ولَّىdeparted شبابٌyouth فهلْso, will ...? يعودُreturn
ولَّى شبابٌ فهلْ يعودُ
ولاحَand appeared شَيْبٌgray hair فماso what يُريدُdoes it want? ؟
ولاحَ شَيْبٌ فما يُريدُ ؟
Youth has passed—will it return?
Youth has passed, will it return?
And gray hair has appeared—what does it want?
Old age has dawned, what does it want?
يُريدit wants أنْto يُنقِصَsubtract اللياليthe nights
يُريد أنْ يُنقِصَ الليالي
مِنّيَfrom me ظُلماًunjustly بماby as much as يَزيدit increases
مِنّيَ ظُلماً بما يَزيد
It wants to take nights away
It wants to decrease my nights
from me unjustly, by as much as it grows.
With injustice by increasing them
ياO أبيضَwhite الريشِof plumage طرْنَthey flew away منهfrom it
يا أبيضَ الريشِ طرْنَ منه
غِدفانُravens رِيشfeathers الجَناحِof the wing سُودblack
غِدفانُ رِيش الجَناحِ سُود
O white-plumed one, from whom have flown
O white feathered one, twitter away from it
ravens with black-feathered wings!
The wings of youth have black feathers
ياO هُولةًa terror تَفزَعُtake fright المراياthe mirrors
يا هُولةً تَفزَعُ المرايا
مِنهfrom it ويستصرخُand cries for help الوليدthe infant!
مِنه ويستصرخُ الوليد!
O terror, the mirrors recoil
O horror that startles mirrors
from it, and the infant cries for help!
And makes infants shriek!
ياO حاملاًbearer شارةِthe emblem الرَّزاياof calamities
يا حاملاً شارةِ الرَّزايا
ياO ساعيَmessenger الموتِof death ، ياO بَريدَcourier !
يا ساعيَ الموتِ ، يا بَريدَ !
O bearer of the emblem of calamities,
O bearer of the banner of misfortunes
O death's messenger, O courier!
O messenger of death, O postman!
ياO ناغِزَone who prods الجُرحِthe wound لاdoes not يُداويheal
يا ناغِزَ الجُرحِ لا يُداوي
إلاَّexcept بأنْby the fact that يُقطعَis severed الوريدthe vein
إلاَّ بأنْ يُقطعَ الوريد
O prober of the wound, who gives no cure
O wound inflictor that cannot be cured
except by having the vein severed.
Except by cutting the vein
برغمِdespite أنفِthe nose of الصِّباyouth وأنفيand my nose
برغمِ أنفِ الصِّبا وأنفي
يَخضِبُdyes فَوديmy temples منكَfrom you الصديدthe pus
يَخضِبُ فَودي منكَ الصديد
In spite of youth's nose and mine,
Despite the nose of youth and my nose
the pus from you dyes my temples;
Your rust makes my cheeks bleed
وأنَّand that رأسيmy head يمشيwalks عليهِupon it
وأنَّ رأسي يمشي عليهِ
تِيهاًin arrogance عَدُوٌّan enemy لهُto it لَدودimplacable!
تِيهاً عَدُوٌّ لهُ لَدود!
and upon my head there walks
And my head walks on it
in arrogance its implacable enemy!
Confused, with an eternal enemy!
كمْhow many ليلةٍa night خوفَfor fear أنْthat تُواتيyou would come
كمْ ليلةٍ خوفَ أنْ تُواتي
أُترِعَwas filled to the brim كأسٌa cup ورنَّand rang out عُودan oud
أُترِعَ كأسٌ ورنَّ عُود
How many a night, fearing you might come,
How many nights I feared you would come
a cup was filled to the brim and an oud rang out!
While I sipped a cup and a lute played
وكمْand how often وكمْand how often ، والشَّبابand youth يَدريknows
وكمْ وكمْ ، والشَّباب يَدري
رُوَِّعَwas startled ظبيٌa gazelle فَنُصَّso was raised جيدa neck
رُوَِّعَ ظبيٌ فَنُصَّ جيد
And how often, how often—youth knows—
And how much, how much, while youth knew
a gazelle was startled, and a neck raised high!
A gazelle was startled and a neck was slit
أعائدٌis ... returning? للشَّبابِto youth عيدُa festival ؟
أعائدٌ للشَّبابِ عيدُ ؟
أمْor راجعٌreturning عهدهُits era السَّعيدhappy؟
أمْ راجعٌ عهدهُ السَّعيد؟
Will youth's festival return?
Is youth’s feast returning?
Or will its happy era come back?
Or is its happy era coming back?
أيَّامَthe days when شرخُthe prime الصِّباof youth وريقٌleafy
أيَّامَ شرخُ الصِّبا وريقٌ
وظِلّهُand its shade سجسجٌtemperate مَديدfar-spreading
وظِلّهُ سجسجٌ مَديد
The days when youth's prime was leafy,
The days when the buds of youth cracked open
and its shade was temperate and far-spreading,
And its shadow was a long sword
ونحنُand we ، مِثْلَlike الجُمانِpearls زهواًin splendor ،
ونحنُ ، مِثْلَ الجُمانِ زهواً ،
ينظِمُناstrings us together عِقدُهُits necklace الفريدpeerless
ينظِمُنا عِقدُهُ الفريد
and we, like pearls in our splendor,
And we, like pigeons glorying,
were strung on its peerless necklace.
