تلوم سليمى لانقطاع زيارتي

تلوم سليمى لانقطاع زيارتي

وبرد فؤادي بعد تلك الحرارةِ

وبرد فؤادي بعد تلك الحرارةِ

Sulaymā reproaches me because my visits have ceased,

Sulayma reproaches me for ceasing my visits,

and because my heart has cooled after all that ardor.

and for my heart's cooling after that ardor.

فقلت لها كفي الملامة جارتي

فقلت لها كفي الملامة جارتي

خبت نارُ جسمي باشتعال منارتي

خبت نارُ جسمي باشتعال منارتي

I said to her, “Enough reproach, my neighbor:

So I told her: Stop your reproaches, my neighbor;

my body’s fire died down when my beacon caught flame,

my body's fire died as my beacon blazed,

وأظلم عيشي إذ أضاءَ شهابها

وأظلم عيشي إذ أضاءَ شهابها

العيقُ مشيبي منذرٌ قرب ساعتي

العيقُ مشيبي منذرٌ قرب ساعتي

and my life grew dark when its blaze shone—

and my life grew dark when its flame shone.

carnelian-red. My gray hair warns that my hour is near.

The [cry?] of my gray hair warns that my hour is near;

فقوَّم أضلاعي وعوَّج قامتي

فقوَّم أضلاعي وعوَّج قامتي

فقلت وقد فرّضت طيورُ صبابتي

فقلت وقد فرّضت طيورُ صبابتي

It stiffened my ribs and bowed my stature.”

so it straightened my ribs and bent my stature.

Then I said, when the birds of my longing had flown:

So I said, the birds of my yearning having been cut to pieces:

أيا بومةً قد عششت فوق هامتي

أيا بومةً قد عششت فوق هامتي

على الرغم مني حين طار غرابها

على الرغم مني حين طار غرابها

“O owl, you have now nested atop my crown,

O owl, you have nested upon my head,

against my will, when its raven took flight.

against my will, when its raven flew away.

لقد خانني دهري الخؤون فخنتني

لقد خانني دهري الخؤون فخنتني

وفي سيف فقدان الشباب قتلتني

وفي سيف فقدان الشباب قتلتني

Treacherous Time betrayed me, and you betrayed me too;

My treacherous fate betrayed me, and so you betrayed me;

with the sword of youth’s loss, you killed me.

and with the sword of youth's loss you killed me.

فو اللّه لم أعتبكِ لما غدرتني

فو اللّه لم أعتبكِ لما غدرتني

رأيت خراب العمر مني فزرتني

رأيت خراب العمر مني فزرتني

Yet, by God, I did not blame you when you betrayed me:

So, by God, I did not reproach you when you betrayed me:

you saw in me a lifetime laid waste, and so you visited,

you saw life's ruin in me, and so you visited me,

ومأواكِ من كل الديار خرابها

ومأواكِ من كل الديار خرابها

وتدبيج عمر المرءِ جناسهُ

وتدبيج عمر المرءِ جناسهُ

for of all dwellings, it is their ruins that you make your home.”

and among all dwellings, their ruins are your refuge.

How wondrously varied are the stages of a mortal’s life:

And the adornment of a man's life is its wordplay:

إذا أحمر منهُ الخد واشتد بأسهُ

إذا أحمر منهُ الخد واشتد بأسهُ

ولاح عذارٌ منهُ واخضر آسهُ

ولاح عذارٌ منهُ واخضر آسهُ

when his cheek glows red and his mettle grows strong,

when his cheek reddens and his vigor grows strong,

when his first down appears and his myrtle greens;

and his cheek-down appears and his myrtle turns green.

إذا أصفرَّ وجه المرءِ وابيضَّ رأسهُ

إذا أصفرَّ وجه المرءِ وابيضَّ رأسهُ

تنفض من أيامهِ مستطابها

تنفض من أيامهِ مستطابها

then, when a man’s face pales and his head turns white,

When a man's face turns yellow and his head turns white,

the sweetest of his days are shaken away.

all that was sweet falls away from his days.