سِوايَ يَجُرُّ هَفْوَتَهُ التَّظَنِّي

سِوايَ يَجُرُّ هَفْوَتَهُ التَّظَنِّي

وَيُرْخِي عَقْدَ حَبْوَتِهِ التَّمَنِّي

وَيُرْخِي عَقْدَ حَبْوَتِهِ التَّمَنِّي

Conjecture leads another, not me, into error,

My steed drags his negligence of presumption,

And wishful thinking loosens the knot of his knee-band.

And loosens the knot of his hopeful yearning,

وَيُلْبِسُ جِيَدَهُ أَطْواقَ نُعْمَى

وَيُلْبِسُ جِيَدَهُ أَطْواقَ نُعْمَى

يَشِفُّ وَراءَها أَغْلالُ مَنِّ

يَشِفُّ وَراءَها أَغْلالُ مَنِّ

And he dresses his neck in collars of favor,

And dresses his neck with necklaces of bounty,

Behind which the shackles of reproach show through.

Behind which he envies the bonds of wishing,

إِذا ما ساَمَهُ اللؤَماءُ ضَيْماً

إِذا ما ساَمَهُ اللؤَماءُ ضَيْماً

تَمَرَّغَ في الأذى ظَهْراً لِبَطْنِ

تَمَرَّغَ في الأذى ظَهْراً لِبَطْنِ

Whenever base men subject him to humiliation,

When the base trouble him with oppression,

He wallows in abuse, from back to belly.

He rolls over onto his belly,

وَظَلَّ نَديمَ غَاطِيَةٍ وَرَوُضٍ

وَظَلَّ نَديمَ غَاطِيَةٍ وَرَوُضٍ

وَبَاتَ صَريعَ باطِيَةٍ وَدَنِّ

وَبَاتَ صَريعَ باطِيَةٍ وَدَنِّ

And spends the day companion to a shady tree and meadow,

And remains a boon companion of jesters and clowns

And spends the night felled by a wine-bowl and a wine-jar.

And spends the night a captive of substitutes and maids,

وَأَشْعَرَ قَلْبَهُ فَرَقَ المنايا

وَأَشْعَرَ قَلْبَهُ فَرَقَ المنايا

وَأَوْدَعَ سَمْعَهُ نَغَمَ المُغَنِّي

وَأَوْدَعَ سَمْعَهُ نَغَمَ المُغَنِّي

And instills in his heart the dread of death,

And makes his heart sense the separation of loved ones,

And lodges the singer's melodies in his ears.

And deposits in his hearing the melody of the singer,

وَصَلْصَلةُ اللِّجامِ لَدَيَّ أَحْرى

وَصَلْصَلةُ اللِّجامِ لَدَيَّ أَحْرى

بِعِزٍّ في مَباءَتِهِ مُبِنِّ

بِعِزٍّ في مَباءَتِهِ مُبِنِّ

And the bridle's jingle, to me, is more worthy

And the clanking of the bridle is more worthy to me

Of honor firmly abiding in its dwelling.

With glory in its direction and guidance,

فَلَسْتُ لِحاصِنٍ إِنْ لَمْ أَقُدْها

فَلَسْتُ لِحاصِنٍ إِنْ لَمْ أَقُدْها

عَوابِسَ تَحْتَ أَغْلِمَةٍ كَجِنِّ

عَوابِسَ تَحْتَ أَغْلِمَةٍ كَجِنِّ

For I am no chaste woman's son unless I lead them,

So I am not for the horseman if I do not drive it

Grim-faced beneath young lads like jinn.

Restive under dark brown coverings,

أُقُرِّطُها الأعِنَّةَ في مُلاءٍ

أُقُرِّطُها الأعِنَّةَ في مُلاءٍ

يُنَشِّرُها مُثارُ النَّقْعِ دُكْنِ

يُنَشِّرُها مُثارُ النَّقْعِ دُكْنِ

I deck them with reins for earrings, in mantles

I peel for it the gum trees in a salt flat

Dusky, unfurled by the rising dust.

Whose shoots spread out the buds,

وَأَمْلأُ مِنْ عَصِيِّ الدَّمْعِ قَسْرا

وَأَمْلأُ مِنْ عَصِيِّ الدَّمْعِ قَسْرا

مَحاجِرَ كلِّ طَيّعَةِ التَّثَنّي

مَحاجِرَ كلِّ طَيّعَةِ التَّثَنّي

And forcibly fill with tears reluctant to flow

And I fill with the stick of tears by force

The eyes of every supple, swaying woman.

The orbits of every docile bending one,

رَأَتْني في أَوائِلِها مُشِيحاً

رَأَتْني في أَوائِلِها مُشِيحاً

أُلَهِّبُ جَمْرَتَيْ ضَرْبٍ وَطَعْنِ

أُلَهِّبُ جَمْرَتَيْ ضَرْبٍ وَطَعْنِ

She saw me at their forefront, resolute,

It saw me in my first steps exerting myself

Kindling the twin embers of blows and thrusts.

