لقد أسرى بيَ الأجلُ

وطولُ مسيرةٍ مَللُ

Time has taken me captive

And the journey has wearied me

وطولُ مسيرةٍ من دونِ

غايٍ مطمعٌ خَجِلُ

A long journey with no

coveted destination, a regretful disgrace

على أن يَطْوي غدٌ

طُولَ السُرى وجلُ

That tomorrow may fold

the length of the path and its hardships

تماهلَ خطوهُ صدداً

وعُقبى مهلِهِ عجَلُ

His steps have hesitated aimlessly

While the consequence of his respite hastened

وخُولِط سيرهُ جنفاً

كما يتقاصرُ الحَجلُ

And his course was distorted unfairly

As the forearm shortens

أشاع اليأسَ بي عُمُرٌ

وكنتُ وكلُهُ أملُ

Despair has spread in me for a lifetime

And I have been, and all of it is hope

وعُمرُ المرءِ فضلُ منىً

بها ما شَقَّ يُحَتَملُ

And the lifetime of a person is a favor granted

Through which whatever is unbearable can be endured

فان ولّت فلا ثقةٌ

ولا حَوْلٌ ولا قِبَلُ

For if it passes there is no trust

Nor capability, nor acceptance

أقول وربما قولٍ

يُدَلُّ بهِ ويُبتَهَلُ

I say and maybe through saying

it can be implored and supplicated

الا هل تُرجِعُ الأحلامُ

ما كُحْلِت به المُقلُ

Can dreams restore

what has saddened the eyelids?

وهل ينجابُ عن عَينيَّ

لليلٌ مُطبقٌ أزلُ

Can a prolonged endless night

be brightened before my eyes?

كأن نجوَمه الأحجارُ

في الشطرنج تنتَقَلُ

It is as if its stars are stones

moving on the chessboard

يُسَاقِطُ بعضُها بعضاً

فما تنفكُ تقتتِلُ

Some dropping others

and they do not stop fighting

ألا هل قاطعٌ يصلُ

لما عيَّت به الرُسُلُ

Is there one who connects

what has tired the messengers?

ويا أحبابيَ الأغنينَ

من قطعوا ومَن وصَلوا

And O my most beloved friends

who have parted and who have connected

ومن هُمُ نُخبةُ اللذَّاتِ

عِندي حِينَ تُنتَخَلُ

And who are the elite of pleasures

when gathered around me?

هُمُ إذ كلُ من صافيت

مدخولٌ ومُنتَحَلُ

They, when all who I encountered

were an inclusion and an impediment

سلامٌ كلُهُ قُبَلُ

كأن صَمِيمَها شُعَلُ

Peace, all of it acceptance

as if its core is aflame

وشوقٌ من غريب الدارِ

أعيَتْ دونهُ السُبُلُ

And longing from a stranger in the land

the paths to it have been lost

مقيمٌ حيثُ يَضْطربُ المنى

والسعيُ والفشلُ

Residing where wishes are disturbed

and efforts and failure

وحيثُ يُعاركُ البلوى

فتلويهِ ويعتدلُ

And where afflictions battle him

and twist him and he straightens

وحيثُ جَبينُهُ يَبَسٌ

وحيثُ جَنانُه خَضِلُ

And where his forehead is barren

and where his gardens are arid

وإذْ نَضّبَتْ أفاويقُ الصِّبا

فهِباتُها وشَلُ

And when the clouds of youth dispersed

their gusts and showers

سلامٌ من أخي دَنَفٍ

تَناهتْ عندهُ العِللُ

Peace from my friend Danaf

ailments have eluded him

وحيدٍ غيرَ ما شَجَنٍ

بلوحِ الصدرِ يعتملُ

Lonely, not out of any sorrow

that festers in the tablet of his chest

وذكرى مُرّةٍ حَلِيت

بها أيامُنا الأُوْلُ

And the memory of a bitter time

our first days

تُعاودُه كفيءِ الظلِّ

رؤياها وتنتقلُ

returned to him like the companion of shade

its vision and transition

وحيدٍ بالذي غنّى

وساقى يُضربُ المثلُ

Lonely with what he sang poetry to

and his cupbearer that is given as an example

وفيما قال من حَسَنٍ

وَسْيءٍ يَكثُرُ الجْدَلُ

And in the good he said

and bad that is widely disputed

سلاماً أيُّها الذاوونَ

إنّي مُزمعٌ عجلُ

Peace O you who are departing

I am soon to set out

سلاماً أيُّها الخالونَ

إنَّ هواكُمُ شُغلُ

Peace O you who are my imagination

your love preoccupies me

سلاماً أيُّها الندمانُ

إني شاربٌ ثَمِلُ

Peace O you who I regret

I am a drinker full

سلاماً أيُّها الأحبابُ

إنَّ مَحبةً أملُ

Peace O loved ones

I still hold love

سلاماً كُلُهُ قبلُ

كأنَّ صَمِيمَها شُعَلُ

Peace, all of it acceptance

as if its core is aflame