أَمُذَكِّري عَهدَ الصِبا

أَمُذَكِّري عَهدَ الصِبا

بَعدَ الإِنابَةِ وَالرُجوعِ

بَعدَ الإِنابَةِ وَالرُجوعِ

O you who remind me of youthful days,

My youth’s memories that remind me

after repentance and return!

After repentance and return

أَذكَرتَني أَشياءَ مِن

أَذكَرتَني أَشياءَ مِن

زَمَنٍ تَرَكتُ بِها وَلوعي

زَمَنٍ تَرَكتُ بِها وَلوعي

You have reminded me of things from

You reminded me of things from

a bygone time; I relinquished my passion for them.

A time whose longing I left behind

أَشياءَ ذُقتُ لِفَقدِها

أَشياءَ ذُقتُ لِفَقدِها

أَلَمَ الفِطامِ عَلى الرَضيعِ

أَلَمَ الفِطامِ عَلى الرَضيعِ

Things whose loss made me taste

Things whose loss I've tasted

the pain a nursing infant feels at weaning.

Like a weaned child feels pain

نَسَجَت عَلَيها العَنكبو

نَسَجَت عَلَيها العَنكبو

تُ وَغودِرَت بَينَ الضُلوعِ

تُ وَغودِرَت بَينَ الضُلوعِ

The spider spun its web over them,

Cobwebs have woven over them

and they were left between my ribs.

And settled between my ribs

وَإِذا تَقاضَيتَ الجَوا

وَإِذا تَقاضَيتَ الجَوا

بَ فَخُذ جَوابَكَ مِن دُموعي

بَ فَخُذ جَوابَكَ مِن دُموعي

And if you demand an answer,

And if you demand an answer

then take your answer from my tears.

Take your answer from my tears

ذَهَبَ الجَديدُ مِنَ الشَبا

ذَهَبَ الجَديدُ مِنَ الشَبا

بِ فَكَيفَ ظَنُّكَ بِالخَليعِ

بِ فَكَيفَ ظَنُّكَ بِالخَليعِ

The fresh garment of youth has gone;

The new has gone from my youth

what, then, do you expect of the threadbare one?

So what can you expect from one worn?

وَوَدِدتُ لَو دامَ الخَلي

وَوَدِدتُ لَو دامَ الخَلي

عُ فَهَل إِلَيهِ مِن شَفيعِ

عُ فَهَل إِلَيهِ مِن شَفيعِ

And I wished the threadbare one might last;

I wish that youth would last

is there an intercessor to plead with it?

But is there any intercessor for it?

وَلَكَم طَرِبتُ إِلى الرَبي

وَلَكَم طَرِبتُ إِلى الرَبي

عِ بِفِتيَةٍ مِثلِ الرَبيعِ

عِ بِفِتيَةٍ مِثلِ الرَبيعِ

And how often I delighted in spring

How I was drawn to the open country

with young men like spring itself.

With boys like the springtime

وَفَضَحتُ أَزهارَ الرِيا

وَفَضَحتُ أَزهارَ الرِيا

ضِ بِحُسنِ أَزهارِ البَديعِ

ضِ بِحُسنِ أَزهارِ البَديعِ

And I put the flowers of the gardens to shame

And the flowers of the meadows were shamed

with the beauty of the blooms of poetic art.

By the beauty of exquisite blossoms

وَسَهِرتُ في لَيلِ الصَبا

وَسَهِرتُ في لَيلِ الصَبا

سَهَراً أَلَذُّ مِنَ الهُجوعِ

سَهَراً أَلَذُّ مِنَ الهُجوعِ

And I stayed awake through the night of youth—

And I passed the nights of youth

a wakefulness sweeter than slumber.

In more delightful wakefulness than sleep

وَطَرَقتُ خِدرَ الكاعِبِ ال

وَطَرَقتُ خِدرَ الكاعِبِ ال

حَسناءِ وَالخَودِ الشَموعِ

حَسناءِ وَالخَودِ الشَموعِ

And I came by night to the chamber of the budding-breasted

And knocked on the tents of dark-eyed maidens

beauty and the coy young maiden.

And cheeks bright like candles

وَسَفَرتُ لِلمَلِكِ العَظي

وَسَفَرتُ لِلمَلِكِ العَظي

مِ الشَأنِ وَالقَدرِ الرَفيعِ

مِ الشَأنِ وَالقَدرِ الرَفيعِ

And I acted as envoy for the king of great

And I traveled to the great king

standing and exalted rank.

Of lofty station and noble rank

وَشَرِكتُهُ في الأَمرِ يَن

وَشَرِكتُهُ في الأَمرِ يَن

فُذُ في الشَريفِ وَفي الوَضيعِ

فُذُ في الشَريفِ وَفي الوَضيعِ

And I shared his rule, which held sway

And shared with him command

over the noble and over the lowly.

Executed by commoner and noble alike

وَبَلَغتُ ذاكَ وَلَم أَكُن

وَبَلَغتُ ذاكَ وَلَم أَكُن

فيهِ لَحَقٌّ بِالمُضيعِ

فيهِ لَحَقٌّ بِالمُضيعِ

And I attained that, and I was not

And I attained that though I was not

one to neglect any right in it.

