لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِحُسنِ وَجهِ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِحُسنِ وَجهِ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَعِبَ الصَبا بِالرَبعِ حَتّى أَقفَرا

لَعِبَ الصَبا بِالرَبعِ حَتّى أَقفَرا

Time has played havoc with the beauty of Muhammad’s face,

Time toyed with the beauty of Muhammad’s face,

as the east wind played with the campsite until it lay desolate.

As the east wind toyed with the dwelling until it lay deserted.

قَد كانَ مَعروفَ الجَمالِ فَلَم يَزَل

قَد كانَ مَعروفَ الجَمالِ فَلَم يَزَل

يَنتابُهُ الحَدَثانُ حَتّى أَنكَرا

يَنتابُهُ الحَدَثانُ حَتّى أَنكَرا

He had once been famed for beauty; yet ceaselessly

He was once known for beauty, but ceaselessly

the twin vicissitudes of time visited him, till he grew unrecognizable.

Time’s misfortunes assailed him until he became unrecognizable.

عَهدي بِهِ مُتَكَفِّرٌ مُتَعَصفِرٌ

عَهدي بِهِ مُتَكَفِّرٌ مُتَعَصفِرٌ

ثُمَّ اِغتَدى مُتَصَندِلاً مُتَزَعفِرا

ثُمَّ اِغتَدى مُتَصَندِلاً مُتَزَعفِرا

I remember him camphor-anointed and safflower-dyed;

I remember him camphor-white and safflower-red;

then he appeared sandalwood-scented and saffron-stained.

Then he became sandalwood-tinted and saffron-yellow.

وَكَأَنَّما صِدغاهُ في وَجَناتِهِ

وَكَأَنَّما صِدغاهُ في وَجَناتِهِ

جُعلانِ يَنتابانِ سَلحاً أَصفَرا

جُعلانِ يَنتابانِ سَلحاً أَصفَرا

As though his two temple-locks, against his cheeks,

And his two sidelocks upon his cheeks seem like

were two dung beetles returning again and again to yellow dung.

Two dung beetles repeatedly visiting yellow dung.