يا حبّذا أهيفُ خط

يا حبّذا أهيفُ خط

ط حسنهِ حلوُ النَّمَط

ط حسنهِ حلوُ النَّمَط

Ah, how lovely a slender youth,

O how excellent are the lines of his beautiful handwriting,

his beauty traced in a pleasing style.

Sweet in composition, pleasant in style,

حلوُ الصبِّا عذبُ اللَّمى

حلوُ الصبِّا عذبُ اللَّمى

حلوُ الرِضا مرُّ السَّخط

حلوُ الرِضا مرُّ السَّخط

Sweet in youth, with sweet, dusky lips,

Sweet is youth, delicious is vitality,

sweet when pleased, bitter when angered.

Sweet is contentment, bitter is rage,

كأنَّ برقَ ثغرهِ ال

كأنَّ برقَ ثغرهِ ال

واضحِ سيفٌ مُختَرط

واضحِ سيفٌ مُختَرط

As though the gleam of his mouth,

As if the light of his bright smile is an unsheathed sword,

so radiant, were an unsheathed sword.

As if the pearls of his lips are a necklace in a casket,

كأنّ دُرَّ ثغرهِ

كأنّ دُرَّ ثغرهِ

عِقدُ لآلٍ في سَفَط

عِقدُ لآلٍ في سَفَط

As though the pearls of his mouth

Beauty has let down his hair with locks of curls and a comb,

were a necklace of pearls in a casket.

And God has molded him from beauty a person and fully formed.

سرّحَه الحُسنُ بأم

سرّحَه الحُسنُ بأم

شاطِ التَّصابي ومَشَط

شاطِ التَّصابي ومَشَط

Beauty combed his hair with the

I yearn for a life now past, a lost opportunity,

combs of youthful dalliance, and groomed him.

So now my star has returned, nay it has descended, burning.

وصاغَهُ اللهُ من ال

وصاغَهُ اللهُ من ال

جمالِ شَخصا وخَرطَ

جمالِ شَخصا وخَرطَ

And God fashioned him from

Bestow on me the grace of excuses, for you are most qualified to extend grace,

beauty in human form, and sculpted him.

And oblige me promptly with funds, for my merit has despaired.

لهفي على عَيشٍ مَضى

لهفي على عَيشٍ مَضى

على اقتراح وفَرَط

على اقتراح وفَرَط

Alas for a life gone by,

Among rotten carcasses whose morals are blemishes,

lived at whim and to excess.

You see the literary man among them like a thief among cops.

فالآن نجمي راجعٌ

فالآن نجمي راجعٌ

محترِقٌ بل قد هَبَط

محترِقٌ بل قد هَبَط

So now my star is retrograde,

burning—nay, it has already fallen.

أنعِم ببَسطِ العُذرِ لي

أنعِم ببَسطِ العُذرِ لي

فأنت أولى مَن بَسَط

فأنت أولى مَن بَسَط

Be gracious in extending pardon to me,

for you are the worthiest of those who grant it.

وامنُن برسَمي عاجلا

وامنُن برسَمي عاجلا

نقداً ففَضلي قد قَنَط

نقداً ففَضلي قد قَنَط

And grant me my stipend without delay,

in cash, for my merit has already despaired

بين كِلابٍ جِيَفٍ

بين كِلابٍ جِيَفٍ

أعراضُهم ذانت نُقَط

أعراضُهم ذانت نُقَط

among dogs, mere carrion,

their honor bearing stains [reading uncertain].

ترى الأديبَ بينَهُم

ترى الأديبَ بينَهُم

كاللصِّ ما بينَ الشُّرَط

كاللصِّ ما بينَ الشُّرَط

You see the man of letters among them

like a thief among the police.