Worthy of it, having neglected my duty

ثُمَّ اِرعَوَيتُ وَصِرتُ في

ثُمَّ اِرعَوَيتُ وَصِرتُ في

حَدِّ السَكينَةِ وَالخُشوعِ

حَدِّ السَكينَةِ وَالخُشوعِ

Then I mended my ways and entered

Then I returned to composure and humility

the bounds of serenity and humble devotion.

To the bounds of tranquility and devotion

فَزَهِدتُ في هَذا وَذا

فَزَهِدتُ في هَذا وَذا

فَقُلِ السَلامُ عَلى الجَميعِ

فَقُلِ السَلامُ عَلى الجَميعِ

So I renounced this and that;

So I abandoned all those things and more

then say: 'Peace be upon them all.'

Say peace be upon all

فَإِلَيكَ عَنّي يا نَدي

فَإِلَيكَ عَنّي يا نَدي

مُ فَما صَنيعُكَ مِن صَنيعي

مُ فَما صَنيعُكَ مِن صَنيعي

Then leave me alone, O boon companion;

As for you, my friend, what can you expect from me?

for your conduct is not my conduct.

You are not of that refined character

ما أَنتَ مِن ذاكَ الطِرا

ما أَنتَ مِن ذاكَ الطِرا

زِ وَلا مِنَ البَزِّ الرَفيعِ

زِ وَلا مِنَ البَزِّ الرَفيعِ

You are not of that pattern,

Nor of noble rank

nor of the finest cloth.

After old age, do you want from me

أَتُريدُ بَعدَ الشَيبِ مِن

أَتُريدُ بَعدَ الشَيبِ مِن

ني صَبوَةَ الناشي الخَليعِ

ني صَبوَةَ الناشي الخَليعِ

Do you want, after my hair has grayed, from

The heedlessness of a debauched youth?

me the amorous folly of a dissolute youth?

No, no - by God, I am neither

لا لا وَحَقِّ اللَهِ ما

لا لا وَحَقِّ اللَهِ ما

أَنا بِالسَميعِ وَلا المُطيعِ

أَنا بِالسَميعِ وَلا المُطيعِ

No, no! By the truth of God,

One who hears nor one who obeys

I am neither one to listen nor one to obey.

If after old age you return

إِن كُنتَ تَرجِعُ أَنتَ بَع

إِن كُنتَ تَرجِعُ أَنتَ بَع

دَ الشَيبِ فَاِيأَس مِن رُجوعي

دَ الشَيبِ فَاِيأَس مِن رُجوعي

If you yourself return after

Then despair of my returning

your hair has grayed, give up hope of my return.

How can I return when I have seen

كَيفَ الرُجوعُ وَقَد رَأَي

كَيفَ الرُجوعُ وَقَد رَأَي

تُ الريحَ تَلعَبُ بِالزُروعِ

تُ الريحَ تَلعَبُ بِالزُروعِ

How could I return, when I have seen

The winds play with the plants?

the wind playing with the crops?

It would be shameful for you to return

عارٌ رُجوعُكَ بَعدَما

عارٌ رُجوعُكَ بَعدَما

عايَنتَ حيطانَ الرُبوعِ

عايَنتَ حيطانَ الرُبوعِ

Your return is shameful, after

After beholding the firm walls of encampments

you have seen the walls of the dwellings

And settling in the shade of the expansive

وَحَلَلتَ في ظِلِّ الجَنا

وَحَلَلتَ في ظِلِّ الجَنا

بِ الرَحبِ وَالحِرزِ المَنيعِ

بِ الرَحبِ وَالحِرزِ المَنيعِ

and settled in the shade of the precinct—

And secure enclosure

spacious—and of the impregnable refuge.

And know, my brother, that it is not

وَاِعلَم أُخَيَّ بِأَنَّهُ

وَاِعلَم أُخَيَّ بِأَنَّهُ

لابِالسُجودِ وَلا الرُكوعِ

لابِالسُجودِ وَلا الرُكوعِ

And know, my dear brother, that it is

By bowing down or kneeling in prayer

not by prostration, nor by bowing.

For there is so much generosity and refinement

فَهُناكَ كَم كَرَمٍ وَكَم

فَهُناكَ كَم كَرَمٍ وَكَم

لُطفٍ وَكَم بِرَ مَريعِ

لُطفٍ وَكَم بِرَ مَريعِ

For there—how much generosity, and how much

And so much kindness and tender meadows

kindness, and how much abundant goodness!

Take account of what you intend

إِحسِب حِسابَكَ في الَّذي

إِحسِب حِسابَكَ في الَّذي

تَنويهِ مِن قَبلِ الشُروعِ

تَنويهِ مِن قَبلِ الشُروعِ

Make your reckoning concerning what

Before embarking

you intend, before you begin.

And make your talk of descending

وَاِجعَل حَديثَكَ في النُزو

وَاِجعَل حَديثَكَ في النُزو

لِ مُقَدَّماً قَبلَ الطُلوعِ

لِ مُقَدَّماً قَبلَ الطُلوعِ

And let your talk of descent

Foremost before rising

come first, before ascent.