يا شاعِراً حُلوَ المَوَدَّةِ

يا شاعِراً حُلوَ المَوَدَّةِ

في الحُضور وَفي الغِيابِ

في الحُضور وَفي الغِيابِ

O poet, whose affection is sweet

O poet of sweet affection,

in presence and in absence,

Present in presence and in absence,

شَهدٌ وَلاأُك وَالأَنامُ

شَهدٌ وَلاأُك وَالأَنامُ

وَلائُهُم شَهدٌ وَصاب

وَلائُهُم شَهدٌ وَصاب

your loyalty is honey; other people's

Your loyalty is pure honey, while others—

loyalty is honey and bitter sap.

Their loyalty is honey mixed with bitter herbs.

أَنا إِن شَكَوتُ إِلَيكَ مِنـ

أَنا إِن شَكَوتُ إِلَيكَ مِنـ

ـكَ وَسالَ في كُتُبي العِتاب

ـكَ وَسالَ في كُتُبي العِتاب

If I complain to you about

If I complain to you about you,

you, and reproach flows through my letters,

And reproach flows through my letters,

فَحِكايَتي كَحِكايَةِ الظَمآ

فَحِكايَتي كَحِكايَةِ الظَمآ

نِ في قَفرٍ يَباب

نِ في قَفرٍ يَباب

my story is like that of a thirsty

My story is like that of a thirsty man

man in a barren wilderness:

In a desolate, barren wasteland.

لَم يَروِهِ لَمعُ السَرابِ فَرا

لَم يَروِهِ لَمعُ السَرابِ فَرا

حَ يَستَسقي السَحاب

حَ يَستَسقي السَحاب

the mirage's gleam did not quench his thirst, so

The mirage’s shimmer did not quench him, so he went

he went to seek rain from the clouds.

To seek rain directly from the clouds,

فَهَمى فَكانَ الخَيرُ فيـ

فَهَمى فَكانَ الخَيرُ فيـ

ـهِ لِلأَباطِح وَالهِضابِ

ـهِ لِلأَباطِح وَالهِضابِ

So they poured, and their bounty was

And it poured down, bringing goodness

for the valley beds and hills.

To the wide valleys and the hills.

مَسعودُ أَهوِن بِالمَشيـ

مَسعودُ أَهوِن بِالمَشيـ

ـبِ فَما اِمَّحى إِلّا الخُضاب

ـبِ فَما اِمَّحى إِلّا الخُضاب

Mas‘ud, how little gray hair matters!

Massoud, make light of graying hair,

Nothing has faded but the dye.

For nothing has faded but the dye.

ما ذا عَلَيكَ مِنَ الثُلوجِ

ما ذا عَلَيكَ مِنَ الثُلوجِ

وَفي ضُلوعِكَ حَرُّ أَب

وَفي ضُلوعِكَ حَرُّ أَب

What harm can the snows do you,

What does the snow upon your head matter to you,

when August's heat burns within your ribs?

When the heat of August burns within your ribs?

وَالكَأسُ أَجمَلُ في النَوا

وَالكَأسُ أَجمَلُ في النَوا

ظِرِ إِذ يُرَصِّعُها الحَباب

ظِرِ إِذ يُرَصِّعُها الحَباب

And the cup is lovelier to the eye

The cup appears more beautiful to the eye

when bubbles bejewel it.

When it is crowned with sparkling bubbles.

إِن شابَ مِنكَ المَفرِقانِ

إِن شابَ مِنكَ المَفرِقانِ

فَما أَظُنُّ القَلبَ شاب

فَما أَظُنُّ القَلبَ شاب

If both your temples have turned gray,

If the parting of your hair has turned white,

yet I do not think your heart has grayed.

I do not believe the heart has aged.

لا تَزعَمَنَّ لَهُ المَتابَ

لا تَزعَمَنَّ لَهُ المَتابَ

فَإِنَّ تَوبَتُهُ كِذاب

فَإِنَّ تَوبَتُهُ كِذاب

Never claim that it has repented,

Do not claim repentance for it,

for its repentance is a lie.

For its repentance would be a lie.

ما زالَ يَخفِقُ بِالهَوى

ما زالَ يَخفِقُ بِالهَوى

وَيَفيضُ بِالسِحرِ العُجاب

وَيَفيضُ بِالسِحرِ العُجاب

It still beats with love

It still beats with passion,

and overflows with wondrous magic.

And overflows with wondrous magic,

وَيُريكَ دُنيا لا تُحَدُّ وَ

وَيُريكَ دُنيا لا تُحَدُّ وَ

مِن وَرائِكَ أَلفُ باب

مِن وَرائِكَ أَلفُ باب

And it shows you a boundless world, while

Showing you a boundless world,

behind you stand a thousand doors;

While a thousand doors lie behind you.

