زَمانِيَ كُلَّهُ غَضَبٌ وَعَتبُ

زَمانِيَ كُلَّهُ غَضَبٌ وَعَتبُ

وَأَنتَ عَلَيَّ وَالأَيّامُ إِلبُ

وَأَنتَ عَلَيَّ وَالأَيّامُ إِلبُ

All my days are anger and reproach;

My times are all wrath and reproach

and you and the days are allied against me.

While you against me and the days turn

وَعَيشُ العالَمينَ لَدَيكَ سَهلٌ

وَعَيشُ العالَمينَ لَدَيكَ سَهلٌ

وَعَيشي وَحدَهُ بِفَناكَ صَعبُ

وَعَيشي وَحدَهُ بِفَناكَ صَعبُ

Life for all the world is easy at your side,

The livelihood of both worlds is easy before you

yet my life alone is hard in your courtyard.

While my livelihood alone with your loss is difficult

وَأَنتَ وَأَنتَ دافِعُ كُلِّ خَطبٍ

وَأَنتَ وَأَنتَ دافِعُ كُلِّ خَطبٍ

مَعَ الخَطبِ المُلِمِّ عَلَيَّ خَطبُ

مَعَ الخَطبِ المُلِمِّ عَلَيَّ خَطبُ

And you—you who ward off every calamity—

And you, you the repeller of every misfortune

are another calamity beside the one that assails me.

With the misfortunes that befall upon me being grave

إِلى كَم ذا العِقابُ وَلَيسَ جُرمٌ

إِلى كَم ذا العِقابُ وَلَيسَ جُرمٌ

وَكَم ذا الاِعتِذارُ وَلَيسَ ذَنبُ

وَكَم ذا الاِعتِذارُ وَلَيسَ ذَنبُ

How long this punishment, when there is no crime?

To what extent this punishment yet no crime

And how long these apologies, when there is no fault?

And how much this apology yet no sin

فَلا بِالشامِ لَذَّ بَفِيِّ شُربٍ

فَلا بِالشامِ لَذَّ بَفِيِّ شُربٍ

وَلا في الأَسرِ رَقَّ عَلَيَّ قَلبُ

وَلا في الأَسرِ رَقَّ عَلَيَّ قَلبُ

No drink tasted sweet in my mouth in Syria,

Neither in Damascus I enjoyed a drink

nor in captivity did any heart soften toward me.

Nor in captivity did my heart ease

فَلا تَحمِل عَلى قَلبٍ جَريحٍ

فَلا تَحمِل عَلى قَلبٍ جَريحٍ

بِهِ لِحَوادِثِ الأَيّامِ نَدبُ

بِهِ لِحَوادِثِ الأَيّامِ نَدبُ

So do not assail a wounded heart

So do not burden a wounded heart

that bears a scar from the calamities of the days.

With the events of days causing distress

أَمِثلي تُقبِلُ الأَقوالُ فيهِ

أَمِثلي تُقبِلُ الأَقوالُ فيهِ

وَمِثلُكَ يَستَمِرُّ عَلَيهِ كِذبُ

وَمِثلُكَ يَستَمِرُّ عَلَيهِ كِذبُ

Are tales about a man like me believed,

Is it becoming that words be accepted regarding me

and can falsehood pass muster with a man like you?

While the like of you persists in lies about me

جَنانِيَ ما عَلِمتَ وَلي لِسانٌ

جَنانِيَ ما عَلِمتَ وَلي لِسانٌ

يَقُدُّ الدَرعَ وَالإِنسانَ عَضبُ

يَقُدُّ الدَرعَ وَالإِنسانَ عَضبُ

My heart is as you know it, and I have a tongue—

My soul you don’t know and I have a tongue

a keen blade that cleaves armor and man.

That can handle a shield and a man’s rage

وَزَندي وَهوَ زَندُكَ لَيسَ يَكبو

وَزَندي وَهوَ زَندُكَ لَيسَ يَكبو

وَناري وَهيَ نارُكَ لَيسَ تَخبو

وَناري وَهيَ نارُكَ لَيسَ تَخبو

My firestick, which is your firestick, never fails to spark,

My strength is your strength not running low

and my fire, which is your fire, never dies down.

