يا حَبّذا مَنْ زارَني

يا حَبّذا مَنْ زارَني

مِن بَعدِ صَدٍّ وَاِجتنابِ

مِن بَعدِ صَدٍّ وَاِجتنابِ

Ah, how welcome the one who visited me

Oh how I wished for the one who visited me

after rejection and avoidance!

After estrangement and avoidance

نَشوانَ في أعطافهِ

نَشوانَ في أعطافهِ

طَرَبُ الشَبيبةِ والشَّبابِ

طَرَبُ الشَبيبةِ والشَّبابِ

Intoxicated, his frame filled with

Exuberant in his embrace

the rapture of youth and young manhood.

Is the fervor of youth and adolescence

وَشكوت لمّا أنْ شكوْ

وَشكوت لمّا أنْ شكوْ

تُ إِلى نَفورِ القلبِ نابِ

تُ إِلى نَفورِ القلبِ نابِ

And I complained—when I complained—

And I complained when I complained

to one averse at heart and aloof,

To the aloofness of the heart I turned

مُستَنزِرٍ منِّي الجَوى

مُستَنزِرٍ منِّي الجَوى

مُستحقرٍ لعظيمِ ما بِي

مُستحقرٍ لعظيمِ ما بِي

deeming my burning anguish slight,

Looking down on me, my love scorned

dismissive of the magnitude of what ailed me.

Disdaining my great devotion

أجلَلْتُهُ أو خِفتُهُ

أجلَلْتُهُ أو خِفتُهُ

فكفيتُهُ ثِقْلَ العِتابِ

فكفيتُهُ ثِقْلَ العِتابِ

I revered him—or feared him—

I honored him or I feared him

so I spared him the burden of reproach.

So I spared him harsh reproach

وقنعتُ منهُ بزَوْرَةٍ

وقنعتُ منهُ بزَوْرَةٍ

عَرَضتْ ولم تكُ في حسابي

عَرَضتْ ولم تكُ في حسابي

And I was content with a single visit from him,

And I contented myself with his fleeting glimpse

one that came about, though I had not expected it.

That appeared though it was not in my account

جاءتْ بلا طَلَبٍ وكمْ

جاءتْ بلا طَلَبٍ وكمْ

صفوٍ تكدّرَ بالطِّلابِ

صفوٍ تكدّرَ بالطِّلابِ

It came without asking—and how much

It came without request, yet how

serenity has been clouded by pursuit!

Sweetness is marred by longing

لَو عَنّ لي في نَيلها

لَو عَنّ لي في نَيلها

طمعٌ لبعتُ بها شبابي

طمعٌ لبعتُ بها شبابي

Had there arisen in me, of gaining it,

If I had hoped to attain it

any hope, I would have sold my youth for it.

I would have traded my youth for it