دُنيا مِنَ اللَذات وَالأَف

دُنيا مِنَ اللَذات وَالأَف

راحِ في دُنيا عَذاب

راحِ في دُنيا عَذاب

a world of pleasures and

A world of pleasures and joys

joys amid a world of torment.

Amidst a world of torment.

وَيُريكَ جَنّاتِ الجَمالِ

وَيُريكَ جَنّاتِ الجَمالِ

وَأَنتَ في الطَلَلِ الخَراب

وَأَنتَ في الطَلَلِ الخَراب

And it shows you gardens of beauty

It shows you gardens of beauty

while you are amid desolate ruins.

Even while you stand in ruins.

أَفتى القَوافي الشادِياتِ

أَفتى القَوافي الشادِياتِ

كَأَنَّها أَطيارُ غاب

كَأَنَّها أَطيارُ غاب

O youth of singing rhymes,

You gave voice to singing rhymes,

as though they were woodland birds,

As if they were birds of the forest.

إِن قيلَ إِنَّكَ صِرتَ شَيخاً

إِن قيلَ إِنَّكَ صِرتَ شَيخاً

قُل أَجَل شَيخُ الشَباب

قُل أَجَل شَيخُ الشَباب

if they say you have become an old man,

If it is said that you have become an old man,

say, "Yes—the elder of the young."

Say: Yes, the Sheikh of Youth.

أَتَرى إِذا العُنوانُ ضاعَ

أَتَرى إِذا العُنوانُ ضاعَ

يَضيعُ مَضمونُ الكِتاب

يَضيعُ مَضمونُ الكِتاب

Do you think that, if the title is lost,

Do you think that if the title is lost,

the book's contents are lost?

The content of the book is lost as well?

السَيفُ لَيسَ يُعيبُهُ مَشـ

السَيفُ لَيسَ يُعيبُهُ مَشـ

ـيُ الخَلوقَةِ في القِراب

ـيُ الخَلوقَةِ في القِراب

A sword is not blemished by

The sword is not flawed by the wearing away

wear creeping through its sheath.

Of the scabbard's ornamentation.

وَالخَمرُ خَمرٌ في إِنا

وَالخَمرُ خَمرٌ في إِنا

ءٍ مِن لُجَينٍ أَو تُراب

ءٍ مِن لُجَينٍ أَو تُراب

And wine is wine in a vessel

And wine remains wine, whether in a vessel

of silver or clay.

Of silver or of clay.

وَحَياةُ مِثلِكَ لَيسَ تَد

وَحَياةُ مِثلِكَ لَيسَ تَد

خُلُ في قِياسٍ أَو حِساب

خُلُ في قِياسٍ أَو حِساب

And a life like yours cannot

The life of one like you does not

be measured or reckoned.

Fall under measurement or calculation.

فَغَدٌ زَمانَكَ مِثلُ أَمسٍ

فَغَدٌ زَمانَكَ مِثلُ أَمسٍ

وَإِن مَضى عَصرُ الشَباب

وَإِن مَضى عَصرُ الشَباب

So tomorrow, in your life, is like yesterday,

For your tomorrow is just like your yesterday,

even if the season of youth has passed.

Even if the era of youth has passed.

لا يُدرِكُ الهرِمُ النُجومَ

لا يُدرِكُ الهرِمُ النُجومَ

وَأَنتَ في الدُنيا شَهاب

وَأَنتَ في الدُنيا شَهاب

Old age cannot overtake the stars,

Senility does not overtake the stars,

and in this world you are a shooting star.

And you, in this world, are a meteor.

وَإِذا يُعابُ عَلى المَشيبِ

وَإِذا يُعابُ عَلى المَشيبِ

فَتى فَمَن ذا لا يُعاب

فَتى فَمَن ذا لا يُعاب

And if gray hair is held against

If a man is faulted for gray hair,

a youth, who, then, is beyond reproach?

Then who is the one free from fault?

أَو كانَ يَمدَحُ بِالسَوادِ

أَو كانَ يَمدَحُ بِالسَوادِ

فَمَن تُرى مَدَحَ الغُراب

فَمَن تُرى مَدَحَ الغُراب

Or if praise is given for blackness,

Or if one praises hair for its blackness,

who, do you think, has praised the crow?

Then who, tell me, praises the crow?

يا نَفحَةً مِن شاعِرٍ

يا نَفحَةً مِن شاعِرٍ

أَرَجَ الكِتابُ بِها وَطاب

أَرَجَ الكِتابُ بِها وَطاب

O fragrant breath from a poet,

O fragrance from a poet,

that made the letter fragrant and sweet!

By which the book became scented and sweet,

الفَجرُ أَهدى لِيَ السَنا

الفَجرُ أَهدى لِيَ السَنا

وَالرَوضُ لِيَ المَلاب

وَالرَوضُ لِيَ المَلاب

Dawn has given me its radiance,

Dawn has gifted me light,

and the garden, its perfume.

And the garden has gifted me perfumes.