خَليلَيَّ خَلَّينا الصِّبا وَتَعاقَلنا

خَليلَيَّ خَلَّينا الصِّبا وَتَعاقَلنا

فَيالَيتَ شِعري هَل يَعودُ كَما كُنّا

فَيالَيتَ شِعري هَل يَعودُ كَما كُنّا

My two friends, we left youth behind and affected wisdom.

My friend, we left youth and grew mature

If only I knew: will it return as in our former days?

If only I knew, will it be like it once was?

وَهَيهاتَ حالَ الهَمّ دونَ مَراحِنا

وَهَيهاتَ حالَ الهَمّ دونَ مَراحِنا

وَفارَقَنا شَرخُ الشَّبابِ وَفَرَّقنا

وَفارَقَنا شَرخُ الشَّبابِ وَفَرَّقنا

But far from it—care has stood in the way of our merriment.

Alas! Worry prevented our comfort

And the bloom of youth has left us and scattered us.

And the prime of youth parted us

سَقى اللَّهُ أَيّامَ السِّباحَةِ رِيَّها

سَقى اللَّهُ أَيّامَ السِّباحَةِ رِيَّها

مُداماً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَد أَرحَضَ المُزنا

مُداماً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَد أَرحَضَ المُزنا

May God give the days of swimming their fill

May God water the days of innocence

Of wine, for God has already washed the rain clouds clean.

With wine, for God has allowed intoxication

وَحَيّا زَمانَ الأَصمَعِيِّ وَنَظرَة

وَحَيّا زَمانَ الأَصمَعِيِّ وَنَظرَة

إِلى الدَّيلَمِي غادَرَت بَينَنا ضِغنا

إِلى الدَّيلَمِي غادَرَت بَينَنا ضِغنا

And may He bless the time of al-Asmaʿi, and a glance

And long live the era of Al-Asma'i and Nathira

At al-Daylami that left rancor between us.

To Al-Dailami, which left behind between us, song

وَلَيلَتَنا بِالبُرجِ مِن حِصنِ صمَّع

وَلَيلَتَنا بِالبُرجِ مِن حِصنِ صمَّع

رَعى اللَّهُ ذاكَ اللَّيلَ وَالبُرجَ وَالحِصنا

رَعى اللَّهُ ذاكَ اللَّيلَ وَالبُرجَ وَالحِصنا

And our night in the tower of the fortress of Ṣammaʿ—

And our night at Al-Burj, from the fortress of Sima'

May God guard that night, the tower, and the fortress!

God has sustained that night, and the tower, and the fortress

وَحَربَ أَبي عَمروٍ وَدارَ ابن ثَعلَبٍ

وَحَربَ أَبي عَمروٍ وَدارَ ابن ثَعلَبٍ

فَكَم قَد عَلِمنا في الجُنونِ بِها فَنّا

فَكَم قَد عَلِمنا في الجُنونِ بِها فَنّا

And Abu ʿAmr's battle, and Ibn Thaʿlab's house—

And the war of Abi Amro and the house of Ibn Tha'lab

For how many arts of madness we learned there!

So much madness we knew through it, art

وَلَيلاً قَصَرنا بِالقُرَيطيِّ طولَهُ

وَلَيلاً قَصَرنا بِالقُرَيطيِّ طولَهُ

إِذا شَدَّدَ الميمات في شَدوِهِ صِحنا

إِذا شَدَّدَ الميمات في شَدوِهِ صِحنا

And a night whose length we shortened with al-Qurayti:

And a night we stayed up with Al-Qurayti, prolonging

Whenever he doubled the m-sounds in his singing, we shouted.

When he stresses the meems in his singing, a melody

وَقَولَ عَلِيٍّ لِلنِّيام تَعَرَّفا

وَقَولَ عَلِيٍّ لِلنِّيام تَعَرَّفا

عَلى الجَسَدِ المَقرورِ وَالمُقلَةِ الوَسنا

عَلى الجَسَدِ المَقرورِ وَالمُقلَةِ الوَسنا

And ʿAli's words to the sleepers: “You two, take note

And Ali's words to the asleep, "Do you know

Of the chilled body and the drowsy eye.”

The buried corpse and the rotting tooth?"

مَعاهد أتراب الصبا وَملاعب

مَعاهد أتراب الصبا وَملاعب

أَجَدَّ لَنا ذكرُ السُّرور بِها حُزنا

أَجَدَّ لَنا ذكرُ السُّرور بِها حُزنا

Haunts of youth's companions, and places of play—

The dens of the youth and their playgrounds

The memory of joy there has renewed our sorrow.

