

You, a horseman, more graceful when mounted

To a cymbal, and the most charming of those who twisted.

Upon a saddle, and more elegant when you sway

أُصِيبَ العَيْشُ مِنك بِخَيْرِ حادٍ

أُصِيبَ العَيْشُ مِنك بِخَيْرِ حادٍ

يَحُثُّ ركائبَ الصَّهباءِ حَدْوَا

يَحُثُّ ركائبَ الصَّهباءِ حَدْوَا

Life has lost in you its finest camel-driver,

Life was blessed by your great goodness

Who urges the mounts of tawny wine onward with his chant.

That spurred the sand steeds to gallop

إذا اختلَجَت مَناكِبُه لرَقصٍ

إذا اختلَجَت مَناكِبُه لرَقصٍ

نَزَت طَيرُ القلوبِ إليه نَزْوَا

نَزَت طَيرُ القلوبِ إليه نَزْوَا

When his shoulders quiver for a dance,

When his shoulders trembled to dance

The birds of hearts spring toward him with bounding leaps.

The birds of hearts flew down to him

أعادَ حِكايةَ الشَّيخينِ جِداً

أعادَ حِكايةَ الشَّيخينِ جِداً

وكانَ حكَاهُما لَعِباً ولَهوا

وكانَ حكَاهُما لَعِباً ولَهوا

He repeated his imitation of the two sheikhs in earnest,

He retold the tale of the two elders in earnest

Though he had mimicked them in play and amusement.

Though telling their story was jest and diversion

فأصبحَ زَفْنُه لُغَةً وشِعراً

فأصبحَ زَفْنُه لُغَةً وشِعراً

وأمسى عَزْفُه جَدَلاً ونَحوا

وأمسى عَزْفُه جَدَلاً ونَحوا

So his dancing became language and poetry,

So his instrument became language and verse

And his music became disputation and grammar.

And his music turned to discourse and grammar

يَخِفُّ له رُواةٌ عنه عِلماً

يَخِفُّ له رُواةٌ عنه عِلماً

زُلالاً إن سَقانا منه أَروى

زُلالاً إن سَقانا منه أَروى

Transmitters hasten to him, passing on knowledge from him,

Learned men shy from narrating his knowledge

Clear and sweet—if he gives us a drink of it, he slakes our thirst.

Quenched if we wet our lips from his spring

فمُقتَبِسٌ مِنَ المِصباحِ نُوراً

فمُقتَبِسٌ مِنَ المِصباحِ نُوراً

ومُغتَرِفٌ من التَّيَّارِ صَفوا

ومُغتَرِفٌ من التَّيَّارِ صَفوا

So one draws light from the lamp,

So he draws light from the lantern

And another scoops clear water from the current.

And sips purity from the stream

فلا يَبْعُدُ زمانٌ منك عادَت

فلا يَبْعُدُ زمانٌ منك عادَت

مَواهبُه على الفِتيانِ بَلوىَ

مَواهبُه على الفِتيانِ بَلوىَ

So may that time of yours never grow distant, when

Before long, his gifts return

Its gifts became a trial for the young men:

To afflict the youths with trials

ليالٍ بالمعازِفِ منك تُنضَى

ليالٍ بالمعازِفِ منك تُنضَى

وأيامٌ بِحَثِّ الرَّاحِ تُطوَى

وأيامٌ بِحَثِّ الرَّاحِ تُطوَى

Nights worn out by you with musical instruments,

Nights entertained by your instruments

And days folded away by urging the wine along.

And days spent roaming the wilds

قَعدتَ وكم نهضتَ إلى التَّصابي

قَعدتَ وكم نهضتَ إلى التَّصابي

بنَقرِ الدُّفِّ تُوسِعُ فِيه خَطْوا

بنَقرِ الدُّفِّ تُوسِعُ فِيه خَطْوا

You have sat down—how often you rose to youthful play,

You sat when others rose to compete

Taking broad steps in it to the tapping of the frame drum.

Beating the tambour, widening its realm

فأظهرتَ الزَّمانةَ في زَمانٍ

فأظهرتَ الزَّمانةَ في زَمانٍ

حَزَزتَ به من اللَّذَّاتِ عُضوا

حَزَزتَ به من اللَّذَّاتِ عُضوا

So you displayed infirmity in an age

You revealed your moment in time

In which you severed a limb from pleasures.

Carving from pleasures a new epoch