أَتَدري أَيَّ بارِقَةٍ تَشيمُ

أَتَدري أَيَّ بارِقَةٍ تَشيمُ

وَمَهلَكَةٍ إِلَيها تَستَنيمُ

وَمَهلَكَةٍ إِلَيها تَستَنيمُ

Do you know which flash of lightning you are watching for—

Do you know what flash of lightning you are watching,

and to what deadly peril you yield?

And what deadly peril you trustingly repose in?

إِلامَ وَكَم يَقيكَ أَذايَ صَفحٌ

إِلامَ وَكَم يَقيكَ أَذايَ صَفحٌ

وَمَجدٌ عَنكَ في غَضَبي حَليمُ

وَمَجدٌ عَنكَ في غَضَبي حَليمُ

How long—and how often—will my forbearance shield you from my sting,

How long, and how often, will pardon shield you from my harm,

and my honor, forbearing toward you even in my anger?

And nobility, forbearing toward you even in my anger?

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تُعَوَّد مِن سُهادي

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تُعَوَّد مِن سُهادي

إِذا ما عانَقَ السِنَةَ النَؤومُ

إِذا ما عانَقَ السِنَةَ النَؤومُ

As though you had not learned from my wakefulness—

As though you had not grown accustomed to my sleeplessness,

when the heavy sleeper embraces drowsiness—

When the heavy sleeper embraces drowsiness,

وَمِن تَقليبِ قَلبي عَن لِساني

وَمِن تَقليبِ قَلبي عَن لِساني

إِذا باتَت تُقَلِّبُهُ الهُمومُ

إِذا باتَت تُقَلِّبُهُ الهُمومُ

and from the turmoil of my heart, withheld from my tongue,

And to my turning my heart away from my tongue,

when cares spend the night tossing it about.

When cares spend the night turning it over.

فَما أَنتَ اللَئيمُ إِذَن وَلَكِن

فَما أَنتَ اللَئيمُ إِذَن وَلَكِن

زَمانٌ سُدتَ فيهِ هُوَ اللَئيمُ

زَمانٌ سُدتَ فيهِ هُوَ اللَئيمُ

Then it is not you who are base; rather,

So you are not the base one, then; rather,

the age in which you rose to mastery is itself base.

The age in which you held sway is the base one.

أَتَطمَعُ أَن تُعَدَّ كَريمَ قَومٍ

أَتَطمَعُ أَن تُعَدَّ كَريمَ قَومٍ

وَبابُكَ لا يُطيفُ بِهِ كَريمُ

وَبابُكَ لا يُطيفُ بِهِ كَريمُ

Do you aspire to be counted the nobleman of a people

Do you hope to be counted a generous man among your people,

when no noble man frequents your door?

When no generous man comes round your door?

كَمَن جَعَلَ الحَضيضَ لَهُ مِهاداً

كَمَن جَعَلَ الحَضيضَ لَهُ مِهاداً

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّ إِخوَتَهُ النُجومُ

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّ إِخوَتَهُ النُجومُ

You are like one who makes the depths his bed

Like one who made the lowest ground his bed,

and claims the stars are his brothers.

And claims that the stars are his brothers.

حَلَفتُ بِيَومِ أَوبِ أَبي سَعيدٍ

حَلَفتُ بِيَومِ أَوبِ أَبي سَعيدٍ

سَعيداً إِنَّهُ يَومٌ عَظيمُ

سَعيداً إِنَّهُ يَومٌ عَظيمُ

I swear by the day of Abu Sa‘id’s homecoming—

I swore by the day Abu Sa'id returned,

a blessed day indeed, a tremendous day—

Happy—indeed, it is a momentous day—

فَتىً مِن أَكثَرِ الفِتيانِ غُرماً

فَتىً مِن أَكثَرِ الفِتيانِ غُرماً

لِعافيهِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ غَريمُ

لِعافيهِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ غَريمُ

a youth more deeply indebted than most young men

A young man among the youths most lavish in spending

to one who seeks his bounty, though no creditor claims him.

For whoever seeks his bounty, though he has no creditor.

لَنِمتَ وَنامَ عِرضُكَ وَالقَوافي

لَنِمتَ وَنامَ عِرضُكَ وَالقَوافي

سَواخِطُ لا تَنامُ وَلا تُنيمُ

سَواخِطُ لا تَنامُ وَلا تُنيمُ

Surely you slept, and your honor slept; but the verses

You have indeed slept, and your honor has slept, while the rhymes

are wrathful: they neither sleep nor let you sleep.

Are wrathful: they neither sleep nor let others sleep.

يَبيتُ يُثيرُها لَكَ أُفعُوانٌ

يَبيتُ يُثيرُها لَكَ أُفعُوانٌ

بِلَصبٍ ما يَبَلُّ لَهُ سَليمُ

بِلَصبٍ ما يَبَلُّ لَهُ سَليمُ

A venomous serpent spends the night rousing them against you,

A male viper spends the night rousing them for you,

with an affliction from which no snake-bitten man recovers.

In a rocky cleft; none bitten by it recovers.

يُرى في كُلِّ وادٍ أَنتَ فيهِ

يُرى في كُلِّ وادٍ أَنتَ فيهِ

بِلُؤمِكَ سائِراً أَبَداً يَهيمُ

بِلُؤمِكَ سائِراً أَبَداً يَهيمُ

In every valley where you are, he is seen,

It is seen in every valley where you are,

carrying word of your baseness, journeying—forever roaming wild.

Bearing your baseness as it travels, forever roaming.