تَولَّى شبابٌ واقترابٌ فأَمْعَنا

تَولَّى شبابٌ واقترابٌ فأَمْعَنا

ووالَى مَشيبٌ واغترابٌ فأَدْمَنا

ووالَى مَشيبٌ واغترابٌ فأَدْمَنا

Youth and nearness departed, and both went far away.

Youth has passed and come near, so we have revelled,

And gray age and exile followed, and both lingered on.

And old age has turned away and become estranged, so we are steadfast.

فيا حَبَّذا ليلُ الشبابِ الذي نأى

فيا حَبَّذا ليلُ الشبابِ الذي نأى

ولا حبذا صبح المشيب الذي دنا

ولا حبذا صبح المشيب الذي دنا

Ah, how lovely the night of youth that has gone far away,

Oh how excellent was the night of youth that has gone,

and how unwelcome the dawn of gray age that has drawn near!

And no good this morn of old age that has come.

إذا ما رأيتَ الشيبَ في عارضِ امرىءٍ

إذا ما رأيتَ الشيبَ في عارضِ امرىءٍ

وإنْ لم يمتْ فاحسِبْه مَيْتا مُكفْنا

وإنْ لم يمتْ فاحسِبْه مَيْتا مُكفْنا

If ever you see gray hair in a man's side-whiskers,

When you see white hairs in a man's temples,

even if he has not died, count him dead and shrouded.

Though he lives, consider him a dead man wrapped for burial.

وإنْ ظهرتْ بيضاءُ في مَفْرِق الفتى

وإنْ ظهرتْ بيضاءُ في مَفْرِق الفتى

فأَوْلَى بذاك الموضع الضربُ بالقَنا

فأَوْلَى بذاك الموضع الضربُ بالقَنا

And if a white hair appears at a young man's hair-parting,

And if whiteness appears in the parting of a youth,

then blows from spears are more fitting for that spot.

It is best to strike that place with a staff.

وقد كان صبري حارب الهجر والنوى

وقد كان صبري حارب الهجر والنوى

فما صَدَّه ضعفٌ ولا غالَه ونا

فما صَدَّه ضعفٌ ولا غالَه ونا

And my patience had indeed battled abandonment and distance,

My patience fought against estrangement and enmity,

so no weakness turned it back, nor did weariness undo it.

So no weakness impeded it nor did any wealth make it deviate.

فلما ثنى عنه الشباب عنانه

فلما ثنى عنه الشباب عنانه

وشاهَد من جيش المَشيب مُكمَّنا

وشاهَد من جيش المَشيب مُكمَّنا

But when youth turned its reins away from it,

But when youth turned its reins from it

and it saw an ambusher from gray age's army,

And from the army of old age it saw an ambush,

تولى وكم ناديتُه بعد أنْ رأى

تولى وكم ناديتُه بعد أنْ رأى

طليعةَ شيبي للرجوع فما انثنى

طليعةَ شيبي للرجوع فما انثنى

it fled; how often I called to it, after it had seen

It turned away, though how often did I call it, after it saw

the vanguard of my gray hair, to return—yet it did not turn back.

The vanguard of my white hairs, to return, but it did not turn back.

سقى العهدَ عهدَ الثغرِ بل عهدَ أهلِه

سقى العهدَ عهدَ الثغرِ بل عهدَ أهلِه

حَياً كدموعي تجعل السيل دَيْدَنا

حَياً كدموعي تجعل السيل دَيْدَنا

May those days be watered—the days of the port, rather, of its people—

It let flow the pact of the mouth’s pact, nay the pact of its folk,

by rain like my tears, which make torrents their constant habit.

Alive like my tears that make the torrent gush forth.

فكم لي به من غُدوة وعشية

فكم لي به من غُدوة وعشية

يقصِّر عن إدراك أمثالها المُنى

يقصِّر عن إدراك أمثالها المُنى

For how many mornings and evenings were mine there,

How many a morn and eve have I had with it

whose like wishes fall short of attaining!

That life falls short of attaining the like.

فطَوْرا لنا بين الكروم مَرابع

فطَوْرا لنا بين الكروم مَرابع

يشاهد فيها البدرُ أمثاله بنا

يشاهد فيها البدرُ أمثاله بنا

So at times we had haunts among the vineyards,

Sometimes between the vineyards we have wandered at dawn,

where the full moon beheld its equals in us;

Where the full moon has looked upon its like with us.

