أمّا الشباب فربّما نادمته

أمّا الشباب فربّما نادمته

ريّان من حبّي و من عبراتي

ريّان من حبّي و من عبراتي

As for youth, I often caroused with it,

As for youth, perhaps I regretted it,

As for youth, perhaps I was its drinking companion,

sated with my love and with my tears.

Moistened by my love and my tears,

Quenched by my love and by my tears.

صاحبته عشرين أذنب في الهوى

صاحبته عشرين أذنب في الهوى

دلاّ و تغتفر الملاح هناتي

دلاّ و تغتفر الملاح هناتي

I kept its company twenty years, sinning in love

I accompanied it through twenty sins in passion,

I accompanied it for twenty years, sinning in love

in coquetry, while the beauties forgave my lapses.

Errant and you forgive the sailor's delirium,

With coquetry, while beauties forgave my lapses.

قصرت لياليه و كلّ قصيرة

قصرت لياليه و كلّ قصيرة

في الطّيبات عريضة اللّذاّت

في الطّيبات عريضة اللّذاّت

Its nights were brief, yet every brief night

Its nights were short and every brief one

Its nights were short, yet every short moment

amid delights was broad with pleasures.

Was capacious in pleasures and delights,

Among good things is vast in pleasures.

في ذمّة الحدق المراض عهوده

في ذمّة الحدق المراض عهوده

سكرى المنى قدسيّة النّفحات

سكرى المنى قدسيّة النّفحات

Its pledges lie in the keeping of languid eyes,

In custody of the tender, loving eyes were its promises,

Its covenants lie in the custody of languid eyes,

drunk with hopes, sacred in their fragrant breaths.

The intoxication of wishes, the sanctity of sighs,

Drunken with wishes, holy in fragrances.

أصبحت لا لعس الشفاه كعهدها

أصبحت لا لعس الشفاه كعهدها

كأسي و لا حدق المها مرآتي

كأسي و لا حدق المها مرآتي

Now the dusky hue of lips is no longer, as of old,

Your lips have ceased to have the sweetness of their pact,

No longer are dark lips, as they once were,

my cup, nor are the oryxes' eyes my mirror.

My cup and the eyes of the doe my mirror,

My cup, nor are the eyes of the oryx my mirror.

يا من يلحّ هواي في استعطافها

يا من يلحّ هواي في استعطافها

و تلحّ في ظلمي و في إعناتي

و تلحّ في ظلمي و في إعناتي

O you whose tenderness my love keeps pleading for,

O you who insist my passion plead forgiveness,

O you, whose sympathy my passion persists in seeking,

while you persist in wronging me and tormenting me,

And you insist on wronging me and denying me,

While you persist in my oppression and distress.

أنكرتني بعد الشباب و ما خبت

أنكرتني بعد الشباب و ما خبت

نار على شفتيك من قبلاتي

نار على شفتيك من قبلاتي

you disowned me after youth, though still unquenched

You denied me after youth and passion did not diminish,

You denied me after youth departed, though the fire

is the fire upon your lips from my kisses.

A fire on your lips from my kisses,

Of my kisses upon your lips has not faded.

أيّام أرشف من لماك سلافتي

أيّام أرشف من لماك سلافتي

و أعلّ من آهاتك العطرات

و أعلّ من آهاتك العطرات

In the days when I sipped my finest wine from your dusky lips,

Days more noble than the fine wine of my drinking,

Days when I sipped my wine from your lips,

and drank again from your fragrant sighs,

And higher than your scented sighs,

And drank deep from your fragrant sighs.

و أمدّ أشراك الغواية و الهوى

و أمدّ أشراك الغواية و الهوى

لأثير فيك كوامن الشهوات

لأثير فيك كوامن الشهوات

and spread the snares of seduction and desire

And I extended the snares of temptation and passion,

And I laid the snares of seduction and love,

to rouse within you the hidden stirrings of desire,

To stir in you the latent desires,

To stir within you hidden desires.

فتثور و هي عنيفة صخّابة

فتثور و هي عنيفة صخّابة

هوجاء بعد رويّة و أناة

هوجاء بعد رويّة و أناة

so they would surge, fierce and clamorous,

So they raged, violent and ferocious,

So they erupt, violent and tumultuous,

wild after deliberation and composure.

Passionate after calm and patience,

Wild and stormy after calm and patience.

هيهات يرجعها إلى اطمئنانها

هيهات يرجعها إلى اطمئنانها

إلاّ هوى شرس الشمائل عات

إلاّ هوى شرس الشمائل عات

Nothing could restore them to their calm

Alas! Only a fierce, unruly passion,

Alas! Nothing can restore them to tranquility

except a passion savage in temper and unbridled.

Can return it to its tranquility,

Except a love fierce in nature and tyrannical.

و حلفت ثغرك ما تقبّل رشفة

و حلفت ثغرك ما تقبّل رشفة

من عابديك أحبّ من رشفاتي

من عابديك أحبّ من رشفاتي

And you swore your mouth had never welcomed a sip

And your mouth swore it would not accept a sip,

And I swore by your mouth that it never accepted a sip

from your worshippers dearer than my sips.

From those who love you more than my sips,

From your worshippers sweeter than my own sips.

و نعم تنكّر لي الشباب و فاتني

و نعم تنكّر لي الشباب و فاتني

ما فات من أيّامه النضرات

ما فات من أيّامه النضرات

And yes, youth has turned away from me, and I have lost

And yes, youth denied me and eluded me,

Yes, youth has turned against me, and I have missed

what has passed of its radiant days.

What is gone of its delightful days,

What has passed of its blooming days.

فتقبّلي ذكرى هواي بقيّة

فتقبّلي ذكرى هواي بقيّة

منه ترفّ لماك في نغماتي

منه ترفّ لماك في نغماتي

So accept the memory of my love, a remnant

So accept the memory of my passion in what remains,

So accept the memory of my passion as a remnant

of it that kisses your dusky lips in my melodies.

To let your beauty revel in my melodies.

Of it, fluttering toward your lips in my melodies.