نَعِمتُ زَماناً مَعَ المُترِفينَ

نَعِمتُ زَماناً مَعَ المُترِفينَ

وَعِشتُ أَخا ثَروَةٍ موسِرا

وَعِشتُ أَخا ثَروَةٍ موسِرا

I lived in bliss for a time among those living in luxury,

I lived in luxury with the indulgent for a time,

And lived possessed of wealth, prosperous.

And lived as a wealthy, prosperous brother.

وَقَضَّيتُ عُمرَ الهَوى بِالوِصالِ

وَقَضَّيتُ عُمرَ الهَوى بِالوِصالِ

وَلَيلَ الصِبى بِالدُمى مُقمِرا

وَلَيلَ الصِبى بِالدُمى مُقمِرا

And spent the span of love in union,

I spent the days of passion in union,

And youth's night, moonlit by statue-like beauties.

And the nights of youth getting drunk.

طَليقَ العِناقِ خَليعَ العِذارِ

طَليقَ العِناقِ خَليعَ العِذارِ

أَهوى الغَزالَ إِذا عَذَّرا

أَهوى الغَزالَ إِذا عَذَّرا

Free in embrace, my bridle cast off,

Unrestrained in intimacy, indiscreet in flirtation,

I loved the gazelle when his cheek-down appeared.

I loved the coquettish gazelle.

وَلَم أَعصِ في حُكمِها غادَةً

وَلَم أَعصِ في حُكمِها غادَةً

كَعاباً وَلا رَشَأً أَحوَرا

كَعاباً وَلا رَشَأً أَحوَرا

Nor did I disobey the commands of a graceful maiden,

I never disobeyed a lissome one in her ruling,

With budding breasts, or of a dark-eyed fawn.

Stubborn or unyielding.

وَيارُبَّ صَفراءَ مَشمولَةٍ

وَيارُبَّ صَفراءَ مَشمولَةٍ

أَهَنتُ لَها العَسجَدَ الأَحمَرا

أَهَنتُ لَها العَسجَدَ الأَحمَرا

And many a golden wine, cooled by the north wind—

By my Lord, a yellow girl, plump and soft,

For its sake I held red gold cheap.

I humbled myself before her, red and tender.

وَغالَيتُ في اللَهوِ لا نادِماً

وَغالَيتُ في اللَهوِ لا نادِماً

لِصَفقَةِ غَبنٍ وَلا مُخسِرا

لِصَفقَةِ غَبنٍ وَلا مُخسِرا

And I indulged lavishly in pleasure, never remorseful

And I reveled in amusement, no regrets,

Over a losing bargain, nor counting myself a loser.

For a losing deal or loss.

وَنادَمتُ كُلَّ سَخِيِّ البَنانِ

وَنادَمتُ كُلَّ سَخِيِّ البَنانِ

يُطعِمُ نيرانَهُ العَنبَرا

يُطعِمُ نيرانَهُ العَنبَرا

And I drank with every generous-handed man,

But I blamed every spendthrift with pyre,

Who fed his fires ambergris.

Fueling his fires with ambergris.

وَجالَستُ كُلَّ مَنيعِ الحِجابِ

وَجالَستُ كُلَّ مَنيعِ الحِجابِ

يَفرَقُ مِنهُ أُسودُ الشَرى

يَفرَقُ مِنهُ أُسودُ الشَرى

And I sat with every lord behind a guarded curtain,

And I sat with every aloof and veiled one

Whom the lions of Shara feared,

From whom pitch-black destiny parts.

رَفيعِ العِمادِ طَويلِ النَجادِ

رَفيعِ العِمادِ طَويلِ النَجادِ

يَعتَصِبُ التاجَ وَالمِغفَرا

يَعتَصِبُ التاجَ وَالمِغفَرا

His tent-pole lofty, his sword-belt long,

Of noble pillars and long tresses,

Wearing the crown and the helmet of mail.

Wearing crown and veil.

