وَمَهمِهٍ قَلِقَت فيهِ رَكائِبُنا

وَمَهمِهٍ قَلِقَت فيهِ رَكائِبُنا

وَاللَيلُ في قَلَقٍ تَسري رَكائِبُهُ

وَاللَيلُ في قَلَقٍ تَسري رَكائِبُهُ

And many a trackless waste in which our mounts grew restless,

And many a trackless waste where our riding camels grew restless,

while night itself, restless, sent its own mounts journeying.

while night was restless, its mounts traveling on—

رَكِبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ الصُبحَ راكِبُهُ

رَكِبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ الصُبحَ راكِبُهُ

وَجُبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ النَجمَ جائِبُهُ

وَجُبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ النَجمَ جائِبُهُ

I rode it, and it was as though dawn were its rider;

I rode through it as though dawn were its rider,

I traversed it, and it was as though the star were its traverser—

and traversed it as though a star were traversing it,

بِكُلِّ ذي ميعَةٍ جَدَّ الوَجيفُ بِهِ

بِكُلِّ ذي ميعَةٍ جَدَّ الوَجيفُ بِهِ

فَاِنهَدَّ غارِبُهُ وَاِنضَمَّ حالِبُهُ

فَاِنهَدَّ غارِبُهُ وَاِنضَمَّ حالِبُهُ

on every steed of youthful vigor, driven to a furious gallop,

on every spirited mount, driven hard by its swift gait,

till its withers sank and its flank drew in.

so its withers sagged and its flank drew in.

وَباتَ يَنهُبُ جُنحَ اللَيلِ في عَجَلٍ

وَباتَ يَنهُبُ جُنحَ اللَيلِ في عَجَلٍ

كَأَنَّهُ لاعِبٌ طابَت مَلاعِبُهُ

كَأَنَّهُ لاعِبٌ طابَت مَلاعِبُهُ

All night it plundered the dark wing of night in haste,

All night it plundered the night's darkness in haste,

as though it were a player delighting in its playing fields,

like a player delighted with his playing grounds,

حَتّى بَدا الصُبحُ مُبيَضّاً تَرائِبُهُ

حَتّى بَدا الصُبحُ مُبيَضّاً تَرائِبُهُ

وَأَدبَرَ اللَيلُ مُخضَرّاً شَوارِبُهُ

وَأَدبَرَ اللَيلُ مُخضَرّاً شَوارِبُهُ

until dawn appeared, the bones of its breast gleaming white,

until dawn appeared, its breast turned white,

and night retreated, its mustaches tinged green.

and night withdrew, its mustaches green-black.

وَإِنَّما النَجحُ في لَيلٍ تُرادِفُهُ

وَإِنَّما النَجحُ في لَيلٍ تُرادِفُهُ

إِذا تَأَوَّبَ أَو صُبحٌ يُواكِبُهُ

إِذا تَأَوَّبَ أَو صُبحٌ يُواكِبُهُ

Success lies only in a night that you follow close

And success lies only in a night you follow closely,

when it returns at evening, or in a dawn that keeps pace with it.

when it returns, or a dawn that keeps pace with it.

وَساهِرَ اللَيلِ في الحاجاتِ نائِمُهُ

وَساهِرَ اللَيلِ في الحاجاتِ نائِمُهُ

وَذاهِبَ المالِ عِندَ المَجدِ كاسِبُهُ

وَذاهِبَ المالِ عِندَ المَجدِ كاسِبُهُ

He who stays awake by night pursuing his needs is the one who truly sleeps,

The one who keeps night vigil for his needs is its sleeper,

and he who spends his wealth for glory is its true earner.

and he who loses wealth is, in glory's eyes, its earner.

وَلا أَهابُ عَظيماً حينَ يَدهُمُني

وَلا أَهابُ عَظيماً حينَ يَدهُمُني

وَلَيسَ تَغلِبُ شَيئاً أَنتَ هائِبُهُ

وَلَيسَ تَغلِبُ شَيئاً أَنتَ هائِبُهُ

I fear no mighty thing when it assails me:

I do not fear a mighty thing when it assails me,

you do not overcome anything you fear.

for you cannot overcome anything you fear.

