رَحَلَ الشَبابُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَرحَلِ
وَغَدا لِطيَّةِ ذاهِبٍ مُتَحَمِّلِ
Youth has departed, but I wish it hadn’t gone away,
And it has become a burden on one who bears and staggers.
وَغَدا بِلاذمٍ وَغادَرَ بَعدَهُ
شَيباً أَقامَ مَكانَهُ بِالمَنزِلِ
It has gone without need and after it has gone
Grey hair has taken its place and settled in the home.
لَيتَ الشَبابَ ثَوى لَدَينا حِقبَةً
قَبلَ المَشيبِ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَعجِلِ
I wish youth had stayed with us for a while
Before grey hair, but it didn’t wait.
فَنُصيب مِن لَذّاتِهِ وَنَعيمِهِ
كَالعَهدِ إِذ هوَ في الزَمانِ الأوَّلِ
So we could enjoy its pleasures and delight
As in the early days when it was in its first phase.
نُرعي الصِبا أَوطانَهُ وَنُريحَهُ
في السَهلِ في دَمِثٍ أَنيقٍ مُقبِلِ
We would let youth graze its meadows at ease
In soft, smooth, welcoming plains,
كَزَمانِنا وَزَمانِهِ فيما مَضى
إِذ نَحنُ في ظِلِّ الشَبابِ المُخضِلِ
As was our time and its time in days gone by
When we were in youth’s embracing shade.
وَلَئن مَضى حَدُّ الشَبابِ وَجَدُّهُ
وَبَدَت رَوايعُ مُستَبينٍ أَشكَلِ
Though the prime of youth has passed and its vigor,
And confusing, obscure signs have begun to appear,
ما إِن كَسَبتُ بِهِ لِحيّ سُبَّةً
وَلألفَينَّ بِهِ كَريمَ المأكَلِ
I gained through it no disgraceful earnings,
And I will always cherish its generous provision.
وَلَقَد أَرى في ظِلِّهِ ونَعيمِهِ
نَزِهاً عَن الفَحشاءِ صافي المَنهَلِ
And I see in its shade and pleasures
A source safe from vulgarity, pure water to drink.
عَفَّ الضَريبَةِ قَد كَرِهتُ فِراقَهُ
إِذ بَعضُ تابِعِهِ لَئيمُ المَدخَلِ
I hated to part with it, I disliked its tax
Since some of its followers are vulgar at heart.
وَلَنِعمَ تَذكِرَةُ الحَليمِ وَثَوبُهُ
ثَوبُ المَشيبِ وَواعِظاً لِلجُهَّلِ
And what a fine reminder is the dress of the wise,
The dress of old age, instructing the ignorant!
وَلَقَد يَكونُ مَع الشَبابِ إِذا غَدا
غُمراً يَكونُ خِلافَهُ مُتَمَهِّلِ
And it may be that if youth becomes
Deep darkness, its opposite then takes its time.
فيهِ لِباغي اللَهوِ إِن طَلَبَ الصَبى
بَعدَ المَشيبِ ونُهزَةُ المُتَعلِّلِ
In it, for the debauched one seeking pleasure if he craves youth
After old age, and the doddering of the pretender,
بَكَرَت تَلوُمُ فَقُلتُ غَيرَ مُباعِدٍ
فِعلَ المُمازِحِ ضاحِكاً لا تَعجَلي
Bikarat blamed me, so I said, not keeping away:
“It's not wrong to jest and laugh, don't be hasty!”
أَهلُ التَذَلُّلِ والمَوَدَّةِ عِندَنا
يا بِشرُ أَنتِ وَرَبِّ كُلِّ مُهَلِّلِ
O Bishr, people of affection and love are with us,
Good news to you, by the Lord of all who makes calm!
لَو كانَ وُدُّكِ نازِراً فَنَزورُهُ
كانَ اليَقينُ بُعَيدَ شَكٍ مُشكِلِ
If your love were meager, we would shun it,
Certainty would be far, doubt unsolvable.
إِنَّ الَّذي قَسَمَ المَوَدَّةَ فاِعلَمي
حَقّاً عَليكِ بوُدِّنا لَم يَبخَلِ
Know that He who divided love, truly
You are entitled through our love which did not stint,
فاِجزي شَجيّا قَد سَلَبتِ فُؤادَهُ
واِعصي الوُشاةَ بِهِ وَقَولَ العُذَّلِ
So reward a fervent lover whose heart you have robbed,
And disobey those who find faults through it and speak nonsense.
راعٍ لِسرِّكِ لَيسَ يَذكُرُ غَيرَهُ
كيما يَرينَكِ حَيثُ كُنتِ بِمَعزِلِ
A secret-keeper whose thoughts turn to none but you
So he can see you where you are secluded.
ما إِن وَشى بِكِ عِندَنا مِن كاشِحٍ
إِلّا يُرَدُّ بِغَيظِهِ لَم يُقبَلِ
No slanderer has maligned you among us
Except he is driven back in anger, rejected,
حَتّى لَقَد عَلِمَ الوُشاةُ فَأَقصَروا
وَرَأَوا لَديَّ حَديثَهُم في الأَسفَلِ
To the point that the slanderers have grown short
And they have seen their words with me fall lower.
وَلَقَد نَزَلتِ فَأَجمِلي بِمَحَلَّةٍ
يا بِشرُ قَبلَكِ عِندَنا لَم تُحلَلِ
You have come down, so beautify, O Bishr,
A place before you with us that was not adorned.
أَحمَيتِ قاصيَةَ الفُؤَادِ فَصَغوُهُ
شَرَعٌ إِلَيكِ بِوابِلٍ مُتَهَلِّلِ
You have revived a heart that was dormant, so its love
Is a torrent rushing joyfully to you.
ما كانَ لَو وَزَنا وَشاءَ مَليكُنا
مِن حُبِّ بِشرَةَ لَو يُقاسُ بِأَفضَلِ
If our Master weighed the love of fair Bishr,
And measured it, none could match its quality!
