هل نسيت هند زمان الصبا

لله ما أحلى زمان الصبا

Have you forgotten, Hind, the days of youth?

Has Hind forgotten the days of youth?

By God, how sweet were the days of youth!

By God, how sweet were the days of youth!

إذ نحن كالأطيار في شدوها

طفلان يختالان بين الربى

When we were like birds in their singing,

When we were like birds in their singing,

Children strutting between the meadows.

Two children strutting proudly among the hills.

نلعب في الكرم و لا بدعة

سعادة الطفلين أن يلعبا

We would play in the vineyard without fault,

Playing in the vineyard, and it is no wonder,

The children's happiness was but to play.

For the joy of two children is to play.

أحذر أن تغضب من هفوة

و تحذر الحسناء أن أغضبا

Beware getting angry over a slip,

I was careful lest she grow angry at a slip,

And you, fair one, beware my anger.

And the beautiful one was careful lest I grow angry.

يا هند عفوا و اغفري زلّتي

إن أنا هيّجت لهيبا خبا

Hind, forgive me, pardon my misstep

O Hind, pardon me and forgive my slip,

If I stirred up dormant embers.

If I have stoked a flame that had died down.

إن كانت الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا تحزني

If memory stirs up sorrow,

If memory stirs up sorrow,

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.

الكرم هل أطياره لم تزل

تشدو على أغصانه الناعمة

Have the vines lost their singing birds

The vineyard—do its birds still

Trilling on their tender branches?

Sing upon its tender branches?

و الروض هل أزهاره لم تزل

ثغورها مفترّة باسمة

Has the garden lost its smiling flowers,

And the garden—do its flowers still

Their lips parted, fragrant and fresh?

Part their lips in a blooming smile?

صفصافة الجدول هل مسّها

داعي الردى أم لم تزل قائمة

Have the willows by the stream been touched

The stream's willow—has it been touched

By the voice of decay or still stand erect?

By the caller of death, or does it still stand?

يا طالما غنّى بألحانه

و أنت في أفيائها نائمة

How often have they sung their tunes

Oh, how often it sang its melodies

While you slept in their shade?

While you were sleeping in its shadows.

لا تنفري منّي و لا تغضبي

و لا تكوني في الهوى ظالمة

Do not spurn or get angry with me,

Do not turn away from me, and do not be angry,

Nor be unjust in passion.

And do not be unjust in love.

إن كانت الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا تحزني

If memory stirs up sorrow

If memory stirs up sorrow,

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.

مررت بالغابة مستعبرا

و الليل قد أرخى سدول الظلام

I passed by the woods traveling

I passed by the forest, weeping,

As night had let down its veil of darkness,

As the night let down its curtains of darkness.

فقلت و الذكرى أثارت هوى

خبا بقلبي منذ عام و عام

And I said, as memory stirred up love

And I said, as the memory stirred a passion

That smoldered in my heart this year and more,

That had faded in my heart year after year:

هنا تساقينا كؤوس الهوى

هنا تعانقنا عناق الغرام

Farewell with a gesture of peace.

"Here we poured each other the cups of passion,

Why do I see your tear and hear your sigh

Here we embraced the embrace of love,

هنا تلاقينا هنا ودّعت

هنا أشارت كفّها بالسلام

Blending, Hind, into perfect harmony?

Here we met, and here she said farewell,

If memory stirs up sorrow

Here her hand waved in peace."

مالي أرى دمعك واحسرتي

منسجما يا هند أيّ انسجام

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

Why do I see your tears, oh my sorrow,

Where did you get this earring and

Pouring down, O Hind, in such a flood?

إن كانت الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا تحزني

That exquisite, unique necklace?

If memory stirs up sorrow,

Who is it that you kissed and left

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.

من أين هذا القرط قد نلته

و ذلك العقد البهيّ الفريد

The impress of your rosy cheek that puts roses to shame?

From where did you get this earring,

Welcome, Hind, enchantress,

And that radiant, singular necklace?

من ذا الذي قبلته أثّرت

بورد خدّيك فدته الورود

The dawn of a new romance laughing.

Whose kiss has left its mark

I suffer in love, so smile on me

Upon the roses of your cheeks? May roses be their ransom!

إستقبلي يا هند فتّانة

ضاحكة عهد غرام جديد

The smile of tenderness for a happy lover.

Welcome, O fascinating Hind,

And that old love now dead, forget it,

With a laugh, the era of a new romance.

أنا أشقي في الهوى فابسمي

بسمة عطف لمحب سعيد

And those promises, too.

I am suffering in love, so smile

If memory stirs up sorrow

A smile of affection for a happy lover.

و ذلك الحبّ القديم الذي

مات تناسيه ، و تلك العهود

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

And that old love which

Hind, though death strode quickly

Has died—forget it, along with those vows.

إن كانت الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا تحزني

To my youth, heralding our separation,

If memory stirs up sorrow,

Vanquishing my body, would that

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.

يا هند و الموت مشى مسرعا

إلى شبابي مؤذنا بالفراق

He vanquished my agony and longing!

O Hind, as death walks swiftly

When you extend your soft, pampered

Towards my youth, heralding separation,

قضى على جسمي يا ليته

قضى على اللّوعة و الإشتياق

Hand for an embrace,

It has destroyed my body—would that it had

And mouths meet in a kiss that intoxicates

Destroyed the anguish and the longing.

حين تمدّين يدا بضّة

ناعمة مترفة للعناق

Like exquisite wine.

When you extend a tender hand,

If memory stirs up sorrow

Soft and delicate, for an embrace,

فيلتقي الثغران في قبلة

تسكر كالخمر نديّ المذاق

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

And the lips meet in a kiss

And when you walk past our trysting place

That intoxicates like wine, dewy in taste,

إن كانت الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا نحزني

As the sun inclines toward setting

If memory stirs up sorrow,

Among roses that smile with dewdrops

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.

و حين تمشين الهوينا و قد

أقبلت الشمس تريد المغيب

On their lips, tender greens in their prime,

And when you walk leisurely, as

Do not enter the woods, do not enter,

The sun draws near, desiring to set,

بين ورود ضحكت للندى

ثغورها نشوى اخضلال و طيب

For in the woods is a stranger's grave,

Among roses that have smiled at the dew,

The grave of a lover you've forgotten -

Their lips drunk with moisture and fragrance,

لا تدخلي الغابة لا تدخلي

فإنّ في الغابة قبر الغريب

Can a lover thus forget her lover?

Do not enter the forest, do not enter,

Avoid the woods, do not violate

For in the forest is the grave of the stranger,

قبرحبيب قد تناسيته

أهكذا ينسى الحبيب الحبيب

The hallowed silence of that revered place,

The grave of a lover you have forgotten;

For memory only stirs up sorrow.

Is this how a lover forgets a lover?

و اجتنبي الغابة لا تخرقي

حرمة ذيّاك السكون المهيب

Do not recall the past or be downcast.

And avoid the forest, do not violate

The sanctity of that solemn silence.

فإنّما الذكرى تثير الأسى

لا تذكري الماضي و لا تحزني

For indeed, memory stirs up sorrow,

Do not recall the past, and do not grieve.