وَغانِيَةٍ لَمّا رَأَتنِيَ أَعوَلَت

وَغانِيَةٍ لَمّا رَأَتنِيَ أَعوَلَت

وَقالَت عَجيبٌ يا زُهَيرُ عَجيبُ

وَقالَت عَجيبٌ يا زُهَيرُ عَجيبُ

And a beautiful woman, when she saw me, wailed,

When Ghanea saw me wailing

and said, "Strange, O Zuhayr, strange!"

She exclaimed: How strange O Zuheir, how strange!

رَأَت شَعَراتٍ لُحنَ بيضاً بِمَفرِقي

رَأَت شَعَراتٍ لُحنَ بيضاً بِمَفرِقي

وَغُصنِيَ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ رَطيبِ

وَغُصنِيَ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ رَطيبِ

She saw a few hairs gleaming white at my parting,

She saw some gray hairs scattered on my temples

while my branch was moist with the water of youth.

While my branches were still fresh with the water of youth.

لَقَد أَنكَرَت مِنّي مَشيباً عَلى صِباً

لَقَد أَنكَرَت مِنّي مَشيباً عَلى صِباً

وَقالَت مَشيبٌ قُلتُ ذاكَ مَشيبُ

وَقالَت مَشيبٌ قُلتُ ذاكَ مَشيبُ

Indeed, she found it strange that I should go gray while young,

She denied that I had gray amidst my youth

and said, "Gray hair!" I said, "That is gray hair."

And said: “It’s gray hair!” I said: “That is gray hair.”

وَما شِبتُ إِلّا مِن وَقائِعِ هَجرِها

وَما شِبتُ إِلّا مِن وَقائِعِ هَجرِها

عَلى أَنَّ عَهدي بِالصِبا لَقَريبُ

عَلى أَنَّ عَهدي بِالصِبا لَقَريبُ

And I have turned gray only from the assaults of her abandonment,

I only grayed because of the events of her estrangement,

although my days of youth are so recent.

Even though my pact with youth was still near.

عَرَفتُ الهَوى مِن قَبلِ أَن يُعرَفَ الهَوى

عَرَفتُ الهَوى مِن قَبلِ أَن يُعرَفَ الهَوى

وَما زالَ لي في الغَيبِ مِنهُ نَصيبُ

وَما زالَ لي في الغَيبِ مِنهُ نَصيبُ

I knew love before love was known,

I knew passion before passion became known.

and a share of it in the unseen has always been mine.

And I still have a share of it hidden from me.

وَلَم أَرَ قَلباً مِثلَ قَلبي مُعَذَّباً

وَلَم أَرَ قَلباً مِثلَ قَلبي مُعَذَّباً

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ لَوعَةٌ وَوَجيبُ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ لَوعَةٌ وَوَجيبُ

And I have seen no heart tormented like mine:

I have not seen a heart tortured like mine -

each day it suffers burning anguish and throbbing.

Each day it has agony and sorrow.

وَكُنتُ قَدِ اِستَهوَنتُ في الحُبِّ نَظرَةً

وَكُنتُ قَدِ اِستَهوَنتُ في الحُبِّ نَظرَةً

وَقَد صارَ مِنها في الفُؤادِ لَهيبُ

وَقَد صارَ مِنها في الفُؤادِ لَهيبُ

And I had taken a glance in love lightly,

I had thought nothing of a glance of love,

yet from it a blaze has arisen in my heart.

Yet now it has lit a blaze in my heart.

تَرَكتُ عَذولي ما أَرادَ بِقَولِهِ

تَرَكتُ عَذولي ما أَرادَ بِقَولِهِ

يَسُفُّهُ يُزري يَستَخِفُّ يَعيبُ

يَسُفُّهُ يُزري يَستَخِفُّ يَعيبُ

I let my reproacher say whatever he wished:

I left the one who wanted, with his words,

deriding, disparaging, belittling, finding fault.

To defame, deride, make light of, find faults.

فَما رابَهُ إِلّا دَماثَةُ مَنطِقِ

فَما رابَهُ إِلّا دَماثَةُ مَنطِقِ

وَأَنِّيَ مَزّاحُ اللِسانِ لَعوبُ

وَأَنِّيَ مَزّاحُ اللِسانِ لَعوبُ

So nothing aroused his suspicion but my gentle speech,

For he was only annoyed by the sweetness of my talk

and that my tongue is full of jests and I am playful.

