Claude 2

  1. نَزَعْتُ عَنِ الصِّبَا وَعَصَيْتُ نَفْسِي

    وَدَافَعْتُ الْغَوَايَةَ بِالتَّأَسِّي

    I cast off youth and disobeyed my soul

    And warded off temptation with piety

  2. وَقُلْتُ لِصَبْوَتِي وَالْعَيْنُ غَرْقَى

    بِأَدْمُعِهَا رُوَيْدَكِ لا تَمَسِّي

    And said to my playfulness, while my eyes overflowed

    With tears, "Calm yourself, do not touch me!"

  3. فَقَدْ وَلَّى الصِّبَا إِلَّا قَلِيلاً

    أُنَازِعُ سُؤْرَهُ بِفُضُولِ كَأْسِي

    For youth has gone, leaving but little

    That I argue against its sorrows with my cup's excess

  4. وَمَنْ يَكُ جَاوَزَ الْعِشْرِينَ تَتْرَى

    وَأَرْدَفَهَا بِأَرْبَعَةٍ وَخَمْسِ

    And whoever has passed twenty, you will find

    Followed by four more and five

  5. فَقَدْ سَفَرَتْ لِعَيْنَيْهِ اللَّيَالِي

    وَبَانَ لَهُ الْهُدَى مِنْ بَعْدِ لَبْسِ

    For nights have sailed away from his eyes

    And guidance was revealed to him after confusion

  6. نَظَرْتُ إِلَى الْمِرَاةِ فَكَشَّفَتْ لِي

    قِنَاعَاً لاحَ فِيهِ قَتِيرُ رَأْسِي

    I looked in the mirror and it uncovered for me

    A mask in which appeared my hoary head

  7. وَكُنْتُ وَكَانَ فَيْنَاناً أَثيثاً

    أُنَازِعُ شِرَّتِي وَأَذُودُ بَأْسِي

    And I was, though well-appointed and lively

    Wrestling with my own evil and warding off harm

  8. فَعُدْتُ وَقَدْ ذَوَى مِنْ بَعْدِ لِينٍ

    أُدَارِي صَبْوَتِي وَأُسِرُّ يَأْسِي

    So I returned after softness had faded

    Evading my playfulness and concealing my despair

  9. فَمَا أَمْسِي كَيَومِي حِينَ أَغْدُو

    عَلَى كِبَرٍ وَمَا يَوْمِي كَأَمْسِي

    Thus I do not spend my evening as I did my morning

    Due to old age, nor is my day like my evening

  10. وَمَا الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا صائِبَاتٌ

    تَمُرُّ بِكُلِّ سَابِغَةٍ وَتُرْسِ

    And days are but raiders

    Passing by, each fully armed and helmeted

  11. أَبَادَتْ قَبْلَنَا إِرَمَاً وَعَاداً

    وَطَارَتْ بَيْنَ ذُبْيَانٍ وَعَبْسِ

    They destroyed 'Aram and 'Ad before us

    And flew between Thubian and 'Abs

  12. وَأَلْوَتْ بِالْمُضَلَّلِ وَاسْتَمَالَتْ

    عِمَادَ الشَّنْفَرَى وَهَوَتْ بِقُسِّ

    And destroyed the misguided and seduced

    The pillar of Shanfara and toppled with spears

  13. فَلا جمشِيدُ دَافَعَ إِذْ أَتَتْهُ

    بِحَادِثِها وَلا رَبُّ الدِّرَفْسِ

    So neither Jamshid when they came to him

    With their events, nor the Lord of Dirfis could resist

  14. عَلَى هَذَا يَسِيرُ النَّاسُ طُرَّاً

    وَيَبْقَى اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ نَفْسِ

    On this the people travel blindly

    While Allah remains creator of every soul