ياO حادِيَيناour two camel-drivers أَلاcome now سوقاdrive on, you two بِناwith us سَحَراًbefore dawn
يا حادِيَينا أَلا سوقا بِنا سَحَراً
وَياand O وَميضَيtwo flashes of هَواناour love وَالصَباand the east wind شوقاawaken longing, you two
وَيا وَميضَي هَوانا وَالصَبا شوقا
O our two camel-drivers, come, drive us on before dawn!
And O twin flashes of our love and the east wind, awaken longing!
لاlet not يَغرَضِgrow weary المَرءُa person مِمّاof what يَغتَديhe becomes each morning غَرِضاًa target
لا يَغرَضِ المَرءُ مِمّا يَغتَدي غَرِضاً
يُمسيhe passes the evening وَيُضحيand he passes the morning بِنَبلِby the arrows of الدَهرِTime مَرشوقاstruck
يُمسي وَيُضحي بِنَبلِ الدَهرِ مَرشوقا
Let no man fret at becoming a target each morning,
struck evening and morning by Time’s arrows.
حَناهُbent him دَهرٌTime فَضاهىso he resembled القَوسَthe bow مِنfrom كِبَرٍold age
حَناهُ دَهرٌ فَضاهى القَوسَ مِن كِبَرٍ
وَقَدthough once تَراهُyou saw him كَصَدرِlike the forepart of الرَمحِa spear مَمشوقاtall and slender
وَقَد تَراهُ كَصَدرِ الرَمحِ مَمشوقا
Time bent him till, with age, he resembled a bow,
though once you saw him tall and slender as a spear’s forepart.
وَلّىhas departed الشَبابُyouth وَمِنand out of شَوقٍlonging لِرُؤيَتِهِto see it
وَلّى الشَبابُ وَمِن شَوقٍ لِرُؤيَتِهِ
يَظَلُّremains مَشبِهُهُits likeness فيin الرَوضِthe meadow مَنشوقاbreathed in
يَظَلُّ مَشبِهُهُ في الرَوضِ مَنشوقا
Youth has departed, and out of longing to behold it,
its likeness in the meadow is still breathed in.
مَنwhoever كانَhas عَنfrom آلِthe folk of هِندٍHind وَالرَبابِand al-Rabāb سَلاceased to pine
مَن كانَ عَن آلِ هِندٍ وَالرَبابِ سَلا
فَماso not يَزالُceases to be بَقاءُcontinued existence الدَهرِthrough time مَعشوقاbeloved
فَما يَزالُ بَقاءُ الدَهرِ مَعشوقا
Whoever has ceased to pine for the folk of Hind and al-Rabāb
still cherishes living on through time.
Sol 6.1