بلىyes جَرّhe trailed أذيالَthe hems of الصّبَاyouth فتصابَىand acted young
بلى جَرّ أذيالَ الصّبَا فتصابَى
وأوجَفَand set galloping خيلاًhorses فيin الهوَىlove وركاباand riding camels
وأوجَفَ خيلاً في الهوَى وركابا
Yes, he trailed the hems of youth and played the youth,
Yes, the mornings of youth fleet away,
And set horses and riding camels galloping in love.
And the steeds of passion race heedless on.
قَصَرْتُI shortened زمانيmy time بالشمولِwith wine مُسِنّةًaged
قَصَرْتُ زماني بالشمولِ مُسِنّةً
وبالرّوضِand with the garden كهلاًmature والفتاةand the maiden كَعاباbudding-breasted
وبالرّوضِ كهلاً والفتاة كَعابا
I shortened my days with aged wine,
My days I have shortened by being all-embracing,
And with a garden in its prime and a budding-breasted maiden.
And in the garden I have grown old ere my prime.
وأقصرُand the shortest أيامof the days of الفتىthe young man يومُa day لَذّةٍof pleasure
وأقصرُ أيام الفتى يومُ لَذّةٍ
صباhe dallied ماhowever much صباhe dallied بالعيشwith life فيهin it فطاباand so it was sweet
صبا ما صبا بالعيش فيه فطابا
And the shortest of a young man's days is a day of pleasure,
Shortest of all are the days of the youth,
In which he dallied with life as he would, and it was sweet.
That day of delight wherein he finds life sweet.
لياليَnights لاnot ترميyou shoot الرميَّthe quarry وإنand if تُصِبْyou hit
لياليَ لا ترمي الرميَّ وإن تُصِبْ
بسهمكwith your arrow خوداًa lovely maiden فالشبابُthen youth أصاباhas struck
بسهمك خوداً فالشبابُ أصابا
Nights when it is not you who shoots the quarry; and if you hit
Nights that cannot be pierced even when you hit
A lovely maiden with your arrow, it is youth that has struck.
The mark, for youth is the butt for Time's arrows.
وعصبةِand a company لهوٍof revelry غادرواthey left الهمّcare جانباًaside
وعصبةِ لهوٍ غادروا الهمّ جانباً
فلمand so did not يألفواthey frequent إلّاexcept السرورَjoy جَنَاباas an abode
فلم يألفوا إلّا السرورَ جَنَابا
And a company of revelers who left care aside,
A band whose business was idle sport
And knew no abode but joy.
Have abandoned care, and know but joy.
يديرونهاthey pass it round راحاًas wine كأنّas though بكأسِهاin its cup
يديرونها راحاً كأنّ بكأسِها
إذاwhen لبستْit dons درعَthe armor of الحَبابbubbles حُباباa serpent
إذا لبستْ درعَ الحَباب حُبابا
They pass it round, a wine, as though its cup held,
They toss the wine-skin, as though its leather
When it dons its armor of bubbles, a serpent.
Were clothed in the steel of coats of mail.
تنَافِرُit shuns لمسَthe touch of الماءِwater وهوwhile it يَرُوضُهاtames it
تنَافِرُ لمسَ الماءِ وهو يَرُوضُها
كماjust as تَفْرَكُloathes البكرُthe virgin الفَرُوقُtimid لُعاباsaliva
كما تَفْرَكُ البكرُ الفَرُوقُ لُعابا
It shuns the touch of water as the water tames it,
It recoils from the shock of the hand, as the colt
Just as a timid virgin loathes saliva.
Scatters the pearls from his grinding teeth.
فاحْبِبْso how dear! بذاكthat العَيشِlife عيشاًa life ذكرتُهُI recalled it
فاحْبِبْ بذاك العَيشِ عيشاً ذكرتُهُ
وبالعصرِand that age عصراًan age والصحابِand the companions صحاباcompanions
وبالعصرِ عصراً والصحابِ صحابا
So how dear that life is, the life I recalled,
So love that life I described, and the days
And that age—what an age! Those companions—what companions!