حُلوَ حَلاوَةَ وَصلٍ عادَ فائِتُهُ

حُلوَ حَلاوَةَ وَصلٍ عادَ فائِتُهُ

مُرَّ مَرارَةَ حَقٍّ حَلَّ واجِبُهُ

مُرَّ مَرارَةَ حَقٍّ حَلَّ واجِبُهُ

Sweet as the sweetness of reunion when what was lost returns,

Sweet as a lost union restored,

bitter as the bitterness of a rightful debt when payment falls due—

bitter as a debt whose payment has fallen due;

أَخو عَزائِمَ لا تَفنى عَجائِبُها

أَخو عَزائِمَ لا تَفنى عَجائِبُها

وَالدَهرُ ما بَينَها تَفنى عَجائِبُهُ

وَالدَهرُ ما بَينَها تَفنى عَجائِبُهُ

a man of resolves whose wonders never end,

a man of resolves whose marvels never end,

while Time, among those resolves, sees its own wonders end.

while Time's marvels perish in their midst.

تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ مِن كُلِّ فائِدَةٍ

تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ مِن كُلِّ فائِدَةٍ

لَكِن مِنَ المَجدِ ما تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ

لَكِن مِنَ المَجدِ ما تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ

His desires are fulfilled through every gain,

His desires are fulfilled by every kind of gain,

but his desires for glory are never satisfied.

but his desires for glory are never fulfilled.

أَفادَهُ العِزَّ آباءٌ ذَوُو كَرمٍ

أَفادَهُ العِزَّ آباءٌ ذَوُو كَرمٍ

وَزادَهُ الخُلُقُ المُخضَرُّ جانِبُهُ

وَزادَهُ الخُلُقُ المُخضَرُّ جانِبُهُ

Noble forefathers endowed him with might,

Generous forefathers endowed him with honor,

and his ever-verdant character increased it.

and his character, verdant of aspect, increased that honor.

لَقَد فَضَلتَ كِرامَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

لَقَد فَضَلتَ كِرامَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

فَهُم مَناسِمُ مَجدٍ أَنتَ غارِبُهُ

فَهُم مَناسِمُ مَجدٍ أَنتَ غارِبُهُ

You have indeed surpassed every noble person;

You have indeed surpassed all the noble among mankind;

they are the feet of Glory, and you its withers.

so they are the footpads of glory, and you its withers.

يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَستَطيعُ شُكرَكُمُ

يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَستَطيعُ شُكرَكُمُ

دَهرٌ مَساعيكُمُ فيهِ مَناقِبُهُ

دَهرٌ مَساعيكُمُ فيهِ مَناقِبُهُ

Would that I knew: can any age give you your due thanks—

Ah, would that I knew: can you be thanked

an age whose virtues are your endeavors within it?

by an age whose glories are your endeavors within it?

وَحينَ أَرضَيتُمُ كُنتُم نَوافِلُهُ

وَحينَ أَرضَيتُمُ كُنتُم نَوافِلُهُ

وَأَنتُمُ حينَ أَسخَطتُم نَوائِبُهُ

وَأَنتُمُ حينَ أَسخَطتُم نَوائِبُهُ

When you brought pleasure, you were its added blessings;

And when you brought contentment, you were its gifts;

and when you provoked anger, you were its calamities.

and you, when you provoked anger, were its calamities.

مِنكُم عَلى الدَهرِ عَينٌ لا تُناوِمُهُ

مِنكُم عَلى الدَهرِ عَينٌ لا تُناوِمُهُ

وَلِلحَوادِثِ قَرنٌ لا تُغالِبُهُ

وَلِلحَوادِثِ قَرنٌ لا تُغالِبُهُ

From among you, an eye keeps watch upon Time and never dozes against it,

Yours is an eye upon Time that never slumbers alongside it,

and adversities face a champion they cannot overcome.

and for calamities, an adversary they cannot overcome.