أَلقَت عَلى غارِبي حَبلَ اِمرِئٍ عانِ

أَلقَت عَلى غارِبي حَبلَ اِمرِئٍ عانِ

نَوىً تُقَلِّبُ دوني طَرفَ ثُعبانِ

نَوىً تُقَلِّبُ دوني طَرفَ ثُعبانِ

She cast a captive's rope upon my withers—

A rope of a man’s command was cast upon my twilight,

separation, turning a serpent's gaze before me.

With a serpent’s glance coiling beneath me.

تَواتَرَت نَكَباتُ الدَهرِ تَرشُقُني

تَواتَرَت نَكَباتُ الدَهرِ تَرشُقُني

مِن كُلِّ صائِبَةٍ عَن قَوسِ غَضبانِ

مِن كُلِّ صائِبَةٍ عَن قَوسِ غَضبانِ

Fate's calamities came in succession, pelting me

Misfortunes from fate struck me in succession,

with every unerring shot from an angry man's bow.

Each from an angry bow that found its mark.

مَدَّت عِنانَ رَجائي فَاِستَقَدتُ لَهُ

مَدَّت عِنانَ رَجائي فَاِستَقَدتُ لَهُ

حَتّى رَمَت بِيَ في بَحرِ اِبنِ حَسّانِ

حَتّى رَمَت بِيَ في بَحرِ اِبنِ حَسّانِ

They lengthened my hope's rein, and I let it lead me,

I extended the reins of my hopes so they could flourish,

until they cast me into the sea of Ibn Hassan.

Until they cast me into the sea of Ibn Hassaan.

بَحرٌ مِنَ الجودِ يَرمي مَوجُهُ زَبَداً

بَحرٌ مِنَ الجودِ يَرمي مَوجُهُ زَبَداً

حَبابُهُ فِضَّةٌ زينَت بِعِقيانِ

حَبابُهُ فِضَّةٌ زينَت بِعِقيانِ

A sea of generosity whose wave casts up foam,

A sea of generosity whose waves crash forth foam,

its bubbles silver adorned with pure gold.

Its bubbles are silver adorned with pearls.

لَولا اِبنُ حَسّانَ ماتَ الجودُ وَاِنتَشَرَت

لَولا اِبنُ حَسّانَ ماتَ الجودُ وَاِنتَشَرَت

مَناحِسُ البُخلِ تَطوي كُلَّ إِحسانِ

مَناحِسُ البُخلِ تَطوي كُلَّ إِحسانِ

But for Ibn Hassan, generosity would have died, and there would have spread

If not for Ibn Hassaan, generosity would have died,

the ill omens of miserliness, folding away every kindness.

And the clouds of stinginess would have covered all goodness.

لَمّا تَواتَرَتِ الأَيّامُ تَعبَثُ بي

لَمّا تَواتَرَتِ الأَيّامُ تَعبَثُ بي

وَأَسقَطَت ريحُها أَوراقَ أَغصاني

وَأَسقَطَت ريحُها أَوراقَ أَغصاني

When the days came in succession, toying with me,

As the days went by they toyed with me,

and their wind stripped the leaves from my branches,

And their winds stripped the leaves from my branches.

وَصَلتُ كَفَّ مُنىً بِكَفِّ غِنىً

وَصَلتُ كَفَّ مُنىً بِكَفِّ غِنىً

فارَقتُ بَينَهُما هَمّي وَأَحزاني

فارَقتُ بَينَهُما هَمّي وَأَحزاني

I joined the palm of hopes to the palm of wealth;

I joined the palm of blessings to the palm of riches,

between them I left my worry and sorrows behind,

Parting from both my worries and sorrows.

حَتّى لَبِستُ كُسىً لِليُسرِ تَنشُرُها

حَتّى لَبِستُ كُسىً لِليُسرِ تَنشُرُها

عَلى اِعتِساري يَدٌ لَم تَسهُ عَن شاني

عَلى اِعتِساري يَدٌ لَم تَسهُ عَن شاني

until I donned robes of ease, spread

Until I wore the garb of ease, spread over

over my hardship by a hand that did not neglect my affairs.

My poverty by a hand that did not forget me.

يَدٌ مِنَ اليُسرِ قَدَّت حُلَّتي عُسُري

يَدٌ مِنَ اليُسرِ قَدَّت حُلَّتي عُسُري

حَتّى مَشى عُسُري في شَخصِ عُريانِ

حَتّى مَشى عُسُري في شَخصِ عُريانِ

A hand of ease tore the two robes of my hardship,

A hand of ease that clothed my hardship,

until my hardship walked in the form of a naked man.

