وحَدِيثي معَ الحَوادثِ أنِّي

وحَدِيثي معَ الحَوادثِ أنِّي

كنتُ بالأمسِ بَينَما أنا لاهِ

كنتُ بالأمسِ بَينَما أنا لاهِ

My tale with calamities is that,

My talk with events, that I

yesterday, while I was heedless,

Was yesterday, while being heedless,

إذ تَوالى طُلوعها وأتمَّت

إذ تَوالى طُلوعها وأتمَّت

وادلهمَّت فقلتُ إحدَى الدَّواهي

وادلهمَّت فقلتُ إحدَى الدَّواهي

they rose in succession and reached their fullness,

When they came one after another and completed,

and grew pitch-dark; I said, 'One of the dire calamities

And pressed hard, so I said to one of the grinding stones:

أظلمَت فاقتَبَستُ منكَ ومن جُو

أظلمَت فاقتَبَستُ منكَ ومن جُو

دِكَ نُوراً وقمتُ أنظُرُ ما هِي

دِكَ نُوراً وقمتُ أنظُرُ ما هِي

has darkened.' So I drew from you and from your gener-

It darkened, so I took from you and from your

osity a light, and rose to see what it was.

Generosity a light, and I stood looking at what it was.

ليسَ سَيفُ النَّدى بنابٍ ولا

ليسَ سَيفُ النَّدى بنابٍ ولا

ركنُ المَعالي الذي بَنَيتَ بِواهِ

ركنُ المَعالي الذي بَنَيتَ بِواهِ

The sword of generosity is not blunt, nor

It was not the sword of dew with sheath, nor

is the pillar of lofty deeds you built frail.

The pillar of glory that you built with skill.

فالقَها إنها الصُّروفُ التي كُن

فالقَها إنها الصُّروفُ التي كُن

تَ قَدِيماً صَرَفتَها يا ابنَ ماهِ

تَ قَدِيماً صَرَفتَها يا ابنَ ماهِ

So face them: they are the turns of fate that you

Rather, it was vicissitudes that you

once turned aside, O son of Mah.

Used to dispense long ago, O son of water.