وَزُرتُ الوُلاةَ وَخُضتُ الفَلاةَ

وَزُرتُ الوُلاةَ وَخُضتُ الفَلاةَ

طَوراً ثَواءً وَطَوراً صُرى

طَوراً ثَواءً وَطَوراً صُرى

And I visited governors and crossed the wilderness,

I visited governors and roamed the wilderness,

At times staying, at times far from home.

Sometimes settled, sometimes moving on.

وَقُدتُ الجِيادَ تَلوكُ الشَكيمَ

وَقُدتُ الجِيادَ تَلوكُ الشَكيمَ

وَالعيسَ خاضِعَةً في البُرى

وَالعيسَ خاضِعَةً في البُرى

And I led fine steeds chewing their bits,

I led the steeds, biting at the bit,

And pale camels, yielding to their nose-rings.

And the mare, docile in the open country.

وَما كُنتُ في لَذَّةٍ وانِياً

وَما كُنتُ في لَذَّةٍ وانِياً

وَلا عَن طِلابِ عُلىً مُقصِرا

وَلا عَن طِلابِ عُلىً مُقصِرا

And I never flagged in pleasure,

I was not neglectful of pleasures,

Nor fell short in seeking eminence.

Nor remiss in seeking lofty goals.

وَها أَنا مِن بَعدِ طولِ الحَياةِ

وَها أَنا مِن بَعدِ طولِ الحَياةِ

وَالخَفضِ صِرتُ إِلى ماتَرى

وَالخَفضِ صِرتُ إِلى ماتَرى

And here I am, after a long life

But after the long life and the lowering of status

And ease, brought to the state you see.

I have come to what you see.

وَغودِرتُ مُنفَرِداً بِالعَرا

وَغودِرتُ مُنفَرِداً بِالعَرا

وَقَد قَصَمَ المَوتَ تِلكَ العُرى

وَقَد قَصَمَ المَوتَ تِلكَ العُرى

And I was abandoned, alone in the open,

I was left alone in the barrens,

And death has snapped those bonds.

When death severed those ties.

كَأَنّي رَأَيتُ زَمانَ الشَبابِ

كَأَنّي رَأَيتُ زَمانَ الشَبابِ

وَنَضرَةَ عَيشٍ بِهِ في الكَرى

وَنَضرَةَ عَيشٍ بِهِ في الكَرى

As though I had seen the days of youth

As though I saw the days of youth

And life's fresh bloom in them, in a dream.

And the freshness of a life joyous and kind.

وَما كانَ مَرُّ لَيالي السُلُوِّ

وَما كانَ مَرُّ لَيالي السُلُوِّ

إِلّا كَخَطفَةِ بَرقٍ سَرى

إِلّا كَخَطفَةِ بَرقٍ سَرى

And the passing of nights of carefree ease was nothing

The passing of nights of intimacy

But a lightning flash that coursed through the night.

Were but like the twinkling of lightning.

فَقِف بِيَ مُعتَبِراً إِن مَرَرتَ

فَقِف بِيَ مُعتَبِراً إِن مَرَرتَ

عَلى جَدَثي وَاِبكِ مُستَعبِرا

عَلى جَدَثي وَاِبكِ مُستَعبِرا

So stop beside me, taking heed, if you pass

So stand, reproachful, if you pass

By my grave, and weep with streaming tears.

My grave, and weep feelingly.

وَلا تُخدَعَنَّ بِمُغتَرَّةٍ

وَلا تُخدَعَنَّ بِمُغتَرَّةٍ

حَديثُ مَوَدَّتِها مُفتَرى

حَديثُ مَوَدَّتِها مُفتَرى

And never be deceived by a beguiling one,

Be not fooled by a flirt

The tale of whose affection is fabricated.

Whose affection is made up.

وَلا تَركَنَنَّ إِلى ثَروَةٍ

وَلا تَركَنَنَّ إِلى ثَروَةٍ

مَقيلُكَ مِن بَعدِها في الثَرى

مَقيلُكَ مِن بَعدِها في الثَرى

And never put your trust in wealth:

Do not incline toward wealth

Your resting-place after it is in the earth.

That will lay you in the grave afterwards.