Until my hardship walked in the guise of one naked.

وَصالَحَتني اللَيالي بَعدَما رَجَحَت

وَصالَحَتني اللَيالي بَعدَما رَجَحَت

عَلى سُروري غُمومي أَيَّ رُجحانِ

عَلى سُروري غُمومي أَيَّ رُجحانِ

And the nights made peace with me, after my sorrows had outweighed

The nights made peace with me after weighing

my joy—how greatly they had outweighed it!

Down my joys with worries - such an imbalance!

فَاليَومَ سالَمَني دَهري وَذَكَّرَني

فَاليَومَ سالَمَني دَهري وَذَكَّرَني

مِنَ المَدائِحِ ما قَد كانَ أَنساني

مِنَ المَدائِحِ ما قَد كانَ أَنساني

So today my fate made peace with me and reminded me

Today my fate greeted me and reminded me

of the poems of praise it had made me forget.

Of praises that once delighted me.

ثُمَّ اِنتَضَت لِلعِدا الأَيّامُ صارِمَها

ثُمَّ اِنتَضَت لِلعِدا الأَيّامُ صارِمَها

وَاِستَقبَلَتها بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ حُسّانِ

وَاِستَقبَلَتها بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ حُسّانِ

Then the days unsheathed their keen sword against the foes,

Then the days armed themselves against me,

and confronted them with a face far from handsome.

And met me with faces lacking charm.

سَأَبعَثُ اليَومَ آمالي إِلى مَلَكٍ

سَأَبعَثُ اليَومَ آمالي إِلى مَلَكٍ

يَلقى المَديحَ بِقَلبٍ غَيرِ نَسيانِ

يَلقى المَديحَ بِقَلبٍ غَيرِ نَسيانِ

Today I shall send my hopes to an angel,

Today I will send my hopes to a king

who receives praise with a heart that does not forget.

Who meets praise with a heart that does not forget.

تَفاءَلَت مُقلَتي فيهِ إِذا اِختَلَجَت

تَفاءَلَت مُقلَتي فيهِ إِذا اِختَلَجَت

بِالخَيرِ مِن فَوقِها أَشفارُ أَجفاني

بِالخَيرِ مِن فَوقِها أَشفارُ أَجفاني

My eye saw an omen in him when there quivered

My eyelids portend good when they flicker

above it, foretelling good, the lashes of my eyelids.

With prosperity above their lashes.

يا مَن بِهِ بَدُنَت مِن بَعدِما هَزُلَت

يا مَن بِهِ بَدُنَت مِن بَعدِما هَزُلَت

مِنّي المُنى وَأَرَتني وَجهَ خُسراني

مِنّي المُنى وَأَرَتني وَجهَ خُسراني

O you through whom they grew fat after growing lean—

O you through whom I gained strength after

my hopes, which had shown me the face of my loss—

Misfortune and poverty showed me their face!

كُن لي مُجيراً مِنَ الأَيّامِ إِنَّ لَها

كُن لي مُجيراً مِنَ الأَيّامِ إِنَّ لَها

يَداً تُفَحِّصُ عَن سِرّي وَإِعلاني

يَداً تُفَحِّصُ عَن سِرّي وَإِعلاني

be my protector from the days, for they have

Be my refuge from the days, for they have

a hand that probes my secrets and my public life.

A hand that probes my secrets and my deeds.

يابنَ الأَكارِمِ وَالمَرجُوِّ مِن مُضَرٍ

يابنَ الأَكارِمِ وَالمَرجُوِّ مِن مُضَرٍ

إِذا الزَمانُ جَلا عَن وَجهِ خَوّانِ

إِذا الزَمانُ جَلا عَن وَجهِ خَوّانِ

O son of the noblest and of the one looked to among Mudar,

O son of nobles, hoped for among the tribe of Mudar,

when time unveils a traitor's face,

When time bared its face of betrayal,

إِلَيكَ ساقَتنِيَ الآمالُ يَجنُبُها

إِلَيكَ ساقَتنِيَ الآمالُ يَجنُبُها

سَحابُ جودِكَ مِن أَرضي وَأَوطاني

سَحابُ جودِكَ مِن أَرضي وَأَوطاني

to you my hopes drove me, led along by

My hopes have led me to you, shielded

the cloud of your generosity, away from my land and my homelands.

By clouds of your generosity from my land and home.