وَقائِلَةٍ هَجَرتَ الشِعرَ حَتّى

وَقائِلَةٍ هَجَرتَ الشِعرَ حَتّى

تَغَنّى بِالسَخافاتِ المُغَنّي

تَغَنّى بِالسَخافاتِ المُغَنّي

And a woman said, “You have forsaken poetry until

A woman reproached me, saying I had abandoned poetry

She asked: "Have you abandoned poetry, until / The singer now chants mere absurdities?"

the singer has taken to singing nonsense.

Until buffoons sang silly songs.

"Springtime came while you were distracted, / And it has passed without you chanting a melody."

أَتى زَمَنُ الرَبيعِ وَأَنتَ لاهٍ

أَتى زَمَنُ الرَبيعِ وَأَنتَ لاهٍ

وَقَد وَلّى وَلَم تَهتِف بِلَحنِ

وَقَد وَلّى وَلَم تَهتِف بِلَحنِ

Springtime came while you were heedless,

Springtime came while I was heedless,

"Your soul is like an echo in the depths of a well, / And like the dawn wrapped in gloom."

and it has passed, yet you have not sung a melody.

And it departed though I sang no melody.

"What ails you that beauty no longer enthralls you, / When you are a man who adores every grace?"

وَنَفسُكَ كَالصَدى في قاعِ بِئرٍ

وَنَفسُكَ كَالصَدى في قاعِ بِئرٍ

وَمِثلِ الفَجرِ مُلتَحِفاً بِدَجنِ

وَمِثلِ الفَجرِ مُلتَحِفاً بِدَجنِ

And your soul is like an echo at the bottom of a well,

My soul is like an echo in a deep well,

"Do you remain silent while youth flows amply upon you, / And around you lie Gardens of Eden for love?"

and like dawn wrapped in gloom.

Or like the dawn wrapped in its shroud.

"Stagnation breeds corruption in water." / So I told her: "Be still and rest assured."

فَما لَكَ لَيسَ يَستَهويكَ حُسنٌ

فَما لَكَ لَيسَ يَستَهويكَ حُسنٌ

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَعشَقُ كُلَّ حُسنِ

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَعشَقُ كُلَّ حُسنِ

So what is wrong with you, that no beauty captivates you,

What beauty cannot allure you

"For the hand of time has not shattered my spirit, / Even if it has shattered my pitchers and my casks."

when you are the man who loves all beauty?

When you are one who loves all beauty?

"I have not tied my tongue out of fear, / Nor out of stinginess with my art toward the world."

أَتَسكُتُ وَالشَبابُ عَلَيكَ ضافٍ

أَتَسكُتُ وَالشَبابُ عَلَيكَ ضافٍ

وَحَولَكَ لِلهَوى جَنّاتُ عَدنِ

وَحَولَكَ لِلهَوى جَنّاتُ عَدنِ

Will you stay silent while youth richly enfolds you,

Will you be silent while youth still clings to you

"But I am a man whose laughter belongs to the people, / While my agony and sorrow belong to me alone."

and around you lie love’s gardens of Eden?

And love's gardens surround you in this paradise?

"If I complain of my worries to a friend / When I have the strength to be silent, I have wronged my friend."

رُكودُ الماءِ يورِثُهُ فَساداً

رُكودُ الماءِ يورِثُهُ فَساداً

فَقُلتُ لَها اِستَكيني وَاِطمَإِنّي

فَقُلتُ لَها اِستَكيني وَاِطمَإِنّي

Stagnation brings decay to water.”

Stagnant water breeds only decay.

"And my pride refuses that he should see me / As a youth with eyelids drowned in tears."

So I said to her, “Be calm and rest assured.

So I said to her, "Calm me and give me peace."

"So I hide my weeping from him, lest he be / Distressed by it, even though it burns me."

