يَمُرُّ بِكَ الزَمَنُ الدَغفَلِيُّ

يَمُرُّ بِكَ الزَمَنُ الدَغفَلِيُّ

وَكَم فيهِ مِن رَجُلٍ أَسنَتا

وَكَم فيهِ مِن رَجُلٍ أَسنَتا

A time of plenty passes over you,

Time passes you by unforgivingly

Yet how many a man in it has suffered famine!

With men of twisted tongues aplenty

فَلا تَسأَلِ المَرءَ عَن سِنِّهِ

فَلا تَسأَلِ المَرءَ عَن سِنِّهِ

وَلا مالِهِ وَاِخشَ أَن تُعنَتا

وَلا مالِهِ وَاِخشَ أَن تُعنَتا

So do not ask a man about his age,

Ask no man his age or his money

Nor his wealth; and fear being put to hardship.

Lest you incur their enmity

وَلا تَبغِيَن لَمحَةً في الحَياةِ

وَلا تَبغِيَن لَمحَةً في الحَياةِ

إِلى جارَتَيكَ إِذا كَنَّتا

إِلى جارَتَيكَ إِذا كَنَّتا

And never, in your life, seek a glance

Seek no glance from the neighbor ladies

At your two female neighbors when they are secluded.

Lest they look at you distastefully

فَلَولا مَخافَةُ جَنِّ الشَبابِ

فَلَولا مَخافَةُ جَنِّ الشَبابِ

وَسوءِ الغَريزَةِ ما جُنَّتا

وَسوءِ الغَريزَةِ ما جُنَّتا

For, were it not for fear of youth's madness

Were it not for fear of youthful spirits

And corrupt instinct, they would not be kept concealed.

And wicked instincts, they’d not act modestly

وَحَسبُكَ مِن مُخزَياتِ الفِعالِ

وَحَسبُكَ مِن مُخزَياتِ الفِعالِ

ما شَكَتا مِنكَ أَو ظَنَّتا

ما شَكَتا مِنكَ أَو ظَنَّتا

And enough for you, among disgraceful deeds, is

It’s enough disgrace what the hands have done

What those two have complained of in you, or suspected.

That they complain of you or think distrustfully

طَرِبتُ لِقُمرِيَّتَي مَربَعٍ

طَرِبتُ لِقُمرِيَّتَي مَربَعٍ

عَلى غُصُنَي ضالَةٍ غَنَّتا

عَلى غُصُنَي ضالَةٍ غَنَّتا

I was enraptured by two turtledoves of a spring pasture,

I was disturbed by two moon-faced ones

Who sang on two branches of a wild lote-tree.

Perched on the branch of a wandering tree singing pleasantly

بَدَت لَهُما زَهَراتُ الرَبيعِ

بَدَت لَهُما زَهَراتُ الرَبيعِ

فَأَحسَنَتا القَولَ وَاِفتَنَّتا

فَأَحسَنَتا القَولَ وَاِفتَنَّتا

The blossoms of spring appeared before them,

Spring flowers appeared to them

So they made their song beautiful and varied its strains.

And they spoke sweetly, alluringly

وَتَعذِرُ نَفسَكَ عِندَ الحَنينِ

وَتَعذِرُ نَفسَكَ عِندَ الحَنينِ

وَتَعذُلُ نَفسَكَ أَن حَنَّتا

وَتَعذُلُ نَفسَكَ أَن حَنَّتا

And you excuse yourself when longing stirs,

And you excuse yourself in longing

Yet reproach yourself because the two of them cooed.

And pretend you have not yearned obsessively