أرى غِيرَ الأيام تَسطو ولا أَرى

أرى غِيرَ الأيام تَسطو ولا أَرى

لِسَطوَتِها من مُنكرٍ أو مغيِّرِ

لِسَطوَتِها من مُنكرٍ أو مغيِّرِ

I see the days' vicissitudes assail, yet I see no

I see the days passing by, and none

one to condemn their assault or change it.

Who denies or changes their onslaught.

ونائبةٍ من صَرفِ دَهرٍ لَقيتُها

ونائبةٍ من صَرفِ دَهرٍ لَقيتُها

بِصَبرٍ فَصاحَت بي نَوائِبُ أدهُرِ

بِصَبرٍ فَصاحَت بي نَوائِبُ أدهُرِ

And many a calamity from time's reversals I met

And a turn of fickle fate I met

with patience; then the calamities of ages cried out against me.

With patience, but the turns of fate cried out to me,

فخفَّ بِها نَحوي عَلى الصوت مَعشرٌ

فخفَّ بِها نَحوي عَلى الصوت مَعشرٌ

وقد كان مُلكُ الروم من دونِ مَعشَري

وقد كان مُلكُ الروم من دونِ مَعشَري

So, stirred by them, a band rushed toward me at the cry,

So a group softened their voices to me,

though the Romans' realm had lain between me and my own people.

Though the Roman king was not of my group.

فأصبَحتُ كالربع الذي بان أهلُه

فأصبَحتُ كالربع الذي بان أهلُه

وأقفَرَ مِنهم منذُ تسعةِ أشهرِ

وأقفَرَ مِنهم منذُ تسعةِ أشهرِ

So I became like the dwelling whose inhabitants had departed

So I became like a quarter whose people left

and which has stood deserted without them for nine months.

And emptied of them for nine months.

أقلِّبُ بَين البَينِ والدينِ مُهجَةً

أقلِّبُ بَين البَينِ والدينِ مُهجَةً

على الجَمرِ في أحشاءِ لَهفان مُعسِرِ

على الجَمرِ في أحشاءِ لَهفان مُعسِرِ

I turn a heart over between separation and debt,

I turn confusion between clarity and religion,

on the embers within an anguished, insolvent man's entrails.

On hot coals in the innards of a poor, anguished man.

يلينُ إذا اشتدَّ اقتضاءً غَريمُهُ

يلينُ إذا اشتدَّ اقتضاءً غَريمُهُ

به فيَطولُ الخطبُ في هاتِ واصبرِ

به فيَطولُ الخطبُ في هاتِ واصبرِ

He yields when his creditor presses hard for payment

It softens when need presses insistently,

from him; so the ordeal drags on amid 'Give!' and 'Be patient!'

Prolonging speech. Give here and be patient.

وكنت أهنِّيهم على حالِ عُسرتي

وكنت أهنِّيهم على حالِ عُسرتي

بمَيسرةٍ لي في قُدوم المُيَسرِ

بمَيسرةٍ لي في قُدوم المُيَسرِ

And, despite my hardship, I used to congratulate them

I used to congratulate them on my poverty

on the ease to be mine when the bringer of ease arrived.

With easy circumstance that would come to me.

وما أَسلَفوني المالَ حتَّى تسلَّفَت

وما أَسلَفوني المالَ حتَّى تسلَّفَت

مَعاليكَ آمالي ولستَ بمُقترِ

مَعاليكَ آمالي ولستَ بمُقترِ

And they lent me no money until a loan had been taken

They did not loan me money until your high stations

of my hopes by your lofty virtues—and you are no miser.

Became my hopes, and you are no pauper.

وأقرَرتُ لما أن أقرَّ نداكَ لي

وأقرَرتُ لما أن أقرَّ نداكَ لي

وكان كِلانا طائِعاً غيرَ مُجبرِ

وكان كِلانا طائِعاً غيرَ مُجبرِ

And I acknowledged my debt when your bounty acknowledged its debt to me,

I admitted when I admitted your call to me,

and each of us was willing, not compelled.

And we were both willing, neither forced.

وها أنتَ من صَوتي قريب وها هُمُ

وها أنتَ من صَوتي قريب وها هُمُ

مُطيفونَ بي فاقبَل لنَفسكَ وانظرِ

مُطيفونَ بي فاقبَل لنَفسكَ وانظرِ

And here you are, within hearing of my voice, and here they are,

And here you are near my voice, and here they are

surrounding me; so accept it as your own, and look.

Circling me, so turn to yourself and see.