كَم مَرَّ بي فيكِ عَيشٌ لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

كَم مَرَّ بي فيكِ عَيشٌ لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

وَمَرَّ بي فيكِ عَيشٌ لَستُ أَنساهُ

وَمَرَّ بي فيكِ عَيشٌ لَستُ أَنساهُ

Many a span of life passed for me in you that I do not recall,

How much life passed me by that I don't recall

And a span of life passed for me in you that I never forget.

And how much life passed me by that I don't forget

وَدَّعتُ فيكِ بَقايا ما عَلِقتُ بِهِ

وَدَّعتُ فيكِ بَقايا ما عَلِقتُ بِهِ

مِنَ الشَبابِ وَما وَدَّعتُ ذِكراهُ

مِنَ الشَبابِ وَما وَدَّعتُ ذِكراهُ

In you I bade farewell to the remnants of what I clung to

I bid farewell in you to remnants I was attached to

Of youth, but I did not bid its memory farewell.

Of my youth and farewells I didn't commemorate

أَهفو إِلَيهِ عَلى ما أَقرَحَت كَبِدي

أَهفو إِلَيهِ عَلى ما أَقرَحَت كَبِدي

مِنَ التَباريحِ أولاهُ وَأُخراهُ

مِنَ التَباريحِ أولاهُ وَأُخراهُ

I yearn for it, though my liver was made sore

I yearn for it over how my liver was ulcerated

By the torments of its beginning and its end.

From the wounds of dawn and dusk combined

لَبِستُهُ وَدُموعُ العَينِ طَيِّعَةٌ

لَبِستُهُ وَدُموعُ العَينِ طَيِّعَةٌ

وَالنَفسُ جَيّاشَةٌ وَالقَلبُ أَوّاهُ

وَالنَفسُ جَيّاشَةٌ وَالقَلبُ أَوّاهُ

I wore it while the eye's tears flowed freely,

I wore it while the tears of my eyes compliant

And the soul surged, and the heart was full of sighs.

And my soul fervent and my heart lent

فَكانَ عَوني عَلى وَجدٍ أُكابِدُهُ

فَكانَ عَوني عَلى وَجدٍ أُكابِدُهُ

وَمُرِّ عَيشٍ عَلى العِلّاتِ أَلقاهُ

وَمُرِّ عَيشٍ عَلى العِلّاتِ أَلقاهُ

So it was my aid against the anguish of love I endured,

So it was my aide over anguish I endure

And the bitter life I faced, for all its ills,

And the bitterness of life it cast upon me

إِن خانَ وُدّي صَديقٌ كُنتُ أَصحَبُهُ

إِن خانَ وُدّي صَديقٌ كُنتُ أَصحَبُهُ

أَو خانَ عَهدي حَبيبٌ كُنتُ أَهواهُ

أَو خانَ عَهدي حَبيبٌ كُنتُ أَهواهُ

If a friend I kept company with betrayed my affection,

If a friend I befriended betrayed my affection

Or a beloved I adored betrayed my covenant.

Or a lover I loved broke their vow to me

قَد أَرخَصَ الدَمعَ يَنبوعُ الغَناءِ بِهِ

قَد أَرخَصَ الدَمعَ يَنبوعُ الغَناءِ بِهِ

وا لَهفَتي وَنُضوبُ الشَيبِ أَغلاهُ

وا لَهفَتي وَنُضوبُ الشَيبِ أَغلاهُ

The wellspring of plenty in it had made tears cheap;

My tears were made cheap by the wellspring of song through it

Alas for me! Old age's drought made them dear.

Oh my fervor and the drying up of old age made it precious

كَم رَوَّحَ الدَمعُ عَن قَلبي وَكَم غَسَلَت

كَم رَوَّحَ الدَمعُ عَن قَلبي وَكَم غَسَلَت

مِنهُ السَوابِقُ حُزناً في حَناياهُ

مِنهُ السَوابِقُ حُزناً في حَناياهُ

How often tears relieved my heart, and how often was washed away

How much my tears vented my heart and how much

From it, by their swift drops, a sorrow within its folds!

Past sorrows in its folds washed it clean

لَم أَدرِ ما يَدُهُ حَتّى تَرَشَّفَهُ

لَم أَدرِ ما يَدُهُ حَتّى تَرَشَّفَهُ

فَمُ المَشيبِ عَلى رَغمي فَأَفناهُ

فَمُ المَشيبِ عَلى رَغمي فَأَفناهُ

I did not know what good it did me until it was sipped up

I didn't know its extent until gray hair

By the mouth of old age, against my will, and utterly consumed.

Overpowered me against my will and ended it

قالوا تَحَرَّرتَ مِن قَيدِ المِلاحِ فَعِش

قالوا تَحَرَّرتَ مِن قَيدِ المِلاحِ فَعِش

حُرّاً فَفي الأَسرِ ذُلٌّ كُنتَ تَأباهُ

حُرّاً فَفي الأَسرِ ذُلٌّ كُنتَ تَأباهُ

They said, "You are freed from the fetter of beauties, so live

They said you're free of the shackle of infatuation so live

Free, for captivity holds a humiliation you used to spurn."

Freely for in captivity is humiliation you used to refuse

فَقُلتُ يا لَيتَهُ دامَت صَرامَتُهُ

فَقُلتُ يا لَيتَهُ دامَت صَرامَتُهُ

ما كانَ أَرفَقُهُ عِندي وَأَحناهُ

ما كانَ أَرفَقُهُ عِندي وَأَحناهُ

So I said, "Oh, if only its severity had endured!

So I said oh if only its harshness endured

How gentle it was to me, and how tender!

It was never gentler and more tender to me

بُدِّلتُ مِنهُ بِقَيدٍ لَستُ أُفلَتُهُ

بُدِّلتُ مِنهُ بِقَيدٍ لَستُ أُفلَتُهُ

وَكَيفَ أُفلَتُ قَيداً صاغَهُ اللَهُ

وَكَيفَ أُفلَتُ قَيداً صاغَهُ اللَهُ

I was given instead a fetter I cannot escape;

I was replaced from it with a shackle I can't escape

And how can I escape a fetter forged by God?

And how can I escape a shackle God forged?

أَسرى الصَبابَةِ أَحياءٌ وَإِن جَهِدوا

أَسرى الصَبابَةِ أَحياءٌ وَإِن جَهِدوا

أَمّا المَشيبُ فَفي الأَمواتِ أَسراهُ

أَمّا المَشيبُ فَفي الأَمواتِ أَسراهُ

The captives of ardent love are alive, though worn out;

The youth are prisoners while alive even if they struggle

But as for old age, its captives are among the dead."

As for old age, it is the dead's captivity to it