ياO صاحِبيmy friend شَيَّبتُI grew gray عَفواًunawares
يا صاحِبي شَيَّبتُ عَفواً
وَشَرِبتُand I drank بِالتَكديرِwith clouding صَفواa clear draught
وَشَرِبتُ بِالتَكديرِ صَفوا
O my friend, I have grown gray unawares,
O my companion, my hair has greyed unbidden
And drunk a clear draught mingled with murk.
And I have drunk bitterness in draughts
وَسُقيتُand I was given to drink كاساتِcups of الهَوىlove
وَسُقيتُ كاساتِ الهَوى
فَوَجَدتُهاso I found them مُرّاًbitter وَحُلواand sweet
فَوَجَدتُها مُرّاً وَحُلوا
I was given cups of love,
And quaffed the cups of passion
And found them bitter and sweet.
Finding them bitter and sweet
ظَبيٌa gazelle يُجاهِرُopenly proclaims بِالقِلىwith aversion
ظَبيٌ يُجاهِرُ بِالقِلى
تيهاًhaughtily عَلىover ذُلّيmy abasement وَقَسواand cruelty
تيهاً عَلى ذُلّي وَقَسوا
A gazelle openly proclaims his aversion,
A gazelle openly grazing the arid land
Haughty over my abasement, and cruel.
Wandering in my weakness and hardness
شَغَلَhe occupied الفُؤادَthe heart بِكُربَةٍwith anguish
شَغَلَ الفُؤادَ بِكُربَةٍ
قَبَضَتit gripped عَلَيهِupon it وَصارَand became خِلواfree of love
قَبَضَت عَلَيهِ وَصارَ خِلوا
He filled the heart with anguish
It has busied my heart with a sorrow
That gripped it, while he was free of love.
That has seized it and made it empty
واهاًalas لِأَيّامِfor the days of الصِباyouth
واهاً لِأَيّامِ الصِبا
مُحِيَتwere erased مِنَfrom الآنامِcreation مَحواerasure
مُحِيَت مِنَ الآنامِ مَحوا
Alas for the days of youth,
Woe to the days of youth
Utterly erased from the world.
Effaced from people without a trace
أَزمانَtimes when أَبلُغُI reached فيin المُنىdesires
أَزمانَ أَبلُغُ في المُنى
أَقطارَهاtheir farthest bounds مَرَحاًmerriment وَلَهواand play
أَقطارَها مَرَحاً وَلَهوا
Times when I reached, in my desires,
Days in which I indulged in wishes
Their farthest bounds, in merriment and play.
Roving through their regions in delight and amusement
أَيّامَdays when تُغفَرُwas forgiven زَلَّتيmy lapse
أَيّامَ تُغفَرُ زَلَّتي
وَيُظَنُّand was thought عَمدُdeliberateness of الذَنبِthe sin سَهواan oversight
وَيُظَنُّ عَمدُ الذَنبِ سَهوا
Days when my lapse was forgiven,
Days when my slip is forgiven
And deliberate sin was deemed an oversight.
And the intention of sin thought a lapse
يَغدوhe comes in the morning عَلَيَّto me بِكَأسِهِwith his cup
يَغدو عَلَيَّ بِكَأسِهِ
رَشَأٌa gazelle-fawn مَريضُlanguid الطَرفِthe gaze أَحوىdark-hued
رَشَأٌ مَريضُ الطَرفِ أَحوى
He would come to me in the morning with his cup—
The morning comes to me with his cup
A dark-hued gazelle-fawn with languid eyes.
A sight refreshing my languorous eyes
حُشِيَتwere filled عَقارِبُscorpion-curls صُدغِهِhis temple
حُشِيَت عَقارِبُ صُدغِهِ
بِالمِسكِwith musk فيon خَدَّيهِhis two cheeks حَشواstuffing
بِالمِسكِ في خَدَّيهِ حَشوا
The scorpion-curls at his temple were filled
The corners of his cheeks stuffed
With musk upon his cheeks, packed full.
With musk, perfume in his cheeks
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَجفانُهُhis eyelids
وَكَأَنَّما أَجفانُهُ
تَشكوcomplain إِلَيكَto you السُقمَillness شَكواa complaint
تَشكو إِلَيكَ السُقمَ شَكوا
And it was as though his eyelids
As if his eyelids complain to you
Were plaintively complaining to you of sickness.
