شبابَyoung men النيلthe Nile، ياO زينornament الشبابَyouth
شبابَ النيل، يا زين الشبابَ
وياand O أشبالcubs آسادٍlions غضابِwrathful
ويا أشبال آسادٍ غضابِ
Young men of the Nile, O ornament of youth,
O youths of the Nile, O fairest of youths,
and O cubs of wrathful lions,
And O cubs of fierce lions in their prime,
معيwith me: عتبٌa reproach أوجهُهُI direct it إليكمto you
معي: عتبٌ أوجهُهُ إليكم
وقدand perhaps تصفوbecomes pure المودةaffection بالعتابthrough reproach
وقد تصفو المودة بالعتاب
I have a reproach to address to you,
I have this reproach which I address to you,
and affection may grow purer through reproach.
Though reproach may seem strange when friendship is due:
أرىI see منكمamong you فريقًاa group حينwhen يمشيhe walks
أرى منكم فريقًا حين يمشي
يحكُّhe rubs بأنفهwith his nose ظهرthe back السحابthe clouds
يحكُّ بأنفه ظهر السحاب
I see a group among you: each, when he walks,
I see a group of you walking with haughtiness,
rubs the clouds' back with his nose,
Noses in air as though walking on clouds,
كليثlike a lion الغابthe forest فيin صلفarrogance وتيهand conceit
كليث الغاب في صلف وتيه
وماand not هوhe فيin القِرَاعِcombat بليثa lion غابa forest
وما هو في القِرَاعِ بليث غاب
like a forest lion in arrogance and conceit,
Like lions in the forest, arrogant and vain,
yet in combat he is no forest lion.
Yet in combat you are no lions of the plain.
لزهْرfor the dice النَّردof backgammon قدindeed خلقتwere created يداهhis two hands
لزهْر النَّرد قد خلقت يداه
وليستand they are not لليراعfor the reed pen، ولاnor الكتابthe book
وليست لليراع، ولا الكتاب
His two hands were made for backgammon dice,
Your hands were made for plucking flowers,
and not for the reed pen, nor the book.
Not wielding swords, nor writing in books;
تفنَّنhe excelled فيin محاكاةimitating العذارىmaidens
تفنَّن في محاكاة العذارى
وخالفَهُنَّand differed from them فيin وضعputting on النقابthe face veil
وخالفَهُنَّ في وضع النقاب
He has mastered the imitation of maidens,
You take great pains to mimic girls,
but unlike them, he does not don the veil.
Unlike them only in veils o'er your curls;
وأرسلand he let loose شعرهُhis hair المضغوطpressed-down، يحكيresembling
وأرسل شعرهُ المضغوط، يحكي
وميضthe flash البرقof lightning، أوor لمعthe gleam الشهابof a meteor
وميض البرق، أو لمع الشهاب
And he lets his pressed-down hair fall loose, resembling
Your sleek oiled hair recalls the lightning’s glow,
the flash of lightning or a meteor's gleam.
Or the shooting stars that in heaven show.
تداعبُهُcaresses it الصَّباthe east wind فيموجso it billows موجًاin waves
تداعبُهُ الصَّبا فيموج موجًا
كماas هبblew النسيمُthe breeze علىover العبابthe surging sea
كما هب النسيمُ على العباب
The east wind toys with it, and it billows in waves,
The morning breeze makes your locks undulate,
as when the breeze blows over the surging sea.
Like clouds that a gentle wind does agitate.
لهhe has حلَلٌfine garments تحاكيresemble الطيْفthe rainbow لونًاin color
له حلَلٌ تحاكي الطيْف لونًا
بأزرارwith buttons منof الذهبgold اللبابpure
بأزرار من الذهب اللباب
He has garments whose colors mimic the rainbow,
Your robes match the rainbow’s hues,
with buttons of pure gold.
With buttons of pure gold in profuse,
وفيهاand into them جسمهhis body انصبَّpoured itself انصبابًاa pouring
وفيها جسمه انصبَّ انصبابًا
فماso not تدريyou can tell الثيابthe clothes منfrom الإِهابthe skin
فما تدري الثياب من الإِهاب
And into them his body has poured itself completely,
Under them your body sways in its grace,
so you cannot tell the clothes from the skin.
No garment can veil its charm and its grace.
وليسand he is not بمُحُكمskilled at عملاًwork شريفًاhonorable
وليس بمُحُكم عملاً شريفًا
ويحكمand he perfects وضْعَthe arrangement أربطةties الرقابthe necks
ويحكم وضْعَ أربطة الرقاب
And he is no master of honorable work,
You take no pride in noble deeds,
yet he expertly arranges neckties.
