أَرى لِلصّبا وداعا

أَرى لِلصّبا وداعا

وما يَذْكُرُ اجْتماعا

وما يَذْكُرُ اجْتماعا

I see youth bidding farewell,

I bid farewell to youth

and it speaks of no reunion,

And what I remember of our gatherings

كأَنْ لم يَكُنْ جديراً

كأَنْ لم يَكُنْ جديراً

بِحِفْظِ الَّذي أَضاعا

بِحِفْظِ الَّذي أَضاعا

as though it had not been worthy

As if it was not worth

of preserving what it squandered,

Keeping what has been wasted

ولم يُصِبْنا سُروراً

ولم يُصِبْنا سُروراً

وَلم يُلْهِنا سَماعا

وَلم يُلْهِنا سَماعا

and had not brought us joy,

It brought us no joy

and had not entertained us with song.

Nor did listening to it delight us

فَجَدِّدْ وِصالَ صَبٍّ

فَجَدِّدْ وِصالَ صَبٍّ

متَى تَعْصِهِ أَطاعا

متَى تَعْصِهِ أَطاعا

So renew your union with a lovesick lover:

So renew the union with youth

whenever you defy him, he obeys.

If you disobey it, it will obey

إنْ تَدْنُ مِنْهُ شِبراً

إنْ تَدْنُ مِنْهُ شِبراً

يُقَرّبْكَ مِنْهُ باعا

يُقَرّبْكَ مِنْهُ باعا

If you draw a handspan nearer to him,

If you approach it a handspan

he draws you an armspan closer to him.

It will bring you closer by miles