أَيَزورُنا شَرخُ الشَبابِ فَيُرتَجى

أَيَزورُنا شَرخُ الشَبابِ فَيُرتَجى

أَم يَستَقِرُّ بِمَنزِلٍ فَيُزارُ

أَم يَستَقِرُّ بِمَنزِلٍ فَيُزارُ

Will the prime of youth visit us, so that we may hope for it,

Does the glint of youth but visit us, then hoped for?

Or settle in a dwelling, so that it may be visited?

Or does it settle down, frequented then?

هَيهاتَ ما لَم يَنتَفِض مِن قَبرِهِ

هَيهاتَ ما لَم يَنتَفِض مِن قَبرِهِ

مُضَرٌ فَيُبعَثُ أَو يَهُبَّ نِزارُ

مُضَرٌ فَيُبعَثُ أَو يَهُبَّ نِزارُ

Impossible—unless from his grave there stirs

Alas! None stirs from the grave that was Muḍar

Mudar, who is then resurrected, or Nizar springs up.

To live again, or Nizar springs up.

أَضلَلتُهُ وَصَبَرتُ عَنهُ فَلا يَدَي

أَضلَلتُهُ وَصَبَرتُ عَنهُ فَلا يَدَي

أَزمَت عَلَيهِ وَلا الدُموعُ غِزارُ

أَزمَت عَلَيهِ وَلا الدُموعُ غِزارُ

I lost it and bore its absence; my hand was not

I lost him; no help came from hand of mine;

Bitten in grief for it, nor are my tears profuse.

No copious tears were rained from eyelids' cloud.

تُطوى النَضارَةُ بِاللَيالي مِثلَ ما

تُطوى النَضارَةُ بِاللَيالي مِثلَ ما

يُطوى بِأَيدي الصائِناتِ إِزارُ

يُطوى بِأَيدي الصائِناتِ إِزارُ

Freshness is folded away by the nights, just as

So chastity by nights is folded up

A wrap is folded by the hands of chaste women.

As knotted apron is by spinners wound.

وَالعَيشُ حَربٌ لَم يَضَع أَوزارَها

وَالعَيشُ حَربٌ لَم يَضَع أَوزارَها

إِلّا الحِمامُ وَكُلُّنا أَوزارُ

إِلّا الحِمامُ وَكُلُّنا أَوزارُ

And life is a war whose burdens none has laid down

Life is a war whose gear no dove casts off

Except death; and we are all burdens.

Save only turtledoves - the rest have gear.