Of that age, and the comrades of that time.
وليلٍand a night تخوضُwade through النيّراتthe shining stars ظلامهُits darkness
وليلٍ تخوضُ النيّرات ظلامهُ
كأوْجُهِlike the faces of غَرْقَىdrowning people يَفْترِقْنَthey cleave عُباباsurging waters
كأوْجُهِ غَرْقَى يَفْترِقْنَ عُبابا
And a night whose darkness the shining stars wade through,
And a night the water-lilies cover with gloom,
Like the faces of the drowning, parting the surge.
As the faces of drowned men veil the eddies.
سريتُI traveled by night بمحبوكon a well-knit steed مِنَamong القُبِّthe lean-bellied steeds كلَّماwhenever
سريتُ بمحبوك مِنَ القُبِّ كلَّما
دعاcalled upon شأوَهhis speed وهيُthe slackening العِنَانِof the reins أجاباhe answered
دعا شأوَه وهيُ العِنَانِ أجابا
I rode by night on a well-knit, lean-bellied steed; whenever
I stole by the loved one's abode, responding
The slackening of the reins summoned his speed, he answered.
Whene'er she called to me with no rein on my will,
منof الجِنِّthe jinn فاسْمُso the name اللّهof God إماif ever وَضَعْتَهُyou put it
من الجِنِّ فاسْمُ اللّه إما وَضَعْتَهُ
مكانَin place of قطيعٍa whip طارhe flew عنكaway from you وغاباand vanished
مكانَ قطيعٍ طار عنك وغابا
He is of the jinn: if ever you use God's name
As though I were one of the Jinn, repeating "In Allah's name"
In place of a whip, he flies from you and vanishes.
Over a fold wherein my flock had strayed and was lost.
ترَىyou see ضَحِكَthe laughter of الإصباحِdawn فوقupon جبينهِhis forehead
ترَى ضَحِكَ الإصباحِ فوق جبينهِ
وَقُمّصَand he was clothed منfrom ليلِthe night of المُحَاقِthe moon's dark phase إهاباin a hide
وَقُمّصَ من ليلِ المُحَاقِ إهابا
You see dawn's laughter upon his forehead,
You would think the dawn's smile shone from his cheek,
And he is robed in a hide of moonless night.
And that his side was clad in the night's murk.
تخالُyou imagine الثريّاthe Pleiades رأسَهُhis head وهوwhile he is مُلْجَمٌbridled
تخالُ الثريّا رأسَهُ وهو مُلْجَمٌ
إذاwhen الجريُrunning لمhas not يُلبِسْclothed طُلاهhis neck سِخاباwith a necklace
إذا الجريُ لم يُلبِسْ طُلاه سِخابا
You would think the Pleiades his head when he is bridled,
The ostrich struts on his head, which seems to you
When running has not adorned his neck with a necklace.
Housed in a turban, if the galloping fails to bow it down.
يحرّفُhe tilts بالتأليلwith a sharp taper أذناًan ear كأنّماas though
يحرّفُ بالتأليل أذناً كأنّما
ترىyou see قلماًa pen منهاfrom it يخطّwriting كتاباa book
ترى قلماً منها يخطّ كتابا
He cocks a finely pointed ear, as though
His ear as though the pen were delineating it,
You saw a pen in it writing a book.
You would think you saw a document traced thereon.
سماrose الدّرُّpearls فيon أرساغِهِhis pasterns عنabove زَبَرْجَدٍchrysolite
سما الدّرُّ في أرساغِهِ عن زَبَرْجَدٍ
يغادرُit leaves بالوطءِby treading الصخورَrocks تراباas dust
يغادرُ بالوطءِ الصخورَ ترابا
Pearls rise on his pasterns above chrysolite,
Pure pearl in his bracelets instead of agate;
Which leaves rocks as dust beneath its tread.
