أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل نَعيمُكَ مُقبِلُ

أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل نَعيمُكَ مُقبِلُ

وَهَل راجِعٌ مِن عَيشِنا ما نُؤَمِّلُ

وَهَل راجِعٌ مِن عَيشِنا ما نُؤَمِّلُ

O time gone by, is your bliss approaching?

For how long, O Time, has delight turned away?

And will the life we hope for return?

Will any joy in our life return that we yearn for?

أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل لَنا مِنكَ عَودَةٌ

أَدَهراً تَوَلّى هَل لَنا مِنكَ عَودَةٌ

لَعَلَّكَ يُعدي آخِراً مِنكَ أَوَّلُ

لَعَلَّكَ يُعدي آخِراً مِنكَ أَوَّلُ

O time gone by, will you return to us?

For how long, O Time, have you turned from us?

Perhaps your earlier days will infect your later ones with joy.

Will you ever bring back what is gone?

سَلامٌ عَلى اللَذاتِ حَتّى يُعيدَها

سَلامٌ عَلى اللَذاتِ حَتّى يُعيدَها

خَليعُ عِذارٍ أَو رَقيبٌ مُغَفَّلُ

خَليعُ عِذارٍ أَو رَقيبٌ مُغَفَّلُ

Farewell to pleasures until they are brought back

Farewell to delights until a deceitful flirt

By one who casts off his bridle, or a duped watcher.

or a heedless critic restores them.

أَثَرتُ مَطِيَّ القَصفِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

أَثَرتُ مَطِيَّ القَصفِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

فَلا القَصفُ مَتبوعٌ وَلا هِيَ تَرحَلُ

فَلا القَصفُ مَتبوعٌ وَلا هِيَ تَرحَلُ

I roused the mounts of revelry in its resting place;

I roused the steed of battle in its pasture,

So revelry goes unfollowed, nor do they depart.

but neither it desired to race nor did the racecourse remain.

وَأَخلَيتُ ميدانَ الصِبا مِن بَناتِهِ

وَأَخلَيتُ ميدانَ الصِبا مِن بَناتِهِ

وَإِنّي بِها لَلمُستَهامُ المُوَكَّلُ

وَإِنّي بِها لَلمُستَهامُ المُوَكَّلُ

And I cleared youthful passion's arena of its daughters,

I emptied the field of youth of its girls,

And I am indeed their lovesick, devoted lover.

though I was the most zealous guardian assigned to them.

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهوِ أَيّامُنا الأُلى

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهوِ أَيّامُنا الأُلى

أَتَذهَبُ فَوتاً أَو تَعودُ فَتُقبِلُ

أَتَذهَبُ فَوتاً أَو تَعودُ فَتُقبِلُ

Ah, our former days in the pursuit of pleasure—

Alas! Our fleeting days of frivolity,

Will they vanish beyond recall, or return and draw near?

do they vanish never to return?

كَأَنّي لَم أَشهَد مِنَ الراحِ مَشهَداً

كَأَنّي لَم أَشهَد مِنَ الراحِ مَشهَداً

لَذيذاً وَلَم أَستَبقِها وَهيَ تُقتَلُ

لَذيذاً وَلَم أَستَبقِها وَهيَ تُقتَلُ

As though I had never attended a gathering over wine,

As though I never witnessed the vineyard of delight

A delightful one, nor kept it alive while it was being slain;

in all its sweetness before it was destroyed.

وَلَم أَحمَدِ الأَيّامَ وَالعَيشَ بَينَنا

وَلَم أَحمَدِ الأَيّامَ وَالعَيشَ بَينَنا

نُعَلُّ مِنَ اللَذاتِ طَوراً وَنُنهَلُ

نُعَلُّ مِنَ اللَذاتِ طَوراً وَنُنهَلُ

Nor praised the days and the life we shared,

As though I never praised the days and life amongst us

As we were given pleasures to drink—now a second draught, now a first.

when we would revel in pleasure and then grow sober.

فَلا رُبَّ حَربٍ لِلمُدامِ أَثَرتُها

فَلا رُبَّ حَربٍ لِلمُدامِ أَثَرتُها

وَقَصطَلُها جادِيُّها وَالقَرَنفُلُ

وَقَصطَلُها جادِيُّها وَالقَرَنفُلُ

But no! Many a battle for wine have I stirred up,

Many a war have I waged for the wine of revelry

And its battle-dust was its saffron and cloves.

whose perfume mingled with basil I inhaled.