وطورا على ماء الخليج وقد جَلا

وطورا على ماء الخليج وقد جَلا

عليه نسيمُ الريح كَشْحا مُعَكَّنا

عليه نسيمُ الريح كَشْحا مُعَكَّنا

and at times on the channel's water, where there was bared

And sometimes on the Gulf’s water that was stirred up

by the wind's breeze a flank creased with folds.

By the blow of the wind like wrinkled parchment.

كأن حَباب الماء ثوب بَرقِش

كأن حَباب الماء ثوب بَرقِش

وقد شابَه لون الضحى فتَلَوَّنا

وقد شابَه لون الضحى فتَلَوَّنا

The water's bubbles were like Barqish's robe,

The water bubbles were like a coat of motley,

and midmorning's hue had mingled with it, making it many-colored.

Colored by the hue of dawn and many-hued.

حَبابٌ حكى بطنَ الحُباب وظهرَه

حَبابٌ حكى بطنَ الحُباب وظهرَه

إذا الريحُ صاغتْ منه درعا وجَوْشَنا

إذا الريحُ صاغتْ منه درعا وجَوْشَنا

Bubbles resembling a serpent's belly and back,

Bubbles that told of the surface and depth of bubbles,

when the wind fashioned from them a coat of mail and a cuirass.

When the wind wove them into a coat of mail and armor.

فكان كأجيادِ الظباء تلفَّتت

فكان كأجيادِ الظباء تلفَّتت

فأظهرْنَ تدريجا هناك مُغَضَّنا

فأظهرْنَ تدريجا هناك مُغَضَّنا

So it was like the necks of gazelles as they turned,

They were like the flanks of wild cows that swayed

and they gradually revealed their wrinkled skin there.

And there gradually showed a flexing.

إذا أبرم التيار داراته حكى

إذا أبرم التيار داراته حكى

أنامل خرّاط يحرّر مُدْهُنا

أنامل خرّاط يحرّر مُدْهُنا

When the current twisted its rings, it resembled

When the current turned its circles it imitated

the fingertips of a turner finely shaping an oil pot.

The finger joints of a draftsman delineating with care.

وفوق الثَّرى خَزٌّ من الروض أخضرٌ

وفوق الثَّرى خَزٌّ من الروض أخضرٌ

يُقابل خَزّافي ذرَا الغيثِ أَدْكَنا

يُقابل خَزّافي ذرَا الغيثِ أَدْكَنا

And above the earth lay green silk of the meadow,

And above the ground was a verdure from the meadow, greener,

facing dusky silk in the heights of the rainclouds.

Confronting the green of the rain’s scattered drops.

ترى ذا بطُرْز النَّوْر سُفْلا مُخَمَّلا

ترى ذا بطُرْز النَّوْر سُفْلا مُخَمَّلا

وذاك برَقْم البرق عُلْوا محسَّنا

وذاك برَقْم البرق عُلْوا محسَّنا

You see this one below, velveted with embroideries of blossoms,

You see this embroidered with the light’s embroidery below,

and that one above, adorned with lightning's tracery.

And that embellished above with the lightning’s embroidery.

وفي خَلل الأوراق وُرْقٌ غناؤها

وفي خَلل الأوراق وُرْقٌ غناؤها

ألذُّ وأحلى في القلوب من الغنى

ألذُّ وأحلى في القلوب من الغنى

And in the gaps between the leaves are gray doves, whose song

And in the midst of the leaves is the warbling of leaves,

is more delightful and sweeter to hearts than wealth.

Sweeter and more delicious in hearts than singing.

شَدَتْ فهْي مثلُ الصَّبِّ أَوْدَى غرامه

شَدَتْ فهْي مثلُ الصَّبِّ أَوْدَى غرامه

بكتمانه حتى تلاشى فأعلنا

بكتمانه حتى تلاشى فأعلنا

They sang, like a lover whose passion brought ruin

They burst into song—they were like a lovesick youth

to his concealment, until it vanished and he spoke out.

Concealing his passion until it faded and he declared it.

إذا راسلتْها شَمْأَلٌ خِلْتَ صِبْيةً

إذا راسلتْها شَمْأَلٌ خِلْتَ صِبْيةً

يُغَنِّين شيخاً أعجم اللفظ أَلْكَنا

يُغَنِّين شيخاً أعجم اللفظ أَلْكَنا

When a north wind exchanges messages with them, you imagine young girls

When the gentle breeze addresses them you’d think a maiden

singing to an old man with unintelligible, stammering speech.