Were strung together by its unique necklace
أمْor لاno تلاقٍreunion ، فلاso no خطوطٌlines
أمْ لا تلاقٍ ، فلا خطوطٌ
تُدنيbring near بعيداًthe distant ، ولاnor حُدودboundaries؟!
تُدني بعيداً ، ولا حُدود؟!
Or is there no reunion—no lines
Or is there no meeting, no lines
to bring the distant near, nor boundaries?
To bring the distant close, no limits?!
مَنْwho مُبلِغُwill tell المُشتفينَthe gloaters أنَّاthat we
مَنْ مُبلِغُ المُشتفينَ أنَّا
صِرناwe have become لمِاto what يَطمحُaspires الحسودُthe envious one ؟
صِرنا لمِا يَطمحُ الحسودُ ؟
Who will tell the gloaters that we
Who will inform the jealous
have become what the envious one longs for?
That we have become what the envious aspire to?
أنَّاthat we استعَضْناwe have exchanged ثوباًa garment بثوبٍfor a garment
أنَّا استعَضْنا ثوباً بثوبٍ
وطالماand often استُبْدلَتْwere exchanged بُرودmantles
وطالما استُبْدلَتْ بُرود
That we have exchanged one garment for another,
That we have replaced a garment with a garment
and many a mantle has been exchanged.
And coldness has long been exchanged
فراحَso departed ذاكَthat العتيقُold one غَضّاًfresh
فراحَ ذاكَ العتيقُ غَضّاً
ولاحَand appeared رَثّاًthreadbare هذاthis الجديدnew one
ولاحَ رَثّاً هذا الجديد
So that old one departed, still fresh,
So the old one went away faded
and this new one appeared threadbare.
And the new one appeared ragged
ألوىcast aside بناus عاطفٌan affectionate one حبيبٌbeloved
ألوى بنا عاطفٌ حبيبٌ
ومَلَّناand grew weary of us الواصِلُthe close companion الودودloving
ومَلَّنا الواصِلُ الودود
A tender beloved has cast us aside,
A beloved affection turned us
and the loving companion has tired of us.
And the affectionate friend satisfied us
قدindeed كانused to يُشجيdistress أهلَthose given to التَّصابيaffecting youth
قد كان يُشجي أهلَ التَّصابي
أنَّاthat we علىupon هامهِمtheir heads ْ قُعودseated
أنَّا على هامهِم ْ قُعود
It once distressed those who affected youth
It would have provoked the kissable
that we sat atop their heads.
That we sat on their zeal
لمdid not ندرِwe know ماwhat نَسْتزيدُwe seek more منهُfrom it
لم ندرِ ما نَسْتزيدُ منهُ
لوif قيلَit were said : هلْis there? عندَهُمwith them مَزيدmore؟
لو قيلَ : هلْ عندَهُم مَزيد؟
We knew not what more to seek from it,
We did not know what more to gain from it
if it were asked, 'Have they any more?'
If it was said: Do they have more?
نهارُناour day مُترَفٌpampered بَليدُlanguid
نهارُنا مُترَفٌ بَليدُ
وليلُناand our night جامِحٌunbridled عَنيدheadstrong
وليلُنا جامِحٌ عَنيد
Our day was pampered and languid,
Our day is languid and dull
and our night unbridled and headstrong.
And our night intense and stubborn
فاليومَso today إنْif تُعتصَرْare pressed شِفاهٌlips
فاليومَ إنْ تُعتصَرْ شِفاهٌ
أوor تعتصَرْare squeezed لَدْنَةًsupple قُدودfigures
أو تعتصَرْ لَدْنَةً قُدود
So today, if lips are pressed,
So today if lips are squeezed
or supple bodies squeezed,
Or soft sands are squeezed
أوor يطََّرِدْpursues قانِصٌa hunter قَنيصاًquarry
أو يطََّرِدْ قانِصٌ قَنيصاً
أوor تُعْجبِdelight الأغيدِينَthe graceful youths غِيدgraceful maidens
أو تُعْجبِ الأغيدِينَ غِيد
or a hunter pursues his quarry,
Or a robber robs a gown
or graceful maidens charm graceful youths,
Or songs please singers
نقنعُwe are content مِنfrom لذَّةٍpleasure ولهوٍand play
نقنعُ مِن لذَّةٍ ولهوٍ
أنَّاthat we علىat عُرْسِهمْtheir wedding شُهودwitnesses
أنَّا على عُرْسِهمْ شُهود
we are content, for our share of pleasure and play,
We are content with the pleasure and play
to be witnesses at their wedding.
That we are present at their wedding
عُدناwe have become وَقوداًfuel ..! وكُلُّand every حيٍّliving being ،
عُدنا وَقوداً ..! وكُلُّ حيٍّ ،
للذَّةfor a pleasure تُشتهىis desired وَقودfuel!
للذَّة تُشتهى وَقود!
We have become fuel! And every living being
We have become firewood! And every living thing
is fuel for a longed-for pleasure!
Is firewood coveted for pleasure!
Sol 6.1