ما لي وقد شبت في داعي الصبا أرب

ما لي وقد شبت في داعي الصبا أرب

وما الغرام وما هو اللهو والطربَ

وما الغرام وما هو اللهو والطربَ

What desire have I—now that I am gray—for youth’s summons?

What desire have I, now grown gray, for the call of youthful passion?

What are passion, dalliance, and rapture to me?

And what is passionate love, and what are diversion and delight?

بيني وبين الهوى سور وابنية

بيني وبين الهوى سور وابنية

من الهموم وحجب دونها حجبّ

من الهموم وحجب دونها حجبّ

Between me and love stand a wall and barriers,

Between me and love stand a wall and buildings

built of cares, with veils before it—veil upon veil.

Of worries, and veils with yet more veils before them.

لله قلبي ما اقوى تجلده

لله قلبي ما اقوى تجلده

يلقى الحوادث طلقا وهو مكتئبُ

يلقى الحوادث طلقا وهو مكتئبُ

God, what a heart is mine—how mighty its endurance!

God bless my heart—how strong its endurance!

It meets calamities smiling, though inwardly distressed.

It meets calamities smiling, though it is dejected.

قالوا رضيت ولاموني بجهلهم

قالوا رضيت ولاموني بجهلهم

وقد دروا ما الرضا يجدي ولا الغضبُ

وقد دروا ما الرضا يجدي ولا الغضبُ

They said, “You have acquiesced,” and blamed me in their ignorance,

They said, 'You are content,' and blamed me in their ignorance,

though they knew that neither acquiescence nor anger avails.

Though they knew that neither contentment nor anger avails.

لو كان رزق الفتى تدنيه حيلته

لو كان رزق الفتى تدنيه حيلته

لكنت مجتلباً ما ليس يجتلبُ

لكنت مجتلباً ما ليس يجتلبُ

If a young man’s livelihood could be brought near by his resourcefulness,

If a young man's resourcefulness could bring his livelihood within reach,

I would surely draw to myself what cannot be drawn.

I would have procured what cannot be procured.

فكم طلبت ولم اظفر وكم ظفروا

فكم طلبت ولم اظفر وكم ظفروا

بما طلبت وما جدوا وما طلبوا

بما طلبت وما جدوا وما طلبوا

How often I sought and failed to gain, while how often they gained

How often I sought and failed, and how often they gained

what I sought, though they neither strove nor sought.

What I sought, though they neither strove nor sought.

هي الحظوظ تبيت الفرس راضعة

هي الحظوظ تبيت الفرس راضعة

ثدى النعيم وتحمى دره العربُ

ثدى النعيم وتحمى دره العربُ

Such are fortune’s lots: they make the Persians pass the night suckling

Such is luck: the Persians spend the night suckling

at prosperity’s breast, while withholding its flowing milk from the Arabs.

The breast of bliss, while the Arabs are denied its milk.

استغفر الله إني الآن معتقد

استغفر الله إني الآن معتقد

أن الحظوط عطايا ما لها سببُ

أن الحظوط عطايا ما لها سببُ

I ask God’s forgiveness: I am now convinced

I ask God's forgiveness; I now believe

that fortune’s allotments are gifts without a cause.

That fortunes are gifts for which there is no cause.

وجاهل بينت حالي فعنفني

وجاهل بينت حالي فعنفني

يظن جهلاً بان الرزق يكتسبُ

يظن جهلاً بان الرزق يكتسبُ

I explained my plight to an ignorant man, and he rebuked me,

And an ignorant man, to whom I explained my plight, rebuked me.

foolishly thinking that livelihood is earned.

He ignorantly supposes that livelihood is earned.

ولو أعار صروف الدهر فكرته

ولو أعار صروف الدهر فكرته

بدا له من قضايا حكمه العجبُ

بدا له من قضايا حكمه العجبُ

Had he devoted his thought to the vicissitudes of Time,

And had he given the vicissitudes of time his thought,

the wonder in the decrees of its rule would have appeared to him.

Wonders would have appeared to him in the decrees of its judgment.

كم نائم باتت الأرزاق توقظه

كم نائم باتت الأرزاق توقظه

وهائم حظه من سعيه التعبُ

وهائم حظه من سعيه التعبُ

How many a sleeper have provisions awakened,

How many a sleeper has wealth spent the night awakening!

while many a bewildered wanderer’s only share from striving is fatigue.

And how many a wanderer's share of his striving is weariness!

لا يؤ يسنك بعد الشيء تطلبه

لا يؤ يسنك بعد الشيء تطلبه

فالدهر يسعف والحالات تنقلبُ

فالدهر يسعف والحالات تنقلبُ

Let not the remoteness of the thing you seek make you despair;

Do not let the remoteness of what you seek make you despair,

Time may come to your aid, and circumstances turn.

For time lends aid, and circumstances change.

ولا تمت أسفاً في إثر فائتة

ولا تمت أسفاً في إثر فائتة

فربما رد بعد الغارة السلب

فربما رد بعد الغارة السلب

Do not die of grief in the wake of something lost:

And do not die of grief in the wake of a loss,

often the plunder is returned after the raid.

For sometimes the plunder is returned after the raid.

لعل دهراً يضيم الحق باطله

لعل دهراً يضيم الحق باطله

يقضي على نفسه لي بالذي يجبُ

يقضي على نفسه لي بالذي يجبُ

Perhaps an age whose falsehood oppresses right

Perhaps an age whose falsehood oppresses truth

will judge against itself for me, granting what is due.

Will rule against itself, granting me what is due.

فطال ما أسرفت فينا حوادثهُ

فطال ما أسرفت فينا حوادثهُ

ظلما وعرف عظمي عنده النوبُ

ظلما وعرف عظمي عنده النوبُ

Long have its calamities transgressed against us,

For long have its calamities gone too far against us,

unjustly; in its presence, adversity has learned my resolve.

Unjustly; in its presence, misfortunes have come to know my bones.

وعيشة ضنكة ليست براضيةٍ

وعيشة ضنكة ليست براضيةٍ

رغبت فيها وعنها الكلُّ قد رغبوا

رغبت فيها وعنها الكلُّ قد رغبوا

A straitened life, far from pleasing,

And a straitened life, far from pleasing,

I desired, though everyone else had turned away from it.

I have desired, though all others have turned away from it.

فما أبالي وعرضي وافرٌ أخلت

فما أبالي وعرضي وافرٌ أخلت

داري من المال أم حصباؤها الذهبُ

داري من المال أم حصباؤها الذهبُ

So I care not, while my honor remains whole, whether

So, with my honor intact, I care not whether it is empty—

my house is emptied of wealth or its pebbles are gold.

My house—of wealth, or whether its pebbles are gold.