Inflaming my embers of striking and stabbing,

وَأَسْطو سَطْوَةَ الأَسَدِ المُحامِي

وَأَسْطو سَطْوَةَ الأَسَدِ المُحامِي

وَتَنْفِرُ نَفْرَةَ الرَّشَأِ الأَغَنِّ

وَتَنْفِرُ نَفْرَةَ الرَّشَأِ الأَغَنِّ

And I pounce with a defending lion's force,

And I mastered the mastery of the pouncing lion,

And she shies like a nasal-voiced gazelle fawn.

And it shies like the shying of the wild driving one,

وَحَوْلَ خِبائِها أَشْلاءُ قَتْلى

وَحَوْلَ خِبائِها أَشْلاءُ قَتْلى

رَفَعْنَ عَقِيرَةَ الطَّيْرِ المُرِنِّ

رَفَعْنَ عَقِيرَةَ الطَّيْرِ المُرِنِّ

And around her tent lie the limbs of slain men;

And around its ruins are the corpses of the slain

They have raised the cries of clamorous birds.

Who lifted up the warbling of the cooing bird,

وَسِرْبالي مُضاعَفَةٌ أُفِيضَتْ

وَسِرْبالي مُضاعَفَةٌ أُفِيضَتْ

على نَزَقِ الشَّبابِ المُرْجَحِنِّ

على نَزَقِ الشَّبابِ المُرْجَحِنِّ

And my tunic is doubled mail, poured

And my cloak is doubled and overflowing

Over the impetuosity of youth, heavy and swaying.

Upon the plenty of daring youth,

كَأَنِّي خَائِضٌ مِنْها غَدِيراً

كَأَنِّي خَائِضٌ مِنْها غَدِيراً

يَشُبُّ النّارَ فيهِ خَبيءُ جَفْنِ

يَشُبُّ النّارَ فيهِ خَبيءُ جَفْنِ

As though I were wading through a pool of it,

As if I am wading through an estuary from it

In which a scabbard's hidden blade kindles fire.

In which the hidden flames of my eyelids flare up,

إِذا غَدَرَ السِّنانُ وَفَى بِضَرْبٍ

إِذا غَدَرَ السِّنانُ وَفَى بِضَرْبٍ

هَزَزْتُ لَهُ شَباهُ فَلَمْ يَخُنِّي

هَزَزْتُ لَهُ شَباهُ فَلَمْ يَخُنِّي

If the spearhead betrays, it keeps faith with a blow

When the spear betrays and strikes a blow,

For which I brandished its edge, and it did not betray me.

I shake for it gray hair but it does not fail me,

وَمَجْنَى العِزِّ مِنْ بِيضٍ رِقاقٍ

وَمَجْنَى العِزِّ مِنْ بِيضٍ رِقاقٍ

وَسُمْرٍ تَخْلِسُ المُهَجاتِ لُدْنِ

وَسُمْرٍ تَخْلِسُ المُهَجاتِ لُدْنِ

And honor's harvest comes from thin white blades

And the refuge of glory is from white thinness

And supple brown spears that snatch away lifeblood.

And brownness that steals into the innermost being,

فَما لَكِ يَا بْنَةَ القُرَشِيِّ مُلْقىً

فَما لَكِ يَا بْنَةَ القُرَشِيِّ مُلْقىً

قِناعُكِ وَالفُؤَادُ مُسِرُّ حُزْنِ

قِناعُكِ وَالفُؤَادُ مُسِرُّ حُزْنِ

So what ails you, daughter of the Qurayshite? Cast aside

So why, O daughter of the Qurayshi worn out

Is your veil, while your heart conceals sorrow.

Is your veil while your heart is happily sad?

ذَريني وَالحُسامَ أُفِدْكِ مَالاً

ذَريني وَالحُسامَ أُفِدْكِ مَالاً

فَراحَةُ مَنْ يَعولُكِ في التَّعَنِّي

فَراحَةُ مَنْ يَعولُكِ في التَّعَنِّي

Leave me with the keen sword; I shall win you wealth,

Leave me and the sword will avail you money

For the ease of the one who supports you lies in toil.

At ease is he who makes you worried in humiliation,

وَغَيْرُ أَخيكَ يَرْقُبُ مُجْتَديهِ

وَغَيْرُ أَخيكَ يَرْقُبُ مُجْتَديهِ

تَبَسُّمَ بارِقٍ وَعُبوسَ دَجْنِ

تَبَسُّمَ بارِقٍ وَعُبوسَ دَجْنِ

And the petitioner of anyone but your brother watches for

And unlike your brother who awaits his attacker

Lightning's smile and the frown of clouded skies.

With a faint smile and frowning seriousness,

فَها أَنَا أَوْسَعُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ صَدراً

فَها أَنَا أَوْسَعُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ صَدراً

وَلَكِنَّ الزَّمانَ يَضيقُ عَنِّي

وَلَكِنَّ الزَّمانَ يَضيقُ عَنِّي

So here I am, broadest of breast among humankind and jinn,

So here I am, broader in the chest than both,

Yet time is too narrow to contain me.

But time feels too narrow for me.