ولَّىhas passed شبابكyour youth لمdid not ننعمwe enjoy بنضرتهin its freshness
ولَّى شبابك لم ننعم بنضرته
ولمand did not نفزwe gain منfrom تمنيناour wishing بمأمولِwith something hoped for
ولم نفز من تمنينا بمأمولِ
Your youth has passed; we did not savor its freshness,
Your youth has passed, we did not enjoy its freshness
nor did we gain through wishing what we hoped for.
Nor did we attain what we yearned for.
فماso what use ادّكارrecalling عهودformer times منكfrom you ماnot ظفرتgained
فما ادّكار عهود منك ما ظفرت
فيهاin them الأمانيthe hopes بوعدwith a promise غيرnot ممطولِdeferred
فيها الأماني بوعد غير ممطولِ
What use, then, recalling times with you, when
So do not recall promises you did not keep,
our hopes won no promise that was not deferred?
In which desires found no fulfilled vows.
أيامdays when تعصفُyou ravage بالأحشاءِthrough the entrails داميةًbleeding
أيام تعصفُ بالأحشاءِ داميةً
بناظرwith an eye منfrom بقاياremnants السحرenchantment مكحولِlined with kohl
بناظر من بقايا السحر مكحولِ
Days when you ravaged our entrails, leaving them bleeding,
Days rage in our souls like bloodshed
with an eye kohled with the remnants of enchantment,
With the gaze of the remnants of sorcery made drunk.
وتستطيلand you domineer عليناover us فيin صبابتناour passionate longing
وتستطيل علينا في صبابتنا
بمائسٍwith a swaying figure مترفِdelicate الأعطافthe flanks مطلولِdew-covered
بمائسٍ مترفِ الأعطاف مطلولِ
and lorded it over us in our longing,
And they drag on before us in our prime
with a swaying form, delicate-flanked and bedewed.
With the stance of one accustomed to ease, hands unbound.
ياO قلبُheart هذيthese رسومtraces الحسنbeauty موحشةًdesolate
يا قلبُ هذي رسوم الحسن موحشةً
فيin مهمهٍa vast desert طامسeffaced الأعلامthe landmarks مجهولِunknown
في مهمهٍ طامس الأعلام مجهولِ
O heart, these are beauty's desolate traces,
Oh heart, these are the traces of transient beauty
in an unknown wilderness, its landmarks effaced.
In obscurity, with faded banners, untraceable.
فاندبso mourn رجاءكyour hope فيin دنياa world وعدتyou were promised بهاwith it
فاندب رجاءك في دنيا وعدت بها
أحلهاturned it into الدهرtime مغنىan abode غيرnot مأهولِinhabited
أحلها الدهر مغنى غير مأهولِ
So mourn your hope in a world you were promised,
So mourn your dashed hopes in a world that promised
which time has made an uninhabited abode.
What fate made into unrealized songs.
لاnot تلمحglimpses العينُthe eye فيin شتّىvarious جوانبهِits sides
لا تلمح العينُ في شتّى جوانبهِ
إلاexcept نوازىstirrings قلبa heart فيهwithin it مكبولِshackled
إلا نوازى قلب فيه مكبولِ
The eye sees nothing throughout its many corners
The eye does not glimpse in its every aspect
but the stirrings of a heart shackled within it.
Except narrow straits where a heart is fettered.
ولاnor ينالgains المعنىthe tormented lover منfrom مشاهدهits scenes
ولا ينال المعنى من مشاهده
إلاexcept عواديassaults حزنsorrow جدّutterly موصولِunbroken
إلا عوادي حزن جدّ موصولِ
Nor does the tormented lover gain from its scenes
Nor does the mind attain from its visions
anything but the assaults of sorrow, utterly unbroken.
Except the visitations of sadness, continuously bound.
ياO منone who تشفّعَinterceded ماfirst fragment of 'his past' ضيهremaining fragment of 'his past' لحاضرهfor his present
يا من تشفّعَ ما ضيه لحاضره
بواضحٍwith a clear plea منof جميلgracious العذرexcuse مقبولِaccepted
بواضحٍ من جميل العذر مقبولِ
O you whose past interceded for your present
O you who interceded for what is past with what is present
with a clear and gracious plea, well received,
With manifest, acceptable justification,
ليغفرso that it may forgive الحبّlove ماwhat أسلفتyou previously did منof صلفٍarrogance
ليغفر الحبّ ما أسلفت من صلفٍ
إلىtoward محبٍّa lover معنّىtormented القلبthe heart متبولِwasted by love
إلى محبٍّ معنّى القلب متبولِ
so that love may forgive the arrogance you once showed
May love forgive what insolence I committed
toward a lover, tormented at heart and wasted by love.
To a lover whose inner heart is devoted to me.
فقدfor indeed نعمناwe delighted علىupon ذكراكthe memory of you آونةًat times
فقد نعمنا على ذكراك آونةً
بسائغin a pleasant draught منfrom نميرpure water الوصلunion معسولِhoneyed
بسائغ من نمير الوصل معسولِ
For, remembering you, we delighted at times
For we delighted, remembering you for a time,
in a pleasant draught of union's pure, honeyed water.
With the sweetest gentle communion.
واليومand today نعبدwe worship فيin نجواكintimate converse with you وادعةًtranquil
واليوم نعبد في نجواك وادعةً
أطلالruins حسنٍbeauty لمنto whoever يهواكloves you مبذولِfreely offered
أطلال حسنٍ لمن يهواك مبذولِ
And today, in whispered converse with you, we worship the tranquil
And today we worship in your seclusion willingly,
ruins of beauty freely offered to whoever loves you.
Ruins of a beauty offered freely to its lover.
Sol 6.1