كاد يسعى للتصابي أو سعى

ويحه ما عف حتى نزعا

He almost ran to the ruins, or did run,

Alas! He did not stop until he collapsed.

الصبا لا سامح اللَه الصبا

نبهت من غيه ما هجعا

Youth does not forgive, may God not forgive youth,

It roused him from his heedlessness, no rest.

واستثارت من أقاصي لبه

صبوة كان رثاها ونعي

And it stirred in him a youthful folly,

Which he had lamented and mourned as dead.

قد صبا طوع هواة ما صبا

ورعى شهب الدياجي ما رعى

It poured unrestrainedly, as youth had poured,

And pastured the stars of night, as it had pastured.

هجن سترها ليل الصبا

نض عنها صبح فود طلعا

The night of youth veiled its coverings,

Dawn rent them, and the day broke through.

وعثار قد أقالته النهى

فإن استأنفت فيه لا لعا

Farewell turned away the admonitions,

If it starts over, do not respond.

زعموا ان اسكتتني ضنة

بالقوافي ان طبعي رجعا

They claimed that stinginess silenced me,

Because of rhymes, as if my nature relapsed,

وتناسوا ذلك النظم الذي

زاد في الرقة حتى انقطعا

And forgot that poetry which

Increased in tenderness until it was cut off.

والمعاني اللائي انى أنشدت

كلمات تسمع الصم الدعا

And those meanings which I recited

Were words that make the deaf hear pleas,

وخمود تحته جزل الغضا

وسكون تحته الري سعى

And stillness beneath which mighty torrents lurk,

And tranquility beneath which flows the runnel.

في حرام الشعر ما لي وله

خلة سدت وغي أقلعا

I want nothing to do with poetry

Which is unlawful, so I gave it up.

ما على النوروز لو أغفله

قوتل النوروز ماذا صنعا

What's it to me if I neglect Nawruz?

Nawruz betrayed - what did it accomplish?

قد كسى الديباج جلداً اجربا

وحبا بالتاج رأساً اصلعا

It dressed a bald head with brocade,

And crowned it with a jewel-studded crown.