ضَيَّعتُ في هِضَبِ الهَوى رُشدي

ضَيَّعتُ في هِضَبِ الهَوى رُشدي

وَفَقَدتُ ما أَبقى الحجى عِندي

وَفَقَدتُ ما أَبقى الحجى عِندي

I squandered my judgment in the hills of passion,

I lost my sanity in love's plateau

And lost what reason had left me.

And lost what reason had sustained in me

وَسَعَيتُ نَحوَ المَجدِ مُجتَهِداً

وَسَعَيتُ نَحوَ المَجدِ مُجتَهِداً

فَهَويتُ دون مدارِك المَجدِ

فَهَويتُ دون مدارِك المَجدِ

And strove diligently toward glory,

And strove for glory with great diligence

Yet fell short of glory's heights.

Yet tumbled short of reaching glory's keep

أَجدُ الشَبابَ يَلوحُ مُنتَعِشاً

أَجدُ الشَبابَ يَلوحُ مُنتَعِشاً

وَأَنا نَحيلٌ أَصفَرُ الخَدِّ

وَأَنا نَحيلٌ أَصفَرُ الخَدِّ

I see youth appear full of vigor,

I see youth gleaming, rejuvenated

While I am gaunt and sallow-cheeked.

While I am frail and sallow-cheeked

في كُلِّ لَيلٍ جار أَسودهُ

في كُلِّ لَيلٍ جار أَسودهُ

يَبني الرَدى حَجَرَينِ من لحدي

يَبني الرَدى حَجَرَينِ من لحدي

In every night whose darkness oppresses,

Each night my dark-cloaked neighbor

Death adds two stones to my grave.

Adds two stones toward my tomb from quarry's heap

بَعُدَ الكَرى عَن مُقلَتَيَّ كَما

بَعُدَ الكَرى عَن مُقلَتَيَّ كَما

بَعُدَ الفَتى الصادي عَن الوِردِ

بَعُدَ الفَتى الصادي عَن الوِردِ

Sleep has withdrawn from my eyes, just as

As distant are the stars from my poor eyes

The thirsty youth is far from the watering place.

As distant as the horseman from the rose

فَكَأَنَّ أَهدابي ظَبيً بَرَزَت

فَكَأَنَّ أَهدابي ظَبيً بَرَزَت

لِتحولَ دونَ النَومِ بِالسَهدِ

لِتحولَ دونَ النَومِ بِالسَهدِ

So my lashes seem like sword blades thrust forth,

My lids like a gazelle have come to be

To bar sleep with sleeplessness.

To bar the way 'gainst sleep with their repose

لَو كنتَ تَعلَمُ يا أَبي وَأَنا

لَو كنتَ تَعلَمُ يا أَبي وَأَنا

طِفلٌ مَصيري العادمَ السَعدِ

طِفلٌ مَصيري العادمَ السَعدِ

Had you known, Father, while I was

If you had known, my father, when I was

A child, my fate bereft of happiness,

A babe, my fate would be devoid of bliss

لَبَكيتَ عِندَ وِلادَتي نَدَماً

لَبَكيتَ عِندَ وِلادَتي نَدَماً

وَخنَقتَني وَأَنا عَلى مَهدي

وَخنَقتَني وَأَنا عَلى مَهدي

You would have wept in regret at my birth,

You would have wept when I was born in woe

And strangled me as I lay in my cradle.

And choked me while I lay in cradle's midst

يَتَهامَسونَ عَلَيَّ من أَسَفٍ

يَتَهامَسونَ عَلَيَّ من أَسَفٍ

هو سَيف عَقلٍ مُرهَفُ الحَدِّ

هو سَيف عَقلٍ مُرهَفُ الحَدِّ

They whisper about me out of sorrow:

They whisper of me in despair

“He is a keen-edged sword of intellect.”

"He is a sword of keen and piercing wit"

إِن كنت سَيفاً لِلحجى فَأَنا

إِن كنت سَيفاً لِلحجى فَأَنا

لَم يَمتَشِقني الدَهرُ من غَمدي

لَم يَمتَشِقني الدَهرُ من غَمدي

If I am a sword of reason, then I

If I'm a sword of reason, then I am

Have never been drawn by Time from my sheath.

A blade not yet unsheathed from out its slit

أَرَدتَنيَ الأَيّامُ طاعِنَةً

أَرَدتَنيَ الأَيّامُ طاعِنَةً

صَدري بِأَسيافٍ لَها تُردي

صَدري بِأَسيافٍ لَها تُردي

The days struck me down, stabbing

The days desired to stab me

My breast with their death-dealing swords.

My chest with swords that have no clue to quit

وَأَنا فَتىً ما زِلتُ أَجمَعُ من

وَأَنا فَتىً ما زِلتُ أَجمَعُ من

رَوضِ الصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى عَقدي

رَوضِ الصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى عَقدي

While I, a youth, am still gathering from

While I, a lad, still gather in a knot

The garden of longing and passion my necklace.

From meadows of my youth the rose's wit

عاثَت صُروف الدَهرِ في جَسَدي

عاثَت صُروف الدَهرِ في جَسَدي

بِمَخالِبٍ كَمَخالِبِ الأُسدِ

بِمَخالِبٍ كَمَخالِبِ الأُسدِ

Time's vicissitudes have ravaged my body

The turns of fate clawed savagely my frame

With claws like the claws of lions.

With talons like the talons of the beast

وَيلاهُ أَشباح الرَدى قَربت

وَيلاهُ أَشباح الرَدى قَربت

ماذا سعاد تَصير من بَعدي

ماذا سعاد تَصير من بَعدي

Alas! The specters of death have drawn near.

Alas, specters of doom have come so close

What will become of Suad after me?

What will Saada's fate be after my decease?

أُمّاهُ أَينَ أَبي فَإِنَّ لَهُ

أُمّاهُ أَينَ أَبي فَإِنَّ لَهُ

عِندي شُؤوناً ضَيَّعَت رُشدي

عِندي شُؤوناً ضَيَّعَت رُشدي

Mother, where is my father? For with him

Mother! Where is my father, for with him

I have matters that have robbed me of my judgment.

Are matters lost that stole away my wit

أَأَبي رَعاك اللَهُ كيفَ تَرى

أَأَبي رَعاك اللَهُ كيفَ تَرى

خَلَّفتَني وَتَرَكتَني وَحدي

خَلَّفتَني وَتَرَكتَني وَحدي

O Father, may God protect you—how, tell me,

My father, may God grant you peace, how can it be

Did you leave me behind and abandon me alone?

You left me and abandoned me, fending alone?

هَل كُنتَ مِثلي يائِساً تَعِباً

هَل كُنتَ مِثلي يائِساً تَعِباً

فَعَثيتَ في الدُنيا عَلى جَدّي

فَعَثيتَ في الدُنيا عَلى جَدّي

Were you, like me, despairing and weary,

Were you like me, despairing and fatigued,

And did you thus wreak havoc in this world upon my fortune?

So you roamed the world pursuing your own deed?

لا بَأسَ نَم وَالروحُ طاهِرَةٌ

لا بَأسَ نَم وَالروحُ طاهِرَةٌ

فاليكَ وَجدي لَم يَزَل وَجدي

فاليكَ وَجدي لَم يَزَل وَجدي

No matter; sleep, with your soul pure.

No matter, sleep, and let the soul be pure

So my grief is for you; my grief has not ceased.

For to you my passion has always cleaved.