بانَ الشَبابُ كَبَينِ الهالِكِ المُودي
وَعَرَّدَ الجَهلُ عَنّي أَيَّ تَعريدِ
Youth has departed like the parting of one dead and gone,
Youth has departed, like the departure of one dead and gone.
and folly has fled from me—what utter flight!
And folly has fled from me—what a flight!
بِعتُ الشَبابَ بِشَيبٍ بَيعَةً غَبَناً
يا لَكَ بَيعاً حَراماً غَيرَ مَردودِ
I sold youth for gray hairs, a bargain struck at ruinous loss—
I sold youth for gray hair, a bargain at a loss.
alas, what a forbidden bargain, one that cannot be undone!
Oh, what an unlawful bargain, never to be undone!
إِنّي أُطالِبُهُ في الناسِ أَنشُدُهُ
يا حَبَّذا مِن مُضَلٍّ غَيرَ مَوجودِ
I seek it among the people, asking everywhere for it:
Indeed, I seek it among the people, asking after it.
how dear a lost thing that can nowhere be found!
Ah, how dear a lost thing that cannot be found!
أَما تَرى لِمَّتي شابَت وَزايَلَها
نَفجُ الصِبا وَطِلابُ الفِتيَةِ الغيدِ
Do you not see that my locks have grayed, and that there have left them
Do you not see my locks have grayed, abandoned by
youth’s exuberance and the pursuit of graceful young men?
Youth's swagger and the pursuit of graceful youths?
فَقَد أَراها كَمِثلِ اللَيلِ فاحِمَةً
وَحفاً غُدافِيَّةً مِثلَ العَناقيدِ
For indeed I see them as they were: like night, jet-black,
For I used to see them coal-black, like the night,
thick and raven-dark, like clusters of grapes,
Thick and raven-black, like clusters of grapes,
تَسبي الغَوانيَ ما تَنفَكُّ غانيَةٌ
تَعطو إِلَيها بِضافٍ لَيِّنِ الجيدِ
captivating fair women; never does a beauty cease
Captivating beauties; a beauty would never cease
reaching toward them, with luxuriant hair and a supple neck.
Reaching toward them with a long, supple neck.
Sol 6.1