حُلَلُrobes الشّبِيْبَةِyouth مُسْتَعَارَهْborrowed
حُلَلُ الشّبِيْبَةِ مُسْتَعَارَهْ
فَدَعِso leave الصِّبَاyouth واهْجُرْand forsake دِيَارَهْits dwellings
فَدَعِ الصِّبَا واهْجُرْ دِيَارَهْ
The robes of youth are borrowed;
The follies of youth are borrowed garments
so leave youth behind and forsake its dwellings.
So leave youth and abandon its dwellings
لاdo not يَشْغَلْنَكَdistract you عنfrom العُلاَeminence
لا يَشْغَلْنَكَ عن العُلاَ
خَوْدٌa tender maiden تُمَنِّيْكَmakes you hope for الزِّيَارَهْa visit
خَوْدٌ تُمَنِّيْكَ الزِّيَارَهْ
Do not be distracted from eminence
Let not empty pleasures distract you from greatness
by a tender maiden who makes you hope for a visit:
Alluring glances that adorn their arms with bracelets
خَوْدٌa tender maiden تُطَيَّبُis perfumed طِيْبَهَاher perfume
خَوْدٌ تُطَيَّبُ طِيْبَهَا
وَيَزِيْنُand adorns ساعِدُهَاher forearm سِوَارَهْits bracelet
وَيَزِيْنُ ساعِدُهَا سِوَارَهْ
a tender maiden, perfumed with her own perfume,
The beginnings of love are sweet
whose forearm adorns its bracelet.
But its ends turn bitter
تَحْلُوare sweet أوائِلُthe beginnings of حُبِّهَاlove for her
تَحْلُو أوائِلُ حُبِّهَا
وتَشُوبُand taints آخِرَهُits end مَرَارَهْbitterness
وتَشُوبُ آخِرَهُ مَرَارَهْ
The beginnings of love for her are sweet,
What excuse for one like you, having discarded
and bitterness taints its end.
In the drunkenness of pleasure, his modesty
ماwhat عُذْرُexcuse مِثْلِكَone like you خالِعاًcasting off
ما عُذْرُ مِثْلِكَ خالِعاً
فيin سُكْرِintoxication of لَذّتِهِhis pleasure عِذَارَهْhis bridle
في سُكْرِ لَذّتِهِ عِذَارَهْ
What excuse has one like you for casting off
After having tied the waist-wrap tightly
his bridle in the intoxication of his pleasure,
When youthfulness flourished in his time
منfrom بَعْدِafter ماthat شَدَّfastened الأَشَدْmaturity (first part)
من بَعْدِ ما شَدَّ الأَشَدْ
دُcompletion of 'maturity' عَلَىabout تَلاَبِيْهِhis collar إزَارَهْits girdle
دُ عَلَى تَلاَبِيْهِ إزَارَهْ
after maturity has fastened
What pride that a young man awakes
its girdle about his collar?
With a huge frame and bulging muscles
مَنْwhoever سَادَachieved preeminence فيin عَصْرِthe age of الشَّبَاyouth (first part)
مَنْ سَادَ في عَصْرِ الشَّبَا
بِcompletion of 'youth' غَدَتْcame to be لسُؤْدَدِهِfor his preeminence نَضَارَهْfresh bloom
بِ غَدَتْ لسُؤْدَدِهِ نَضَارَهْ
Whoever achieves preeminence in the age of youth—
Preoccupied with drinking wine
his preeminence gains a fresh bloom.
Known for romancing maidens behind curtains
ماnot الفَخْرُglory أنthat يَغْدُوbecomes الفَتَىthe young man
ما الفَخْرُ أن يَغْدُو الفَتَى
مُتَسَبِّعاًbehaving like a beast ضَخْمَmassive الجُزَارَهْlimbs
مُتَسَبِّعاً ضَخْمَ الجُزَارَهْ
There is no glory in a young man becoming
His sitting room abandoned; no guests visit his house
beastlike, massive of limb,
The pride is that a young man angers his enemies
كَلِفًenamored بِشُرْبِof drinking الرّاحِwine مَشْinfatuated (first part)
كَلِفً بِشُرْبِ الرّاحِ مَشْ
عُوفاًcompletion of 'infatuated' بِغِزْلاَنِwith the gazelles of السِّتَارَهْthe curtain
عُوفاً بِغِزْلاَنِ السِّتَارَهْ
enamored of drinking wine, infatuated
And honors his neighbor
with the gazelles behind the curtain,
And protects his reputation
مهجورَةًdeserted عَرَصَاتُهُhis courtyards
مهجورَةً عَرَصَاتُهُ
لاnot يقرَبُapproach الأضيافُthe guests دَارَهْhis house
لا يقرَبُ الأضيافُ دَارَهْ
his courtyards deserted,
And rages against the slanderer like fire
no guests drawing near his house.
And strives either for leadership
الفَخْرُglory أنthat يُشْجَىgrieves الفَتَىthe young man
الفَخْرُ أن يُشْجَى الفَتَى
أعداءَهُhis enemies وَيُعَزُّand honors جارَهْhis neighbor
أعداءَهُ وَيُعَزُّ جارَهْ
Glory is that a young man grieves
Or for the ministry and governance
his enemies and honors his neighbor,
Competent in writing, discourse and eloquence
وَيَذُبُّand defends عَنْagainst harm to أعراضِهِhis honor
وَيَذُبُّ عَنْ أعراضِهِ
ويَشُتَّand spreads للطُّرَّاقِfor night visitors نَارَهْhis fire
ويَشُتَّ للطُّرَّاقِ نَارَهْ
and defends his honor,
With resolute determination, avoiding disgrace
and spreads his fire for night visitors,
As if, from his shrewdness and penetration, he is
ويَرُوحُand goes إماeither للإماtoward rulership (first part)
ويَرُوحُ إما للإما
رَةِcompletion of 'rulership' سعيُهُhis striving أوor للوِزَارَهْtoward the ministry
رَةِ سعيُهُ أو للوِزَارَهْ
and toward either rulership goes
A spark that is feared and hoped for
his striving, or toward the ministry.