His heels leave prints upon the rock as he walks.
هوhe الطِّرفُthe noble steed فاركبْso mount منهfrom him فيon ظهرِthe back طائرٍof a bird
هو الطِّرفُ فاركبْ منه في ظهرِ طائرٍ
تَنَلْyou will attain كلّall ماthat أعياproved elusive عليكَfor you طلاباin pursuit
تَنَلْ كلّ ما أعيا عليكَ طلابا
He is the noble steed: mount him and ride a bird's back;
He is Beauty: mount him, you will win everything that seemed
You will attain all that has eluded your pursuit.
Unattainable to you and eluded your prayers.
إلىtoward قمرٍa moon تسريyou travel by night إليهto him كأنّماas though
إلى قمرٍ تسري إليه كأنّما
عليهover him سماءُthe heaven اللّهof God تُغلِقُcloses باباa door
عليه سماءُ اللّه تُغلِقُ بابا
Toward a moon you journey by night, as though
Till you come to a moon to which you will go up
God's heaven were shutting a door upon him.
As though heaven's vault has lowered its ceiling.
كأنِّيَas though I سرٌّa secret فيin حشاthe bosom of الليلِnight داخلٌentering
كأنِّيَ سرٌّ في حشا الليلِ داخلٌ
علىupon حَبّةِthe core القلبِof the heart المصونِkept inviolate حجاباas to its veil
على حَبّةِ القلبِ المصونِ حجابا
As though I were a secret in the bosom of night, entering
As though I were a secret within the night's skirt,
The heart's innermost core, whose veil is kept inviolate.
Entering upon the core of my heart veiled in its cover.
فبتُّso I spent the night مُرَوّىًfully quenched منby مجاجةthe saliva باردٍof a cool mouth
فبتُّ مُرَوّىً من مجاجة باردٍ
غذاnourished ذكرُهُits mention قَلْبَthe heart الغيورِof the jealous one فَذاباand so it melted
غذا ذكرُهُ قَلْبَ الغيورِ فَذابا
So I spent the night slaked by the saliva of a cool mouth,
So I slept, laved with the cold spray of care,
Its mention fed the jealous one's heart, and it melted.
At the thought of which the jealous heart melted.
كأنّas though قطافَthe harvest اللثمof kisses منfrom ثَغْرِthe mouth رَوْضِهِof his garden
كأنّ قطافَ اللثم من ثَغْرِ رَوْضِهِ
تَكَسّبَacquired منfrom طَلّthe dew الغمامِof clouds رضاباsweet saliva
تَكَسّبَ من طَلّ الغمامِ رضابا
As though the harvest of kisses from his garden's mouth
As though the kisses snatched from the edge of his cheek
Had drawn sweet saliva from the dew of clouds.
Were bought by the rain-clouds with thunder and lightnings.
ولمand did not أرَI see كالدّنْياlike the world خؤوناًso treacherous لصاحبٍto a companion
ولم أرَ كالدّنْيا خؤوناً لصاحبٍ
ولاnor كُمصابيlike my affliction بالشبابِover youth مُصَاباan affliction
ولا كُمصابي بالشبابِ مُصَابا
And I have seen nothing as treacherous to a companion as the world,
Never have I seen in the world a comrade of anyone luckier than I
Nor any affliction like mine at the loss of youth.
Nor one smitten like me in his prime.
فَقَدْتُI lost الصّباyouth فابيضّand so turned white مُسْوَدّthe black part لمّتيof my locks
فَقَدْتُ الصّبا فابيضّ مُسْوَدّ لمّتي
كأنّas though الصّباyouth للشيبfor gray hair كانhad been خضاباa dye
كأنّ الصّبا للشيب كان خضابا
I lost youth, and the black of my locks turned white,
I have lost my youth so my turban's darkness turned white,
As though youth had been a dye for gray hair.
As though youth for old age were a dye.
Sol 6.1