And that I am a playful, jesting tongue.

أَروحُ وَلي في نَشوَةِ الحُبِّ هِزَّةٌ

أَروحُ وَلي في نَشوَةِ الحُبِّ هِزَّةٌ

وَلَستُ أُبالي أَن يُقالَ طَروبُ

وَلَستُ أُبالي أَن يُقالَ طَروبُ

I go about, quivering in the intoxication of love,

I am spirited by the intoxication of love

and I do not care if I am called rapturous:

And I don’t care if I am called insane.

مُحِبٌّ خَليعٌ عاشِقٌ مُتَهَتِّكٌ

مُحِبٌّ خَليعٌ عاشِقٌ مُتَهَتِّكٌ

يَلَذُّ لِقَلبي كُلُّ ذا وَيَطيبُ

يَلَذُّ لِقَلبي كُلُّ ذا وَيَطيبُ

a lover, a libertine, a passionate lover, a shameless man—

A debauched lover, a reckless passionate -

all this is delightful and pleasing to my heart.

My heart delights in all this and is content.

خَلَعتُ عِذاري بَل لَبِستُ خَلاعَتي

خَلَعتُ عِذاري بَل لَبِستُ خَلاعَتي

وَصَرَّحتُ حَتّى لا يُقالَ مُريبُ

وَصَرَّحتُ حَتّى لا يُقالَ مُريبُ

I cast off my bridle—rather, I donned my libertinism,

I have cast off my chastity, rather I wear my promiscuity,

and I spoke openly, so I would not be called suspect.

And am candid so I am not called doubtful.

وَفى لِيَ مَن أَهوى وَأَنعَمَ بِالرِضا

وَفى لِيَ مَن أَهوى وَأَنعَمَ بِالرِضا

يَموتُ بِغَيظٍ عاذِلٌ وَرَقيبُ

يَموتُ بِغَيظٍ عاذِلٌ وَرَقيبُ

The one I love kept faith with me and graciously granted favor;

It is enough for me that my beloved is true and kind,

reproacher and watcher die of rage.

While the critic full of hatred dies of rage.

فَلا عَيشَ إِلّا أَن تُدارَ مُدامَةٌ

فَلا عَيشَ إِلّا أَن تُدارَ مُدامَةٌ

وَلا أُنسَ إِلّا أَن يَزورَ حَبيبُ

وَلا أُنسَ إِلّا أَن يَزورَ حَبيبُ

So there is no life unless wine is passed around,

There is no life unless a drink is passed around,

and no companionship unless a beloved comes to visit.

No intimacy unless the beloved visits.

وَإِنّي لِيَدعوني الهَوى فَأُجيبُهُ

وَإِنّي لِيَدعوني الهَوى فَأُجيبُهُ

وَإِنّي لِيَثنيني التُقى فَأُنيبُ

وَإِنّي لِيَثنيني التُقى فَأُنيبُ

And love indeed calls me, so I answer it;

And so passion calls me and I respond,

and piety indeed restrains me, so I repent.

Yet propriety reins me in and I repent.

رَجَوتُ كَريماً قَد وَثِقتُ بِصُنعِهِ

رَجَوتُ كَريماً قَد وَثِقتُ بِصُنعِهِ

وَما كانَ مَن يَرجو الكَريمَ يَخيبُ

وَما كانَ مَن يَرجو الكَريمَ يَخيبُ

I placed my hope in a generous one, trusting in his deeds,

I hoped for one noble, trusting his goodness,

and no one who hopes in the generous is ever disappointed.

And one who hopes for the noble is not disappointed.

فَيا مَن يُحِبُّ العَفوَ إِنِّيَ مُذنِبٌ

فَيا مَن يُحِبُّ العَفوَ إِنِّيَ مُذنِبٌ

وَلا عَفوَ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ ذُنوبُ

وَلا عَفوَ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ ذُنوبُ

So, O you who love pardon, I am a sinner,

So O You who loves forgiveness, I am a sinner,

and there is no pardon unless there are sins.

And there is no forgiveness unless sins exist.