بَعضَ تَصابيكَ عَلى زَينَبٍ

بَعضَ تَصابيكَ عَلى زَينَبٍ

لا خَيرَ في الصَبوَةِ لِلأَشيبِ

لا خَيرَ في الصَبوَةِ لِلأَشيبِ

Less of your youthful dalliance with Zaynab;

Some of your windows overlook Zainab

there is no good in infatuation for the gray-haired.

Youthfulness is no good for the elderly

أَبَعدَ خَمسينَ تَقَضَّيتَها

أَبَعدَ خَمسينَ تَقَضَّيتَها

وافِيَةً تَصبو إِلى الرَبرَبِ

وافِيَةً تَصبو إِلى الرَبرَبِ

After fifty years you have lived through

After fifty have passed you by

in full, do you still yearn for the herd of wild cows—

Still overflowing towards folly

كُلِّ رَداحِ الرَدفِ خُمصانَةٍ

كُلِّ رَداحِ الرَدفِ خُمصانَةٍ

كَالمُهرَةِ الضامِرِ لَم تُركَبِ

كَالمُهرَةِ الضامِرِ لَم تُركَبِ

each full-rumped, slender-waisted woman,

Every plump part of the buttocks

like a slender filly never ridden,

Like an unmounted, skinny mare

أَو دُرَّةٍ ساعَةَ ما اِستُخرِجَت

أَو دُرَّةٍ ساعَةَ ما اِستُخرِجَت

لَم تُمتَهَن بَعدُ وَلَم تُثقَبِ

لَم تُمتَهَن بَعدُ وَلَم تُثقَبِ

or a pearl at the moment it was extracted,

Or a pearl in the moment it was extracted

not yet put to use, nor pierced,

Before it was defiled or pierced

مَشرَبَةَ اللَونِ مُتوعِ الضُحى

مَشرَبَةَ اللَونِ مُتوعِ الضُحى

صَفراءَ بِالآصالِ كَالمُذهَبِ

صَفراءَ بِالآصالِ كَالمُذهَبِ

suffused with color at the height of forenoon,

Pale yellow in color, radiant in the morning

yellow in the late afternoon, as though gilded?

Golden brown, like gilded

مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي إِمامَ الهَدى

مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي إِمامَ الهَدى

الوارِث المَجد أَباً عَن أَبِ

الوارِث المَجد أَباً عَن أَبِ

Who will carry my words to the imam of guidance,

Who will convey from me to the Imam of guidance

the heir to glory, father after father:

The heir of glory, father from father

إِنّي إِذا أَطنَبَ مُدّاحَهُ

إِنّي إِذا أَطنَبَ مُدّاحَهُ

قَصَدتُ في القَولِ فَلَم أُطنَبِ

قَصَدتُ في القَولِ فَلَم أُطنَبِ

I, when his panegyrists speak at length,

When I speak extensively praising him

keep my speech measured and do not elaborate.

I am moderate in speech, not excessive

لا فَكَّ عَنّي اللَهُ إِن لَم تَكُن

لا فَكَّ عَنّي اللَهُ إِن لَم تَكُن

أَذكَرتَنا مِن عُمرَ الطَيبِ

أَذكَرتَنا مِن عُمرَ الطَيبِ

May God never release me, if you have not

May Allah release me, if you were not

reminded us of good ʿUmar.

The most pleasant of our time

وَأَصبَحَ المَشرِقُ مِن شَوقِهِ

وَأَصبَحَ المَشرِقُ مِن شَوقِهِ

إِلَيكَ قَد حَنَّ إِلى المَغرِبِ

إِلَيكَ قَد حَنَّ إِلى المَغرِبِ

And the East, in its longing

And the East longs for you in the morning

for you, has come to yearn for the West.

Yearning for you to the West

مِنبَرهُ يَهتِفُ مِن وَجدِهِ

مِنبَرهُ يَهتِفُ مِن وَجدِهِ

إِلَيكَ بِالسَهلِ وَبِالمِرحَبِ

إِلَيكَ بِالسَهلِ وَبِالمِرحَبِ

Its pulpit cries out in its ardor

Its pulpit exclaiming in ecstasy for you

to you with welcome and greetings.

With ease and welcome

أَطرَبَهُ الوَقتُ الَّذي قَد دَنا

أَطرَبَهُ الوَقتُ الَّذي قَد دَنا

وَكانَ مِن قَبلِكَ لَم يَطرَبِ

وَكانَ مِن قَبلِكَ لَم يَطرَبِ

The time drawing near has delighted it,

The time which has drawn near delighted it

and before you it had never known delight.

And before you it was not delighted

هَفا بِهِ الوَجدُ فَلَو مِنبَرٌ

هَفا بِهِ الوَجدُ فَلَو مِنبَرٌ

طارَ لِوافي خَطفَةَ الكَوكَبِ

طارَ لِوافي خَطفَةَ الكَوكَبِ

Passion bore it aloft; if a pulpit

Passion transported it, and if it were only a pulpit

could fly, it would arrive as swiftly as a star's flash,

It would have flown to you rapidly like a shooting star

إِلى جَميلِ الوَجهِ ذي هَيبَةٍ

إِلى جَميلِ الوَجهِ ذي هَيبَةٍ

لَيسَت لِحامي الغابَةِ المُغضَبِ

لَيسَت لِحامي الغابَةِ المُغضَبِ

to the fair-faced one, whose fearsome majesty

To the beautiful, majestic face

the enraged guardian of the forest does not possess.

Not terrifying like the angry forest guardian

لا يُمكِنُ الناظِر مِن رُؤيَةٍ

لا يُمكِنُ الناظِر مِن رُؤيَةٍ

إِلّا اِلتِماحَ الخائِفِ المُذنِبِ

إِلّا اِلتِماحَ الخائِفِ المُذنِبِ

He allows the beholder no sight

The onlooker cannot see

but the fleeting glance of one fearful and guilty.

Except a glance, fearful and guilty

إِن تُرِدِ المالَ فَإِنّي اِمرِؤٌ

إِن تُرِدِ المالَ فَإِنّي اِمرِؤٌ

لَم أَجمَعِ المالَ وَلَم أَكسَبِ

لَم أَجمَعِ المالَ وَلَم أَكسَبِ

If you desire wealth, then I am a man

If you want money, I am a man

who has neither amassed wealth nor earned it.

Who has not amassed nor earned money

إِذا أَخَذتُ الحَقَّ مِنّي فَلا

إِذا أَخَذتُ الحَقَّ مِنّي فَلا

تَلتَمِس الرِبحَ وَلا تَرغَبِ

تَلتَمِس الرِبحَ وَلا تَرغَبِ

If I take what is due from myself, then do not

When you take the truth from me, do not

seek profit or covet it.

Seek profit or be greedy

قَد أَحسَنَ اللَهُ إِلَينا مَعاً

قَد أَحسَنَ اللَهُ إِلَينا مَعاً

أَن كانَ رَأسُ المالِ لَم يَذهَبِ

أَن كانَ رَأسُ المالِ لَم يَذهَبِ

God has been kind to us both,

God has been good to both of us

in that the capital has not been lost.

That the capital did not diminish