أَمّا الشبابُ فطَيْفٌ زارني ومضى

أَمّا الشبابُ فطَيْفٌ زارني ومضى

لمّا تَبَلَّج صُبْحُ الشَّيْب مُعْترِضا

لمّا تَبَلَّج صُبْحُ الشَّيْب مُعْترِضا

As for youth, it was a phantom that visited me and departed,

Youth was a transient vision that visited me and vanished

when the dawn of gray hair broke, spreading across.

When the dawn of old age obstructed its path

ما كان أَبيضَ وجهَ الوَصلِ حين دجا

ما كان أَبيضَ وجهَ الوَصلِ حين دجا

وما أَشدَّ ظلامَ الهجرِ حين أَضا

وما أَشدَّ ظلامَ الهجرِ حين أَضا

How white was the face of union when darkness fell,

The face of union was not so fair when darkness fell

and how deep the darkness of parting when light shone!

Nor was the gloom of separation so intense when day broke

وما وجدتُ الصِّبا في طُول صُحبتِه

وما وجدتُ الصِّبا في طُول صُحبتِه

إِلاّ كما لَبِس الجفنُ الكَرى ونَضَا

إِلاّ كما لَبِس الجفنُ الكَرى ونَضَا

And through all my long companionship with youth, I found it

Throughout the long companionship of youth

only like an eyelid donning sleep and casting it off.

I found it no more than a dozing eyelid's slumber

فالآن صَرَّحَ شَيْبُ الرأس عن عَذَلٍ

فالآن صَرَّحَ شَيْبُ الرأس عن عَذَلٍ

محضٍ ولم يَزْوِ عنك النُّصْحَ مَنْ مَحَضا

محضٍ ولم يَزْوِ عنك النُّصْحَ مَنْ مَحَضا

So now the gray hair of my head has openly voiced reproach,

Now the graying of my hair reveals true passion

pure and simple; and no sincere counselor has withheld advice from you.

Undiluted, and your sincere advice to me remains undiluted

فإِن تَبِتْ سُحُبُ الأَجفان هاميةً

فإِن تَبِتْ سُحُبُ الأَجفان هاميةً

فَعَنْ سَنا بارقٍ في عارِضٍ وَمَضا

فَعَنْ سَنا بارقٍ في عارِضٍ وَمَضا

So if the clouds of the eyelids spend the night pouring,

If the clouds of my eyelids insist on being dreamy

it is from the gleam of lightning that flashed within a cloud.

It is but a fleeting flash in a passing cheek

ومن عجائبِ وَجْدي أَنه عرضٌ

ومن عجائبِ وَجْدي أَنه عرضٌ

لم يُبْقِ منّيَ جسماً يحمِلُ العَرَضا

لم يُبْقِ منّيَ جسماً يحمِلُ العَرَضا

And among the marvels of my passion is that it is an attribute,

Among the wonders of my passion is that it is an ailment

yet it has left me no body to bear that attribute.

That left me no body to harbor the ailment

ولم يدع ليَ مَوْتُ السرِّ من جسديد

ولم يدع ليَ مَوْتُ السرِّ من جسديد

عِرْقاً إِذا جسّه آسي الهوى نَبَضا

عِرْقاً إِذا جسّه آسي الهوى نَبَضا

Nor has the death of the secret left me, in my body,

And my secret death left no vein in my body

a vein that would pulse when love’s healer felt it.

That throbbed when touched by the hand of love

فإِن يكن دَلَّ إِعراض الدَّلال على

فإِن يكن دَلَّ إِعراض الدَّلال على

غير المَلالِ فسُخْطي في هواك رضا

غير المَلالِ فسُخْطي في هواك رضا

So if coy aversion has pointed to

If the indifference of the guide indicates

anything but boredom, then my displeasure in loving you is contentment.

Anything but boredom, then my anger with you is contentment