تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلي الصالِحينَ بِمَلحوبِ

تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلي الصالِحينَ بِمَلحوبِ

فَقَلبي عَلَيهِم هالِكٌ جِدَّ مَغلوبِ

فَقَلبي عَلَيهِم هالِكٌ جِدَّ مَغلوبِ

I remembered my virtuous kin at Malhub.

I remembered my virtuous family in Malhab

So my heart is dying for them, utterly overcome.

So my heart for them is utterly devastated and defeated

تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلَ الخَيرِ وَالباعِ وَالنَدى

تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلَ الخَيرِ وَالباعِ وَالنَدى

وَأَهلَ عِتاقِ الجُردِ وَالبِرِّ وَالطيبِ

وَأَهلَ عِتاقِ الجُردِ وَالبِرِّ وَالطيبِ

I remembered people of goodness, prowess, and generosity,

I remembered the people of goodness, generosity and softness

And folk of noble, sleek steeds, of kindness and perfume.

And the people of noble horses, righteousness and fragrance

تَذَكَّرتُهُم ما إِن تَجِفُّ مَدامِعي

تَذَكَّرتُهُم ما إِن تَجِفُّ مَدامِعي

كَأَن جَدوَلٌ يَسقي مَزارِعَ مَخروبِ

كَأَن جَدوَلٌ يَسقي مَزارِعَ مَخروبِ

I remembered them; my tears never dry,

I remembered them, my tears do not dry up

As though a stream were watering the fields of Makhrub.

Like a stream watering devastated farms

وَبَيتٍ يَفوحُ المِسكُ مِن حُجُراتِهِ

وَبَيتٍ يَفوحُ المِسكُ مِن حُجُراتِهِ

تَسَدَّيتُهُ مِن بَينِ سِرٍّ وَمَخطوبِ

تَسَدَّيتُهُ مِن بَينِ سِرٍّ وَمَخطوبِ

And a house from whose chambers musk wafted—

And a house from which musk emanates from its rooms

I made my way to it from between Sirr and Makhtub.

I frequented it secretly and engaged

وَمُسمِعَةٍ قَد أَصحَلَ الشُربُ صَوتَها

وَمُسمِعَةٍ قَد أَصحَلَ الشُربُ صَوتَها

تَأَوّى إِلى أَوتارِ أَجوَفَ مَحنوبِ

تَأَوّى إِلى أَوتارِ أَجوَفَ مَحنوبِ

And a singing girl whose voice drinking had made hoarse,

And a female singer whose voice is melodious

Turning to the strings of a hollow, curved instrument.

Who wanders to the strings of a hollow lute

شَهِدتُ بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ عَلَيهِمُ

شَهِدتُ بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ عَلَيهِمُ

حِباءَ لِمَن يَنتابُهُم غَيرُ مَحجوبِ

حِباءَ لِمَن يَنتابُهُم غَيرُ مَحجوبِ

I was there with noble young men, whose

I witnessed generous youths

Bounty for those who visited them was never withheld.

Love is unveiled for whoever mingles with them

وَخِرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَكرَمَ مَصدِقاً

وَخِرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَكرَمَ مَصدِقاً

مِنَ السَيفِ قَد آخَيتُ لَيسَ بِمَذروبِ

مِنَ السَيفِ قَد آخَيتُ لَيسَ بِمَذروبِ

And a gallant youth, nobler in proven worth

And a piece of cloth from the youths, more generous than a truthful one

Than the sword, I took as a brother; he was untainted.

From the sword I took an oath it is not ripped

فَأَصبَحَ مِنّي كُلُّ ذَلِكَ قَد مَضى

فَأَصبَحَ مِنّي كُلُّ ذَلِكَ قَد مَضى

فَأَيُّ فَتىً في الناسِ لَيسَ بِمَكذوبِ

فَأَيُّ فَتىً في الناسِ لَيسَ بِمَكذوبِ

So now all of that has passed away from me:

So all that from me is now gone

What young man among mankind has not been deceived?

So which man among people is not accused of lying?

