يا خَليلاً نَبا بِنا في المَشيبِ

يا خَليلاً نَبا بِنا في المَشيبِ

لَم يُعرِّج عَلى مَشارِ الطَبيبِ

لَم يُعرِّج عَلى مَشارِ الطَبيبِ

O friend who has grown estranged from us in old age,

O my friend, tell us in our old age,

who paid no heed to the physician's counsel.

Has he turned to the remedies of the physician?

لَيسَ مَن قابَلَ الأُمورَ وَحيداً

لَيسَ مَن قابَلَ الأُمورَ وَحيداً

بِحَليمٍ فيها وَلا بِمُصيبِ

بِحَليمٍ فيها وَلا بِمُصيبِ

One who faces matters alone

He who faced matters alone was neither wise nor struck,

is neither judicious in them nor right.

Indeed we do not ask for the hated,

إِنَّ البَغيضَ إِلَينا لا نُطالِبُهُ

إِنَّ البَغيضَ إِلَينا لا نُطالِبُهُ

يَتَجَلّى عَن باطِلٍ مَكذوبِ

يَتَجَلّى عَن باطِلٍ مَكذوبِ

Indeed, we do not demand of one who is hateful to us

He turns away from falsehood and lies,

that he withdraw from a fabricated falsehood.

So consult an advisor, though crafty,

فَاِستَشِر ناصِحاً أَريباً فَإِنَّ ال

فَاِستَشِر ناصِحاً أَريباً فَإِنَّ ال

حَظَّ في طاعَةِ النَصيحِ الأَريَبِ

حَظَّ في طاعَةِ النَصيحِ الأَريَبِ

So consult a wise adviser, for

For there is fortune in obeying the crafty advisor,

good fortune lies in obeying a wise counsellor.

Disaster may strike the lad who obeyed his brother,

قَد يُصيبُ الفَتى أَطاعَ أَخاهُ

قَد يُصيبُ الفَتى أَطاعَ أَخاهُ

وَمُطيعُ النِساءِ غَيرُ مُصيبِ

وَمُطيعُ النِساءِ غَيرُ مُصيبِ

A young man may judge rightly if he obeys his brother,

And compliance with women is no stroke of luck,

but one who obeys women does not judge rightly.

And Ka'ab of the family of Sa'd ibn Bakr,

وَكِعابٍ مِن آلِ سَعدِ بنِ بَكرٍ

وَكِعابٍ مِن آلِ سَعدِ بنِ بَكرٍ

رَعَمَتني جُفونُها في المَغيبِ

رَعَمَتني جُفونُها في المَغيبِ

And a budding-breasted maiden of the clan of Saʿd ibn Bakr—

Whose eyelids captivated me at sunset,

her eyelids [unclear verb involving me] in my absence.

She says, "You were wary of people about us

وَتَقولُ اِتَّقَيتَ فينا أُناساً

وَتَقولُ اِتَّقَيتَ فينا أُناساً

لَم أَكُن أَتَّقيهُمُ في العُروبِ

لَم أَكُن أَتَّقيهُمُ في العُروبِ

And she says, 'You feared certain people concerning us,

I never feared them in chastity."

whom I did not fear in al-ʿUrūb.'

No - and whoever praises the pilgrims, he has what

لا وَمَن سَبَّحَ الحَجيجُ لَهُ ما

لا وَمَن سَبَّحَ الحَجيجُ لَهُ ما

كانَ ظَنّي اِتِّقاءَ عَينِ الرَقيبِ

كانَ ظَنّي اِتِّقاءَ عَينِ الرَقيبِ

No—by Him whom the pilgrims glorify—

Was not my thought, fearing the watchman's eye,

I had no thought of evading the watcher's eye.

Except the Imam restrained me from

غَيرَ أَنَّ الإِمامَ أَمسَكَني عَن

غَيرَ أَنَّ الإِمامَ أَمسَكَني عَن

كِ فَقولي في ذَنبِهِ لا ذُنوبي

كِ فَقولي في ذَنبِهِ لا ذُنوبي

It was only the imam who kept me from

You, so say about his sin, not my sins,

you; so speak of his fault, not my faults.

My heart is like a wing towards those

إِنَّ قَلبي مِثلُ الجَناحِ إِلى مَن

إِنَّ قَلبي مِثلُ الجَناحِ إِلى مَن

باتَ يَدعو وَأَنتَ غَيرُ مُجيبِ

باتَ يَدعو وَأَنتَ غَيرُ مُجيبِ

Indeed, my heart is like a wing reaching toward one

Who stay up worshipping while you do not answer,

who spends the night calling, while you give no answer.

If the lad could fly, I would fly

لَو يَطيرُ الفَتى لَطِرتُ مِنَ الشَو

لَو يَطيرُ الفَتى لَطِرتُ مِنَ الشَو

قِ مُنيباً إِلى الحَبيبِ المُنيبِ

قِ مُنيباً إِلى الحَبيبِ المُنيبِ

If a young man could fly, I would fly out of longing,

From yearning, returning to the yearning beloved,

turning back to the beloved who turns toward me.

