ياO صاحِfriend وَدَّعتُI bade farewell to الغَوانِيَbeautiful women وَالصِباand youth
يا صاحِ وَدَّعتُ الغَوانِيَ وَالصِبا
وَسَلَكتُand I followed غَيرَother than سَبيلِهِنَّtheir path سَبيلاa path
وَسَلَكتُ غَيرَ سَبيلِهِنَّ سَبيلا
O friend, I bade farewell to beautiful women and youth,
O friend, I bid farewell to youth and vigor
And followed a path other than theirs.
And tread a path not theirs, another way
وَثَنَيتُand I bent أَعناقَthe necks of الحَوىdesire (uncertain reading) نَحوَtoward العُلىthe heights
وَثَنَيتُ أَعناقَ الحَوى نَحوَ العُلى
وَرَأَيتُand I saw شَأوَthe course of العاشِقينَthe lovers طَويلاlong
وَرَأَيتُ شَأوَ العاشِقينَ طَويلا
And bent the necks of desire toward the heights,
I bend the neck of passion to higher goals
And saw that the lovers' course was long.
And see the long travail of lovers in decay
فَأَجَبتُso I heeded واعِظَةَthe admonishing voice of النُهىreason فَاِستَجمَعَتthen gathered together
فَأَجَبتُ واعِظَةَ النُهى فَاِستَجمَعَت
أَلفاظُthe words of عَينِكَyour eye وَاِنثَنىand it turned back مَغلولاfettered
أَلفاظُ عَينِكَ وَاِنثَنى مَغلولا
So I heeded reason's admonition; then gathered together
So heeding counsel I withdraw, though yet
Were your eye's words, and it turned back in chains.
The words of your eyes keep my heart bound and chained
عَهدانِtwo ages ماتاdied لِلأَوانِسِof maidens وَالصِباand youth
عَهدانِ ماتا لِلأَوانِسِ وَالصِبا
فَاِندُبهُماso mourn them both لاdo not تَندُبَنَّmourn طَويلاfor long
فَاِندُبهُما لا تَندُبَنَّ طَويلا
Two ages have died: those of maidens and youth.
Two covenants of yore with youth and spring
So mourn them both, but do not mourn for long.
Gone: mourn them not too long when they have waned
ذَهَباthey both departed بِمَعسولِwith the sweetness of الحَياةِlife وَأَيَّساand both caused despair
ذَهَبا بِمَعسولِ الحَياةِ وَأَيَّسا
مِنof رَجعَةٍa return وَتَعَجُّلٍand hastening تَحويلاa change
مِن رَجعَةٍ وَتَعَجُّلٍ تَحويلا
They carried away life's sweetness and left no hope
Bearing the sweet of life away, and yielding
Of returning or hastening a change.
No hope of turning back or swift regaining
بُدِّلتُI was given in exchange مِنfor لَيلِthe night of الشَبابِyouth بِمَفرِقَيat my hair-parting
بُدِّلتُ مِن لَيلِ الشَبابِ بِمَفرِقَي
صُبحَthe dawn of النُهىreason أَحبِبhow dear! بِذاكَthat is بَديلاas a replacement
صُبحَ النُهى أَحبِب بِذاكَ بَديلا
For youth's night at my hair's parting, I was given
For night’s long revelry my guide has been
Reason's dawn—how welcome that is as a replacement!
The dawn of temperance: learn to love this gaining
لَكِنَّbut فيin قَلبيmy heart إِذاwhen صَدَّturns away الرَشاthe young gazelle
لَكِنَّ في قَلبي إِذا صَدَّ الرَشا
عَنّيfrom me أَسىًsorrow يَعتادُنيrevisits me وَغَليلاand burning longing
عَنّي أَسىً يَعتادُني وَغَليلا
But my heart, when the young gazelle turns
But when the rain of care is from me barred
Away from me, is haunted by sorrow and burning longing.
