لَبِستُ أُناساً فَأَفنَيتُهُم

لَبِستُ أُناساً فَأَفنَيتُهُم

وَأَفنَيتُ بَعدَ أُناسٍ أُناسا

وَأَفنَيتُ بَعدَ أُناسٍ أُناسا

I lived among people, then outlived them,

I wore out generations of people

and after one people, I outlived another.

And after more generations, more generations

ثَلاَثَةَ أَهِلينَ أَفنَيتُهُم

ثَلاَثَةَ أَهِلينَ أَفنَيتُهُم

وَكانَ الإِلهُ هُوَ المُستآسا

وَكانَ الإِلهُ هُوَ المُستآسا

Three generations of people I outlived,

Three generations of my family I wore out

and God was the one from whom solace was sought.

And it was God who was most disconsolate

وَعِشتُ بِعَيشَينِ إِنَّ المَنونَ

وَعِشتُ بِعَيشَينِ إِنَّ المَنونَ

تَلَقّى المَعايِشَ فِيها خِسَاسا

تَلَقّى المَعايِشَ فِيها خِسَاسا

And I lived two lives; indeed, Time—

And I lived two lives - death

one finds the means of living within it paltry.

Meets sustenance in them miserably

فَحِيناً أُصادِفُ غِرّاتِها

فَحِيناً أُصادِفُ غِرّاتِها

وَحِيناً أُصادِفُ مِنها شِمَاسا

وَحِيناً أُصادِفُ مِنها شِمَاسا

So at times I encounter its unguarded moments,

So I encounter its delusions sometimes

and at times I encounter its unruliness.

And sometimes its piercing misery

نَشَأتُ غُلاَماً أُقاسِي الحُروبَ

نَشَأتُ غُلاَماً أُقاسِي الحُروبَ

وَيَلقى المُقاسُونَ مِنِّي مِرَاسا

وَيَلقى المُقاسُونَ مِنِّي مِرَاسا

I grew up a boy enduring wars,

I was raised a lad enduring wars

and those who contend with me meet fierce resistance.

And those who endure me find in me a spearhead

وَحُمرٍ مِنَ الطَعنِ غُلبِ الرِقا

وَحُمرٍ مِنَ الطَعنِ غُلبِ الرِقا

بِ كَالأُسدِ يَفتَرِسُونَ افِترَاسا

بِ كَالأُسدِ يَفتَرِسُونَ افِترَاسا

And men reddened by spear-thrusts, thick of neck,

And red horses whose wounds drip blood

like lions, devouring ravenously.

Like lions rending with rending

شَهِدتُهُمُ لا أُرَجِّي الحَيا

شَهِدتُهُمُ لا أُرَجِّي الحَيا

ةَ حَتّى تَساقَوا بِسُمرٍ كِيَاسا

ةَ حَتّى تَساقَوا بِسُمرٍ كِيَاسا

I stood among them, with no hope of life,

I saw them not hoping for life

until, with dark spears, they gave one another cups to drink.

Until they were led in leather halters

وَخَيلِ يُطابِقنَ بِالدّارِعِينَ

وَخَيلِ يُطابِقنَ بِالدّارِعِينَ

طِباقَ الكِلابِ يَطَأنَ الهَراسا

طِباقَ الكِلابِ يَطَأنَ الهَراسا

And horses bounding with armored riders,

And horses matching the armored men

bounding like hounds, trampling thorny plants.

Like dogs lapping the muddy water

فَلَمّا دَنَونا لِجَرسِ النُبوحِ

فَلَمّا دَنَونا لِجَرسِ النُبوحِ

وَلا نُبصِرُ الحَيَّ إِلاَّ التِماسا

وَلا نُبصِرُ الحَيَّ إِلاَّ التِماسا

Then, when we drew near the sound of barking,

So when we approached the neighing of battle

and could discern the encampment only by searching,

And could not see the living except groping

أَضاءَت لَنا النارُ وَجهاً أَغَرَّ

أَضاءَت لَنا النارُ وَجهاً أَغَرَّ

مُلتَبِساً بالفُؤادِ التِباسا

مُلتَبِساً بالفُؤادِ التِباسا

the fire lit for us a radiant face,

The fire lit up for us a face that was exciting

closely entwined with the heart.