وَقَد أَغتَدي في القَومِ تَحتي شِمِلَّةٌ

وَقَد أَغتَدي في القَومِ تَحتي شِمِلَّةٌ

بِطِرفٍ مِنَ السيدانِ أَجرَدَ مَنسوبِ

بِطِرفٍ مِنَ السيدانِ أَجرَدَ مَنسوبِ

And often I would set out at dawn among the men, a swift mount beneath me,

And I came to wear under me a cloak

On a noble, wolf-like steed, sleek and pedigreed,

With a thread from the masters, a purebred steed

كُمَيتٍ كَشاةِ الرَملِ صافٍ أَديمُهُ

كُمَيتٍ كَشاةِ الرَملِ صافٍ أَديمُهُ

مُفِجِّ الحَوامي جُرشُعٍ غَيرِ مَخشوبِ

مُفِجِّ الحَوامي جُرشُعٍ غَيرِ مَخشوبِ

Bay, like an antelope of the sands, his hide smooth,

A camel like the sheep of the sands, its skin smooth

With spreading hoof-heels, massive, not rough-hewn.

Stamping the sands, not saddled

وَخَيلٍ كَأَسرابِ القَطا قَد وَزَعتُها

وَخَيلٍ كَأَسرابِ القَطا قَد وَزَعتُها

بِخَيفانَةٍ تَنمي بِساقٍ وَعُرقوبِ

بِخَيفانَةٍ تَنمي بِساقٍ وَعُرقوبِ

And horses like flocks of sandgrouse I kept in check,

And horses like herds of wild cats I rallied them

With a locust-like mare, racing on shank and hock.

With a rope that grows with stalk and node

وَخَرقٍ تَصيحُ الهامُ فيهِ مَعَ الصَدى

وَخَرقٍ تَصيحُ الهامُ فيهِ مَعَ الصَدى

مَخوفٍ إِذا ما جَنَّهُ اللَيلُ مَرهوبِ

مَخوفٍ إِذا ما جَنَّهُ اللَيلُ مَرهوبِ

And a vast waste, where owls cry with the male owl,

And a piece of cloth in which the zebra screams with the echo

Fearsome, dreaded when night shrouds it,

Frightening when the night startles it, scared

قَطَعتُ بِصَهباءِ السَراةِ شِمِلَّةٍ

قَطَعتُ بِصَهباءِ السَراةِ شِمِلَّةٍ

تَزِلُّ الوَلايا عَن جَوانِبِ مَكروبِ

تَزِلُّ الوَلايا عَن جَوانِبِ مَكروبِ

I crossed on a swift, tawny-backed she-camel,

I cut with an unsheathed sword a cloak

Whose saddlecloths slip from the sides of her compact hump—

That makes disasters slip from the flanks of the afflicted

لَها قَمَعٌ تَذري بِهِ الكورَ تامِكٌ

لَها قَمَعٌ تَذري بِهِ الكورَ تامِكٌ

إِلى حارِكٍ تَأوي إِلى الصُلبِ مَنصوبِ

إِلى حارِكٍ تَأوي إِلى الصُلبِ مَنصوبِ

She has a towering hump-peak with which she flings the saddle—

It has a funnel with which it shakes the balls

To settle at withers set upright against the spine.

To a stirring shepherd not erect

إِذا حَرَّكَتها الساقُ قُلتَ نَعامَةٌ

إِذا حَرَّكَتها الساقُ قُلتَ نَعامَةٌ

وَإِن زُجِرَت يَوماً فَلَيسَت بِرُعبوبِ

وَإِن زُجِرَت يَوماً فَلَيسَت بِرُعبوبِ

When a leg urges her on, you would call her an ostrich;

If its leg moves you'd say it's an ostrich

And if ever urged on with shouts, she is no timid creature.

And if it's scolded one day, it's not startled

تَرى المَرءَ يَصبو لِلحَياةِ وَطولِها

تَرى المَرءَ يَصبو لِلحَياةِ وَطولِها

وَفي طولِ عَيشِ المَرءِ أَبرَحُ تَعذيبِ

وَفي طولِ عَيشِ المَرءِ أَبرَحُ تَعذيبِ

You see a man yearning for life and its length,

You see man yearning for life and its prolonging

Yet in the length of a man's life lies the harshest torment.

Yet in the prolonging of man's life is ample torment