عَلَينا رَياحينُ الحَياةِ وَفَوقَنا

عَلَينا رَياحينُ الحَياةِ وَفَوقَنا

سَحائِبُ بِالعَيشِ المُقارِفِ تَهطِلُ

سَحائِبُ بِالعَيشِ المُقارِفِ تَهطِلُ

Upon us were life's fragrant blossoms, and above us

The zephyrs of life blow upon us still

Clouds poured down a life that mingled with us.

and above us float clouds pregnant with bountiful life.

وَكَأسِ نَدامى يَعشَقُ الشُربُ شَخصَها

وَكَأسِ نَدامى يَعشَقُ الشُربُ شَخصَها

لَها مَنظَرٌ دونَ الزُجاجَةِ أَسهَلُ

لَها مَنظَرٌ دونَ الزُجاجَةِ أَسهَلُ

And many a cup of boon companions, whose form the drinkers adored—

And a goblet of wine that enchants with its very sight,

Her aspect is gentler without the glass.

easier to behold unveiled than behind glass.

قَرَنتُ بِها الإِبريقَ فَاِفتَرَّ ضاحِكاً

قَرَنتُ بِها الإِبريقَ فَاِفتَرَّ ضاحِكاً

وَحَلَّ لَها خَلفَ النِقابِ المُقَبَّلُ

وَحَلَّ لَها خَلفَ النِقابِ المُقَبَّلُ

I joined the pitcher to her, and it broke into a laughing smile;

When I coupled it with the ewer, it burst out laughing,

And behind the veil, the mouth was hers to kiss.

and kissed me from behind its veil.

وَمُختَلَسٍ مِن شَهرِهِ بِنَعيمِهِ

وَمُختَلَسٍ مِن شَهرِهِ بِنَعيمِهِ

عَلى غَفلَةٍ مِن شانِئٍ لَيسَ يَغفُلَ

عَلى غَفلَةٍ مِن شانِئٍ لَيسَ يَغفُلَ

And many a day stolen from its month, along with its bliss,

Stolen pleasures taste sweetest when shared

While a hater who never grows heedless was caught unawares.

with a boon companion, not a faultfinding critic.

تَلافَيتُهُ بِالقَصفِ فَاِغتَلتُ طولَهُ

تَلافَيتُهُ بِالقَصفِ فَاِغتَلتُ طولَهُ

وَلا يَومَ في أَيّامِهِ مِنهُ أَطوَلُ

وَلا يَومَ في أَيّامِهِ مِنهُ أَطوَلُ

I reclaimed it through revelry, then slew its length by stealth,

I raced with it to the finish and won its length

And no day among that month's days was longer than it.

though no day in its count was longer than another.

غَدا بِبَناتِ اللَهوِ عَنّي أَميرُها

غَدا بِبَناتِ اللَهوِ عَنّي أَميرُها

وَأَثكَلَنيهِنَّ الإِمامُ المُعَذِّلُ

وَأَثكَلَنيهِنَّ الإِمامُ المُعَذِّلُ

In the morning, their prince bore pleasure's daughters away from me,

Tomorrow the prince of frivolity will lead away

And the reproving imam bereaved me of them.

the girls of play while I remain heavy of heart.

فَما أَذكُرُ اللَذاتِ إِلّا كَأَنَّما

فَما أَذكُرُ اللَذاتِ إِلّا كَأَنَّما

يُمَثِّلُها لي في النَدِيِّ مُمَثِّلُ

يُمَثِّلُها لي في النَدِيِّ مُمَثِّلُ

So whenever I recall pleasures, it is as though

When I recall those delights now it is as though

A performer were portraying them for me in the gathering.

an actor were miming them for me on stage.

لَعُمرُكَ لَو أَحبَبتُ لَم أَدَعِ الصِبا

لَعُمرُكَ لَو أَحبَبتُ لَم أَدَعِ الصِبا

لِشَيءٍ وَلَكِنَّ التَعَزِّيَ أَجمَلُ

لِشَيءٍ وَلَكِنَّ التَعَزِّيَ أَجمَلُ

By your life, had I wished, I would not have forsaken youthful passion

By your life! Had I desired I'd not have forsaken youth

For anything; yet resignation is more becoming.

for anything, but accepting fate is best.