أقبل العيد ما رأينا صفاه

أقبل العيد ما رأينا صفاه

كدرته الديون صبحا علينا

كدرته الديون صبحا علينا

The feast has come; we have not seen its serenity.

The feast has come, but its splendor we did not see

Debts clouded it for us in the morning.

Debts clouded it, dawning upon us bitterly

صرت أمشى وفوق رأسي صخور

صرت أمشى وفوق رأسي صخور

لم تدع لي من المخاوف أمنا

لم تدع لي من المخاوف أمنا

Now I walk with rocks above my head,

I walk with boulders atop my head

Which have left me no safety from fear.

Fears left me no security or tranquility

وغنائي إذا نظمت قصيدي

وغنائي إذا نظمت قصيدي

يا ليالي الأعياد كنتم وكنا

يا ليالي الأعياد كنتم وكنا

And my song, when I compose my verse:

And when I compose my ode and sing

O nights of feasts, you once were—and so were we!

Oh nights of feasts, you were and so were we

أين أيامنا وللعيد روض

أين أيامنا وللعيد روض

نجتني من زهوره ما أردنا

نجتني من زهوره ما أردنا

Where are our days, when the feast had a garden

Where are our days when for the feast, a meadow

From whose flowers we gathered whatever we wished?

Whose flowers we chose, sheltered us delightfully

نلبس الملبس الأنيق فنبدو

نلبس الملبس الأنيق فنبدو

فتنة عذبة إذا ما خطرنا

فتنة عذبة إذا ما خطرنا

We would wear elegant attire and appear

We would wear elegant clothes and appear

As a sweet enchantment whenever we sauntered.

An enchanting allure, whenever we marched forth

والهدايا نبتهن بأنسى

والهدايا نبتهن بأنسى

فكنوز السرور تحت يدينا

فكنوز السرور تحت يدينا

And the gifts—we rejoice in my companionship (reading uncertain);

And gifts we would arrange forgetfully

For the treasures of joy lay beneath our hands.

With treasures of joy in our hands merrily

ثم صار الوجود بالدين نارا

ثم صار الوجود بالدين نارا

تأكل الحسن والصباحة منا

تأكل الحسن والصباحة منا

Then debt turned existence into a fire

Then existence with debt became a fire

That devours our beauty and comeliness.

That consumed the beautiful and the honorable in me

المدين الحزين يظما حتى

المدين الحزين يظما حتى

يشتهى أن يزيده الدين حزنا

يشتهى أن يزيده الدين حزنا

The sorrowful debtor thirsts until

The saddened debtor moans such

He longs for debt to add to his sorrow.

That he wishes the debt would sadden him exceedingly

قطرات الأسى عذاب لديه

قطرات الأسى عذاب لديه

ربما خالها من الخمر دنا

ربما خالها من الخمر دنا

Drops of grief are torment to him;

Drops of sorrow are torment for him

Perhaps he imagines them a cask of wine.

Maybe he lacked wine's cheer

يا زماني برعت في الكيد فاسمع

يا زماني برعت في الكيد فاسمع

من هجائي إياك بالشعر لحنا

من هجائي إياك بالشعر لحنا

O Time of mine, you have excelled in guile—so hear

Oh my time, you excelled in malice, so listen

A melody from my satire against you in verse.

To my satire of you, in verse, melody

يا سخيفا فاق كل سخيف

يا سخيفا فاق كل سخيف

وبكيد الأحرار ظلما معنى

وبكيد الأحرار ظلما معنى

O fool who has surpassed every fool,

Oh most foolish one, exceeding all fools

And is unjustly intent on plotting against the free!

And with betraying the free, unjustly laden

انطح الصخر كيف شئت فإني

انطح الصخر كيف شئت فإني

من رواسي الصخور أثبت ركنا

من رواسي الصخور أثبت ركنا

Butt the rock however you wish, for I

Slam the boulder as you wish, for I

Am firmer in foundation than the immovable rocks.

With foundations of rocks, stand steadily

والهلال المنير ليس يمارى

والهلال المنير ليس يمارى

أنني من سناه أنور ذهنا

أنني من سناه أنور ذهنا

And the luminous crescent does not dispute

The shining crescent cannot contend

That my mind is brighter than its radiance.

That I, by its radiance, have an illuminated mind

الليالي شابت كما شاب رأسي

الليالي شابت كما شاب رأسي

كلنا في مطالب المجد شبنا

كلنا في مطالب المجد شبنا

The nights have grown gray, just as my head has;

The nights grew young as my head grayed

We have all grown gray in the pursuit of glory.

We all in pursuing glory, youthfully persisted

ظن دهرى العريق في الجهل أني

ظن دهرى العريق في الجهل أني

لا أرى لي من غدره البكر حصنا

لا أرى لي من غدره البكر حصنا

My Time, steeped in ignorance, thought that I

My flowery fate in ignorance thought

Could find no fortress against its fresh treachery.

I cannot see in its betrayal, a fortress for me

كذب الدهر ثم تبت يداه

كذب الدهر ثم تبت يداه

أنا عنه بنعمة اللَه أغنى

أنا عنه بنعمة اللَه أغنى

Time lied—then may both its hands perish!

Time lied, then its hands repented

By God's grace, I have no need of it.

For I, by God's grace, am self-sufficient