نَظرَ الغَرامُ إلَيهِ مِن نَظَراتِه

نَظرَ الغَرامُ إلَيهِ مِن نَظَراتِه

فلمَن يلومُ وداؤهُ من ذاتِهِ

فلمَن يلومُ وداؤهُ من ذاتِهِ

Passion gazed at him from his own glances;

Love looked at him with its glances,

so whom does he blame, when his malady comes from himself?

So who can blame his innate passion?

ولَقد غَدا يلتذُّ أيامَ الهَوى

ولَقد غَدا يلتذُّ أيامَ الهَوى

جَهلاً بأنَّ المَوتَ مِن لذَّاتِهِ

جَهلاً بأنَّ المَوتَ مِن لذَّاتِهِ

And indeed he came to savor the days of love,

Indeed he began to enjoy the days of love,

unaware that death is among its delights.

Ignorant that death comes from its pleasures.

لَم يَدرِ ما لاقَى فلو وَصَفوا له

لَم يَدرِ ما لاقَى فلو وَصَفوا له

ماذا يُلاقي ماتَ عِند صِفاتِهِ

ماذا يُلاقي ماتَ عِند صِفاتِهِ

He did not know what he had faced; had they described to him

He did not know what he would encounter, though if they had described to him

what he would encounter, he would have died at its description.

What he would meet when his virtues passed away.

إن عَبَّرَت أجفانُه عن سرِّهِ

إن عَبَّرَت أجفانُه عن سرِّهِ

فَعَنا بها ما انهَلَّ من عَبَراتِهِ

فَعَنا بها ما انهَلَّ من عَبَراتِهِ

If his eyelids gave voice to his secret,

If his eyelids expressed his secret,

then through them appeared his streaming tears.

We would be spared what poured from his tears.

عُدم الصَّديقُ وهَل صَدِيق عندكَم

عُدم الصَّديقُ وهَل صَدِيق عندكَم

لفتىً يكونُ الدَّهرُ بَعضَ عداتِهِ

لفتىً يكونُ الدَّهرُ بَعضَ عداتِهِ

A friend is lacking; is there a friend among you

The lack of a friend - and is there a friend among you

for a youth whose enemies include Time?

For a youth whose days make up some of his enemies?

وسَطا الزَّمانُ علَيه لا جَهلاً بهِ

وسَطا الزَّمانُ علَيه لا جَهلاً بهِ

لكن سَطا إذ خافَ من سَطَواتِهِ

لكن سَطا إذ خافَ من سَطَواتِهِ

And Time assailed him, not out of ignorance of him,

And time is too harsh on him - not out of ignorance of him,

but struck because it feared his onslaughts.

But it was harsh fearing his assaults.

للدَّهرِ آفاتٌ تَردُّ صُرُوفَهُ

للدَّهرِ آفاتٌ تَردُّ صُرُوفَهُ

وَبقاؤهُ في الدَّهرِ من آفاتِهِ

وَبقاؤهُ في الدَّهرِ من آفاتِهِ

Time has scourges that repel its vicissitudes,

Time has calamities that reverse its courses,

and his survival through time is one of its scourges.

And its permanence in time comes from its calamities.