Recalling the bliss made us sadder

لَياليَ لا نَخشى مِنَ التُّركِ غارَة

لَياليَ لا نَخشى مِنَ التُّركِ غارَة

وَلا نَبتَغي في وَصلِ أَحبابنا إِذنا

وَلا نَبتَغي في وَصلِ أَحبابنا إِذنا

Nights when we feared no raid from the Turks,

Nights where we don't fear a Turkish raid

Nor sought permission to be with our loved ones.

Nor do we ask permission to visit friends

نَبِيتُ نَشاوى ما شَرِبنا مُدامَةً

نَبِيتُ نَشاوى ما شَرِبنا مُدامَةً

وَنَغدو إِلى خَلعِ العِذارِ كَما كُنّا

وَنَغدو إِلى خَلعِ العِذارِ كَما كُنّا

We spent the night drunk, though we had drunk no wine,

We'd stay up drinking wine

And went out in the morning to cast off the bridle, as we once did.

And set out to remove garments as we were

وَكَم مُلِحٍّ وافى إِلَينا يَرُدُّنا

وَكَم مُلِحٍّ وافى إِلَينا يَرُدُّنا

فَلَما أَبَينا أَن نَروحَ مَضى عَنّا

فَلَما أَبَينا أَن نَروحَ مَضى عَنّا

And many an insistent fellow came to bring us back;

And how many jesters came to us, returning us

But when we refused to leave, he went away from us.

But when we refused to budge, they left us

أَحاديثُ أَمّا لَفظُها فَهوَ واضِحٌ

أَحاديثُ أَمّا لَفظُها فَهوَ واضِحٌ

جَلِيٌّ وَلَكِن قَلَّ مَن يَفهَمُ المَعنى

جَلِيٌّ وَلَكِن قَلَّ مَن يَفهَمُ المَعنى

Tales—as for their wording, it is clear,

Conversations - the words are clear

Plain, yet few understand the meaning.

Explicit, yet few understand the meaning

وَمُستَخبِرٍ عَنّا أَجَبنا سُؤالَهُ

وَمُستَخبِرٍ عَنّا أَجَبنا سُؤالَهُ

بِعَجماء لا عِلماً أَفادَت وَلا ظَنّا

بِعَجماء لا عِلماً أَفادَت وَلا ظَنّا

And an inquirer about us—we answered his question

And an inquirer asked us, so we answered his question

With an unintelligible reply that conveyed neither knowledge nor conjecture.

With gibberish, neither imparting knowledge nor guess

أَتانا فَسَمَّينا لَهُ الأَمرَ ناسِقاً

أَتانا فَسَمَّينا لَهُ الأَمرَ ناسِقاً

فَأَنبَسَ في إِبهامِهِ وَتَلَذَّذنا

فَأَنبَسَ في إِبهامِهِ وَتَلَذَّذنا

He came to us, so we called the matter “well-ordered” for him;

He came to us, so we called the matter far-fetched

Then he bit his thumb, and we took delight.

So he frowned and we were amused

يُفَسِّرُها لِلقَوم كُلُّ مُلَذَّذٍ

يُفَسِّرُها لِلقَوم كُلُّ مُلَذَّذٍ

تَواحَشَتِ الأَيّامُ في بُعدِهِ عَنّا

تَواحَشَتِ الأَيّامُ في بُعدِهِ عَنّا

Every man indulged in pleasure explains them to the company—

Each reveler explains it to the people

Days have grown desolate in his absence from us.

The days grew distant in his absence from us

ذَكَرنا بِها أَحبابَنا فَتَناثَرَت

ذَكَرنا بِها أَحبابَنا فَتَناثَرَت

مَدامِعُ لا يَتركنَ عَيناً وَلا جَفنا

مَدامِعُ لا يَتركنَ عَيناً وَلا جَفنا

Through them we recalled our loved ones, and there fell in showers

We remembered our loved ones and tears flowed

Tears that spared neither eye nor eyelid.

Leaving no eye or eyelid untouched

مَضوا وَبَقِينا لِلشَّقاوَةِ بَعدَهُم

مَضوا وَبَقِينا لِلشَّقاوَةِ بَعدَهُم

نَزورُ دِياراً ما نُحِبُّ لَها مَغنى

نَزورُ دِياراً ما نُحِبُّ لَها مَغنى

They departed, and we remained in misery after them,

They left and we remained in misery without them

We visit dwellings, but love no abode within them.

We visit homes, finding in them no joy