لاmay … not يُبعِدَنَّbanish اللَهُGod بُردَcloak شَبيبَةٍyouth
لا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ بُردَ شَبيبَةٍ
أَلقَيتُهُI cast it off بِمِنىًat Mina وَرُحتُand I departed سليباًstripped
أَلقَيتُهُ بِمِنىً وَرُحتُ سليباً
May God never banish the cloak of my youth,
May God never banish the cloak of youth
Which I cast off at Mina and went away stripped.
that I cast off at Mina, departing stripped bare.
شَعرٌhair صَحِبتُI kept company with بِهِwith it الشَبابَyouth غُرانَقاًa handsome young man
شَعرٌ صَحِبتُ بِهِ الشَبابَ غُرانَقاً
وَالعَيشَand life مُخضَرَّgreen الجَنابِthe surroundings رَطيباfresh
وَالعَيشَ مُخضَرَّ الجَنابِ رَطيبا
With my hair I kept youth company, a graceful young man,
Hair with which I passed my youth as a handsome lad,
While life was lush around its edges and fresh.
and lived a life green and fresh on every side.
بَعدَafter الثَلاثينَthirty اِنقِراضُextinction شَبيبَةٍyouth
بَعدَ الثَلاثينَ اِنقِراضُ شَبيبَةٍ
عَجَباًhow strange! أُمَيمَUmaym لَقَدindeed رَأَيتُI saw عَجيباsomething strange
عَجَباً أُمَيمَ لَقَد رَأَيتُ عَجيبا
Beyond thirty comes the passing of my youth—
After thirty—the passing away of youth!
What a wonder, Umaymah! I have indeed seen a wondrous thing.
How strange, Umaym! Indeed, I have seen a strange thing.
قَدindeed كانَwas ليmine قَطَطاًtightly curled يُزَيِّنُadorns لِمَّتيmy locks
قَد كانَ لي قَطَطاً يُزَيِّنُ لِمَّتي
شَروىlike السِنانِthe spearhead يُزَيِّنُadorns الأُنبوباthe shaft
شَروى السِنانِ يُزَيِّنُ الأُنبوبا
My hair was tightly curled, adorning my locks,
It once was mine, tightly curled, adorning my locks,
As a spearhead adorns its shaft.
as a spearhead adorns the shaft.
فَاليَومَso today أَطَّلِبُI pursue الهَوىlove مُتَكَلِّفاًforcing myself
فَاليَومَ أَطَّلِبُ الهَوى مُتَكَلِّفاً
حَصِراًill at ease وَأَلقىand I meet الغانِياتِbeautiful women مُريباarousing suspicion
حَصِراً وَأَلقى الغانِياتِ مُريبا
But today I pursue love with strained effort,
So today I pursue love with strained effort,
Tongue-tied, meeting beautiful women as a figure of suspicion.
ill at ease, and meet beautiful women, arousing suspicion.
إِمّاif بَكَيتُI weep عَلىfor الشَبابِyouth فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it
إِمّا بَكَيتُ عَلى الشَبابِ فَإِنَّهُ
قَدindeed كانَwas عَهديmy acquaintance بِالشَبابِwith youth قَريباrecent
قَد كانَ عَهدي بِالشَبابِ قَريبا
I have wept for youth, for indeed
If I weep for youth, it is because
My time with youth was still so recent.
my time with youth was indeed so recent.
لَوif كانَcould يَرجِعُreturn مَيَّتٌa dead person بِتفَجُّعٍthrough anguished mourning
لَو كانَ يَرجِعُ مَيَّتٌ بِتفَجُّعٍ
وَجَوىًand heartache شَقَقتُI would rend عَلىin mourning for الشَبابِyouth جُيوباgarment necklines
وَجَوىً شَقَقتُ عَلى الشَبابِ جُيوبا
If anything dead could return through lamentation
If a dead man could return through anguished mourning
And anguish, I would tear open my shirt-fronts for youth.
and heartache, I would rend my collars in mourning for youth.
وَلَئِنand if indeed حَنَنتُI yearn إِلىfor مِنىًMina مِنfrom بَعدِهاafter it
وَلَئِن حَنَنتُ إِلى مِنىً مِن بَعدِها
فَلَقَدthen indeed دَفَنتُI buried بِهاthere الغَداةَthis morning حَبيباًa beloved
فَلَقَد دَفَنتُ بِها الغَداةَ حَبيباً
And if thereafter I yearn for Mina,
And if I yearn for Mina afterward,
It is because there, that morning, I buried a beloved.
it is because I did bury a beloved there this morning.