Confused in the heart’s confusion

يُضيءُ كَضوءِ سِراجِ السَلِيطِ

يُضيءُ كَضوءِ سِراجِ السَلِيطِ

لَم يَجعَلِ اللَهُ فِيهِ نُحاسا

لَم يَجعَلِ اللَهُ فِيهِ نُحاسا

It shines like the light of an oil lamp,

Lighting like the light of the flaming torch

in which God has put no smoke.

God did not put any bronze in it

بِآنِسَةٍ غيرِ أُنسِ القِرا

بِآنِسَةٍ غيرِ أُنسِ القِرا

فِ تَخلِطُ بالأُنسِ مِنها شِماسا

فِ تَخلِطُ بالأُنسِ مِنها شِماسا

With an amiable woman, yet not with the intimacy of intercourse,

With a companion other than the intimacy of the gaze

who mingles her friendliness with shy resistance.

That mixes with it piercing misery

إِذا ما الضَجِيعُ ثَنى جِيدَها

إِذا ما الضَجِيعُ ثَنى جِيدَها

تَثَنَّت عَليهِ فَكانَت لِباسا

تَثَنَّت عَليهِ فَكانَت لِباسا

When the bedfellow bends her neck,

When the sleeping one folds his cheek

she curves around him and becomes a garment.

She folds over him and becomes a garment

بِعِيسٍ تَعَطَّفُ أَعنَاقُها

بِعِيسٍ تَعَطَّفُ أَعنَاقُها

كَما عَطَّفَ الماسِخيُّ القِياسا

كَما عَطَّفَ الماسِخيُّ القِياسا

With pale camels whose necks bend,

With a bending that makes necks incline

as al-Masikhi bent the bows.

As the dressmaker tailored the garment

سَبَقتُ إِلى فَرَطٍ ناَهِلٍ

سَبَقتُ إِلى فَرَطٍ ناَهِلٍ

تَنابِلَةً يَحفِرونَ الرِّساسا

تَنابِلَةً يَحفِرونَ الرِّساسا

I reached a water-scout taking his drink before

I preceded to a place of descent, fertile

short, stocky men digging wells.

Like threshers furrowing the chaff

وَحَربٍ ضَروسٍ بِها ناخِسٌ

وَحَربٍ ضَروسٍ بِها ناخِسٌ

مَرَيتُ بِرُمحِي فَكانَ اعتِساسا

مَرَيتُ بِرُمحِي فَكانَ اعتِساسا

And a fierce, biting war, with a goader in it,

And a grueling war wherein there was a striker

I milked with my spear, and it was a forcible milking,

I stabbed with my spear and it was piercing

أَمامَ لِواءِ كَظِلِّ العُقا

أَمامَ لِواءِ كَظِلِّ العُقا

بِ مَن يأتِهِ يَلقَ طَعناً خِلاسا

بِ مَن يأتِهِ يَلقَ طَعناً خِلاسا

before a banner like an eagle's shadow:

Before the standard like the shadow of the eagle

whoever approaches it meets swift, stealthy thrusts.

Whoever comes to it meets a penetrating stab

فَأَصبَحَ فِي الناسِ كَالسَّامرِيِّ

فَأَصبَحَ فِي الناسِ كَالسَّامرِيِّ

إِذ قالَ مُوسَى لَهُ لاَ مِساسا

إِذ قالَ مُوسَى لَهُ لاَ مِساسا

So it became among the people like al-Samiri,

So in the morning he became among the people

when Moses said to him, 'No touching!'

Like the Samaritan when Moses said “Do not touch”