Yet great care you give to your clothing and needs.
ولاand not يخشىhe fears علىfor شيءanything، ويخشىand he fears
ولا يخشى على شيء، ويخشى
إذاwhen ثارrises الغبارdust علىon الثيابthe clothes
إذا ثار الغبار على الثياب
He fears for nothing, yet he fears
You fear no loss, yet you dread indeed,
when dust rises upon his clothes.
If dust soils your pants or spotted your steed.
إذاif خاطبتَهُyou address him فيin غيرother than لِينٍgentleness
إذا خاطبتَهُ في غير لِينٍ
تأوَّهhe groans، أوor تنهَّدhe sighs فيin الخطابthe conversation
تأوَّه، أو تنهَّد في الخطاب
If you address him without gentleness,
If addressed with less than fulsome delight,
he groans or sighs as he speaks.
You pout and protest in injured despite.
وإنand if أربىexceeds علىbeyond العشرينtwenty منهمamong them
وإن أربى على العشرين منهم
فتىa young man، أمسyesterday يغالطhe fudges فيin الحسابthe reckoning
فتى، أمس يغالط في الحساب
And if one of them has passed twenty—
Though not yet twenty, you deem it right,
a youth of yesterday—he fudges the reckoning.
To question the wisdom of the old and the white.
وكمand how many منof لِمَّةa head of hair فيin مصرَEgypt شابتْturned gray
وكم من لِمَّة في مصرَ شابتْ
ولمand has not تنفكَّdesisted عنfrom دعوىclaims of التصابيfeigned youth
ولم تنفكَّ عن دعوى التصابي
And many a head of hair in Egypt has turned gray,
How many girls in this country have shone,
yet never abandoned its pretense of youth.
Yet spurn all suitors, and live alone?
وإنand if يَحْللsettles in فتاهمtheir young man قلبthe heart of أنثىa woman
وإن يَحْلل فتاهم قلب أنثى
يحلَّhe settles هناكthere بالركنin the corner الخرابruined
يحلَّ هناك بالركن الخراب
And if their young man enters a woman's heart,
If one of your youths sets his heart on a girl,
he settles there in the ruined corner.
He hangs at her door like a starling or merl,
فلنfor she will not ترضاهaccept him كالطاووسlike a peacock شكلاًin appearance
فلن ترضاه كالطاووس شكلاً
ولكنbut كاسرًاa bird of prey مثلlike العقابthe eagle
ولكن كاسرًا مثل العقاب
For she will not accept him peacock-like in appearance,
Though fair as the peacock in shape and in mien,
but as a bird of prey, like the eagle.
He is cawing for handouts, no eagle I ween.
وكمand how often ضاقgrew weary الجمالُbeauty بطالبيهof its seekers
وكم ضاق الجمالُ بطالبيه
وأُوذيَand was harmed بالتَّجملby self-adornment والخضابand dye!
وأُوذيَ بالتَّجمل والخضاب!
And how often beauty has wearied of its seekers,
How beauty is pestered by those it entices,
and been harmed by adornment and dye!
With cosmetics and curls and artificial devices!
فقلso say للغاصبينto those seizing الحسنَbeauty: مهْلاًhold back!
فقل للغاصبين الحسنَ: مهْلاً
متىwhen نيلwas attained الجمالُbeauty بالاغتصابby forcible seizure؟
متى نيل الجمالُ بالاغتصاب؟
So tell the usurpers of beauty: 'Hold back!'
Say to those who would beauty despoil:
When was beauty ever gained by force?
Can you grasp it by force, can you grasp it through guile?
إذاif الذئبُthe wolf استحالturns into بمصرin Egypt ظبيًاa gazelle
إذا الذئبُ استحال بمصر ظبيًا
فمنthen who يحميprotects البلادthe country منfrom الذئابthe wolves؟
فمن يحمي البلاد من الذئاب؟
If the wolf in Egypt becomes a gazelle,
When the wolf dons the fleece of a lamb in this clime,
then who protects the land from wolves?
Who will guard the flock from the fangs of the crime?
برئتُI dissociate myself منfrom الفتىthe youth يبدوappears، فتبدوand there appears
برئتُ من الفتى يبدو، فتبدو
عليهon him نعومةُthe softness of البيضthe fair-skinned الكعابbudding-breasted maidens!
عليه نعومةُ البيض الكعاب!
I disown the youth who appears, and there appears
I scorn the young fop who appears like a girl,
upon him the softness of fair-skinned, budding-breasted maidens!
Smooth and beardless, a weak untried churl!
Sol 6.1