درَّmay it flow abundantly درُّthe bounty of الصِباyouth ودرand the bounty of التصابيyouthful dalliance
درَّ درُّ الصِبا ودر التصابي
وزمانand a time مضىgone by بشرخin the prime of الشبابyouth
وزمان مضى بشرخ الشباب
Blessed be youth, and blessed be youthful dalliance,
The gusts of youth have passed and the days of my prime are gone
And a time gone by in the prime of youth,
And nights have shortened as if they resent their length
وليالand nights قصرنgrew short حتىuntil كأنas though الليthe night (continued next line)
وليال قصرن حتى كأن اللي
لfinal letter of “night” فيهاwithin them مقوضdismantled الأطنابthe tent ropes
ل فيها مقوض الأطناب
And nights so brief that it was as though the night
I once frolicked about trailing my skirts of joy
Had its tent ropes struck within them.
In the shadows of those meadows
رحتI went فيهاthrough them أجرtrailing ذيلthe hem of التهانيfelicitations
رحت فيها أجر ذيل التهاني
مرحاًmerrily فيin ظلالthe shade of تلكthose الروابيhillocks
مرحاً في ظلال تلك الروابي
I went through them, trailing the hem of joy,
Where the leaves rustled like singers
Merrily in the shade of those hillocks,
On the delicate branches
حيثwhere قامتarose للورقbelonging to the doves فيهاthere شوادsongstresses
حيث قامت للورق فيها شواد
مطرباتsinging sweetly علىالغصونon the branches الرطابtender
مطربات علىالغصون الرطاب
Where the doves’ songstresses arose,
Singing sweetly on the tender boughs.
Partial English translation: 6 of 8 Arabic lines translated.