ما أَنسَ مِن شَيءٍ فَلَستُ بِناسِ

ما أَنسَ مِن شَيءٍ فَلَستُ بِناسِ

عَهدَ الشَبابِ إِذِ الشَبابُ لِباسي

عَهدَ الشَبابِ إِذِ الشَبابُ لِباسي

Whatever I may forget, I shall not forget

I am not forgetful, though no more a youth,

the days of youth, when youth was my garment.

When youth itself was once my very dress.

إِنَّ الخُطوبَ طَوَينَني وَنَشَرنَني

إِنَّ الخُطوبَ طَوَينَني وَنَشَرنَني

عَبَثَ الوَليدِ بِجانِبِ القِرطاسِ

عَبَثَ الوَليدِ بِجانِبِ القِرطاسِ

Indeed, misfortunes have folded me up and unfolded me,

Though fate has caused me grief and spread me wide,

as a child toys with the edge of a sheet of paper.

Sporting, like speech, along the paper's edge,

ما شِبتُ مِن طولِ السِنينَ وَإِنَّما

ما شِبتُ مِن طولِ السِنينَ وَإِنَّما

طولُ المَلامَةِ فيكَ شَيَّبَ راسي

طولُ المَلامَةِ فيكَ شَيَّبَ راسي

I did not grow gray from the length of years; rather,

I have not whitened through the length of years,

long reproach on your account has grayed my head.

But long reproach of you has whitened my head.

نَمَّت عَلى ما في ضَميري أَدمُعي

نَمَّت عَلى ما في ضَميري أَدمُعي

وَتَتابُعُ الصُعَداءِ مِن أَنفاسي

وَتَتابُعُ الصُعَداءِ مِن أَنفاسي

My tears betrayed what lay within my heart,

My tears crept over what lay in my heart,

as did the succession of deep sighs from my breath.

And sadness followed on my quickened breath.

وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ مِن يَدِ أَحوَرٍ

وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ مِن يَدِ أَحوَرٍ

مِثلِ القَضيبِ مُهَفهَفٍ مَيّاسِ

مِثلِ القَضيبِ مُهَفهَفٍ مَيّاسِ

And I drank the cup from the hand of a dark-eyed man,

Truly I drank the cup from Abū Hawl's hand,

like a slender bough, slim-waisted and swaying gracefully:

Shaking and swaying like a reed in the wind.

بَيضاءَ طافَ بِها عَلَينا أَبيَضٌ

بَيضاءَ طافَ بِها عَلَينا أَبيَضٌ

باتَت مَراشِفُهُ مِزاجَ الكاسِ

باتَت مَراشِفُهُ مِزاجَ الكاسِ

white wine, passed around among us by a fair-skinned man,

She circled among us, white as a flash of lightning,

whose lips were the cup's admixture all night.

Her cushions scented through the wine's bouquet.

خَمرٌ وَسِحرُ مازَجا ماءَ النَدى

خَمرٌ وَسِحرُ مازَجا ماءَ النَدى

مِن فَضلِ كَأسِكَ يا أَبا العَبّاسِ

مِن فَضلِ كَأسِكَ يا أَبا العَبّاسِ

Wine and enchantment mingled with the water of generosity,

Wine and magic mixed with the dew's pure draughts

from what remained in your cup, O Abu al-Abbas.

From your cup's favor, O Abū al-ʿAbbās!

مالي وَشُربَ نَداكَ يا اِبنَ مُحَمَّدٍ

مالي وَشُربَ نَداكَ يا اِبنَ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَيسَ النَدى الكِندِيُّ مِن أَحلاسي

لَيسَ النَدى الكِندِيُّ مِن أَحلاسي

What have I to do with drinking your bounty, O son of Muhammad?

Why should I not drink the dew of your wine, O son of Muhammad,

Kindi bounty is no familiar companion of mine.

Since the wine of al-Kinda is not my habit?

صَبَغَت خَلائِقُكَ الحِسانُ بِنورِها ال

صَبَغَت خَلائِقُكَ الحِسانُ بِنورِها ال

قَمَرِيِّ سودَ خَلائِقِ الجُلّاسِ

قَمَرِيِّ سودَ خَلائِقِ الجُلّاسِ

Your beautiful qualities have dyed, with their

The beauty of your nature has dyed creation with its light,

moonlike radiance, the dark traits of your companions.

My silvery idol, not the black deeds of slaves.

أَبَداً يُذَكِّرُني اِهتِزازُكَ لِلنَدى

أَبَداً يُذَكِّرُني اِهتِزازُكَ لِلنَدى

عَمَلَ الجَنائِبِ في قَضيبِ الآسِ

عَمَلَ الجَنائِبِ في قَضيبِ الآسِ

Your eager stirring to give always reminds me

Forever the trembling of your wine reminds me

of the south winds' work upon a myrtle bough.

Of the movements of a slim shoot in storms.

أَسَعيدُ ما العَلياءُ إِلّا ما بَنى

أَسَعيدُ ما العَلياءُ إِلّا ما بَنى

لَكَ أَوَّلٌ أَبناءُ أُمِّ أُناسِ

لَكَ أَوَّلٌ أَبناءُ أُمِّ أُناسِ

O Sa'id, eminence is only what was built

Happy, nothing is, but what the lofty ones build,

for you of old by the sons of Umm Unas.

Beginning with your forebears among mankind.

وَإِلَيكُمُ آلِ المُهاجِرِ هاجَرَت

وَإِلَيكُمُ آلِ المُهاجِرِ هاجَرَت

جُمَلُ المَكارِمِ عَن جَميعِ الناسِ

جُمَلُ المَكارِمِ عَن جَميعِ الناسِ

And to you, house of al-Muhajir, have migrated

To you, House of the Emigrants, have emigrated

all noble virtues, away from everyone else.

The beauties of all noble qualities from all men.

فَأَبوكُمُ المَجدُ القَديمُ وَفِعلُكُم

فَأَبوكُمُ المَجدُ القَديمُ وَفِعلُكُم

وَقفٌ أَقامَ عَلى النَدى وَالباسِ

وَقفٌ أَقامَ عَلى النَدى وَالباسِ

For your father is ancient glory, and your conduct

Your father is eternal honor, your deeds

is a lasting endowment to generosity and valor.

A halt where the wine and all mankind pause.