شَبابيmy youth كيْفَhow صِرْتَyou have come إلىto نَفَادِan end
شَبابي كيْفَ صِرْتَ إلى نَفَادِ
وَبُدِّلتَand you were given in exchange البيَاضَwhiteness مِنَin place of السَّوَادِblackness
وَبُدِّلتَ البيَاضَ مِنَ السَّوَادِ
My youth, how have you dwindled away,
and been given whiteness in place of blackness?
وَماand not أَبْقَىhave left الحَوَادِثُtime's vicissitudes مِنْكَof you إلَّاexcept
وَما أَبْقَى الحَوَادِثُ مِنْكَ إلَّا
كماjust as أَبْقَتْhave left مِنَof القَمرِthe moon الدَّآديthe month's final nights
كما أَبْقَتْ مِنَ القَمرِ الدَّآدي
And time's vicissitudes have left of you no more
than the month's last nights leave of the moon.
فِرَاقُكَyour departure عَرَّفَmade known الأَحْزَانَsorrows قَلبيmy heart
فِرَاقُكَ عَرَّفَ الأَحْزَانَ قَلبي
وَفَرَّقَand separated بَينَbetween جَفْنيmy eyelid وَالرُّقَادِand sleep
وَفَرَّقَ بَينَ جَفْني وَالرُّقَادِ
Your departure acquainted my heart with sorrows,
and parted my eyelids from sleep.
فَياalas لنَعيمِfor the bliss عَيْشٍof a life قَدْalready تَوَلَّىhas passed away
فَيا لنَعيمِ عَيْشٍ قَدْ تَوَلَّى
وياand alas لِغليلِfor the burning ache حُزْنٍof sorrow مُسْتَفادِacquired
ويا لِغليلِ حُزْنٍ مُسْتَفادِ
Alas for the bliss of a life now gone,
and alas for the burning grief I have gained!
كأَنّيas though I منكَof yours لمnot أَرْبَعdwell برَبْعٍin an abode
كأَنّي منكَ لم أَرْبَع برَبْعٍ
وَلمand not أَرْتَدْseek out بِهِwithin it أَحْلىthe sweetest مرادِobject of desire
وَلم أَرْتَدْ بِهِ أَحْلى مرادِ
As though I had never dwelt in an abode of yours,
nor sought within it the sweetest of desires.
سَقَىmay water ذاكَthat الثَّرَىearth وَبْلُthe downpour الثُّرَيَّاof the Pleiades
سَقَى ذاكَ الثَّرَى وَبْلُ الثُّرَيَّا
وغادَىand may visit at dawn نبتَهُits shoots صَوْبُthe rainfall الغَوادِيof morning rainclouds
وغادَى نبتَهُ صَوْبُ الغَوادِي
May the Pleiades' downpour water that earth,
and may the morning clouds' rain greet its shoots at dawn.
فَكَمْfor how much ليof mine مِنْof غَليلٍburning longing فِيهِin it خافٍhidden
فَكَمْ لي مِنْ غَليلٍ فِيهِ خافٍ
وكمand how much ليof mine مِنْof عَويلٍwailing فِيهin it بادِيmanifest
وكم لي مِنْ عَويلٍ فِيه بادِي
For how much of my burning longing lies hidden there,
and how much of my wailing is plain there!
زَمانٌa time كانَwas فِيهِin it الرُّشْدُgood sense غَيّاًfolly
زَمانٌ كانَ فِيهِ الرُّشْدُ غَيّاً
وكانَand was الغَيُّfolly فِيهِin it مِنَa form of الرَّشادِgood sense
وكانَ الغَيُّ فِيهِ مِنَ الرَّشادِ
A time when good sense was folly,
and folly then was a form of good sense.
يُقَبِّلُنيit kisses me بدلٍّwith coy charm مِنْfrom قَبُولٍQabul
يُقَبِّلُني بدلٍّ مِنْ قَبُولٍ
وَيُسْعِدُنِيand it gladdens me بِوَصْلٍthrough union مِنْwith سُعادِSu'ad
وَيُسْعِدُنِي بِوَصْلٍ مِنْ سُعادِ
It would kiss me with Qabul's coy charm,
and gladden me through union with Su'ad.
وَأَجْنُبُهُand I lead it فَيُعْطينيso it gives me قِياداًthe reins
وَأَجْنُبُهُ فَيُعْطيني قِياداً
وَيَجْنُبُنيand it leads me فَأُعْطيهِso I give it قِيادِيmy reins
وَيَجْنُبُني فَأُعْطيهِ قِيادِي
And I would lead it, and it would yield me the reins,
and it would lead me, and I would yield it my reins.
فَكَمْso how great هذاthis التَّمَنِّيthe yearning للْمَناياfor death
فَكَمْ هذا التَّمَنِّي للْمَنايا
وكمand how great هذاthis التجلُّدُthe fortitude للجِلادِfor combat
وكم هذا التجلُّدُ للجِلادِ
How great is this yearning for death,
and how great this fortitude in combat!
لَئِنْif indeed عُرفَis known الجهادُwarfare بِكُلِّin every عامٍyear
لَئِنْ عُرفَ الجهادُ بِكُلِّ عامٍ
فإنَّكَthen surely you طُولَthroughout دَهْرِكَyour lifetime فيin جِهادِwarfare
فإنَّكَ طُولَ دَهْرِكَ في جِهادِ
If warfare is known year by year,
then you are at war throughout your life.
وإِنَّكَand indeed you حِينَwhen أُبْتَyou returned بِكُلِّwith every سَعْدٍgood fortune
وإِنَّكَ حِينَ أُبْتَ بِكُلِّ سَعْدٍ
كَمِثْلِlike الرُّوحِthe spirit آبَreturned إِلىto الفُؤادِthe heart
كَمِثْلِ الرُّوحِ آبَ إِلى الفُؤادِ
And you, when you returned with all good fortune,
were like the spirit returning to the heart.
رأَيْناwe saw السَّيْفَthe sword مُرتَدِياًgirded بِسَيْفٍwith a sword
رأَيْنا السَّيْفَ مُرتَدِياً بِسَيْفٍ
وعايَنَّاand we beheld الجَوادَthe generous man علىupon الجوادِthe noble steed
وعايَنَّا الجَوادَ على الجوادِ
We saw the sword girded with a sword,
and beheld the generous man upon the noble steed.
Sol 6.1