And seen as noble and eminent
فردُpeerless in الكتابَةِwriting والخَطَاand oratory (first part)
فردُ الكتابَةِ والخَطَا
بَةِcompletion of 'oratory' والبَلاغَةِand eloquence والعِبَارَهْand expression
بَةِ والبَلاغَةِ والعِبَارَهْ
Peerless in writing and oratory,
In a revered procession, as if
in eloquence and expression,
The night had clothed him in a cloak
مُتَيَقَّظُalert العَزَماتِresolves يَجْshuns (first part)
مُتَيَقَّظُ العَزَماتِ يَجْ
تَنِبُcompletion of 'shuns' الكَرَىsleep إلاّexcept غِرَارَهْbrief snatches of it
تَنِبُ الكَرَى إلاّ غِرَارَهْ
alert in his resolves, he shuns
Tribes boast of him, the dust scattering
sleep save for brief snatches of it.
From their shoulders when he nods
وكأنّهand as though he were منfrom حِدّةٍkeenness
وكأنّه من حِدّةٍ
ونفاذِand incisiveness of تدبيرٍplanning شَرَارَهْa spark
ونفاذِ تدبيرٍ شَرَارَهْ
And he seems, in keenness
And the sons of the deserted encampments
and incisive planning, a spark,
Prolong their watching for his caravans
حتىuntil يُخَافَis feared ويُرْتَجَىand is looked to with hope
حتى يُخَافَ ويُرْتَجَى
ويُرَىand is seen لهbelonging to him نَشَبٌwealth وشَارَهْand finery
ويُرَى له نَشَبٌ وشَارَهْ
until he inspires fear and hope,
So strive for new or old glory
and is seen to possess wealth and finery,
And raise its minaret high
فيin موكِبٍa procession لَجِبٍclamorous كأنas though
في موكِبٍ لَجِبٍ كأن
الليلَnight أَلْبَسَهُclothed him خِمَارَهْits veil
الليلَ أَلْبَسَهُ خِمَارَهْ
in a clamorous procession, as though
And build for yourself through greatness a condition
night had clothed him in its veil.
And be of beautiful character
تُزْهَىtake pride بِهِin him عُصَبٌbands تُنْفْshake off (first part)
تُزْهَى بِهِ عُصَبٌ تُنْفْ
فِضُcompletion of 'shake off' عنfrom مناكِبِهَاtheir shoulders غُبَارَهْhis dust
فِضُ عن مناكِبِهَا غُبَارَهْ
Bands take pride in him, shaking
And establish for it a market that spends on it
his dust from their shoulders,
And brings it trade
ويُطِيْلُand prolong أبناءُsons الرَّغاdesires (first part)
ويُطِيْلُ أبناءُ الرَّغا
ئِبِcompletion of 'desires' فيalong مسالِكِهِhis paths انتظارَهْwaiting for him
ئِبِ في مسالِكِهِ انتظارَهْ
and the sons of desire prolong
Do not live uselessly and avoid
their waiting for him along his paths.
That which the noble fear its shame
فادْأَبْso toil لمجدٍfor glory حادِثٍnew
فادْأَبْ لمجدٍ حادِثٍ
أوor سالِفٍpast تُعْلِيyou raise مَنَارَهْits beacon
أو سالِفٍ تُعْلِي مَنَارَهْ
So toil for newly won glory,
And if the best foods are unavailable to you
or past glory whose beacon you raise.
Then eat stones
واعمُرْand build لِنَفْسِكَfor yourself فيin العُلاَeminence
واعمُرْ لِنَفْسِكَ في العُلاَ
حَالاًa station وَكُنْand be حَسَنَgood at العِمَارَهْbuilding
حَالاً وَكُنْ حَسَنَ العِمَارَهْ
And build for yourself, in eminence,
a station, and build it well.
وأقِمْand establish لهاfor it سُوقاًa market تُنَفْmake saleable (first part)
وأقِمْ لها سُوقاً تُنَفْ
فِقُهاcompletion of 'make it saleable' وَتَأْخُذُهَاand take it تِجارَهْas a trade
فِقُها وَتَأْخُذُهَا تِجارَهْ
And set up a market for it, making
it sell readily, and take it as a trade.
لاdo not تَغْدُbecome كَلاًّa burden واجْتَنِبْand avoid
لا تَغْدُ كَلاًّ واجْتَنِبْ
أمْراًa matter يَخَافُfears الحُرُّthe free man عارَهْits shame
أمْراً يَخَافُ الحُرُّ عارَهْ
Do not become a burden, and avoid
anything whose shame a free man fears.
وإذاand if عَدِمْتَyou lack مِنamong المآfoods (first part)
وإذا عَدِمْتَ مِن المآ
كِلِcompletion of 'foods' خَيْرَهَاthe best of them فكُلِthen eat الحِجَارَهْstones
كِلِ خَيْرَهَا فكُلِ الحِجَارَهْ
And if, among foods, you lack
the best of them, then eat stones.
Partial English translation: 42 of 50 Arabic lines translated.