رَحَلَdeparted الشَبابُyouth وَلَمand did not أَنَلI attain
رَحَلَ الشَبابُ وَلَم أَنَل
مِنof لَذَّةٍpleasure فيهِin it نَصيبيmy share
مِن لَذَّةٍ فيهِ نَصيبي
Youth has departed, and I did not gain
my share of pleasure in it.
ياoh طيبَهُits sweetness لَوif only لَمnot يَكُنbe
يا طيبَهُ لَو لَم يَكُن
مَلَأَfilled الصَحائِفَthe pages بِالذُنوبِwith sins
مَلَأَ الصَحائِفَ بِالذُنوبِ
How sweet it would have been, had it not
filled the pages with sins!
أَرسَلتُI sent دَمعيmy tears خَلفَهُafter it
أَرسَلتُ دَمعي خَلفَهُ
فَعَساهُso perhaps it يَرجَعُwill return مِنin قَريبِa short while
فَعَساهُ يَرجَعُ مِن قَريبِ
I sent my tears after it,
so perhaps it will return before long.
هَيهاتَfar from possible! لاno وَاللَهِby God ماnot
هَيهاتَ لا وَاللَهِ ما
هُوَit بِالسَميعِone who hears وَلاnor المُجيبِone who answers
هُوَ بِالسَميعِ وَلا المُجيبِ
Far from it! No, by God—
it neither hears nor answers.
فَقَدِfor indeed اِنجَلىhas cleared لَيلُthe night of الشَباyouth (continued)
فَقَدِ اِنجَلى لَيلُ الشَبا
بِ(completes 'youth') وَقدand already بَداhas appeared صُبحُthe dawn of المَشيبِgray hair
بِ وَقد بَدا صُبحُ المَشيبِ
For the night of youth has lifted,
and the dawn of gray hair has appeared.
فَقُلِthen say السَلامُpeace; farewell عَلَيكَupon you ياO
فَقُلِ السَلامُ عَلَيكَ يا
وَصلَunion with الحَبيبَةِthe beloved woman وَالحَبيبِand the beloved man
وَصلَ الحَبيبَةِ وَالحَبيبِ
Then say: Farewell to you, O
union with beloved woman and beloved man!
وَرَأَيتُand I saw فيin أَنواlights (continued)
وَرَأَيتُ في أَنوا
رِهِits (completes 'lights') ماكانَwhat had been يَخفىhidden مِنof عُيوبِflaws
رِهِ ماكانَ يَخفى مِن عُيوبِ
And in its radiance I saw
the flaws that had been hidden.
وَمَعَand despite المَشيبِgray hair فَبَعدُyet still فِيَّin me
وَمَعَ المَشيبِ فَبَعدُ فِيَّ
شَمائِلُthe traits of المَرِحِthe merry الطَروبِthe easily enraptured
شَمائِلُ المَرِحِ الطَروبِ
Yet despite gray hair, there still remain in me
the traits of a merry, rapturous man.
أَهوىI love الدَقيقَthe subtleties مِنَof المَحاbeauties (continued)
أَهوى الدَقيقَ مِنَ المَحا
سِنِ(completes 'beauties') وَالرَقيقَand the tender مِنَof النَسيبِlove poetry
سِنِ وَالرَقيقَ مِنَ النَسيبِ
I love the subtleties of beauty
and the tenderness of love poetry.
وَيَشوقُنيand makes me yearn زَمَنُthe days of الكَثيthe sand dune (continued)
وَيَشوقُني زَمَنُ الكَثي
بِ(completes 'sand dune') وَقَدthough already مَضىhave passed زَمَنُthe days of الكَثيبِthe sand dune
بِ وَقَد مَضى زَمَنُ الكَثيبِ
And the days by the sand dune stir my longing,
though the days by the sand dune have passed.
وَيَروقُنيand delights me الغُصنُthe bough الرَطيsupple (continued)
وَيَروقُني الغُصنُ الرَطي
بُ(completes 'supple') وَكَيفَbut how بِالغُصنِwith the bough الرَطيبِsupple
بُ وَكَيفَ بِالغُصنِ الرَطيبِ
And the supple bough delights me—
but how can I reach that supple bough?
وَيَهُزُّنيand stirs me كَأسُa cup of المُداwine (continued)
وَيَهُزُّني كَأسُ المُدا
مَةِ(completes 'wine') فيin يَدِthe hand of الرَشإِthe young gazelle الرَبيبِthe lovingly reared
مَةِ في يَدِ الرَشإِ الرَبيبِ
And the cup of wine stirs me,
in the hand of the pampered young gazelle.
وَأَهيمُand I am enraptured بِالدُرِّby the pearls الَّذيthat
وَأَهيمُ بِالدُرِّ الَّذي
بَينَbetween الأَزِرَّةِthe buttons وَالجُيوبِand the neck openings
بَينَ الأَزِرَّةِ وَالجُيوبِ
And I am enraptured by the pearls that lie
between the buttons and the necklines.
وَلَكَمand how often كَتَمتُI concealed صَبابَتيmy ardent love
وَلَكَم كَتَمتُ صَبابَتي
وَاللَهُwhile God عَلّامُthe All-Knower of الغُيوبِhidden things
وَاللَهُ عَلّامُ الغُيوبِ
And how often I have concealed my ardent love,
while God knows all things hidden.
وَرَجَوتُand I hoped for حُسنَthe graciousness of العَفوِpardon مِنfrom
وَرَجَوتُ حُسنَ العَفوِ مِن
هُHim فَهُوَfor it is لِلعَبدِfor the servant المُنيبِwho turns back in repentance
هُ فَهُوَ لِلعَبدِ المُنيبِ
And I have hoped for gracious pardon from
Him—for such pardon is for the repentant servant.
Sol 6.1