لا أَنسَ أَيّامي وَلا أَطرابي

لا أَنسَ أَيّامي وَلا أَطرابي

أَيّامَ كُنتُ أَجُرُّ ذَيلَ شَبابي

أَيّامَ كُنتُ أَجُرُّ ذَيلَ شَبابي

I do not forget my days, nor my joys,

I do not forget my days, nor my pleasures,

The days when I trailed the hem of my youth,

The days when I used to drag the tail of my youth,

مَعَ مَن إِذا حَمَلتَ عَلَيهِم هَفوَةٌ

مَعَ مَن إِذا حَمَلتَ عَلَيهِم هَفوَةٌ

ثَبَتوا وَلَم يَستَنجِدوا بِعِتابِ

ثَبَتوا وَلَم يَستَنجِدوا بِعِتابِ

With those who, if you assailed them in a lapse,

With those who, if you made a slip to them,

Stood firm and did not seek aid through reproach.

Stood firm and did not seek reprimand.

قَومٌ إِذا خَطَبَ الفَتى أَلفاظُهُم

قَومٌ إِذا خَطَبَ الفَتى أَلفاظُهُم

زُفَّت إِلَيهِ جَواهِرُ الآدابِ

زُفَّت إِلَيهِ جَواهِرُ الآدابِ

A people: when a young man courted their words,

A people, if the young man's words were sought,

The jewels of letters were borne to him as brides.

The jewels of literature were presented to him.

إِنَّ حِكمَةٌ مَنَعَتهُمُ مِن نَفسِها

إِنَّ حِكمَةٌ مَنَعَتهُمُ مِن نَفسِها

كانَت لَهُ خُدَعٌ مِنَ الأَلبابِ

كانَت لَهُ خُدَعٌ مِنَ الأَلبابِ

Indeed, wisdom withheld herself from them;

Wisdom has certainly prevented them from themselves,

For him there were stratagems born of intellect.

There were tricks for him from minds.

كَم مِن دُجى هَمٍّ أَماطوى جُنحَهُ

كَم مِن دُجى هَمٍّ أَماطوى جُنحَهُ

عَنّي بِنورِ كَواكِبِ الأَكوابِ

عَنّي بِنورِ كَواكِبِ الأَكوابِ

How often they drew aside the wing of sorrow’s darkness

How much gloom of anxiety have they unveiled from me

From me with the light of the stars of the cups,

With the light of the stars of the cups,

حَتّى أُصِبتُ بِقُربِهِم فَأَصابَني

حَتّى أُصِبتُ بِقُربِهِم فَأَصابَني

قَلَقٌ يَقِلُّ كَثيرَهُ لِمَصابي

قَلَقٌ يَقِلُّ كَثيرَهُ لِمَصابي

Until I was stricken by their nearness, and was seized

Until I was afflicted by their nearness, so I was hit

By anguish whose abundance pales beside my calamity.

By anxiety, which decreased a lot for my misfortune.