رَأَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ ما أُعاني فعَرَّضَتْ

رَأَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ ما أُعاني فعَرَّضَتْ

بِشَكْوَى وفي فَيْضِ الدُّموعِ بَيانُها

بِشَكْوَى وفي فَيْضِ الدُّموعِ بَيانُها

Umm Amr saw what I suffer, and hinted

Amr's mother saw my troubles, so she appealed

at a complaint, and in the flood of tears lay its expression.

With a complaint and in a flood of tears, her case was clear

وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَهْوَى مَبْسِماً وَجُمانَهُ

وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَهْوَى مَبْسِماً وَجُمانَهُ

فَقَدْ شَغَفَتْني مُقْلَةٌ وَجُمانُها

فَقَدْ شَغَفَتْني مُقْلَةٌ وَجُمانُها

And I once loved a smiling mouth and its pearls;

Once I loved a smiling rosebud and its thorns

but now an eye and its pearls have captivated me.

But now I'm smitten by a gazelle and her horns

وَمَنْ يَبْغِ ما أَبْغِي مِنَ المَجْدِ لَمْ يُبَلْ

وَمَنْ يَبْغِ ما أَبْغِي مِنَ المَجْدِ لَمْ يُبَلْ

نَوائِبَ تَتْلُو البِكْرَ مِنْها عَوانُها

نَوائِبَ تَتْلُو البِكْرَ مِنْها عَوانُها

And whoever seeks the glory I seek does not heed

He who seeks what I seek, glory, will not care

calamities, their seasoned ones following the maiden among them.

For the calamities that befall the young or their woes

رَعى اللهُ نَفْساً بَيْنَ بُرْدَيَّ مُرَّةً

رَعى اللهُ نَفْساً بَيْنَ بُرْدَيَّ مُرَّةً

على أَيِّ خَطْبٍ لَيْسَ يُلْقَى جِرانُها

على أَيِّ خَطْبٍ لَيْسَ يُلْقَى جِرانُها

May God guard an unyielding soul between my two cloaks,

May God protect a soul between two cold nights

whose neck is never lowered before any calamity.

From whatever misfortune whose trials are not light

يُفِيءُ إِلَيْها الدَّهْرُ كُلَّ عَظيمَةٍ

يُفِيءُ إِلَيْها الدَّهْرُ كُلَّ عَظيمَةٍ

وَلا يَزْدَهيها فَهْيَ ثَبْتٌ جَنانُها

وَلا يَزْدَهيها فَهْيَ ثَبْتٌ جَنانُها

Time brings back to it every mighty calamity,

Time comes to her with every greatness

and does not overawe it, for its heart is steadfast.

And no glory makes her arrogant, her soul is steadfast

وَيَعْلَمُ أَنّي أَستَنيمُ إِلى الرَّدى

وَيَعْلَمُ أَنّي أَستَنيمُ إِلى الرَّدى

بِها حِينَ يَسْتَشْري عَلَيْها هَوانُها

بِها حِينَ يَسْتَشْري عَلَيْها هَوانُها

And it knows that I find repose in death

And she knows that I yearn for ruin

with that soul, when its humiliation rages against it.

When her disgrace creeps upon her, that's her time

وَأَبْرَحُ ما أَلْقَى رِئاسَةُ عُصْبَةٍ

وَأَبْرَحُ ما أَلْقَى رِئاسَةُ عُصْبَةٍ

أَخَسُّ زَمانٍ نالَ مِنِّي زَمانُها

أَخَسُّ زَمانٍ نالَ مِنِّي زَمانُها

And the sorest thing I face is the rule of a faction

And I flee whatever supremacy a gang attains

whose era is the basest ever to afflict me.

A vile age that seized me, such was its time

يَحومُ عَلَيْها صَارِمِي وَغِرارُهُ

يَحومُ عَلَيْها صَارِمِي وَغِرارُهُ

وَتَصْبو إِلَيْها صَعْدَتي وَسِنانُها

وَتَصْبو إِلَيْها صَعْدَتي وَسِنانُها

My keen sword and its edge hover over it,

My swords and their sharp blades hover over her

and my lance and its point yearn for it.

And my climbing and my teeth aim at her

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْها يَمُدُّ إِلى العُلا

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْها يَمُدُّ إِلى العُلا

يَداً نَشَأَتْ في الفَقْرِ شُلَّ بَنانُها

يَداً نَشَأَتْ في الفَقْرِ شُلَّ بَنانُها

And every man among them stretches toward the heights

And everyone reaching out to supremacy through her

a hand that grew up in poverty—may its fingers be paralyzed!

A hand raised in poverty, crippled are its fingers

وَيَأْمَلُ مِنّي أَنْ أُسِفَّ بِهِمَّتِي

وَيَأْمَلُ مِنّي أَنْ أُسِفَّ بِهِمَّتِي

إِليهِ وَما شَأْنُ اللِئامِ وَشَانُها

إِليهِ وَما شَأْنُ اللِئامِ وَشَانُها

and hopes that I will lower my ambition

And hopes that I despair with my resolve

to his level—but what have the base and my ambition in common?

To him, but the ways of villains are not her ways

وَلَوْ أَمْكَنَتْنِي وَثْبَةٌ أُمَوِيَّةٌ

وَلَوْ أَمْكَنَتْنِي وَثْبَةٌ أُمَوِيَّةٌ

لأَلْجَمْتُهُ سَيْفِي فَهذا أَوانُها

لأَلْجَمْتُهُ سَيْفِي فَهذا أَوانُها

And if an Umayyad leap were within my power,

And if I were granted a Umayyad leap

I would bridle him with my sword, for now is the time for that leap.

I would silence him with my sword, such is its time