My heart still harbors grief long known and steered
وَلِرُبَّand many a لَيلٍnight لاnot تَجِفُّbecome dry جُفونُهُits eyelids
وَلِرُبَّ لَيلٍ لا تَجِفُّ جُفونُهُ
مِنfrom دَمعَةٍa tear مُلقٍcasting عَلَيهِover it سُدولاcurtains
مِن دَمعَةٍ مُلقٍ عَلَيهِ سُدولا
And many a night whose eyelids never dry
Full many a night my lids are tear bedewed
Of tears casts curtains over itself.
With streaming anguish raining uncontrolled
ماتَتdied كَواكِبُهُits stars وَأَمسىand became بَدرُهُits full moon
ماتَت كَواكِبُهُ وَأَمسى بَدرُهُ
فيon الأُفقِthe horizon مُتَّهَمَsuspected of الحَياةِlife عَليلاailing
في الأُفقِ مُتَّهَمَ الحَياةِ عَليلا
Its stars died, and its full moon became
Their stars now dead, their moon about to wane
Ailing on the horizon, its life in doubt.
Accused of living, life itself unhealed
دَبَّتit crept بِناthrough us فيin غَمرَةٍa flood مَشمولَةٍcooled by the north wind
دَبَّت بِنا في غَمرَةٍ مَشمولَةٍ
حَتّىuntil تَوَهَّمناwe imagined الصَباحَthe morning أَصيلاlate afternoon
حَتّى تَوَهَّمنا الصَباحَ أَصيلا
It crept through us in a north-wind-cooled flood,
Lost in a gloom that wraps us fold on fold
Until we imagined morning was late afternoon.
We think the real dawn itself unreal
صَفراءُyellow تَحسَبُهاyou think it إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle صُفِّقَتit was poured between vessels
صَفراءُ تَحسَبُها إِذا ما صُفِّقَت
ذَهَباًgold حَوَتهُheld it كَأسُهاits cup مَحلولاdissolved
ذَهَباً حَوَتهُ كَأسُها مَحلولا
Yellow wine—you would think it, whenever poured,
Which clapped turns saffron pale, and seems to hold
Gold held dissolved within its cup.
Pure gold dissolved in its goblet crystal sealed
أَهلاًwelcome وَسَهلاًand ease بِالإِمامِto the imam وَمَرحَباًand greetings
أَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِالإِمامِ وَمَرحَباً
لَوif only أَستَطيعُI could إِلىto اللِقاءِthe meeting سَبيلاa way
لَو أَستَطيعُ إِلى اللِقاءِ سَبيلا
Welcome to the imam, welcome and greetings!
Hail and welcome to the Imam drawing near!
If only I could find a way to meet him.
Would I could reach to meet him on his way
لاnot يَمتَطيhe rides حِفظاًvigilance وَلاand not يُمسيis at evening لَهُfor him
لا يَمتَطي حِفظاً وَلا يُمسي لَهُ
طَرَفٌan eye بِمِروَدِwith the kohl-stick of رَقدَةٍsleep مَكحولاpainted with kohl
طَرَفٌ بِمِروَدِ رَقدَةٍ مَكحولا
He takes no vigilance as his mount, nor at evening is his
He spurs no charger, takes no transient rest,
Eye painted with sleep's kohl-stick.
No watchman finds his eyes at break of day
وَمُشَمِّرٍand one tucking up أَذيالَهُhis skirts يَومَon the day of الوَغىbattle
وَمُشَمِّرٍ أَذيالَهُ يَومَ الوَغى
جَرَّتdragged عَليهِover him السافِياتُthe dust-scattering winds ذُيولاtrailing skirts
جَرَّت عَليهِ السافِياتُ ذُيولا
And many a man who tucked up his skirts on battle's day—
His sleeves rolled up when bloodshed is at hand
The dust-scattering winds dragged their skirts over him.
The sweeping torrents drag adown their trains
Sol 6.1