يا ضُلُوعي تَلَهَّبي في اكْتِئابِ

يا ضُلُوعي تَلَهَّبي في اكْتِئابِ

يا دُموعي تَأَهَّبي لِانْسِكابِ

يا دُموعي تَأَهَّبي لِانْسِكابِ

O my ribs, blaze in dejection!

O my ribs burning in depression

O my tears, prepare to pour forth!

O my tears prepare to pour out

إِنَّ بَرْحَ الغَرامِ يَنْزِفُ دَمْعاً

إِنَّ بَرْحَ الغَرامِ يَنْزِفُ دَمْعاً

راضَ شَوْقي إِباءَهُ في التَّصابِي

راضَ شَوْقي إِباءَهُ في التَّصابِي

Indeed, love's torment draws forth tears

The wounds of passion bleed tears

whose resistance my longing tamed in youthful dalliance.

My longing is content in adversity

وَكَذا الماءُ لَيْسَ يُجْريهِ إِلَّا

وَكَذا الماءُ لَيْسَ يُجْريهِ إِلَّا

وَهَجُ النارِ مِنْ غُصونٍ رِطابِ

وَهَجُ النارِ مِنْ غُصونٍ رِطابِ

And likewise, water is drawn forth only

And so water only flows

by the heat of fire, out of moist branches.

With the heat of blazing branches

وَبلائِي ثَلاثَةٌ طَرَقَتْنِي

وَبلائِي ثَلاثَةٌ طَرَقَتْنِي

بِسُهادٍ وَلَوْعَةٍ وَانْتحابِ

بِسُهادٍ وَلَوْعَةٍ وَانْتحابِ

And my afflictions are three that visited me by night,

And my afflictions struck me three times

with sleeplessness, burning anguish, and sobbing:

With sleeplessness, agony, and lamentation

حَنّةٌ بَعْدَ صَيْحَةٍ وَنَعيبٌ

حَنّةٌ بَعْدَ صَيْحَةٍ وَنَعيبٌ

مِنْ مَطِيٍّ وَسَائِقٍ وَغُرابِ

مِنْ مَطِيٍّ وَسَائِقٍ وَغُرابِ

a plaintive moan after a shout, and a caw,

Sorrow after a scream, and wailing

from riding camels, a driver, and a raven.

From a rider, driver, and raven

فَتَقَضَّتْ شَبيبَتِي بَيْنَ شَكْوَى

فَتَقَضَّتْ شَبيبَتِي بَيْنَ شَكْوَى

وَتَجَنٍّ وَهِجْرَةٍ وَعِتابِ

وَتَجَنٍّ وَهِجْرَةٍ وَعِتابِ

So my youth passed amid complaint

So my youth passed amid complaining

and unjust blame, estrangement, and reproach.

Rejection, abandonment, and rebuke

والْتِفاتي إِلى سِنِيَّ يُريني

والْتِفاتي إِلى سِنِيَّ يُريني

عَددَاً لَيْسَ يَقْتَضي غَدْرُها بي

عَددَاً لَيْسَ يَقْتَضي غَدْرُها بي

And looking back upon my years shows me

And my awareness of my old age shows me

a number that does not warrant their treachery toward me.

A number whose betrayal I do not deserve

شَابَ رَأْسِي وَلَمْ تَمَسَّ يَميني

شَابَ رَأْسِي وَلَمْ تَمَسَّ يَميني

ذَنَبَ الأَرْبَعِينَ عِنْدَ حِسابي

ذَنَبَ الأَرْبَعِينَ عِنْدَ حِسابي

My head has gone gray, though my right hand has not touched

My hair turned gray but my right hand is unblemished

the tail-end of forty, by my reckoning.

At the age of forty in my reckoning

وَرَأَتْ شَيْبيَ الرَّبابُ فَقالتْ

وَرَأَتْ شَيْبيَ الرَّبابُ فَقالتْ

ما جَناهُ فُقُلتُ حُبُّ الرَّبابِ

ما جَناهُ فُقُلتُ حُبُّ الرَّبابِ

And Rabab saw my gray hair and said,

And the lovely one saw my grey hair and said

“What caused it?” So I replied, “Love of Rabab.”

What did it gain you, so I said, love of the lovely one

مَلَكَتْ رِقِّيَ الصَّبابَةُ حَتّى

مَلَكَتْ رِقِّيَ الصَّبابَةُ حَتّى

خاضَ صُبْحُ المَشيبِ لَيْلَ الشَّبابِ

خاضَ صُبْحُ المَشيبِ لَيْلَ الشَّبابِ

Passionate longing held me in bondage until

My passion captured my youth until

the dawn of gray hair waded into the night of youth.

The dawn of old age entered the night of youth