لا تُعَاتِبني فلاَ عَتبَ عَلَيَّ

لا تُعَاتِبني فلاَ عَتبَ عَلَيَّ

خرجَ الأَمرُ وعَقلِي مِن يَدَي

خرجَ الأَمرُ وعَقلِي مِن يَدَي

Do not reproach me; no blame rests on me.

Do not blame me, for I am not to blame,

The matter and my reason have slipped from my hands.

The matter has escaped my hands.

وما باله للتيس يشبه لحيه

وما باله للتيس يشبه لحيه

ولحى ابن زعقانَ عدمته من لحي

ولحى ابن زعقانَ عدمته من لحي

And why does his jaw resemble a he-goat’s?

How strange that the beard resembles the goat!

And Ibn Za‘qan’s jaw—may I be rid of such a jaw!

While the beard of the son of Za'qan is nonexistent.

ويقول لسانُ الحالِ منه تلهفاً

ويقول لسانُ الحالِ منه تلهفاً

هلموا فإني كنتُ من قبلُ كالظبي

هلموا فإني كنتُ من قبلُ كالظبي

And the tongue of his condition speaks wistfully:

And the tongue of the situation says longingly:

Come, for I was once like a gazelle.

Come, for I was once like a gazelle.

ليسَ لِلنُّصحِ قَبولٌ يُرتَجَى

ليسَ لِلنُّصحِ قَبولٌ يُرتَجَى

عِند شَيخٍ هَام وَجدا بِصَبى

عِند شَيخٍ هَام وَجدا بِصَبى

No acceptance of counsel can be hoped for

Good advice is not well received

From an old man mad with love for a boy.

By an old man, stern and grown with youth.

قُلتُ قد أفنيتَ جِسمِي قالَ قَد

قُلتُ قد أفنيتَ جِسمِي قالَ قَد

قلتُ كى تُذهِبَ رُوحي قالَ كَى

قلتُ كى تُذهِبَ رُوحي قالَ كَى

I said, “You have indeed wasted my body”; he said, “Indeed.”

I said you have exhausted my body, he said how

I said, “To take away my soul?” He said, “To do so.”

I said you take away my soul, he said how

قلتُ أَفدِيكَ بنفسِي قالَ مَه

قلتُ أَفدِيكَ بنفسِي قالَ مَه

مَا إليكَ الأمرُ فيها بل إِلَى

مَا إليكَ الأمرُ فيها بل إِلَى

I said, “I would ransom you with my life”; he said, “Stop!”

I said I ransom you with myself, he said no

The decision about it is not yours, but mine.

The matter regarding it is not up to you, but to me

سَادِتي فارقتُكم واستُلِبَت

سَادِتي فارقتُكم واستُلِبَت

بنَواكم راحَتِي مِن رَاحَتَى

بنَواكم راحَتِي مِن رَاحَتَى

My lords, I parted from you, and stolen was

My masters, I left you and was stripped

My comfort, through your separation, from my palms.

Of your dwellings, my comfort from my comfort

صَادَني منكمُ غريرٌ أغيدٌ

صَادَني منكمُ غريرٌ أغيدٌ

فيهِ ما يُشغِل عَن هندَ وَمَى

فيهِ ما يُشغِل عَن هندَ وَمَى

A guileless, graceful youth from among you ensnared me;

A deceiver charmed me from you

In him is that which distracts one from Hind and Mayy.

In it what distracts from Hind and Ma.