Of illness in plaintive murmurs
فيamong فِتيَةٍyoung men قَدَّمتُهُمI sent them ahead
في فِتيَةٍ قَدَّمتُهُم
قَبليbefore me وَماand not اِستَخلَفتُI found a replacement كُفواan equal
قَبلي وَما اِستَخلَفتُ كُفوا
Among young men whom I sent ahead
In some youths I preferred before me
Before me, and found no equal to replace them.
And none have I found a match
أَمسَواthey became جَوىًanguish فيin القَلبِthe heart يُحgrieves it (word opening)
أَمسَوا جَوىً في القَلبِ يُح
زِنُهُgrieves it (word ending) وَأَحزاناًand sorrows وَشَجواand heartache
زِنُهُ وَأَحزاناً وَشَجوا
They became anguish in the heart, grieving
They have become, in my heart, a burning yearning
It—and sorrows and heartache.
That saddens it, with sorrows and passion
سَلask لِلمَنازِلِfor the dwellings سَقيَةًa rain-shower
سَل لِلمَنازِلِ سَقيَةً
وَالرَبعِand the campsite وَالدَيرَينِand the two monasteries أَقوىlay deserted
وَالرَبعِ وَالدَيرَينِ أَقوى
Ask a shower of rain for the dwellings,
Ask the dwellings for water
And the campsite and the two monasteries, lying deserted,
And the meadows, the two convents stronger
حَتّىuntil تَظَلَّremain بِقاعُهُits grounds
حَتّى تَظَلَّ بِقاعُهُ
شُهُباًpale مُنَوَّرَةًin bloom وَحُوّاand dark green
شُهُباً مُنَوَّرَةً وَحُوّا
Until its grounds remain
Until their places remain
Pale and flower-bright, and darkly green.
Fiery stars illuminated and bent
وَيَهُزُّand stirs أَجنِحَةَwings of النَباthe plants (word opening)
وَيَهُزُّ أَجنِحَةَ النَبا
تِplants (word ending) نَسيمُهُits breeze وَيَحُنُّand murmurs زَهواproudly
تِ نَسيمُهُ وَيَحُنُّ زَهوا
And the wings of the plants are stirred
And the breeze of it shakes
By its breeze, which murmurs proudly.
The wings of plants and bends their glory
مِنfrom كُلِّevery عَيشٍway of life قَدalready أَصَبI tasted (word opening)
مِن كُلِّ عَيشٍ قَد أَصَب
تُI tasted (word ending) لَذيذَهُits sweetness وَسَلَكتُand I followed نَحواa course
تُ لَذيذَهُ وَسَلَكتُ نَحوا
Of every way of life I have tasted
Of every sweet life I have attained
Its sweetness, and pursued a course
Its pleasures and walked its path
زَمَنُthe season of الصِباyouth وَرَدَدتُand I drew back كَفa hand (word opening)
زَمَنُ الصِبا وَرَدَدتُ كَف
فاًa hand (word ending) بَعدَهُafter it وَقَصَرتُand I shortened خَطواa stride
فاً بَعدَهُ وَقَصَرتُ خَطوا
In youth's season; I drew back my hand
The days of youth but I folded my palm
Afterward, and shortened my stride.
After them and shortened my stride
سَلَّunsheathed المَشيبُgray hair سُيوفَهُits swords
سَلَّ المَشيبُ سُيوفَهُ
فَسَطاthen it assailed عَلىagainst اللَذّاتِthe pleasures صَطواan onslaught
فَسَطا عَلى اللَذّاتِ صَطوا
Gray hair unsheathed its swords,
Grey hair has bared its swords
Then fiercely assailed the pleasures,
And stretched over pleasures its shadow
حَتّىuntil اِنثَنَتbent back حُمَةُthe sharp point of الشَباyouth (word opening)
حَتّى اِنثَنَت حُمَةُ الشَبا
بِyouth (word ending) كَليلَةًblunted وَصَحَوتُand I sobered صَحواsobriety
بِ كَليلَةً وَصَحَوتُ صَحوا
Until youth's sharp point bent back,
Till the mist of youth bent
Blunted, and I became fully sober.
