أَبِىrefused الدَّهْرُTime إِلاَّexcept فَعَالاًdeeds خَسِيْسَاbase
أَبِى الدَّهْرُ إِلاَّ فَعَالاً خَسِيْسَا
وَصَرْفاًand reversals يُبْدِّلُchanges نُعْمَاهُits blessings بُوسَاmisery
وَصَرْفاً يُبْدِّلُ نُعْمَاهُ بُوسَا
Time insists on nothing but base deeds,
Time has refused to treat me kindly,
and reversals that turn its blessings into misery.
Inflicting only base deeds and fickle turns of fortune,
وَكُنْتُand I used to أَرَىsee وَجْهَهُits face ضَاحِكَاًsmiling
وَكُنْتُ أَرَى وَجْهَهُ ضَاحِكَاً
فَأَبْدَلَنِيso it gave me instead مِنْهُin its place وَجْهَاًa face عَبُوسَاscowling
فَأَبْدَلَنِي مِنْهُ وَجْهَاً عَبُوسَا
And I used to see its face smiling,
Transforming smiles into frowns.
then it gave me a scowling face instead.
The events of time have turned my hair gray,
وَشَيَّبَنِيand made me gray حَادِثَاتُthe calamities الزَّمَانِof time
وَشَيَّبَنِي حَادِثَاتُ الزَّمَانِ
وَأَحْدَاثُهُنَّand their events تُشِيْبُturn gray الرُّؤُوسَاheads
وَأَحْدَاثُهُنَّ تُشِيْبُ الرُّؤُوسَا
And the calamities of time have made me gray,
And its occurrences whiten heads.
and the events they bring turn heads gray.
Time contested my garb of youth,
وَنَازَعَنِيand wrested from me الدَّهْرُTime ثَوْبَthe robe الشَّبَابِof youth
وَنَازَعَنِي الدَّهْرُ ثَوْبَ الشَّبَابِ
فَنَازَعَنِيthus wrested from me مِنْهُfrom it عِلْقَاًa treasure نَفِيْساprecious
فَنَازَعَنِي مِنْهُ عِلْقَاً نَفِيْسا
And Time wrested from me the robe of youth,
Wresting from me a precious shred.
thereby wresting away a precious treasure.
It reproaches me if I sit too long,
يُعَاتِبُنِيreproaches me إِنْif أَطَلْتُI prolong الجُلُوسَsitting
يُعَاتِبُنِي إِنْ أَطَلْتُ الجُلُوسَ
وَعَنْand for عُذُرٍa reason مَاsome أَطَلْتُI prolonged الجُلُوسَاsitting
وَعَنْ عُذُرٍ مَا أَطَلْتُ الجُلُوسَا
It reproaches me if I sit too long,
Though I have no excuse for prolonging my sitting.
yet I sit so long for a reason.
A sword may rest in its sheath, protected,
وَقَدْand sometimes يَمْكُثُremains السَّيْفُthe sword فِيin غِمْدِهِits sheath
وَقَدْ يَمْكُثُ السَّيْفُ فِي غِمْدِهِ
مَصُوناًprotected وَيَسْتَوْطِنُand makes its home اللَّيْثُthe lion خَيْسَاa thicket
مَصُوناً وَيَسْتَوْطِنُ اللَّيْثُ خَيْسَا
And a sword may linger in its sheath,
While a lion makes its home in a den.
kept safe; and a lion dwells in a thicket.
Shall I serve one who was my servant?
أَأَخْدُمُshall I serve مَنone who كَانَwas لِيfor me خَادِمَاًa servant
أَأَخْدُمُ مَن كَانَ لِي خَادِمَاً
وَأَتْبَعُand follow مَنْone who قَدْalready رَآنِيsaw me رَئِيْسَاa chief
وَأَتْبَعُ مَنْ قَدْ رَآنِي رَئِيْسَا
Shall I serve one who was my servant,
Shall I follow one who saw me as a leader?
and follow one who has seen me as a chief?
