تَركَ اللَّهوِ وَالصِبى

تَركَ اللَّهوِ وَالصِبى

وَتَخَلَّى مِنَ الغَزَلْ

وَتَخَلَّى مِنَ الغَزَلْ

He forsook pleasure and youth,

He left play and youth

and withdrew from flirtation,

And gave up flirting

إِذ بَدا الشَّيبُ في مَجا

إِذ بَدا الشَّيبُ في مَجا

لي عِذاريهِ وَاِشتَعَلْ

لي عِذاريهِ وَاِشتَعَلْ

when gray hair appeared across the stretches

When gray hair appeared in my temple

of his sideburns, and blazed.

And my passion was ignited

وَرَأى البيضَ قَد قَطَع

وَرَأى البيضَ قَد قَطَع

نَ مِنَ الحَبلِ ما وَصَلْ

نَ مِنَ الحَبلِ ما وَصَلْ

And he saw that the fair women had severed

And he saw the whites had cut

what he had joined of the cord.

The rope that connected us

فَاِبتَغي وَصلَ كُلِّ ذي

فَاِبتَغي وَصلَ كُلِّ ذي

هَيَفٍ مُشرِفِ الكَفَلْ

هَيَفٍ مُشرِفِ الكَفَلْ

So he sought union with every man

So he sought to reconnect with everyone

slender-waisted, with a prominent rump.

Of noble and prominent lineage

لا يُبالي أَشابَ مِن

لا يُبالي أَشابَ مِن

عاشِقيهِ أَو اِكتَهَلْ

عاشِقيهِ أَو اِكتَهَلْ

He cares not whether one has gone gray

He does not care if he greys

among his lovers, or reached middle age.

Or if his lovers despair

لا يرى يَكرَهُ الخضا

لا يرى يَكرَهُ الخضا

ب وَإِن كانَ قَد نَصَلْ

ب وَإِن كانَ قَد نَصَلْ

He is never seen disliking hair-

He does not see harm in gray hair

dye, even when it has faded.

Even if it has spread

يَأمَنُ الطَّمث مِنهُ في

يَأمَنُ الطَّمث مِنهُ في

عاجِلِ الأَمرِ وَالحَبَلْ

عاجِلِ الأَمرِ وَالحَبَلْ

With him, one is safe from menstruation,

He is safe from blame

in the immediate course of things, and from pregnancy.

In urgent and future matters

مُستَعِدٌ لِما يُطا

مُستَعِدٌ لِما يُطا

لَبُ وَقفٌ عَلى العلَلْ

لَبُ وَقفٌ عَلى العلَلْ

Ready for whatever is demanded

Ready for whatever he is asked

of him, set apart for ailments.

And steadfast in illness

كُلَّما قُلتُ سَيِّدي

كُلَّما قُلتُ سَيِّدي

جَدِّدِ الوَصلَ لي وَصَلْ

جَدِّدِ الوَصلَ لي وَصَلْ

Whenever I said, “My master,

Whenever I say my lord

renew our union for me,” he joined me.

Renew the connection for me

وَإِذا شِئتَ أَن يَزو

وَإِذا شِئتَ أَن يَزو

رَكَ في خلوَةٍ فَعَلْ

رَكَ في خلوَةٍ فَعَلْ

And if you wish him to visit

And if you wish to visit me

you in seclusion, he does so.

In private do so

وَإِذا قامَ جارُ بَيْ

وَإِذا قامَ جارُ بَيْ

تِكَ مَن ذا الَّذي دَخَلْ

تِكَ مَن ذا الَّذي دَخَلْ

And if your next-door neighbor stands up:

And if your neighbor rises

“Who is this who has come in?”

Who is it that entered?

وَعَلا صَوتُهُ وَشَن

وَعَلا صَوتُهُ وَشَن

نَعَ في لَفظَة فَقُلْ

نَعَ في لَفظَة فَقُلْ

And his voice rises, and he denounces

And his voice grew loud

you in an utterance, then say:

In an outburst say

رَجُلٌ جاءَ طالِباً

رَجُلٌ جاءَ طالِباً

بَعضَ ما يَطلُبُ الرَّجُلْ

بَعضَ ما يَطلُبُ الرَّجُلْ

“A man came seeking

A man came seeking

some of what a man seeks.

What men seek

فَدَفَعناهُ فَاِنثَنى

فَدَفَعناهُ فَاِنثَنى

وَفَتَلناهُ فَاِنفَتَلْ

وَفَتَلناهُ فَاِنفَتَلْ

So we pushed him, and he bent;

So we dismissed him and he recoiled

and we twisted him, and he twisted.

And we unleashed him and he scattered

وَرَفَعنا بِهِ فَخَرْ

وَرَفَعنا بِهِ فَخَرْ

رَ عَلى الوَجهِ وَاِنخَزَلْ

رَ عَلى الوَجهِ وَاِنخَزَلْ

And we lifted him, and he fell

And we raised against him and he

on his face, and crumpled.

Fell on his face and crawled away

فَإِذا خَلفَهُ جَبَل

فَإِذا خَلفَهُ جَبَل

فَتَوقَّلتُ في الجَبَلْ

فَتَوقَّلتُ في الجَبَلْ

Then there behind him was a mountain,

So if a mountain comes after him

so I clambered up the mountain.

I wind through the mountain

وَتَطَأطَأتُ فَاِستَوى

وَتَطَأطَأتُ فَاِستَوى

وَتَرَفَّعتُ فَاِحتَمَلْ

وَتَرَفَّعتُ فَاِحتَمَلْ

And I stooped, and he straightened;

And I bow down and stand straight

and I rose, and he bore the weight.

And rise up and endure

فَإِذا ريقُهُ أَلَذْ

فَإِذا ريقُهُ أَلَذْ

ذُ وَأَحلَى مِنَ العَسَلْ

ذُ وَأَحلَى مِنَ العَسَلْ

And his saliva was more delicious

For his spit is sweeter

and sweeter than honey.

And more delicious than honey

فَتَرَوَّيتُ وَاِعتَزَل

فَتَرَوَّيتُ وَاِعتَزَل

تُ كَما كُنتُ وَاِعتَزَلْ

تُ كَما كُنتُ وَاِعتَزَلْ

So I drank my fill and withdrew,

So I am patient and withdraw

as I was before; and he withdrew

As I have always withdrawn

ساعَة ثُمَّ أَنَّهُ

ساعَة ثُمَّ أَنَّهُ

وَجَد الحُرَّ فَاِغتَسَلْ

وَجَد الحُرَّ فَاِغتَسَلْ

for a while; then he

An hour later and he

felt the heat and bathed.

Finds the road and bathes

وَمَضى لَم يَكُن وَرا

وَمَضى لَم يَكُن وَرا

ذاكَ شَيءٌ فَما العَذَلْ

ذاكَ شَيءٌ فَما العَذَلْ

And he departed; there was nothing beyond

And leaves, nothing behind that

that—so why the reproach?”

So what is the blame?