هَلِ الأُدمُ كَالآرامِ وَالزُهرُ كَالدُمى

هَلِ الأُدمُ كَالآرامِ وَالزُهرُ كَالدُمى

مُعاوَدَتي أَيّامُهُنَّ الصَوالِحُ

مُعاوَدَتي أَيّامُهُنَّ الصَوالِحُ

The dusky women, like gazelles, and the fair ones, like figurines—

Is manhood like paleness, and youth like redness?

will their happy days return to me,

My frequenting of them, those fortunate days,

زَمانَ سِلاحي بَينَهُنَّ شَبيبَتي

زَمانَ سِلاحي بَينَهُنَّ شَبيبَتي

لَها شائِفٌ في سَيبِهِنَّ وَرامِحُ

لَها شائِفٌ في سَيبِهِنَّ وَرامِحُ

when my weapon among them was my youth,

When my weapon amidst them was my youthfulness,

which had a lookout and a spearman amid their bounty?

To it clung a quiver, and lethal spears.

فَأَقسَمنَّ لا يَسقينَني قَطَر مُزنَةٍ

فَأَقسَمنَّ لا يَسقينَني قَطَر مُزنَةٍ

لِشَيبي وَلَو سالَت بِهِنَّ الأَباطِحُ

لِشَيبي وَلَو سالَت بِهِنَّ الأَباطِحُ

So they swore not to let me drink a drop from a raincloud,

Then they swore they’d never let a drop of rain

because of my gray hair, even if the pebbly streambeds flowed around them.

Water my grey hairs, even if the clouds poured.