أَلَم تَرَني خَلَّيتُ نَفسي وَشانَها

أَلَم تَرَني خَلَّيتُ نَفسي وَشانَها

وَلَم أَحفِلِ الدُنيا وَلا حَدَثانَها

وَلَم أَحفِلِ الدُنيا وَلا حَدَثانَها

Have you not seen how I left myself to its own course,

Have you not seen that I left my soul to its own concerns,

caring nothing for the world or its vicissitudes?

And heeded neither the world nor its vicissitudes?

لَقَد خَوَّفَتني النائِباتُ صُروفَها

لَقَد خَوَّفَتني النائِباتُ صُروفَها

وَلَو أَمَّنَتني ما قَبِلتُ أَمانَها

وَلَو أَمَّنَتني ما قَبِلتُ أَمانَها

Calamities have frightened me with all their turns;

Calamities have indeed made me fear their reversals;

yet had they promised safety, I would not have trusted their promise.

And even if they assured me of safety, I would not accept their assurance.

وَكَيفَ عَلى نارِ اللَيالي مُعَرَّسي

وَكَيفَ عَلى نارِ اللَيالي مُعَرَّسي

إِذا كانَ شَيبُ العارِضَينِ دُخانَها

إِذا كانَ شَيبُ العارِضَينِ دُخانَها

How can I make my bed upon the fire of nights,

And how can I rest upon the fire of nights,

when the gray upon my temples is its smoke?

When the gray hair on my cheeks is its smoke?

أُصِبتُ بِخودٍ سَوفَ أَغبُرُ بَعدَها

أُصِبتُ بِخودٍ سَوفَ أَغبُرُ بَعدَها

حَليفَ أَسىً أَبكي زَماناً زَمانَها

حَليفَ أَسىً أَبكي زَماناً زَمانَها

I was stricken by a fair young woman; after her I shall remain

I was bereaved of a young beauty; after her I shall live on,

bound to sorrow, weeping long over the days that were hers.

A companion of sorrow, for a time I shall weep for her days.

عِنانٌ مِنَ اللَذّاتِ قَد كانَ في يَدي

عِنانٌ مِنَ اللَذّاتِ قَد كانَ في يَدي

فَلَمّا مَضى الإِلفُ اِستَرَدَّت عِنانَها

فَلَمّا مَضى الإِلفُ اِستَرَدَّت عِنانَها

The reins of pleasure once were held within my hand;

The reins of pleasure had once been in my hand;

but when my beloved passed, pleasure reclaimed its rein.

But when my beloved departed, pleasure reclaimed its reins.

مَنَحتُ الدُمى هَجري فَلا مُحسِناتِها

مَنَحتُ الدُمى هَجري فَلا مُحسِناتِها

أَوَدُّ وَلا يَهوى فُؤادي حِسانَها

أَوَدُّ وَلا يَهوى فُؤادي حِسانَها

I gave the statue-like beauties my estrangement—not even their fairest

I bestowed my estrangement on the statue-like beauties: neither their kindly ones

do I desire, nor does my heart yearn for their lovely ones.

Do I love, nor does my heart desire their fair ones.

يَقولونَ هَل يَبكي الفَتى لِخَريدَةٍ

يَقولونَ هَل يَبكي الفَتى لِخَريدَةٍ

مَتى ما أَرادَ اِعتاضَ عَشراً مَكانَها

مَتى ما أَرادَ اِعتاضَ عَشراً مَكانَها

They say, “Would a young man weep for one sheltered maiden,

They say, 'Does a young man weep for a maiden,

when, whenever he wished, he could take ten in her place?”

When he can take ten in her place whenever he wishes?'

وَهَل يَستَعيضُ المَرءُ مِن خَمسِ كَفِّهِ

وَهَل يَستَعيضُ المَرءُ مِن خَمسِ كَفِّهِ

وَلَو صاغَ مِن حُرِّ اللُجَينِ بَنانَها

وَلَو صاغَ مِن حُرِّ اللُجَينِ بَنانَها

Can a man replace one of the five fingers of his hand,

But can a man find replacements for the five fingers of his hand,

even if he fashioned those fingers from purest silver?

Even if he fashioned its fingers from pure silver?