I have shunned my boon companion and wine -
جَفَوْتُI shunned النَّدِيْمَthe boon companion إِذَاًthen والْمُدَامَand wine
جَفَوْتُ النَّدِيْمَ إِذَاً والْمُدَامَ
وَأَصْبَحْتُand I became أُوذِيI trouble عَلَيهَاover it الجَلِيْسَاthe companion
وَأَصْبَحْتُ أُوذِي عَلَيهَا الجَلِيْسَا
Then I shunned my boon companion and wine,
I have become a nuisance to my friend.
and came to trouble my companion over it,
It is as if I am no longer excellent
كَأَنِّيَas though I لَمْhad not أَعْدُI galloped فِيin مِقْنَبٍa cavalry troop
كَأَنِّيَ لَمْ أَعْدُ فِي مِقْنَبٍ
أَفُلُّI rout بِحَدِّwith the edge of الخَمِيْسِthe army الخَمِيْسَاthe army
أَفُلُّ بِحَدِّ الخَمِيْسِ الخَمِيْسَا
as though I had never galloped in a cavalry troop,
In setting out on a Thursday eve.
routing an army with an army's edge,
I no longer hunt prey in its lair
وَأَقْتَنِصُand I hunt الوَحْشَwild game فِيin بِيْدِهَاits desert wastes
وَأَقْتَنِصُ الوَحْشَ فِي بِيْدِهَا
بِمُضْمَرَةٍwith lean-trained steeds تَجْتَذِبْنَthey tug at المُرُوسَاthe reins
بِمُضْمَرَةٍ تَجْتَذِبْنَ المُرُوسَا
and hunted wild game in its desert wastes,
With a spear that attracts the timid.
on lean-trained steeds that strained at their reins.
Frightening the gazelles with my form -
تَرُوعُthey terrify الظِّبَاءَthe gazelles بِأَشْخَاصِهَاwith their forms
تَرُوعُ الظِّبَاءَ بِأَشْخَاصِهَا
فَتَقْبِضُso they seize قَبْلَbefore الجُسُومِthe bodies النُّفُوسَاthe souls
فَتَقْبِضُ قَبْلَ الجُسُومِ النُّفُوسَا
They terrified the gazelles with their forms,
Seizing souls before the bodies can flee.
seizing their souls before their bodies;
Nor have I passed the cup in my prime
وَلَمْand had not أَدِرِI passed around الكَأسَthe cup فيamong فِتْيَةٍyoung men
وَلَمْ أَدِرِ الكَأسَ في فِتْيَةٍ
نُبَاكِرُهَاwe drink it at dawn قَهْوَةًwine خَنْدَرِيْسَاaged wine
نُبَاكِرُهَا قَهْوَةً خَنْدَرِيْسَا
and had never passed the cup among young men,
To the youths, beginning with coffee.
which we drank at dawn—potent, aged wine.
It is as if the cups in their hands
كَأَنَّas though الكُؤُوَسthe cups بِأَيْدِيهِمُin their hands
كَأَنَّ الكُؤُوَس بِأَيْدِيهِمُ
نُجُومُstars سَمَاءٍof a sky تُلاَقِيmeet شُمُوسَاsuns
نُجُومُ سَمَاءٍ تُلاَقِي شُمُوسَا
As though the cups in their hands
Are stars in a sky meeting suns.
were stars of a sky meeting suns.
Oh Lord, I once enjoyed a day
وَيَاand oh رُبَّmany a يَوْمٍday تَمَلَّيْتُهُI enjoyed it fully
وَيَا رُبَّ يَوْمٍ تَمَلَّيْتُهُ
سُرُورَاًjoyfully ببَطْاسَat Baṭās أوor بَانَقُوسَاBānaqūsā
سُرُورَاً ببَطْاسَ أو بَانَقُوسَا
Oh, how many a day I enjoyed to the full,
With entertainment, whether chess or the lute!
in gladness at Baṭās or Bānaqūsā!
Blessed is the monastery, the monastery of the tower,
وَيَاand oh حَبَّذَاhow lovely الدَّيْرُthe monastery دَيْرَthe monastery of البَرِيْجِal-Barīj
وَيَا حَبَّذَا الدَّيْرُ دَيْرَ البَرِيْجِ
تُجِيْبُanswer النَّوَاقِيْسُthe bells فِيْهِin it القُسُوسُاthe priests
تُجِيْبُ النَّوَاقِيْسُ فِيْهِ القُسُوسُا
And how lovely the monastery, the monastery of al-Barīj,
Where monks answer the call to prayer.
where the bells answer the priests!