فَما حَطَّمَت يَدُ الأَيّامِ روحي

فَما حَطَّمَت يَدُ الأَيّامِ روحي

وَإِن حَطَّمَت أَباريقي وَدَنّي

وَإِن حَطَّمَت أَباريقي وَدَنّي

For time’s hand has not shattered my soul,

The hands of time have not broken my spirit,

"And should my companion weep, I imagine / That I am the culprit, even if he does not accuse me."

even though it has shattered my pitchers and my wine jar.

Though they've shattered my jugs and pots.

"So I wipe away the tears from his eyes, / Even if they resemble flames and sear me."

وَلَم أَعقِد عَلى خَوفٍ لِساني

وَلَم أَعقِد عَلى خَوفٍ لِساني

وَلا ضَنّاً عَلى الدُنيا بِفَنّي

وَلا ضَنّاً عَلى الدُنيا بِفَنّي

Nor have I bound my tongue out of fear,

I have not bridled my tongue in fear,

"For whenever I bring him relief, / I rejoice as though I have brought relief to myself."

nor from begrudging the world my art.

Nor mourned the loss of worldly goods.

وَلَكِنّي إِمرُؤٌ لِلناسِ ضِحكي

وَلَكِنّي إِمرُؤٌ لِلناسِ ضِحكي

وَلي وَحدي تَباريحي وَحُزني

وَلي وَحدي تَباريحي وَحُزني

But I am a man whose laughter is for others,

Rather I am one whose laughter lights people's faces,

and my torments and sorrow are mine alone.

While only to myself belong my sighs and sorrows.

إِذا أَشكو إِلى خِدنٍ هُمومي

إِذا أَشكو إِلى خِدنٍ هُمومي

وَفي وُسعي السُكوتُ ظُلِمتُ خِدني

وَفي وُسعي السُكوتُ ظُلِمتُ خِدني

If I complain of my worries to a close friend,

When I complain of my troubles to a confidant,

though I could be silent, I wrong my friend.

Silence is best - I have wronged my confidant.

وَتَأبى كِبرِيائي أَن يَراني

وَتَأبى كِبرِيائي أَن يَراني

فَتىً مُغرَورِقاً بِالدَمعِ جَفني

فَتىً مُغرَورِقاً بِالدَمعِ جَفني

And my pride will not let me be seen

My pride refuses to let anyone see

by a young man, with my eyelid brimming with tears.

My eyes overflowing with tears like a lovesick boy's.

فَأَستُرُ عَبرَتي عَنهُ لِأَلّا

فَأَستُرُ عَبرَتي عَنهُ لِأَلّا

يَضيقُ بِها وَإِن هيَ أَحرَقَتني

يَضيقُ بِها وَإِن هيَ أَحرَقَتني

So I hide my tear from him, lest

So I hide my tears from him, though they burn me,

it distress him, even if it burns me.

Lest he feel distressed, though he does not accuse me.

وَيَبكي صاحِبي فَإِخالُ أَنّي

وَيَبكي صاحِبي فَإِخالُ أَنّي

أَنا الجاني وَإِن لَم يَتَّهِمني

أَنا الجاني وَإِن لَم يَتَّهِمني

And my friend weeps, so I imagine that I

I wipe away a tear from his eyelid

myself am to blame, even if he has not accused me.

Though the flames lick and consume me,

فَأَمسَحُ أَدمُعاً في مُقلَتَيهِ

فَأَمسَحُ أَدمُعاً في مُقلَتَيهِ

وَإِن حَكَتِ اللَهيبَ وَإِن كَوَتني

وَإِن حَكَتِ اللَهيبَ وَإِن كَوَتني

So I wipe tears from both his eyes,

Because whenever I comfort him,

even if they resemble flame, even if they sear me.

I am troubled, as if I had comforted myself.

لِأَنّي كُلَّما رَفَّهتُ عَنهُ

لِأَنّي كُلَّما رَفَّهتُ عَنهُ

طَرِبتُ كَأَنَّني رَفَّهتُ عَنّي

طَرِبتُ كَأَنَّني رَفَّهتُ عَنّي

For whenever I bring him relief,

I rejoice as though I had brought relief to myself.”