ظننتني جزت عن طرد الهوى فإذا

ظننتني جزت عن طرد الهوى فإذا

حسابه لم يزل في دفتري جاري

حسابه لم يزل في دفتري جاري

I thought I had passed beyond pursuing love—yet behold,

I thought I had forsaken love's pursuit, but lo -

Its account is still running in my ledger.

Its account was still open in my book of verse.

وزند وجدي بربات الحجال على

وزند وجدي بربات الحجال على

عهدي به كعشيات الصبا واري

عهدي به كعشيات الصبا واري

And the fire-stick of my passion for the ladies of curtained chambers remains,

My youth and passion were pledged to the maidens of the curtains

As I knew it, sparking as on the evenings of youth.

As in days of yore when I was a lively lad.

والأربعون التي لاحت طلائعها

والأربعون التي لاحت طلائعها

في لمتي ريحها استخذى لأعصاري

في لمتي ريحها استخذى لأعصاري

And forty, whose first signs have appeared

And now the forties dawn whose vanguard

In my locks—its wind has bowed before my whirlwinds.

Blew in the locks of my head its winds of change.

ظننتني جزت عن طرد الهوى فإذا

ظننتني جزت عن طرد الهوى فإذا

موضوعه لم يزل موضوع أسماري

موضوعه لم يزل موضوع أسماري

I thought I had passed beyond pursuing love—yet behold,

I thought I had forsaken love's pursuit, but no -

Its subject is still the subject of my evening conversations.

Its theme was still the subject of my poems.

وما توهمته زهداً ورحت به

وما توهمته زهداً ورحت به

أعلل النفس غير الواقع الجاري

أعلل النفس غير الواقع الجاري

And what I fancied was renunciation, with which I set about

What I imagined was devotion was but

Soothing my soul, is not the reality that prevails.

A soothing of my soul - not truth's reflection.

شتان بين شعوري في حقيقته

شتان بين شعوري في حقيقته

وبين رجعك يا أصداء أفكاري

وبين رجعك يا أصداء أفكاري

How far apart are my feelings as they truly are

Far different is my feeling in its essence

And your resonance, O echoes of my thoughts!

Than echoings of thoughts in cold confession.

فليتق اللّه من ظن الهيام بهم

فليتق اللّه من ظن الهيام بهم

غياً فما بالهوى العذري من عار

غياً فما بالهوى العذري من عار

Let him fear God who deems passion for them

So let him fear God who thinks the lovesick feign

Waywardness: there is no shame in chaste love.

Indifference - love's honor allows no shame.

وما يضر أخا الأردن كسوته

وما يضر أخا الأردن كسوته

جديدها أن يحل يوماً لاطماري

جديدها أن يحل يوماً لاطماري

Nor does it harm a fellow Jordanian if his clothing—

It hurts not my Jordanian brother's repute

Its new garments—should one day be lawful for my rags.

If his new cloak one day shows patched and worn.