أَرى فَتَيَي دُنياكَ إِن حَرِجَ الفَتى

أَرى فَتَيَي دُنياكَ إِن حَرِجَ الفَتى

فَما إِن هُما في مَأثَم حَرِجانِ

فَما إِن هُما في مَأثَم حَرِجانِ

I see your world's two youths: if a youth incurs guilt,

I see your two young men, if distress befalls the young man

neither of the two is guilty of any sin.

Yet they are not in distressful guilt

وَكَم مِن رَحيبٍ يُلقِيانِ مُلاءَةً

وَكَم مِن رَحيبٍ يُلقِيانِ مُلاءَةً

عَلَيهِ وَضَنكٍ ضَيِّقٍ يَلِجانِ

عَلَيهِ وَضَنكٍ ضَيِّقٍ يَلِجانِ

And many a spacious place—they cast a mantle

And how much spaciousness they meet with disdain

over it; and many a cramped, narrow place they enter.

And confinement they enter narrow

جَديدانِ لَمّا يَبلَيا بِتَقادُمٍ

جَديدانِ لَمّا يَبلَيا بِتَقادُمٍ

وَلا بِأَكُفِّ القَومِ يُنتَسَجانِ

وَلا بِأَكُفِّ القَومِ يُنتَسَجانِ

Both are new, not yet worn out by age,

Ever new, not worn by the passage of time

nor are they woven by human hands.

Nor squeezed by the palms of people

إِذا حَزِنَ الأَصحابُ لَم يَحزَنا لَهُم

إِذا حَزِنَ الأَصحابُ لَم يَحزَنا لَهُم

فَأَنّى بِضِدُِّ الحُزنِ يَبتَهِجانِ

فَأَنّى بِضِدُِّ الحُزنِ يَبتَهِجانِ

When companions grieve, neither grieves for them;

If companions grieve, they do not grieve for them

so how can they rejoice at sorrow's opposite?

How then by the opposite of grief would they rejoice?

مُلاحِيَتي قَد زَيَّنَت أَنجُمُ الدُجى

مُلاحِيَتي قَد زَيَّنَت أَنجُمُ الدُجى

مُلاحِيَةٌ لَم تَجنِها يَدُ جاني

مُلاحِيَةٌ لَم تَجنِها يَدُ جاني

My reproacher, the stars of darkness stand adorned—

My night conversation has adorned the stars of nightfall

a white grape-cluster no gatherer's hand has picked.

A conversation no hand of a critic has touched

تُعَلِّقُ أُذنَ الدَهرِ قُرطاً وَلَم يَكُن

تُعَلِّقُ أُذنَ الدَهرِ قُرطاً وَلَم يَكُن

لِيَخلُجَ وَالقُرطانِ يَختَلِجانِ

لِيَخلُجَ وَالقُرطانِ يَختَلِجانِ

It hangs an earring on Time's ear, yet he would not

It suspends the ear of time with an earring, yet it was not

twitch, while the two earrings quiver.

To stir while the two earrings stir

وَمَن دايَنَ الأَيّامَ فَهيَ مَلِيَّةٌ

وَمَن دايَنَ الأَيّامَ فَهيَ مَلِيَّةٌ

عَلى غَيِّها بِاللَيِّ وَالسَلَجانِ

عَلى غَيِّها بِاللَيِّ وَالسَلَجانِ

And whoever lends to the days—they are rich,

And whoever makes the days his debtor, so they are inclined

wayward as they are, in stalling and denial.

To their aberrance by night and twilight

وَسِيّانِ مَلكا مَعشَرٍ في سَناهُما

وَسِيّانِ مَلكا مَعشَرٍ في سَناهُما

وَعِلجانِ في الشَعراءِ وَالعَلَجانِ

وَعِلجانِ في الشَعراءِ وَالعَلَجانِ

And equal are a people's two kings in their splendor

And they rule a nation in its prime

and two wild asses among the thickets and alajan shrubs.

And heal among the poets and the wounded

رَجاكَ لَعَمري أَيُّها الريمُ قاطِعٌ

رَجاكَ لَعَمري أَيُّها الريمُ قاطِعٌ

رَجائِيَ وَبُعداً لِلَغوِيَّ رَجاني

رَجائِيَ وَبُعداً لِلَغوِيَّ رَجاني

Your brink, by my life, O grave, cuts off

I hoped, by my life, O reproacher

my hope; and away with the misguided one who hoped in me!

You would hope for me, and away with the vain hopers

وَآثَرُ عِندي مِن مَديحي تَخَرُّصاً

وَآثَرُ عِندي مِن مَديحي تَخَرُّصاً

كَلامُ غَوِيٍّ لامَني وَهَجاني

كَلامُ غَوِيٍّ لامَني وَهَجاني

And dearer to me than fabricated praise of me

And I prefer to my eulogy reticence

are the words of a misguided man who blamed and lampooned me.

The words of a wanton, not a praiser or madman

غَدا الحَتفُ لا شَجواً يَخافُ وَلا شَجاً

غَدا الحَتفُ لا شَجواً يَخافُ وَلا شَجاً

وَقَبلَكَ أَشجى أُسودي وَشَجاني

وَقَبلَكَ أَشجى أُسودي وَشَجاني

Death goes forth, fearing neither grief nor a choking bone;

Tomorrow the bosom fears no dejection or dejection

and before you it grieved my lions and grieved me.

And before you my blackness and my wounds hurt most

وَما يَنفَعُ الغِربيبُ وَالضَعفُ واقِعٌ

وَما يَنفَعُ الغِربيبُ وَالضَعفُ واقِعٌ

إِذا كانَ لَونُ الرأسِ غَيرَ هِجانِ

إِذا كانَ لَونُ الرأسِ غَيرَ هِجانِ

And what good is jet-black hair, when weakness has set in,

And no use is the foolish and weakness has occurred

if the head's color is not white?

If the hair of the head is not dark