هَبَّت تَلومُ وَلَيسَت ساعَةَ اللاحي

هَبَّت تَلومُ وَلَيسَت ساعَةَ اللاحي

هَلّا اِنتَظَرتِ بِهَذا اللَومُ إِصباحي

هَلّا اِنتَظَرتِ بِهَذا اللَومُ إِصباحي

She rose to reproach me, though it was no hour for a reproacher.

She blamed me, though it was not the hour for blame;

Could you not have saved this reproach until I reached morning?

Could she not have waited for my dawn with this reproach?

قاتَلَها اللَهُ تَلحاني وَقَد عَلِمَت

قاتَلَها اللَهُ تَلحاني وَقَد عَلِمَت

أَنَّ لِنَفسِيَ إِفسادي وَإِصلاحي

أَنَّ لِنَفسِيَ إِفسادي وَإِصلاحي

God confound her! She reproaches me, though she knows

May God destroy her, nagging at me, while she knows

That my undoing and my mending are my own affair.

That I have the power for my corruption and my reform.

كانَ الشَبابُ يُلَهّينا وَيُعجِبُنا

كانَ الشَبابُ يُلَهّينا وَيُعجِبُنا

فَما وَهَبنا وَلا بِعنا بِأَرباحِ

فَما وَهَبنا وَلا بِعنا بِأَرباحِ

Youth used to amuse and delight us,

Youth used to distract and intrigue us,

So we gave nothing away, nor sold at a profit.

Yet we neither hoarded nor sold at a profit.

إِن أَشرَبِ الخَمرَ أَو أُرزَأَ لَها ثَمَناً

إِن أَشرَبِ الخَمرَ أَو أُرزَأَ لَها ثَمَناً

فَلا مَحالَةَ يَوماً أَنَّني صاحي

فَلا مَحالَةَ يَوماً أَنَّني صاحي

If I drink wine, or lose money to pay for it,

If I drink wine or spend money on it,

Then surely one day I shall be sober.

I will inevitably awake one day sober.

وَلا مَحالَةَ مِن قَبرٍ بِمَحنِيَةٍ

وَلا مَحالَةَ مِن قَبرٍ بِمَحنِيَةٍ

وَكَفَنٍ كَسَراةِ الثَورِ وَضّاحِ

وَكَفَنٍ كَسَراةِ الثَورِ وَضّاحِ

And there is no escape from a grave at a bend in the land,

Inevitably, from a grave of affliction

And a gleaming-white shroud, like a bull's back.

And shroud - saddle cloth of the bull - plain.

يا مَن لِبَرقٍ أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُهُ

يا مَن لِبَرقٍ أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُهُ

مِن عارِضٍ كَبَياضِ الصُبحِ لَمّاحِ

مِن عارِضٍ كَبَياضِ الصُبحِ لَمّاحِ

O, who will heed the lightning I watch all night,

O you for whom, for a lightning flash, I stayed awake at night

From a raincloud flashing like the whiteness of dawn,

Watching from a passing cloud like the dawn gleaming,

دانٍ مُسِفٍّ فُوَيقَ الأَرضِ هَيدَبُهُ

دانٍ مُسِفٍّ فُوَيقَ الأَرضِ هَيدَبُهُ

يَكادُ يَدفَعُهُ مَن قامَ بِالراحِ

يَكادُ يَدفَعُهُ مَن قامَ بِالراحِ

Near and low-hanging, its fringe just above the earth,

A bucket pouring, tilting the ground, its handle swaying -

Which anyone standing could almost push away with his palms.

He could barely hold off one who rose to rinse.

فَمَن بِنَجوَتِهِ كَمَن بِمَحفِلِهِ

فَمَن بِنَجوَتِهِ كَمَن بِمَحفِلِهِ

وَالمُستَكِنُّ كَمَن يَمشي بِقِرواحِ

وَالمُستَكِنُّ كَمَن يَمشي بِقِرواحِ

So one on its high ground is like one where its waters gather,

So one who escapes is like one in his circle,

And one under shelter is like one walking on a bare, open plain.

