أَلاAh حَبَّذاhow lovely عَصرُthe days of اللِوىal-Liwa وَزَمانُهُand its time
أَلا حَبَّذا عَصرُ اللِوى وَزَمانُهُ
إِذِwhen الدَهرُtime سَلمٌpeace وَالجَميعُand everyone حُلولُencamped
إِذِ الدَهرُ سَلمٌ وَالجَميعُ حُلولُ
Ah, how lovely the days of al-Liwa and its time,
Oh how wonderful were the days of youth and their time
when time was peaceful and all were encamped;
When life was safe and all were in harmony
وَإِذand when لِلصِّباfor youth حَوضٌa pool مِنَof اللَهوِpleasure مُترَعٌbrimful
وَإِذ لِلصِّبا حَوضٌ مِنَ اللَهوِ مُترَعٌ
لَناfor us عَلَلٌsecond draughts مِنfrom وِردِهِits water وَنَهولُand first draughts
لَنا عَلَلٌ مِن وِردِهِ وَنَهولُ
and when youth had a pool brimming with pleasure,
When the youth had a pool of games at their disposal
we drank its waters in first draughts and draughts renewed;
From its roses we got necklaces and descended to valleys
وَإِذand when نَحنُwe لَمdid not يَعرِضintrude لِأُلفَةِupon the affection بَينِناbetween us
وَإِذ نَحنُ لَم يَعرِض لِأُلفَةِ بَينِنا
تَناءٍseparation وَلاnor مَلَّgrew weary of الوِصالَunion مَلولُone easily bored
تَناءٍ وَلا مَلَّ الوِصالَ مَلولُ
and when the affection between us had not been disturbed
When between us familiarity did not lead to boredom
by separation, nor had the easily bored wearied of union.
Nor did intimacies make the union tiring
Sol 6.1