If the staff of the monastery had not been guided
وَهَيْفَاءَand a slender-waisted beauty لَوْif لَمْnot تَمِسْshe swayed ماnot اهْتَدَىfound its way قَضِيْبُa bough
وَهَيْفَاءَ لَوْ لَمْ تَمِسْ ما اهْتَدَى قَضِيْبُ
الرِّيَاضِof the gardens إلَىto أَنْto (infinitive marker) يَمِيْسَاit sways
الرِّيَاضِ إلَى أَنْ يَمِيْسَا
And a slender-waisted beauty—had she not swayed, no bough
To support it until it took root,
of the gardens would have learned to sway.
Had Christianity's Jesus appeared
وَلَوand if بَرَزَتْshe appeared لِنَصَارَىto the Christians of المَسِيْthe Messiah (first part)
وَلَو بَرَزَتْ لِنَصَارَى المَسِيْ
حِcompletion of 'Messiah' عِيْسَىJesus لَدَانُواthey would have professed faith بِهَاin her دُونَinstead of عِيْسَىJesus
حِ عِيْسَى لَدَانُوا بِهَا دُونَ عِيْسَى
And had she appeared before the Christians of the Messiah,
To the Nazarenes, they would have turned from Jesus to it.
Jesus, they would have worshipped her instead of Jesus.
When I wish, I make eloquent speech flow
إِذَاwhenever شِئْتُI wished أُنْطِقُI make speak فِيin حِجْرِهَاher lap
إِذَا شِئْتُ أُنْطِقُ فِي حِجْرِهَا
لِسَانٌa tongue فَصِيْحٌeloquent يُهِيْجُstirs الرَّسِيْسَاlatent passion
لِسَانٌ فَصِيْحٌ يُهِيْجُ الرَّسِيْسَا
Whenever I wish, I give voice in her lap
From her lap, arousing the apathetic.
to an eloquent tongue that stirs latent passion.
Commanding travel through empty quarters -
وَآمِرَةٍand a woman urging بِرُكُوبِto ride across الفَلاَةِthe wilderness
وَآمِرَةٍ بِرُكُوبِ الفَلاَةِ
وَأنْand to أُعْمِلَI put to work الطَّرْفَthe noble steed وَالعَنْتَرِيْسَاand the hardy she-camel
وَأنْ أُعْمِلَ الطَّرْفَ وَالعَنْتَرِيْسَا
And a woman who urged me to ride across the wilderness,
Activating my eyes and chivalry.
and put my steed and hardy she-camel to work,
She saw I had sufficed and sought no more
رَأَتْنِيshe saw me قَنِعْتُI was content وَلَمْand had not أَلْتَمِسْI sought
رَأَتْنِي قَنِعْتُ وَلَمْ أَلْتَمِسْ
لِقَاءَmeeting وُجُوهْfaces تُطِيْلُprolong العُبُوسَاscowling
لِقَاءَ وُجُوهْ تُطِيْلُ العُبُوسَا
saw that I was content and did not seek
The company of faces that prolong frowns.
to meet faces that prolong their scowls.
Let me deal with time's fortunes
دَعِيْنِيleave me أُمَارِسُI grapple with صَرْفَthe vicissitudes الزَّمَانِof time
دَعِيْنِي أُمَارِسُ صَرْفَ الزَّمَانِ
وَأَلْبَسُand I wear فِيin كُلِّevery حَالٍcondition لَبُوسَاa garb
وَأَلْبَسُ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ لَبُوسَا
Leave me to grapple with Time's vicissitudes,
And don a new garb in every situation.
and put on a garb for every circumstance.
For when clothes are worn long
فَإِنَّfor indeed الثِّيَابَthe garments إِذَاwhen مَاfor emphasis خَلُقْbecame worn (continued)
فَإِنَّ الثِّيَابَ إِذَا مَا خَلُقْ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) كَانَتْbecame جُلُودُthe skins الرِّجَالِof men اللَّبُوسَاthe clothing
نَ كَانَتْ جُلُودُ الرِّجَالِ اللَّبُوسَا
For when garments wear
They become like the skins of seasoned men.
out, men's skins become their clothing.
I have seen the branches of the generous
فَإِنِّيfor I رَأَيْتُhave seen فُرُوعَthe locks الكِرَامِof noble men
فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فُرُوعَ الكِرَامِ
يَشِبْنَturn gray إِذّاwhen مَاfor emphasis ابْتَذَلْنَthey debase الرُّؤُوسَاthe heads
يَشِبْنَ إِذّا مَا ابْتَذَلْنَ الرُّؤُوسَا
For I have seen the locks of noble men
Turn white when their heads are brought low.
turn gray when their heads are debased.
Partial English translation: 45 of 46 Arabic lines translated.