أسفاًalas! لقدindeed ولىpassed الشبابyouth ولمand did not أفدI gain
أسفاً لقد ولى الشباب ولم أفد
منهfrom it سوىexcept حرقٍburning pangs تطيلprolong عذابيmy torment
منه سوى حرقٍ تطيل عذابي
Alas! Youth has passed, and I gained nothing
Alas, youth has passed and I did not benefit
from it but burning pangs that prolong my torment.
Except with burning that prolongs my torment
انفقتI spent أياميmy days بوهمٍin an illusion باطلvain
انفقت أيامي بوهمٍ باطل
ماparticle in 'between' بينbetween تفكيرreflection وبينand between كتابa book
ما بين تفكير وبين كتاب
I spent my days in a vain illusion,
I spent my days in vain delusions
between reflection and a book.
Between thinking and writing
ولوand if أننيthat I انصفتhad acted fairly كانwould have been هوىlove of المهاthe oryxes (figuratively, beauties)
ولو أنني انصفت كان هوى المها
قصديmy aim وكانand would have been الحسنbeauty كلّall of طلابيmy pursuit
قصدي وكان الحسن كلّ طلابي
And had I done myself justice, love of oryx-like beauties would have been
Had I been fair, the love of the beautiful maid
my aim, and beauty all I sought.
Would have been my purpose, and beauty my only quest
كمhow many لذةa pleasure عرضتoffered itself وكنتand I was بجنبهاbeside it أحرىmore deserving
كم لذة عرضت وكنت بجنبها أحرى
ولكنbut قدindeed أضعتI lost صوابيmy sound judgment
ولكن قد أضعت صوابي
How many a pleasure offered itself, and I beside it was more deserving of it,
How much pleasure came by yet I was oblivious
but I had lost my good judgment.
But I lost my composure
كمhow many فرصةa chance سنحتarose باغيدwith a graceful youth فاتنalluring
كم فرصة سنحت باغيد فاتن
يسبيcaptivates العقولminds بحسنهwith his beauty الخلابbewitching
يسبي العقول بحسنه الخلاب
How many a chance arose with a graceful, alluring youth,
How many chances arose that I let pass
who captivated minds with his bewitching beauty.
That captivate minds with their graceful charm
أعرضتI turned away عنهfrom him تعففاout of chastity وبمهجتيand in my heart
أعرضت عنه تعففا وبمهجتي
ظمأa thirst إلىfor قبلkisses ورشفand sipping رضابsaliva
ظمأ إلى قبل ورشف رضاب
I turned away from him out of chastity, while in my heart
I turned away modestly though in my mind
was a thirst for kisses and sips of saliva.
Thirst for a kiss and sip of wine
وجعلتand I made صدريmy breast مدفناa burial place لنوازعيfor my impulses
وجعلت صدري مدفنا لنوازعي
إذwhen كانwas غضاfresh فيin الزمانthose days أهابيmy skin
إذ كان غضا في الزمان أهابي
And I made my breast a tomb for my impulses,
I made my chest the grave of my desires
when my skin was still fresh in those days.
When abstinence was called for in the times
فهرمتso I aged قبلbefore الشيبgray hair وانحلتand weakened قوىthe strength of
فهرمت قبل الشيب وانحلت قوى
جسديmy body ببرحthrough the severity of الهمّworry والأوصابand ailments
جسدي ببرح الهمّ والأوصاب
So I aged before my hair grayed, and the vigor ebbed
So I grew old before graying, and my bodily strength
from my body through the ravages of worry and ailments.
Fell to the strike of worries and afflictions
وندمتand I regretted حينwhen أضعتI squandered ايامthe days of الصباyouth
وندمت حين أضعت ايام الصبا
وأضعتand I squandered فيهاin them لذتيmy pleasure ورغابيand my desires
وأضعت فيها لذتي ورغابي
And I regretted it once I had squandered the days of youth,
And I regretted when I wasted my youthful days
and squandered in them my pleasure and desires.
And missed in them my joy and wishes
واليومand today صرتI have become إذاwhenever ادّكرتُI remember وراجعَتand returned to
واليوم صرت إذا ادّكرتُ وراجعَت
قلبيmy heart بقيةa remnant of فتنةٍenchantment وتصابيand youthful dalliance
قلبي بقية فتنةٍ وتصابي
And now I find myself, whenever I remember and there returns
And today if I remember and go back
to my heart some remnant of enchantment and youthful dalliance,
My heart still has remnants of infatuation and yearning
أبكيI weep علىfor الماضيthe past واندبُand I lament عهدهits days
أبكي على الماضي واندبُ عهده
وأغصand I choke منfrom فرطan excess of الأسبىsorrow (probably intended: الأسى) بشرابيon my drink
وأغص من فرط الأسبى بشرابي
weeping for the past and lamenting its days,
I weep for the past and lament its time
and choking on my drink from overwhelming sorrow.
And nearly choke from intense craving for my wine
إنيindeed, I am كراهبlike a monk معبدof a temple متبتلdevoted to worship
إني كراهب معبد متبتل
سلخspent اللياليthe nights خلفpursuing ومضthe gleam of سرابa mirage
سلخ الليالي خلف ومض سراب
I am like a devout monk of a temple,
I am like a monk in a secluded temple
who spent his nights pursuing a mirage's gleam,
Who spent nights behind the mirage of a specter
حتىuntil إذاwhen عرضتappeared لهto him تاييسThais فيin
حتى إذا عرضت له تاييس في
حللٍrobes of الجمالbeauty وفتنةand the enchantment of الأهدابthe eyelashes
حللٍ الجمال وفتنة الأهداب
until, when Thais appeared before him in
Until when the beauty of adornments and
the robes of beauty and the enchantment of eyelashes,
The charm of eyelashes was put before him
هجرhe abandoned الصلاةprayer وديرَهand his monastery وموحَهand his haircloth robes (probably intended: ومسوحه)
هجر الصلاة وديرَه وموحَه
وأملّهand wearied him الترتيلchanting فيin المحرابthe sanctuary
وأملّه الترتيل في المحراب
he forsook prayer, his monastery, and his haircloth robes (probable reading),
He forsook his prayers and monastery and chanting
and chanting in the sanctuary wearied him.
And his hope of reciting in the prayer niche
ناداهcalled him داعيthe herald of القلبthe heart بعدafter تزهدrenunciation
ناداه داعي القلب بعد تزهد
وتقشفand austerity طمعاin hope بحسنof a good مآبfinal abode
وتقشف طمعا بحسن مآب
The heart's herald called him after renunciation
The caller of the heart called him after asceticism
and austerity, practiced in hope of a good final abode.
And austerity, hoping for good fate
ظمىءhe thirsted السنينfor years فجاءso he came ينقعto quench غلّهhis burning thirst
ظمىء السنين فجاء ينقع غلّه
لكنهbut he لمdid not يلقfind غيرother than تبابruin
لكنه لم يلق غير تباب
He thirsted for years, then came to quench his burning thirst,
Thirsty for years, so he came to soak his bitterness
but he found nothing but ruin.
But he did not find except disgrace
هذاthis مصيرthe fate of الثائرينthe rebels وهذهand these
هذا مصير الثائرين وهذه
نظمthe systems of الحياةlife وسنةand the custom of الاحقابthe ages
نظم الحياة وسنة الاحقاب
This is the fate of rebels, and these
Such is the fate of rebels, and these
are the laws of life and the way of the ages.
Are the rhythms of life and course of eras
Sol 6.1