If I meet one who takes my longing from me

لَو أُلاقي مَن يَحمِلُ الشَوقَ عَنّي

لَو أُلاقي مَن يَحمِلُ الشَوقَ عَنّي

رُحتُ بَينَ الصَبا وَبَينَ الجَنوبِ

رُحتُ بَينَ الصَبا وَبَينَ الجَنوبِ

If I could meet someone to bear my longing for me,

I would travel between youth and the south wind,

I would go between the east wind and the south wind.

So she wept the weeping of the grieved, and said,

فَبَكَت بِكيَةَ الحَزينِ وَقالَت

فَبَكَت بِكيَةَ الحَزينِ وَقالَت

كُلُّ عَيشٍ مُوَدَّعٌ عَن قَريبِ

كُلُّ عَيشٍ مُوَدَّعٌ عَن قَريبِ

Then she wept the tears of the sorrowful and said,

"Every life is farewell before long,"

'Every life must soon be bid farewell.

You were my soul that I sacrificed, so show kindness,

كُنتَ نَفسي الفِدا فَبِنتَ فَقيداً

كُنتَ نَفسي الفِدا فَبِنتَ فَقيداً

اِرعَ وُدّي نَعِمتَ غَيرَ مُريبِ

اِرعَ وُدّي نَعِمتَ غَيرَ مُريبِ

You were here—may my soul be your ransom—then you departed, sorely missed.

Enjoy your bounty without causing harm,

Cherish my love—may you live happily—without arousing suspicion.

If you asked the scholars about me, they would say

لَو سَأَلتَ العُلّامَ عَنّي لَقالوا

لَو سَأَلتَ العُلّامَ عَنّي لَقالوا

تُب إِلى اللَهِ مِن جَفاءِ الحَبيبِ

تُب إِلى اللَهِ مِن جَفاءِ الحَبيبِ

If you asked the learned about me, they would say,

"Repent to God from the harshness of the beloved,"

Repent to God of your coldness toward your beloved.'

My soul overcame me against you, though you are

غَلَبَتني نَفسي عَلَيكَ وَإِن كُن

غَلَبَتني نَفسي عَلَيكَ وَإِن كُن

تَ مَساكاً في ظِلِّ مُلكٍ قَشيبِ

تَ مَساكاً في ظِلِّ مُلكٍ قَشيبِ

My soul overpowered me in its longing for you, though

A refugee in the shade of a tottering kingdom,

you were holding back beneath the shade of a new reign.

How can I hope for a day like my day at the stony tracts

كَيفَ أَرجو يَوماً كَيَومي عَلى الرَس

كَيفَ أَرجو يَوماً كَيَومي عَلى الرَس

وَأَيّامِنا بِحَقفِ الكَثيبِ

وَأَيّامِنا بِحَقفِ الكَثيبِ

How can I hope for a day like mine at al-Rass,

And our days at the ridge of Al-Kathib,

and for our days beside the curving sand dune,

When we lead the cattle and compete in running,

إِذ نَسوقُ المُنى وَنَغتَبِقُ الرا

إِذ نَسوقُ المُنى وَنَغتَبِقُ الرا

حَ وَيَأتي الهَوى عَلى تَغييبِ

حَ وَيَأتي الهَوى عَلى تَغييبِ

when we drove our wishes onward and drank wine at evening,

And passion comes at sunset,

and love came to us in secret?

Our destinies are like two hands joined

قَدَرانا مِثلَ اليَدَينِ تَلَقّى

قَدَرانا مِثلَ اليَدَينِ تَلَقّى

هَذِهِ هَذِهِ بِوُدٍّ وَطيبِ

هَذِهِ هَذِهِ بِوُدٍّ وَطيبِ

Our two destinies were like two hands, meeting

This to this in affection and purity,

one another with affection and sweetness,

Handling properly and touching truth

تَتَعاطى جيداً وَتَلمِسُ حُقّاً

تَتَعاطى جيداً وَتَلمِسُ حُقّاً

حينَ نَخلو نَراهُما غَيرَ حوبِ

حينَ نَخلو نَراهُما غَيرَ حوبِ

reaching for a neck and touching a hip,

When we are alone we see them inseparable,

when we were alone, we saw no sin in either.

So that time has passed and left

فَاِنقَضى ذَلِكَ الزَمانُ وَأَبقى

فَاِنقَضى ذَلِكَ الزَمانُ وَأَبقى

زَمَناً راعَنا بِأَمرٍ عَجيبِ

زَمَناً راعَنا بِأَمرٍ عَجيبِ

Then that time passed, leaving behind

A time that amazed us with wonders,

a time that alarmed us with a strange turn of events.

Peace be upon you, you lodged in the kingdom while I wasted away

فَعَلَيكَ السَلامُ خَيَّمتَ في المُل

فَعَلَيكَ السَلامُ خَيَّمتَ في المُل

كِ وَغودِرتُ كَالمُصابِ الغَريبِ

كِ وَغودِرتُ كَالمُصابِ الغَريبِ

So peace be upon you; you have pitched your tent in the kingdom,

Like a stranger struck with affliction,

while I was left like a stricken stranger.