أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل نَعيمُكَ مُقبِلُ
وَهَل راجِعٌ مِن عَيشِنا ما نُؤَمِّلُ
For how long, O Time, has delight turned away?
Will any joy in our life return that we yearn for?
أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل لَنا مِنكَ عَودَةٌ
لَعَلَّكَ يُعدي آخِراً مِنكَ أَوَّلُ
For how long, O Time, have you turned from us?
Will you ever bring back what is gone?
سَلامٌ عَلى اللَذاتِ حَتّى يُعيدَها
خَليعُ عِذارٍ أَو رَقيبٌ مُغَفَّلُ
Farewell to delights until a deceitful flirt
or a heedless critic restores them.
أَثَرتُ مَطِيَّ القَصفِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ
فَلا القَصفُ مَتبوعٌ وَلا هِيَ تَرحَلُ
I roused the steed of battle in its pasture,
but neither it desired to race nor did the racecourse remain.
وَأَخلَيتُ ميدانَ الصِبا مِن بَناتِهِ
وَإِنّي بِها لَلمُستَهامُ المُوَكَّلُ
I emptied the field of youth of its girls,
though I was the most zealous guardian assigned to them.
أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهوِ أَيّامُنا الأُلى
أَتَذهَبُ فَوتاً أَو تَعودُ فَتُقبِلُ
Alas! Our fleeting days of frivolity,
do they vanish never to return?
كَأَنّي لَم أَشهَد مِنَ الراحِ مَشهَداً
لَذيذاً وَلَم أَستَبقِها وَهيَ تُقتَلُ
As though I never witnessed the vineyard of delight
in all its sweetness before it was destroyed.
وَلَم أَحمَدِ الأَيّامَ وَالعَيشَ بَينَنا
نُعَلُّ مِنَ اللَذاتِ طَوراً وَنُنهَلُ
As though I never praised the days and life amongst us
when we would revel in pleasure and then grow sober.
فَلا رُبَّ حَربٍ لِلمُدامِ أَثَرتُها
وَقَصطَلُها جادِيُّها وَالقَرَنفُلُ
Many a war have I waged for the wine of revelry
whose perfume mingled with basil I inhaled.
عَلَينا رَياحينُ الحَياةِ وَفَوقَنا
سَحائِبُ بِالعَيشِ المُقارِفِ تَهطِلُ
The zephyrs of life blow upon us still
and above us float clouds pregnant with bountiful life.
وَكَأسِ نَدامى يَعشَقُ الشُربُ شَخصَها
لَها مَنظَرٌ دونَ الزُجاجَةِ أَسهَلُ
And a goblet of wine that enchants with its very sight,
easier to behold unveiled than behind glass.
قَرَنتُ بِها الإِبريقَ فَاِفتَرَّ ضاحِكاً
وَحَلَّ لَها خَلفَ النِقابِ المُقَبَّلُ
When I coupled it with the ewer, it burst out laughing,
and kissed me from behind its veil.
وَمُختَلَسٍ مِن شَهرِهِ بِنَعيمِهِ
عَلى غَفلَةٍ مِن شانِئٍ لَيسَ يَغفُلَ
Stolen pleasures taste sweetest when shared
with a boon companion, not a faultfinding critic.
تَلافَيتُهُ بِالقَصفِ فَاِغتَلتُ طولَهُ
وَلا يَومَ في أَيّامِهِ مِنهُ أَطوَلُ
I raced with it to the finish and won its length
though no day in its count was longer than another.
غَدا بِبَناتِ اللَهوِ عَنّي أَميرُها
وَأَثكَلَنيهِنَّ الإِمامُ المُعَذِّلُ
Tomorrow the prince of frivolity will lead away
the girls of play while I remain heavy of heart.
فَما أَذكُرُ اللَذاتِ إِلّا كَأَنَّما
يُمَثِّلُها لي في النَدِيِّ مُمَثِّلُ
When I recall those delights now it is as though
an actor were miming them for me on stage.
لَعُمرُكَ لَو أَحبَبتُ لَم أَدَعِ الصِبا
لِشَيءٍ وَلَكِنَّ التَعَزِّيَ أَجمَلُ
By your life! Had I desired I'd not have forsaken youth
for anything, but accepting fate is best.
