يا دَهْرُ قَدْ عَدَّيْتُ عَنْكَ طِلابِي

يا دَهْرُ قَدْ عَدَّيْتُ عَنْكَ طِلابِي

وَمَلَلْتُ مِنْ أَرْيٍ لَدَيْكَ وَصاب

وَمَلَلْتُ مِنْ أَرْيٍ لَدَيْكَ وَصاب

O Time, I have turned my quest away from you,

O Time, I have turned away from seeking you,

And I have wearied of the honey and bitter sap you hold.

And grown weary of the hopes I had in you.

وَرَأَيْتُ صَرْفَكَ بِالْكِرامِ مُوَكَّلاً

وَرَأَيْتُ صَرْفَكَ بِالْكِرامِ مُوَكَّلاً

فَعَرَفْتُ وَجْهَ غَرامِهِ بِعِقابِي

فَعَرَفْتُ وَجْهَ غَرامِهِ بِعِقابِي

And I have seen your vicissitudes set upon the noble,

I saw your turning brings esteem effortlessly,

So I understood the reason for their passion for punishing me.

So I knew the face of your passion through my punishment.

ما فَوْقَ جَوْرِكَ مِنْ مَزِيدٍ بَعْدَما

ما فَوْقَ جَوْرِكَ مِنْ مَزِيدٍ بَعْدَما

عِنْدِي فَذَرْنِي يا زَمانُ لِما بِي

عِنْدِي فَذَرْنِي يا زَمانُ لِما بِي

Your tyranny can add no more, after what

Beyond your injustice, no increase remains for me.

I already bear; so leave me, O Time, to what ails me.

Leave me, O Age, to my state!

أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ ضائِرِي بِأَشَدَّ مِنْ

أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ ضائِرِي بِأَشَدَّ مِنْ

عُدْمِ الشَّبابِ وَفُرْقَةِ الأَحْبابِ

عُدْمِ الشَّبابِ وَفُرْقَةِ الأَحْبابِ

Do you think you can harm me with anything worse than

Do you think you could harm me more

The loss of youth and separation from loved ones?

Than the loss of youth and parting from loved ones?

لا وَالَّذِي جَعَلَ الْغِنى بِأَبِي الْمُنى

لا وَالَّذِي جَعَلَ الْغِنى بِأَبِي الْمُنى

سَهْلاً مَطالِبُهُ عَلَى الطُّلابِ

سَهْلاً مَطالِبُهُ عَلَى الطُّلابِ

No, by Him who, through Abu al-Muna, made wealth

No! By Him who made wealth easy for the seeker of bliss,

Easy for seekers to attain—

His quest smooth for pursuers.

بِإَغَرَّ تُسْكِرُ صَحْبَهُ أَخْلاقُهُ

بِإَغَرَّ تُسْكِرُ صَحْبَهُ أَخْلاقُهُ

وَالْخَمْرُ جائِرَةٌ عَلَى الأَلْبابِ

وَالْخَمْرُ جائِرَةٌ عَلَى الأَلْبابِ

Through a radiant nobleman whose virtues intoxicate his companions,

With most charming character he intoxicates his companions,

While wine tyrannizes over minds.

Though wine is sinful to minds.

خَضِلٍ أَنامِلُهُ مَتى أَسْتَسْقِهِ

خَضِلٍ أَنامِلُهُ مَتى أَسْتَسْقِهِ

فَالْغَيْثُ غَيْثِي وَالسَّحابُ سَحابِي

فَالْغَيْثُ غَيْثِي وَالسَّحابُ سَحابِي

His fingers are moist; whenever I ask him for rain,

My palms bear his drink whenever I ask for rain,

Then the rain is mine, and the clouds are mine.

So the rain is my rain, the clouds my clouds.

أَنا أَوْحَدُ الشُّعَراءِ فاحْبُ قَرائِحِي

أَنا أَوْحَدُ الشُّعَراءِ فاحْبُ قَرائِحِي

بِكَ رُتْبَةً يا أَوْحَدَ الْكُتّابِ

بِكَ رُتْبَةً يا أَوْحَدَ الْكُتّابِ

I am peerless among poets; so endow my poetic gifts

I stand alone among poets, so love my talent

With rank through you, O peerless among scribes.

And advance it, O unparalleled scribe, to your rank,

إِنِّ خَلَعْتُ عَلَيْك بُرْدَ مَدائِحي

إِنِّ خَلَعْتُ عَلَيْك بُرْدَ مَدائِحي

وَلَوِ اسْتَطَعْتُ خَلَعْتُ بُرْدَ شَبابِي

وَلَوِ اسْتَطَعْتُ خَلَعْتُ بُرْدَ شَبابِي

Indeed, I have bestowed upon you the mantle of my praises,

If I cast off for you the mantle of my praises,

And, were I able, I would bestow the mantle of my youth.

I wish I could cast off for you the mantle of my youth.