شَغَلَتهُ أَشغالٌ عَنِ الآرامِ

شَغَلَتهُ أَشغالٌ عَنِ الآرامِ

وَقَضى اللُبانَةَ مِن هَوىً وَغَرامِ

وَقَضى اللُبانَةَ مِن هَوىً وَغَرامِ

Occupations kept him away from the gazelles.

Busy with tasks, he forgot about tranquility,

And he fulfilled his longing for love and passion.

And passed the test of love and passion.

وَمَضى يَجُرُّ عَلى الهَوى أَذيالَهُ

وَمَضى يَجُرُّ عَلى الهَوى أَذيالَهُ

وَيَلومُ حامِلَهُ مَعَ اللُوّامِ

وَيَلومُ حامِلَهُ مَعَ اللُوّامِ

And went on, dragging his robe's hems over love,

He went on, dragging his love behind him,

And joined the reproachers in blaming its bearer.

Blaming his carrier along with the blamers.

وَيَذُمُّ عَهدَ الغانِياتِ كَناقَةٍ

وَيَذُمُّ عَهدَ الغانِياتِ كَناقَةٍ

بَعدَ الشِفاءِ يَذُمُّ عَهدَ سَقامِ

بَعدَ الشِفاءِ يَذُمُّ عَهدَ سَقامِ

And he reviles his days with beautiful women, like a she-camel,

He denounces the time of singers like a she-camel,

That, after recovery, reviles its days of sickness.

After recovery, he denounces the time of illness.

لا تَعجَلَنَّ وَفي الشَبابِ بَقِيَّةٌ

لا تَعجَلَنَّ وَفي الشَبابِ بَقِيَّةٌ

إِنَّ الشَبابَ مَزَلَّةَ الأَحلامِ

إِنَّ الشَبابَ مَزَلَّةَ الأَحلامِ

Do not be hasty while a remnant of youth remains.

Don’t rush, for youth still has some life,

Indeed, youth is slippery ground for reason.

Youth is but a resting place for dreams.

كانَتَ إِنابَتُكَ المُريبَةُ سَلوَةً

كانَتَ إِنابَتُكَ المُريبَةُ سَلوَةً

نُسِجَت عَلى جُرحٍ بِجَنبِكَ دامي

نُسِجَت عَلى جُرحٍ بِجَنبِكَ دامي

Your dubious repentance was a solace,

Your disturbing repentance was a consolation,

Woven over a bleeding wound in your side.

Woven on the wound at your side that still bleeds.

إِنَّ الَّذي جَعَلَ القُلوبَ أَعِنَّةً

إِنَّ الَّذي جَعَلَ القُلوبَ أَعِنَّةً

قادَ الشَبيبَةَ لِلهَوى بِزِمامِ

قادَ الشَبيبَةَ لِلهَوى بِزِمامِ

Indeed, the one who made hearts into reins

He who made hearts blind,

Led the young to love with a bridle.

Led youth to love with a bridle.

يا قَلبَ أَحمَدَ وَالسِهامُ شَديدَةٌ

يا قَلبَ أَحمَدَ وَالسِهامُ شَديدَةٌ

ماذا لَقيتَ مِنَ الغَزالِ الرامي

ماذا لَقيتَ مِنَ الغَزالِ الرامي

O heart of Ahmad, while the arrows are fierce,

Oh heart that loved and arrows were severe,

What have you suffered from the gazelle archer?

What did you get from the archer gazelle?

تَدري وَتَسأَلُني تَجاهُلَ عارِفٍ

تَدري وَتَسأَلُني تَجاهُلَ عارِفٍ

أَرَنا بِعَينٍ أَم رَمى بِسِهامِ

أَرَنا بِعَينٍ أَم رَمى بِسِهامِ

You know, yet ask me, feigning ignorance though you know:

You know and ask me, the ignorance of a knower,

Did he gaze with an eye, or shoot with arrows?

Did we see with an eye or did he shoot arrows?

ما زِلتَ تَركَبُ كُلَّ صَعبٍ في الهَوى

ما زِلتَ تَركَبُ كُلَّ صَعبٍ في الهَوى

حَتّى رَكِبتَ إِلى هَواكَ حِمامي

حَتّى رَكِبتَ إِلى هَواكَ حِمامي

You kept riding every unruly mount in love,

You kept riding every difficulty in love,

Until you rode my death toward your desire.

Until you rode the pigeons of your love.

وَإِذا القُلوبُ اِستَرسَلَت في غَيِّها

وَإِذا القُلوبُ اِستَرسَلَت في غَيِّها

كانَت بَلِيَّتُها عَلى الأَجسامِ

كانَت بَلِيَّتُها عَلى الأَجسامِ

And when hearts run unchecked in their waywardness,

And when hearts ventured into their passions,

Their affliction falls upon the bodies.

Their affliction was upon the bodies.