ماذا بِوِسعِ الزَمَن المُدَّعي

ماذا بِوِسعِ الزَمَن المُدَّعي

ما دمتِ في شِعري وَفي أَضلعي

ما دمتِ في شِعري وَفي أَضلعي

What can boastful Time do,

What can time the pretender do

as long as you are in my poetry and within my ribs?

As long as you are in my poetry and in my ribs

لَن يُقطَعَ الدَهرَ لَنا أُلفَةٌ

لَن يُقطَعَ الدَهرَ لَنا أُلفَةٌ

مَهما يُفَرِّقنا الوَرى نُجمَعِ

مَهما يُفَرِّقنا الوَرى نُجمَعِ

No bond of ours shall ever be severed;

Our lifelong companionship will never be severed

however much humankind parts us, we shall be reunited.

No matter how far the world separates us, we will reunite

نَقول لِلنّاسِ إِذا صَيَّحوا

نَقول لِلنّاسِ إِذا صَيَّحوا

ما قالَهُ البُلبُلُ لِلضِفدَعِ

ما قالَهُ البُلبُلُ لِلضِفدَعِ

We say to people, when they clamor,

We say to people if they scream

what the nightingale said to the frog.

What the bulbul said to the oleander

شَبابُنا إِن يَفنَ يَبقَ الهَوى

شَبابُنا إِن يَفنَ يَبقَ الهَوى

نَفنى بِهِ كَالخَلقِ في المبدِعِ

نَفنى بِهِ كَالخَلقِ في المبدِعِ

If our youth perishes, love remains;

If our youth passes, passion remains

we perish through it, like creation in the Creator.

We perish with it like creation with the Maker

ماذا عَلى الحُبِّ إِذا لَم يُفق

ماذا عَلى الحُبِّ إِذا لَم يُفق

هَل وَعَتِ الخَمرَةُ حَتّى نَعي

هَل وَعَتِ الخَمرَةُ حَتّى نَعي

What blame can fall on love if it does not sober up?

What of love if infatuation is lacking

Has wine known awareness, that we should be aware?

Has the wine ever sobered until it's chastised?

رَأَيتُني شَيخاً مَديد الرُؤى

رَأَيتُني شَيخاً مَديد الرُؤى

مُتَّصِلَ السالِفِ بِالمزمِعِ

مُتَّصِلَ السالِفِ بِالمزمِعِ

I saw myself an old man of far-reaching visions,

You saw me as an old man with far-sighted vision

with the past joined to what is to come.

My past is connected to my destiny

عَلى فَمي أُنشودَةٌ لا تَني

عَلى فَمي أُنشودَةٌ لا تَني

وَنَغوَةٌ خَضراءُ في مَسمَعي

وَنَغوَةٌ خَضراءُ في مَسمَعي

On my lips is a song that never falters,

On my mouth an ode that doesn't fade

and a green murmur in my ear.

And a verdant melody in my hearing

أَعيشُ في الذِكرى بِغَيبوبَةٍ

أَعيشُ في الذِكرى بِغَيبوبَةٍ

كَما يَعيشُ الطِفلُ في المرضعِ

كَما يَعيشُ الطِفلُ في المرضعِ

I live in memory, in a trance,

I live in memories in absent-mindedness

as a child lives at the breast.

As a child lives suckling at the wet nurse

طيورُ أَحلامِيَ وَحيُ الهَوى

طيورُ أَحلامِيَ وَحيُ الهَوى

مِن حُوَّمٍ حَولي وَمن وُقَّعِ

مِن حُوَّمٍ حَولي وَمن وُقَّعِ

The birds of my dreams are love's inspiration,

The birds of my dreams and the passion's rapture

some circling around me, and some perched.

Encircling me and alighting

إِن تُمحِلِ الدُنيا وَتَعبس لَنا

إِن تُمحِلِ الدُنيا وَتَعبس لَنا

فَأَيُّ أَرضٍ فيكِ لَم تُمرعِ

فَأَيُّ أَرضٍ فيكِ لَم تُمرعِ

If the world grows barren and frowns at us,

If life becomes difficult and frowns at us

then what land within you has not grown lush?

Which ground in you hasn't been cultivated?

غَنِمتُ في عَينَيكِ كُنهَ المُنى

غَنِمتُ في عَينَيكِ كُنهَ المُنى

فَالكَونُ يَحيا بي وَيَفنى مَعي

فَالكَونُ يَحيا بي وَيَفنى مَعي

I have gained the essence of longing in your eyes;

I attained through your eyes the essence of wishes

so the universe lives through me and perishes with me.

So the universe lives through me and dies with me