واهاًAh! لِأَيّامِfor the days of الشَباyouth (word beginning)
واهاً لِأَيّامِ الشَبا
بِcompletion of 'youth' وَماand what لَبِسنَthey wore مِنَof الزَخارِفthe finery
بِ وَما لَبِسنَ مِنَ الزَخارِف
Ah, for the days of youth,
Alas for the days of youth
And the finery they wore,
And what adornments we wore
وَزَوالِهِنَّand their passing بِماalong with what عَرَفknew (word beginning)
وَزَوالِهِنَّ بِما عَرَف
نَthey (feminine plural ending) مِنof المَناكِرِthe unfamiliar وَالمَعارِفand the familiar
نَ مِن المَناكِرِ وَالمَعارِف
And their passing, with what they knew
And their passing, as we came to know
Of things strange and familiar.
Forbidden pleasures and noble traits
أَيّامَdays when ذِكرُكَmention of you فيin دَواregisters (word beginning)
أَيّامَ ذِكرُكَ في دَوا
وينِcompletion of 'registers' الصِباyouth صَدرُthe head of الصَحائِفthe pages
وينِ الصِبا صَدرُ الصَحائِف
Days when your name in the registers
Days when the memory of you
Of youth stood at the head of the pages.
Filled the tablets of my prime
واهاًAh! لِأَيّاميfor my days وَأَيّاand days (word beginning)
واهاً لِأَيّامي وَأَيّا
مِcompletion of 'days' الشَهِيّاتِthe luscious المَراشِفlips
مِ الشَهِيّاتِ المَراشِف
Ah, for my days and the days
Alas for my days and days
Of women with luscious lips,
Of intoxicating companionship
الغارِساتِthose planting البانَthe bān trees قُضboughs (word beginning)
الغارِساتِ البانَ قُض
باناًcompletion of 'boughs' عَلىupon كُثُبِthe dunes of الرَوادِفthe buttocks
باناً عَلى كُثُبِ الرَوادِف
Who planted bān-tree boughs
That planted tenderness on the cheeks
Upon the dunes of their haunches,
And made the full moon shine
وَالجاعِلاتِand those placing البَدرَthe full moon ماthe space
وَالجاعِلاتِ البَدرَ ما
بَينَbetween الحَواجِبِthe eyebrows وَالسَوالِفand the sides of the neck
بَينَ الحَواجِبِ وَالسَوالِف
And set the full moon
Between eyebrows and eyelashes
Between their brows and the sides of their necks.
Days that revealed harmony
أَيّامَdays when يُظهِرنَthey showed الخِلاopposition (word beginning)
أَيّامَ يُظهِرنَ الخِلا
فَcompletion of 'opposition' بِغَيرwithout نِيّاتِintentions of المُخالِفone who opposes
فَ بِغَير نِيّاتِ المُخالِف
Days when they showed opposition
Without contrary intentions
Without truly intending to oppose.
When bounty stood still for my youth
وَقفhalted النَعيمُbliss عَلىat الصِباyouth
وَقف النَعيمُ عَلى الصِبا
وَزَلَلتُand I slipped مِنfrom تِلكَthose المَواقِفstations
وَزَلَلتُ مِن تِلكَ المَواقِف
Bliss halted at youth,
And I slipped from those stations
And I slipped from those stations.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1