وَلَيلَةٍ كَرَجائي في بَني زَمَني

وَلَيلَةٍ كَرَجائي في بَني زَمَني

مُسَوَّدَةِ الوَجهِ مَنسوباً إِلى الفَحَمِ

مُسَوَّدَةِ الوَجهِ مَنسوباً إِلى الفَحَمِ

And many a night, like my hope among the sons of my age,

And many a night, like my hope in the men of my time,

black-faced, its visage reckoned kin to charcoal,

Its face blackened, akin to charcoal,

سَدَّت عَلى نَظَرِ الرائينَ مَنهَجُهُ

سَدَّت عَلى نَظَرِ الرائينَ مَنهَجُهُ

حَتّى تَعارَفَتِ الأَشخاصُ بِالكَلَمِ

حَتّى تَعارَفَتِ الأَشخاصُ بِالكَلَمِ

barred its course from the gaze of those who looked,

Barred the path of the beholders' gaze,

until the figures recognized one another by their wounds.

Until people recognized one another by speech.

لا أَسأَمُ الجُهدَ فيها أَن أُكابِدُهُ

لا أَسأَمُ الجُهدَ فيها أَن أُكابِدُهُ

وَلا تَرى صاحِبَ الحاجاتِ ذا سَأَمِ

وَلا تَرى صاحِبَ الحاجاتِ ذا سَأَمِ

I never weary of the toil I must endure in it,

I do not weary of the hardship I endure in it,

nor will you see a man with needs grow weary.

Nor do you see a man in need grow weary.

أُحاوِلُ النَجحَ في أَمرٍ أُزاوِلُهُ

أُحاوِلُ النَجحَ في أَمرٍ أُزاوِلُهُ

وَالنَجحُ في دُلُجاتِ الأَينَقِ الرُسُمِ

وَالنَجحُ في دُلُجاتِ الأَينَقِ الرُسُمِ

I seek success in an undertaking I pursue,

I strive for success in a task I undertake,

and success lies in the night marches of hard-treading camels.

And success lies in the night journeys of swift-striding she-camels.

تَميلُ كَفِّيَ مِن سَيفٍ إِلى قَلَمٍ

تَميلُ كَفِّيَ مِن سَيفٍ إِلى قَلَمٍ

وَالعِزُّ نِصفانِ بَينَ السَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ

وَالعِزُّ نِصفانِ بَينَ السَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ

My hand shifts from sword to pen,

My hand turns from sword to pen,

and glory is divided in halves between the sword and the pen.

And glory is split in two between the sword and the pen.