أَقفَرَ مَغنى الدِيارِ بِالنَجِفِ

أَقفَرَ مَغنى الدِيارِ بِالنَجِفِ

وَحُلتُ عَمّا عَهِدتُ مِن لَطَفِ

وَحُلتُ عَمّا عَهِدتُ مِن لَطَفِ

The site of the dwellings at Najaf has fallen desolate.

The dwellings in Najaf are desolate of song,

And I have turned from the tenderness I once knew.

And I have ceased from what I was used to of gentleness.

طَوَيتُ عَنها الرِضا مُذَمَّمَةً

طَوَيتُ عَنها الرِضا مُذَمَّمَةً

لَمّا اِنطَوى غَضُّ عَيشِها الأُنُفِ

لَمّا اِنطَوى غَضُّ عَيشِها الأُنُفِ

I folded away my favor from those blameworthy dwellings,

I turned away satisfied though it was painful,

when the fresh bloom of their pristine life was folded away.

When the prime of its life faded away.

حَلَلتُ عَن سَكرَةِ الصِبابَةِ مِن

حَلَلتُ عَن سَكرَةِ الصِبابَةِ مِن

خَوفِ إِلَهي بِمَعزَلٍ قَذُفِ

خَوفِ إِلَهي بِمَعزَلٍ قَذُفِ

I shook off the intoxication of passionate love, while from

I refrained from the intoxication of youth,

fear of my God I stood at a far remove.

Fearing my God in seclusion and solitude.

سَئِمتُ وِردَ الصِبا فَقَد يَئِسَت

سَئِمتُ وِردَ الصِبا فَقَد يَئِسَت

مِنّي بَناتُ الخُدورِ وَالخَزَفِ

مِنّي بَناتُ الخُدورِ وَالخَزَفِ

I have wearied of youth's draught, for they have lost hope

I grew weary of visiting the youths, so they

in me—the daughters of curtained chambers and earthen jars.

Despaired of me, the girls of tents and cottages.

سَلَوتُ عَن نُهَّدٍ نُسِبنَ إِلى

سَلَوتُ عَن نُهَّدٍ نُسِبنَ إِلى

حُسنِ قَوامٍ وَاللَحظُ في وَطَفِ

حُسنِ قَوامٍ وَاللَحظُ في وَطَفِ

I ceased longing for full-breasted women, known for

I avoided the breasts attributed to a shapely figure,

beauty of stature, their glances amid thick lashes.

And a glance circulating amidst the twisting paths.

يَمَدُدنَ حَبلَ الصِبا لِمَن أَلِفَت

يَمَدُدنَ حَبلَ الصِبا لِمَن أَلِفَت

رِجلاهُ قِدَّ المُحولِ وَالدَنَفِ

رِجلاهُ قِدَّ المُحولِ وَالدَنَفِ

They stretch the cord of youthful passion to one whose

They stretch the rope of youth for whoever's legs

feet have grown used to the leather strap of wasting and sickness.

Are straight like tent poles standing upright.

وَمُدنَفٍ زادَ في النُحولِ مِنَ ال

وَمُدنَفٍ زادَ في النُحولِ مِنَ ال

وَجدِ إِلى مِثلِ دِقَّةِ الأَلِفِ

وَجدِ إِلى مِثلِ دِقَّةِ الأَلِفِ

And an ailing man, grown thinner through

And an emaciated one who increased his leanness

love's anguish, until he is slender as the letter alif.

With passion, to the thinness of an arm bone.

يُشارِكُ الطَيرَ في النَحيبِ وَلا

يُشارِكُ الطَيرَ في النَحيبِ وَلا

يُشرِكُهُ في النُحولِ وَالقَضَفِ

يُشرِكُهُ في النُحولِ وَالقَضَفِ

He joins the birds in wailing, but does not

He shares the birds in lamenting, but does not

let them share his leanness and wasting.

Share with them leanness, hardship, and distress.

وَمُسمِعاتٍ نَهَكنَ أَعظُمَهُ

وَمُسمِعاتٍ نَهَكنَ أَعظُمَهُ

فَهوَ مِنَ الضَيمِ غَيرُ مُنتَصِفِ

فَهوَ مِنَ الضَيمِ غَيرُ مُنتَصِفِ

And singing women who have worn down his bones,

And female listeners whom he made suffer greatly,

so he gains no redress for the wrong done him,

So he gets no justice from the oppression.

مُفتَخِراتٍ بِالجَورِ عُجباً كَما

مُفتَخِراتٍ بِالجَورِ عُجباً كَما

يَفخَرُ أَهلُ السَفاهِ بِالجَنَفِ

يَفخَرُ أَهلُ السَفاهِ بِالجَنَفِ

boasting of their cruelty in conceit, just as

Proud of tyranny, how strange, as are

the foolish boast of crookedness.

The foolish proud of insanity and deviation.

وَقَهوَةٍ مِن نِتاجِ قُطرَبُلٍ

وَقَهوَةٍ مِن نِتاجِ قُطرَبُلٍ

تَخطِفُ عَقلَ الفَتى بِلا عُنُفِ

تَخطِفُ عَقلَ الفَتى بِلا عُنُفِ

And wine from the yield of Qutrabul,

And coffee from the produce of Qatrabul,

which steals a young man's mind without violence,

That steals the intellect of the youth without force.

تُرجِعُ شَرخَ الشَبابِ لِلخَرِفِ الف

تُرجِعُ شَرخَ الشَبابِ لِلخَرِفِ الف

اني وَتُدني الفَتى مِنَ الشَغَفِ

اني وَتُدني الفَتى مِنَ الشَغَفِ

restores youth's prime to the senile man fading

It returns the crevices of youth to the doddering old,

away, and draws the young man toward consuming love.

And brings the young man closer to senility.