سلب الشباب رداءه

سلب الشباب رداءه

عني وأَتبعه إزاره

عني وأَتبعه إزاره

Youth stripped away his cloak

Youth has stripped off its cloak

from me, and took his waistcloth after it.

And taken away its loincloth after it

وَلَقَد يحل عليَّ حلته

وَلَقَد يحل عليَّ حلته

فيعجبني فخاره

فيعجبني فخاره

And indeed, he used to drape his robe upon me,

And its garb has indeed descended upon me

and his splendor would delight me.

So its elegance delights me

ولقد لبست جديده

ولقد لبست جديده

حينا فلا يبعد مزاره

حينا فلا يبعد مزاره

And indeed, I wore his new attire

And I have worn something new for a while

for a time—may his visit not be far off.

Yet its shrine is not far away

فانظر إِلى شعري

فانظر إِلى شعري

تبين كيف قد فعلت دياره

تبين كيف قد فعلت دياره

So look at my hair;

So look at my hair

see how his dwellings have fared:

And see how its abode has fared

بيض كلون القطن لا

بيض كلون القطن لا

يخفىعلى احمد خماره

يخفىعلى احمد خماره

white as the color of cotton—not

White like the color of cotton

hidden from Ahmad is his head-covering.

Its turban’s color does not escape Ahmed

وأسأل شبابي هَل اهن

وأسأل شبابي هَل اهن

ت مساكه او ذل جاره

ت مساكه او ذل جاره

And ask my youth: did I dishonor

And I ask my youth, did I

his mainstay, or was his neighbor abased?

Wrong it or humiliate its neighbor?

أَم هَل وقفت بموقف

أَم هَل وقفت بموقف

او مشهد يخزيه عاره

او مشهد يخزيه عاره

Or did I stand in a place,

Or did I stand at a stance

or at a gathering whose shame would disgrace him?

Or scene that shames it?

أَم هَل كسبت المال

أَم هَل كسبت المال

الا عادَ لي وله خياره

الا عادَ لي وله خياره

Or did I earn wealth

Or did I earn money

save that it came back to me, with its best for him?

Except it returned to me and to it spoiled?

اعطيته درعي وبيضتها

اعطيته درعي وبيضتها

وَمَصقولا شفاره

وَمَصقولا شفاره

I gave him my coat of mail and its helmet,

I gave it my coat of mail and whitened it

and a sword with polished edges,

And its blade polished

والقينة الحسناء مثل

والقينة الحسناء مثل

الريم من ذهب سواره

الريم من ذهب سواره

and the beautiful singing slave-girl, like

And the beautiful scabbard like

a gazelle whose bracelet was of gold.

A Rim made of its golden bracelet

وحملته يوم اللقاء

وحملته يوم اللقاء

على جواد ما يعاره

على جواد ما يعاره

And on the day of encounter I mounted him

And I carried it on the day of meeting

on a noble steed, not one lent to him.

On a steed that none could blame

وَلَقَد رأَيت الشرّ بين

وَلَقَد رأَيت الشرّ بين

الحيّ يبدأه صغاره

الحيّ يبدأه صغاره

And indeed, I have seen evil among

And I have seen evil among

the clan: its lesser evils set it going.

The living begun by its young

فَلو أَنَّهم يأسونه

فَلو أَنَّهم يأسونه

لتنهنهت عنهم كباره

لتنهنهت عنهم كباره

So if they were to heal it,

If only they despair it

its greater evils would surely draw back from them.

Its elders will refrain from it