And the recluse is like one walking with spearshafts.

كَأَنَّ رَيَّقَهُ لَمّا عَلا شَطِباً

كَأَنَّ رَيَّقَهُ لَمّا عَلا شَطِباً

أَقرابُ أَبلَقَ يَنفي الخَيلَ رَمّاحِ

أَقرابُ أَبلَقَ يَنفي الخَيلَ رَمّاحِ

As though its leading edge, when it rose over Shatib,

It was as though, when he climbed up the cliff,

Were the flanks of a piebald horse, driving horses off with its kicks.

Kinsmen of a piebald cursing drove off the horses, archers.

فَاِلتَجَّ أَعلاهُ ثُمَّ اِرتَجَّ أَسفَلُهُ

فَاِلتَجَّ أَعلاهُ ثُمَّ اِرتَجَّ أَسفَلُهُ

وَضاقَ ذَرعاً بِحَملِ الماءِ مُنصاحِ

وَضاقَ ذَرعاً بِحَملِ الماءِ مُنصاحِ

So its top seethed, then its underside shook,

So its top undulated, then its bottom shuddered,

And it burst open, unable to bear its burden of water.

And it swayed at the waist under the water’s burden.

كَأَنَّما بَينَ أَعلاهُ وَأَسفَلِهِ

كَأَنَّما بَينَ أَعلاهُ وَأَسفَلِهِ

رَيطٌ مُنَشَّرَةٌ أَو ضَوءُ مِصباحِ

رَيطٌ مُنَشَّرَةٌ أَو ضَوءُ مِصباحِ

As though between its top and its underside

It was as if, between its top and bottom,

Were outspread sheets of cloth, or the light of a lamp.

There was an unfurled banner or a lamp’s glow.

كَأَنَّ فيهِ عِشاراً جِلَّةً شُرُفاً

كَأَنَّ فيهِ عِشاراً جِلَّةً شُرُفاً

شُعثاً لَهاميمَ قَد هَمَّت بِإِرشاحِ

شُعثاً لَهاميمَ قَد هَمَّت بِإِرشاحِ

As though within it were huge, aged she-camels heavy with young,

It was as if it contained fully ten excellent, glorious,

Shaggy and milk-rich, already intent on tending their calves,

Disheveled camels that had intended to gush forth.

بُحّاً حَناجِرُها هُدلاً مَشافِرُها

بُحّاً حَناجِرُها هُدلاً مَشافِرُها

تُسيمُ أَولادَها في قَرقَرٍ ضاحي

تُسيمُ أَولادَها في قَرقَرٍ ضاحي

Their throats hoarse, their lips drooping,

Their bellies gurgling, their jaws sluggish,

Pasturing their young on an open, level plain.

They nurse their young with a murmuring neigh.

هَبَّت جَنوبٌ بِأولاهُ وَمالَ بِهِ

هَبَّت جَنوبٌ بِأولاهُ وَمالَ بِهِ

أَعجازُ مُزنٍ يَسُحُّ الماءَ دَلّاحِ

أَعجازُ مُزنٍ يَسُحُّ الماءَ دَلّاحِ

A south wind blew against its front, and with it swayed

A south wind blew against its crest and it tilted with it -

The rear masses of heavy-laden rainclouds pouring water.

Receding backs of a copious shower sweeping the water.

فَأَصبَحَ الرَوضُ وَالقيعانُ مُمرِعَةً

فَأَصبَحَ الرَوضُ وَالقيعانُ مُمرِعَةً

مِن بَينِ مُرتَفِقٍ فيهِ وَمُنطاحِ

مِن بَينِ مُرتَفِقٍ فيهِ وَمُنطاحِ

So by morning the meadows and the flat plains were lush,

So the garden and lowlands became fertile

Across its elbow-propped rises and its stretches lying flat.

Among intertwining plants within it and trampling.