Withering and I woke at dawn
وَلَقَدand indeed لَقَيتُI faced عَظيمَةًa great ordeal
وَلَقَد لَقَيتُ عَظيمَةً
مَحذورَةًdreaded وَحَمَلتُand I bore عَبواa burden
مَحذورَةً وَحَمَلتُ عَبوا
And indeed I faced a great ordeal,
And indeed I have met a tremendous
A dreaded one, and bore a burden.
Threat and shouldered a heavy load
وَرَفَلتُand I strode proudly فيin قُمصِshirts of الحَديiron (word opening)
وَرَفَلتُ في قُمصِ الحَدي
دِiron (word ending) وَماand not أَرىI see فيin اللَيلِthe night ضَوّاlight
دِ وَما أَرى في اللَيلِ ضَوّا
And strode proudly in shirts of iron,
And I strutted in the shirt of iron
And saw no light in the night,
But I do not see in the night glimmers
بِشِمِلَّةٍon a swift she-camel جَوّالَةٍfar-ranging
بِشِمِلَّةٍ جَوّالَةٍ
تَنضوwears out مَطاياmounts of الرَكبِthe caravan نَضواexhaustion
تَنضو مَطايا الرَكبِ نَضوا
On a swift, far-ranging she-camel
With a roving, far-wandering cloak
That utterly exhausts the caravan's mounts.
That makes the steeds of riders leap
رَحَلَتjourneyed بِهاwith her هِمَمُambitions of اِمرِئٍa man
رَحَلَت بِها هِمَمُ اِمرِئٍ
وَمُقامُهاand her staying فيin الهَمِّworry أَسواworse
وَمُقامُها في الهَمِّ أَسوا
A man's ambitions journeyed with her,
The resolves of a man have journeyed with it
And her staying amid worry was worse.
And its abode in cares the severest
أَومىhe signaled إِلَيهاto her بِالزِماwith the reins (word opening)
أَومى إِلَيها بِالزِما
مِreins (word ending) فَلَمso did not تَدَعshe spare لِلسَطوِfor the charge عَدواany gallop
مِ فَلَم تَدَع لِلسَطوِ عَدوا
He signaled to her with the reins,
He gestured to it in hard times
So she spared no speed in her charge.
But did not leave any room for trespassing
وَلَقَدand indeed فَضَضتُI dispersed عَنِfrom الصَباthe dawn (word opening)
وَلَقَد فَضَضتُ عَنِ الصَبا
حِdawn (word ending) ظَلامَهُits darkness سَحَراًbefore dawn وَغُدواand in the morning
حِ ظَلامَهُ سَحَراً وَغُدوا
And I have stripped the dawn
And indeed I have shed for youth
Of its darkness, before daybreak and in the morning,
Its darkness at dawn and in the morning
بِمُخَنَّثٍon a supple steed ذيpossessing مَيعَةٍyouthful vigor
بِمُخَنَّثٍ ذي مَيعَةٍ
يَنزوleaps أَمامَahead of الخَيلِthe horses نَزواleaping
يَنزو أَمامَ الخَيلِ نَزوا
On a supple steed full of youthful vigor,
With an effeminate of little strength
Leaping vigorously ahead of the horses,
Who prances before the horses prancing
فيin إِثرِthe wake of سارِيَةٍa night-traveling raincloud تَبَطpenetrated (word opening)
في إِثرِ سارِيَةٍ تَبَط
طَنَpenetrated (word ending) نورُهاits light خَفضاًlow ground وَرَبواand high ground
طَنَ نورُها خَفضاً وَرَبوا
In pursuit of a night-traveling cloud, whose
In the footsteps of a starry banner
Light penetrated lowlands and heights.
Whose light has humbly dimmed and bent
نُحِرَتwas slaughtered عَلىupon حُرِّthe pure part of الثَرىthe soil
نُحِرَت عَلى حُرِّ الثَرى
بِسُقاتِwith streams of وابِلِهاits heavy rain فَأَروىso it quenched
بِسُقاتِ وابِلِها فَأَروى
It was slaughtered upon the pure soil,
Sacrificed on the heat of the ground
By streams of its downpour, which quenched the earth.
With its pouring showers watering it
Sol 6.1