أعيشI live فيin ذكرىremembrance الجمالthe beauty الذيthat
أعيش في ذكرى الجمال الذي
أشرقshone حتىso that لاnot أرىI see مغربهits setting
أشرق حتى لا أرى مغربه
I live in remembrance of the beauty that
I live in memories of beauty that
Shone so brightly that I see no sunset for it.
Radiated, its sunset I cannot see,
متعتنىyou let me enjoy منهof it بماwith what أشتهىI desire
متعتنى منه بما أشتهى
كماjust as حوانيit enfolded me قبلbefore أنto أطلبهI seek it
كما حواني قبل أن أطلبه
You let me enjoy what I desire of it,
It gratified me with what I desired
Just as it enfolded me before I sought it.
As if it surrounded me before I asked,
لأذكرI do recall الشعرthe hair الحريرsilken الذيthat
لأذكر الشعر الحرير الذي
لمdid not يلبثdelay الحدثانtime's vicissitudes أنto شيبهturned it gray
لم يلبث الحدثان أن شيبه
I do recall the silken hair that
I recall the silken poetry that
Time's vicissitudes soon turned gray.
Grey hairs did not take long to color it white,
وأذكرand I recall الوجهthe face الجميلbeautiful الذيthat
وأذكر الوجه الجميل الذي
طالعتI beheld إذwhen لفحthe hot breath الصباyouth ألهبهset it aflame
طالعت إذ لفح الصبا ألهبه
And I recall the beautiful face that
And I recall the beautiful face that
I beheld when youth's hot breath set it aflame.
Dawned when the youth kindled its flame,
ماnot كنتI used to أستملحfind lovely منany غادةٍa graceful maiden
ما كنت أستملح من غادةٍ
إلاunless وفيهاand in her منكof you بعضsome الشبهresemblance
إلا وفيها منك بعض الشبه
I never found any maiden lovely
I saw no charm in any coquette
Unless she bore some resemblance to you.
Unless in her there was some of your semblance,
فكيفso how يسلوكforget you أليفa close companion كماjust as
فكيف يسلوك أليف كما
أدبكschooled you الحبlove فقدso it has أدبهschooled him
أدبك الحب فقد أدبه
How, then, could a close companion forget you? Just as
So how can a companion please me as
Love has schooled you, so has it schooled him.
Love disciplined you, and disciplined it,
وكيفand how أنسىI forget ماwhat نعمناwe delighted بهin it
وكيف أنسى ما نعمنا به
منof الهوىlove أعطىgave لناto us أطيبهits sweetest
من الهوى أعطى لنا أطيبه
And how can I forget what we enjoyed
And how can I forget what we delighted in
Of love, which gave us its sweetest?
Of passion that gave us its sweetest?