وصف الدنيا كثيرو

وصف الدنيا كثيرو

ن ولكن ما أصابوا

ن ولكن ما أصابوا

Many have described the world,

Many have described the world, but they did not get it right.

but they have not hit the mark.

In my view, the correct description is as follows:

إنما عندي في تص

إنما عندي في تص

ويرها القول الصواب

ويرها القول الصواب

I alone, in portraying

She is beautiful, but her youth is not rewarding.

her, have the right words.

She is ugly, but one cannot resist her charm.

هي حسناء ولكن

هي حسناء ولكن

صبها ليس يثاب

صبها ليس يثاب

She is beautiful, yet

Her ugliness is overlooked, while her beauty is criticized.

her ardent lover goes unrewarded.

To the eyes she is an old hag, but to the heart she is playful.

وهي شوهاء ولكن

وهي شوهاء ولكن

عن هواها لا يتاب

عن هواها لا يتاب

And she is ugly, yet

To the gaze she is hideous, but to the young she is glamorous.

no one repents of loving her.

Her sweetness in the mouth is mixed with bitterness when shared.

قبحها يُطرى وام

قبحها يُطرى وام

ما حسنها فهو يعاب

ما حسنها فهو يعاب

Her ugliness is praised; as for

She made me drink the wine, so I was fooled by the drink.

her beauty, it is faulted.

I ardently sought union with her, but she scorned my passion.

هي في العين عجوز

هي في العين عجوز

وهي في القلب كعاب

وهي في القلب كعاب

To the eye she is an old woman,

I turned away from the world - I do not blame the world.

and in the heart she is a full-breasted maiden.

It is as if love is a sin, and sincerity a fault.

انها شمطاء في نظر

انها شمطاء في نظر

تها يزهو الشباب

تها يزهو الشباب

She is gray-haired; in her gaze

It is as if old age is my punishment for my sins.

youth shines proudly.

My life today in Baghdad is not pleasant.

حلوها في الفم عِن

حلوها في الفم عِن

دَ البذل بالمر يشاب

دَ البذل بالمر يشاب

Her sweetness in the mouth, at the time

She almost deafened me with her clamor.

of giving, is mingled with bitterness.

Old age, then vengeance and difficult enemies.

قد سقتني الخمر مِن

قد سقتني الخمر مِن

فيها فاغراني الشراب

فيها فاغراني الشراب

She has given me wine to drink from

I sought water but found only a mirage.

her mouth, and the drink beguiled me.

The water is gone, and my heart burns for it.

وطلبت الوصل ملحا

وطلبت الوصل ملحا

حاً فاعياني الطلاب

حاً فاعياني الطلاب

And I sought union insistently,

My youth has departed - Oh, if only youth would return!

and the quest exhausted me.

When a man's youth departs, the world falls into ruin.

اعرضت دنياي عني

اعرضت دنياي عني

ما على الدنيا عتاب

ما على الدنيا عتاب

My world turned away from me;

Wait, for it is a life that ends, then collapses.

no blame rests on the world.

All who walk upon the earth are but dust.

وكأن الحب ذنب

وكأن الحب ذنب

وكأن الصدق عاب

وكأن الصدق عاب

And as though love were a sin,

It makes smooth what was uneven ground.

and as though truthfulness were a fault,

Only the sheep and wolves of the world are praised in war.

وكأن الشيب لي مِن

وكأن الشيب لي مِن

ها على ذنبي عقاب

ها على ذنبي عقاب

and as though my gray hair were, from

Would that truth sharpened its defenses against falsehood!

her, a punishment for my sin.

For the peel is bitter, and the core is sweet.

ليس عيشي اليوم في

ليس عيشي اليوم في

بغداد عيشاً يستطاب

بغداد عيشاً يستطاب

My life today in

Nothing in the world defeats blood and fire.

Baghdad is not a life to relish.

ولقد كادت بها ترني

ولقد كادت بها ترني

لي الصم الصلاب

لي الصم الصلاب

And there they almost felt pity [uncertain reading]

for me—the deaf, hard stones.

كبر ثم نكايات

كبر ثم نكايات

واعداء صعاب

واعداء صعاب

Old age, then injuries,

and formidable enemies.

قد طلبت الماء اع

قد طلبت الماء اع

دو واذا الماء سراب

دو واذا الماء سراب

I sought water, running,

and behold, the water was a mirage.

ذهب الماء وفي القل

ذهب الماء وفي القل

بِ الى الماء لهاب

بِ الى الماء لهاب

The water vanished, and in my heart

a flame burned for water.

انا قد ولى شبابي

انا قد ولى شبابي

آه لو عاد الشباب

آه لو عاد الشباب

As for me, my youth has gone.

Ah, if only youth returned!

واذا ولّى شباب

واذا ولّى شباب

المرء فالدنيا خراب

المرء فالدنيا خراب

And when youth has left

a person, the world lies in ruins.

انتظر فهي حياة

انتظر فهي حياة

تنقضي ثم تباب

تنقضي ثم تباب

Wait, for it is a life

that passes, and then comes ruin.

كل من يمشي برجليه

كل من يمشي برجليه

على الارض تراب

على الارض تراب

Everyone who walks on his two feet

upon the earth is dust.

سر ان اسطعت فخل

سر ان اسطعت فخل

ف الواطئ السهل هضاب

ف الواطئ السهل هضاب

Walk on, if you can: beyond

the low, level ground lie hills.

انما ابناء دن

انما ابناء دن

ياك خراف وذئاب

ياك خراف وذئاب

The children of your world are only

sheep and wolves.

انما يحمد في الحر

انما يحمد في الحر

بِ من السيف الذباب

بِ من السيف الذباب

In war, the only thing praised

in a sword is its point.

حبذا لو شحذت ذودا

حبذا لو شحذت ذودا

عن الحق الحراب

عن الحق الحراب

Would that they were sharpened in defense

of right—the spears!

النا القشر من الأَم

النا القشر من الأَم

رِ وللغير اللباب

رِ وللغير اللباب

Is the husk of the matter ours,

while others have the kernel?

ما على الارض بِغَي

ما على الارض بِغَي

رِ الدم والنار غلاب

رِ الدم والنار غلاب

There is no victory on earth without

blood and fire.