سَقياً لوَقتٍ مضَى ورَعيا

سَقياً لوَقتٍ مضَى ورَعيا

مُستَبشِراً ضاحكَ المُحيَّا

مُستَبشِراً ضاحكَ المُحيَّا

May a time gone by be blessed with rain and care,

A watering for a time now passed, a shepherd

joyful, its countenance smiling.

Rejoicing, with a smile lighting his face,

في زَمنٍ نحنُ مالِكُوهُ

في زَمنٍ نحنُ مالِكُوهُ

أمراً عَلى صَرفِه ونَهيا

أمراً عَلى صَرفِه ونَهيا

In an age of which we were masters,

In an age of which we are the masters,

commanding its turns and forbidding them.

Commanding and forbidding as we please.

ترفُّ أرواحُنا عَليهِ

ترفُّ أرواحُنا عَليهِ

فتَحتَمي عَنهُ بالحُميَّا

فتَحتَمي عَنهُ بالحُميَّا

Our souls fluttered over it,

Our spirits lord it still;

and sheltered from it in wine's heat.

You would take shelter from it in a shroud.

سُقنا اللَّيالي كَما أرَدنا

سُقنا اللَّيالي كَما أرَدنا

فلَو تراهُنَّ قلتَ سَبيا

فلَو تراهُنَّ قلتَ سَبيا

We drove the nights as we wished;

The nights have borne us along as we wished;

had you seen them, you would have called them captives.

If you could see them now, you would call them captives.

ثم بَغَى صرفُهُنَّ فانظُر

ثم بَغَى صرفُهُنَّ فانظُر

عُقباهُ لمَّا استَطالَ بَغيا

عُقباهُ لمَّا استَطالَ بَغيا

Then their changing fortune grew tyrannical—look

Then their course rebelled, so look

at its outcome when it grew overbearing in tyranny.

And see the consequence now they have mutinied.

كان ابنُ شَعيا لهُ عَدُوَّاً

كان ابنُ شَعيا لهُ عَدُوَّاً

فانضافَ شَعيا إلى ابنِ شَعيا

فانضافَ شَعيا إلى ابنِ شَعيا

Ibn Shaʿyā was its enemy;

The son of Sha'yā was his enemy,

then Shaʿyā joined Ibn Shaʿyā.

So Sha'yā was added to the son of Sha'yā.

وزادَ في الأكرَمِينَ طفلٌ

وزادَ في الأكرَمِينَ طفلٌ

مُذ عرفَ المكرُماتِ هَديا

مُذ عرفَ المكرُماتِ هَديا

And among the most generous a child was added,

And to the two nobles a child was added

ever since he knew noble deeds as his way.

Who, since he knew bounties, has been their guide.

يَبسِمُ لِلقاصِدينَ حتَّى

يَبسِمُ لِلقاصِدينَ حتَّى

كأنَّ جُوداً أتاهُ وَحيا

كأنَّ جُوداً أتاهُ وَحيا

He smiles upon those who seek him, so that

He smiles at visitors so

it is as though generosity came to him as revelation.

You would think generosity itself came to inspire him.

هُناكَ يُغني الخُطوبَ ضَرباً

هُناكَ يُغني الخُطوبَ ضَرباً

ويُنفِدُ النائِباتِ رَميا

ويُنفِدُ النائِباتِ رَميا

There he enriches calamities with blows,

There he sings songs of bravery

and exhausts misfortunes by shooting.

And pursues the girls who arouse passion.

يَتبعُ من فَضلهِ أباهُ

يَتبعُ من فَضلهِ أباهُ

إذا أماتَ الزَّمانُ أحيا

إذا أماتَ الزَّمانُ أحيا

In his generosity he follows his father:

He follows in generosity his father

when Time deals death, he brings life.

When time has killed the living and revived the dead.

يَسعَى إليهنَّ بالرَّزايا

يَسعَى إليهنَّ بالرَّزايا

وهنَّ لا يَستطِعنَ سَعيا

وهنَّ لا يَستطِعنَ سَعيا

He hastens toward them bearing calamities,

He hastens to the maidens with gifts

while they are powerless to hasten.

And they cannot match his exertions.