Singing, making an incomprehensible-tongued old man sing too.

مكانٌ به زهر البَساتين والفَلا

مكانٌ به زهر البَساتين والفَلا

تَخال عليه منه ثوبا مُفَنَّنا

تَخال عليه منه ثوبا مُفَنَّنا

A place with the flowers of gardens and wilderness,

A place whose flowers of gardens and orchards—

you imagine upon it a richly patterned robe made of them:

You’d think its clothes were made of them, embroidered.

بَهارا وأزهارا ووردا ونرجسا

بَهارا وأزهارا ووردا ونرجسا

وآسا ونسْرينا وجُلاّ وسَوْسنا

وآسا ونسْرينا وجُلاّ وسَوْسنا

oxeye daisies, blossoms, roses, and narcissi,

Basil and flowers and roses and narcissi

and myrtle, eglantine, rose blossoms, and irises.

And myrtle and oleander and jasmine and lilies,

تخال حصى الياقوت فيه ملوَّنا

تخال حصى الياقوت فيه ملوَّنا

فلو صَلُبت أحجاره كان مَعْدِنا

فلو صَلُبت أحجاره كان مَعْدِنا

You imagine many-colored ruby pebbles in it;

You’d think its pebbles were colored jacinth,

if its stones hardened, it would be a mine.

And if its stones were made hard they’d be a mine.

وقطرُ الندى فيهن أنصاف لؤلؤ

وقطرُ الندى فيهن أنصاف لؤلؤ

فلو جَمَدت كانت تُصان وتُقتَنى

فلو جَمَدت كانت تُصان وتُقتَنى

And the dewdrops upon them are half-pearls;

And the drops of dew on them are half pearls,

if they solidified, they would be kept safe and treasured.

And if they hardened they’d be prized and bought.

رياضٌ حكى الديباجُ منها محاسنا

رياضٌ حكى الديباجُ منها محاسنا

فلو كُنّ ديباجا لأصبح مُثْمَنا

فلو كُنّ ديباجا لأصبح مُثْمَنا

Gardens whose beauties silk brocade has copied;

Gardens that told of brocade with their beauties,

were they brocade, it would be highly prized.

And if they were brocade they’d be expensive.

لَعَمْري لقد خلَّفتُ منها مَواطنا

لَعَمْري لقد خلَّفتُ منها مَواطنا

أبى الدهرُ أنْ أعتاضَ منهن موطنا

أبى الدهرُ أنْ أعتاضَ منهن موطنا

By my life, I have indeed left homes behind among them;

By my life, I have left places there

Time has refused to let me find a home in their stead.

That fate refused I ever have a place instead of.

أنا ابْنُ مُضاضٍ وهْي أوطانُ جُرْهُمٍ

أنا ابْنُ مُضاضٍ وهْي أوطانُ جُرْهُمٍ

فلا فرقَ في طول التفرّق بيننا

فلا فرقَ في طول التفرّق بيننا

I am Ibn Muḍāḍ, and these are the homelands of Jurhum;

I am the son of Muḍāḍ and those are Jurhum’s homelands,

so there is no difference between us in the length of separation.

So there’s no difference in the length of our separation between us.

عسى مُنْيَةٌ قبلَ المنيةِ تنقضي

عسى مُنْيَةٌ قبلَ المنيةِ تنقضي

فيرشفَ ثغرَ الثغرِ طرفي إذا رنا

فيرشفَ ثغرَ الثغرِ طرفي إذا رنا

May a wish be fulfilled before death,

Perhaps a death before death will pass

so my eye may sip the port's lips when it gazes.

And the mouth’s lip will drink when it murmurs.

سألتُك يا رَبّاه عَوْدا فجُدْ به

سألتُك يا رَبّاه عَوْدا فجُدْ به

وجازِ بخيرٍ من دعوتُ فأَمَّنا

وجازِ بخيرٍ من دعوتُ فأَمَّنا

I have asked You, O my Lord, for a return; grant it generously,

I asked You, my Lord, for a return, so be generous with it,

and reward with good whoever answered my call with 'Amen.'

And reward with good those whose wishes we have fulfilled.