بَكَرتْ عليَّ عَواذلي يَلْحيْنَني

بَكَرتْ عليَّ عَواذلي يَلْحيْنَني

وعَلى الذي لم يَعْدُ بي أَعْدَيْنَني

وعَلى الذي لم يَعْدُ بي أَعْدَيْنَني

My reproaching women came early to me, scolding me.

The maidens awoke me, coquettishly teasing me,

And aided me against what had not carried me away.

And blaming the one who no longer comes to me.

إِيهاً عليكَ فقد كبرتَ عن الصِّبا

إِيهاً عليكَ فقد كبرتَ عن الصِّبا

ونَهى المشيبُ عنِ الذي يَنْهَيْنَني

ونَهى المشيبُ عنِ الذي يَنْهَيْنَني

“Enough! Restrain yourself: you have grown beyond youth.”

Alas for you! You have grown too old for youthfulness,

And gray hair has forbidden what they forbid me.

And gray hair has forbidden what would seduce me.

أَنَّى وكيفَ وقد رأينَ تغيُّري

أَنَّى وكيفَ وقد رأينَ تغيُّري

عن عهدِهِنَّ إِذا العيونُ رأيْنَني

عن عهدِهِنَّ إِذا العيونُ رأيْنَني

Whence, and how, when they have seen my change

How and why, when they have seen my alteration

from what they once knew of me, whenever their eyes beheld me?

From their time, if eyes were to look upon me?

وعلى مُفارَقَةِ الشَّبابِ شَمتْنَ بي

وعلى مُفارَقَةِ الشَّبابِ شَمتْنَ بي

وعلى مُعاداةِ الصِّبا عادَينَني

وعلى مُعاداةِ الصِّبا عادَينَني

And they gloated over my parting from youth,

They rejoice at the separation from youth,

and for my enmity toward youth, they showed me enmity.

And show enmity to youthfulness by hating me.

أدْنَيْنَني حتّى إذا التَهبَ الجَّوى

أدْنَيْنَني حتّى إذا التَهبَ الجَّوى

أقْصَيْنَني أضعافَ ما أدْنَينَني

أقْصَيْنَني أضعافَ ما أدْنَينَني

They drew me near until, when love’s anguish flared,

They drew me near until, when my heart kindled,

they cast me away many times farther than they had drawn me near.

They rejected me, exceeding what drew me near.

وفَتَنَّني بِلواحظٍ تَشكو الضَّنى

وفَتَنَّني بِلواحظٍ تَشكو الضَّنى

دائي بِهنَّ وربَّما داوَيْنَني

دائي بِهنَّ وربَّما داوَيْنَني

And they bewitched me with sidelong glances complaining of wasting sickness.

They tempted me with glances that complain of sadness,

My sickness comes from them, and sometimes they have healed me.

My disease through them, though they may heal me.

يُذْكينَ في قَلبي وبَيْنَ جَوانحي

يُذْكينَ في قَلبي وبَيْنَ جَوانحي

حُرَقاً بنارِ جَحيمِها أصْلَيْنني

حُرَقاً بنارِ جَحيمِها أصْلَيْنني

They kindle in my heart and between my ribs

They ignite in my heart and between my ribs

burning pangs, in whose hellfire they have scorched me.

A burning with the fire of their hell, roasting me.

يا ابْنَ الخَلائفِ إِنَّ أيّامَ الغِنى

يا ابْنَ الخَلائفِ إِنَّ أيّامَ الغِنى

أيَّامُكَ الغُرُّ التي أَغْنَيْنَني

أيَّامُكَ الغُرُّ التي أَغْنَيْنَني

O son of caliphs, truly the days of wealth

O son of the caliphs, the days of riches

are your radiant days, which have enriched me.

Were your days of pride that enriched me

بِنوالِها وسجالِها وثِمالِها

بِنوالِها وسجالِها وثِمالِها

أسْقَيْنني حتّى لقد أرْوَيْنني

أسْقَيْنني حتّى لقد أرْوَيْنني

With their bounty, their brimming buckets, and their succor,

With their gifts, their jewelry, and their trinkets,

they gave me drink until, indeed, they quenched my thirst.

Watering me until they saturated me.