هذا مقام فتي اضاع زمانه

هذا مقام فتي اضاع زمانه

في بعض ما شيدت من بنيانه

في بعض ما شيدت من بنيانه

This is the station of a youth who squandered his time

This is the dwelling of a young man who wasted his time

on part of the edifice you raised for him.

In building some of what he erected as his home

جاد الزمان له باعطاء المنى

جاد الزمان له باعطاء المنى

جوداً اضر عليه من حرمانه

جوداً اضر عليه من حرمانه

Time was generous to him, granting his wishes,

Time was generous to him in fulfilling wishes

with a bounty more harmful to him than deprivation.

With a generosity that did him more harm than deprivation

فطغى واصغى للوشاة بألفه

فطغى واصغى للوشاة بألفه

واصر مغتراً على هجرانه

واصر مغتراً على هجرانه

So he grew arrogant and listened to slanderers against his beloved,

So he was arrogant and listened to the slanderers against his dear one

and, deluded, persisted in forsaking him.

And stubbornly insisted on staying away from him

والرزء غربة آلف عن ألفه

والرزء غربة آلف عن ألفه

ليس اغتراب المرء عن اوطانه

ليس اغتراب المرء عن اوطانه

And calamity is a lover's estrangement from his beloved,

While estrangement makes one unaccustomed to their beloved

not a man's exile from his native lands.

It is not estrangement for a man to be away from his homeland

فبأي وجه اشتكي دهراً مضى

فبأي وجه اشتكي دهراً مضى

وزمان وصلك كان من ازمانه8

وزمان وصلك كان من ازمانه8

So on what grounds can I complain of a bygone age,

So in what way can I complain about a time that has passed

when the time of union with you was among its days?

When the time of your companionship was part of its times

لو حصلت نوب الزمان بأسرها

لو حصلت نوب الزمان بأسرها

وصروفه لغرقن في احسانه

وصروفه لغرقن في احسانه

If all the calamities of time were gathered,

If I gathered all of the times in their entirety

and its reversals, they would drown in its kindness.

And its vicissitudes, I would drown in its kindness

أو ليس يستحي امرؤ يزري على

أو ليس يستحي امرؤ يزري على

الاخوان وهو يراك في اخوانه

الاخوان وهو يراك في اخوانه

And is a man not ashamed to find fault with

Or is it not shameful for a man who is ungrateful

friends, when he sees you among his friends?

To brothers while you see him among his brothers

لا ذاق وصلاً من تبرم قبلفه

لا ذاق وصلاً من تبرم قبلفه

بمساكن وهواك من سكانه

بمساكن وهواك من سكانه

May he never taste union whose heart grows vexed

Not having tasted companionship before being fed up

with a fellow dweller, when your love is among its inhabitants.

With your dwellings and passionate love for its inhabitants

ان الحياة لحبها يخشى الردى

ان الحياة لحبها يخشى الردى

ولصوبها يرتاد قبل اوانه

ولصوبها يرتاد قبل اوانه

Indeed, it is for love of life that death is feared,

For the love of life, its loss is feared

and to preserve it, death is sought before its time.

And for its straight path, the early way is pursued

فاسلم وتقك السوء نفس متيم

فاسلم وتقك السوء نفس متيم

لولاك لم يحمد صروف زمانه

لولاك لم يحمد صروف زمانه

So be safe; may the soul of one enslaved by love shield you from harm,

So submit and protect yourself from the evil self, O passionate one

who, but for you, would not have praised the turns of his time.

If not for you, the turns of time would not be praised

بقيا عرو روحي أقيك به الردى

بقيا عرو روحي أقيك به الردى

اذ كان فرعاً انت من اركانه

اذ كان فرعاً انت من اركانه

To spare my soul, I shield you with it from death,

Remain, my soul’s purpose, I will protect you from loss

for it is a branch, and you are among its supports.

Since you were a branch, while I am of its pillars

ان الحكيم لباذل جثمانه

ان الحكيم لباذل جثمانه

عن روحه بقيا على جثمانه

عن روحه بقيا على جثمانه

Indeed, a wise man surely offers up his body

The wise one sacrifices his body

for his soul, out of care for his body.

To protect his soul by remaining in his body

وكذي الموقي عينه بجفونه

وكذي الموقي عينه بجفونه

ليصونها مبقي على اجفانه

ليصونها مبقي على اجفانه

And likewise, one who shields his eye with his eyelids

And so the alert one protects his eye with its eyelid

to safeguard it is preserving his eyelids.

To preserve it by keeping his eyelid