My fire is your fire not going dim

وَفَرعي فَرعُكَ السامي المُعَلّى

وَفَرعي فَرعُكَ السامي المُعَلّى

وَأَصلي أَصلُكَ الزاكي وَحَسبُ

وَأَصلي أَصلُكَ الزاكي وَحَسبُ

My branch is your lofty, exalted branch,

My branch is your lofty sublime branch

and my root is your pure root—and that suffices.

And my origin is your fertile and enough origin

لِإِسمَعيلَ بي وَبَنيهِ فَخرٌ

لِإِسمَعيلَ بي وَبَنيهِ فَخرٌ

وَفي إِسحَقَ بي وَبَنيهِ عُجبُ

وَفي إِسحَقَ بي وَبَنيهِ عُجبُ

Ishmael and his sons take pride in me,

To Ishmael through me and his children is pride

and Isaac and his sons admire me.

And in Isaac through me and his children is glory

وَأَعمامي رَبيعَةُ وَهيَ رَصَيدٌ

وَأَعمامي رَبيعَةُ وَهيَ رَصَيدٌ

وَأَخوالي بَلَصفَرَ وَهيَ غُلبُ

وَأَخوالي بَلَصفَرَ وَهيَ غُلبُ

My paternal kin are Rabi‘ah, ever watchful,

And my uncles are Rabīʿah and it is might

and my maternal kin are Banu al-Asfar, mighty and stout-necked.

And my in-laws are Balasfar and it is conquest

وَفَضلي تَعجِزُ الفُضَلاءُ عَنهُ

وَفَضلي تَعجِزُ الفُضَلاءُ عَنهُ

لِأَنَّكَ أَصلُهُ وَالمَجدُ تِربُ

لِأَنَّكَ أَصلُهُ وَالمَجدُ تِربُ

My excellence is beyond the reach of the excellent,

My merits the meritorious cannot match

for you are its source, and glory is your peer.

Because you are its source and glory its rearing

فَدَت نَفسي الأَميرَ كَأَنَّ حَظّي

فَدَت نَفسي الأَميرَ كَأَنَّ حَظّي

وَقُربي عِندَهُ مادامَ قُربُ

وَقُربي عِندَهُ مادامَ قُربُ

May my soul ransom the prince! It seems my standing

May myself be sacrificed for the prince it’s as though my fortune

and closeness with him lasted only while I was near.

And nearness to him is lasting as long as nearness

فَلَمّا حالَتِ الأَعداءُ دوني

فَلَمّا حالَتِ الأَعداءُ دوني

وَأَصبَحَ بَينَنا بَحرٌ وَدَربُ

وَأَصبَحَ بَينَنا بَحرٌ وَدَربُ

But when enemies barred my way,

But when the enemies came between me and him

and a sea and a mountain pass lay between us,

And a sea and road was between us

ظَلِلتَ تُبَدِّلُ الأَقوالَ بَعدي

ظَلِلتَ تُبَدِّلُ الأَقوالَ بَعدي

وَيَبلُغُني اِغتِيابُكَ ما يُغِبُّ

وَيَبلُغُني اِغتِيابُكَ ما يُغِبُّ

you kept changing your words in my absence,

You persisted to change words after me

and your backbiting reaches me without respite.

And your estrangement from me reaches what is estranged

فَقُل ماشِئتَ فِيَّ فَلي لِسانٌ

فَقُل ماشِئتَ فِيَّ فَلي لِسانٌ

مَليءٌ بِالثَناءِ عَلَيكَ رَطبُ

مَليءٌ بِالثَناءِ عَلَيكَ رَطبُ

So say what you will of me; I have a tongue

Say what you wish regarding me I have a tongue

moist and filled with praise for you.

Full of praise regarding you fresh

وَعامِلني بِإِنصافٍ وَظُلمٍ

وَعامِلني بِإِنصافٍ وَظُلمٍ

تَجِدني في الجَميعِ كَما تُحِبُّ

تَجِدني في الجَميعِ كَما تُحِبُّ

Treat me with justice or injustice—

And treat me with justice and injustice

you will find me in every case just as you wish.

You’ll find me in both as you would love