كاد يسعى للتصابي أو سعى

كاد يسعى للتصابي أو سعى

ويحه ما عف حتى نزعا

ويحه ما عف حتى نزعا

He almost tried to play the youth—or did try.

He almost ran to the ruins, or did run,

Woe to him! He was not chaste until he desisted.

Alas! He did not stop until he collapsed.

الصبا لا سامح اللَه الصبا

الصبا لا سامح اللَه الصبا

نبهت من غيه ما هجعا

نبهت من غيه ما هجعا

The east wind—may God not forgive the east wind—

Youth does not forgive, may God not forgive youth,

awakened what had slumbered of his folly,

It roused him from his heedlessness, no rest.

واستثارت من أقاصي لبه

واستثارت من أقاصي لبه

صبوة كان رثاها ونعي

صبوة كان رثاها ونعي

and stirred, from the furthest reaches of his mind,

And it stirred in him a youthful folly,

a passion he had elegized and mourned.

Which he had lamented and mourned as dead.

قد صبا طوع هواة ما صبا

قد صبا طوع هواة ما صبا

ورعى شهب الدياجي ما رعى

ورعى شهب الدياجي ما رعى

He loved at lovers’ bidding whenever he loved,

It poured unrestrainedly, as youth had poured,

and watched the bright stars of dark nights whenever he kept watch.

And pastured the stars of night, as it had pastured.

هجن سترها ليل الصبا

هجن سترها ليل الصبا

نض عنها صبح فود طلعا

نض عنها صبح فود طلعا

Flaws that the night of youth had veiled,

The night of youth veiled its coverings,

the dawn rising at his temple laid bare.

Dawn rent them, and the day broke through.

وعثار قد أقالته النهى

وعثار قد أقالته النهى

فإن استأنفت فيه لا لعا

فإن استأنفت فيه لا لعا

And a stumble that reason had already pardoned—

Farewell turned away the admonitions,

if you repeat it, may you not recover!

If it starts over, do not respond.

زعموا ان اسكتتني ضنة

زعموا ان اسكتتني ضنة

بالقوافي ان طبعي رجعا

بالقوافي ان طبعي رجعا

They claimed—if stinginess had silenced me

They claimed that stinginess silenced me,

in offering rhymes—that my poetic gift had waned.

Because of rhymes, as if my nature relapsed,

وتناسوا ذلك النظم الذي

وتناسوا ذلك النظم الذي

زاد في الرقة حتى انقطعا

زاد في الرقة حتى انقطعا

And they chose to forget that verse which

And forgot that poetry which

grew so delicate that it broke,

Increased in tenderness until it was cut off.

والمعاني اللائي انى أنشدت

والمعاني اللائي انى أنشدت

كلمات تسمع الصم الدعا

كلمات تسمع الصم الدعا

and those meanings which, wherever recited

And those meanings which I recited

as words, make the deaf hear the call.

Were words that make the deaf hear pleas,

وخمود تحته جزل الغضا

وخمود تحته جزل الغضا

وسكون تحته الري سعى

وسكون تحته الري سعى

And a dying fire with thick ghada logs beneath it,

And stillness beneath which mighty torrents lurk,

and stillness beneath which refreshment stirred.

And tranquility beneath which flows the runnel.

في حرام الشعر ما لي وله

في حرام الشعر ما لي وله

خلة سدت وغي أقلعا

خلة سدت وغي أقلعا

In poetry’s forbidden realm, what have I to do with it?

I want nothing to do with poetry

A need was met, and folly ceased.

Which is unlawful, so I gave it up.

ما على النوروز لو أغفله

ما على النوروز لو أغفله

قوتل النوروز ماذا صنعا

قوتل النوروز ماذا صنعا

What harm to Nowruz if it had overlooked him?

What's it to me if I neglect Nawruz?

May Nowruz be slain! What has it done?

Nawruz betrayed - what did it accomplish?

قد كسى الديباج جلداً اجربا

قد كسى الديباج جلداً اجربا

وحبا بالتاج رأساً اصلعا

وحبا بالتاج رأساً اصلعا

It has clothed a scabby hide in brocade,

It dressed a bald head with brocade,

and bestowed the crown upon a bald head.

And crowned it with a jewel-studded crown.