هُوَ الظَلامُ فَلا صُبحٌ وَلا شَفَقُ

هُوَ الظَلامُ فَلا صُبحٌ وَلا شَفَقُ

هَل يُطلِقُ اللَيلُ مِن طَرفي فَأَنطَلِقُ

هَل يُطلِقُ اللَيلُ مِن طَرفي فَأَنطَلِقُ

It is darkness: no dawn, no twilight.

It is the darkness, with no dawn or twilight

Will night loosen its hold on my eyes, so I can leave?

Will the night release me so I may set forth?

راحَ بنُ رَوحٍ بِسوءِ اللَفظِ يَحشِمُني

راحَ بنُ رَوحٍ بِسوءِ اللَفظِ يَحشِمُني

وَالغَيظُ يَبرُقُ في عَينَيهِ وَالحَنَقُ

وَالغَيظُ يَبرُقُ في عَينَيهِ وَالحَنَقُ

Ibn Rawh set about offending me with foul words,

The son of Ruwh offended me with his foul words

and rage and fury flash in his eyes.

And rage flashes in his eyes and resentment

يَستَنشِدُ الضَيفَ وَالظَلماءَ حالِكَةٌ

يَستَنشِدُ الضَيفَ وَالظَلماءَ حالِكَةٌ

وَقَد تَعَلَّمَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ الأُفُقُ

وَقَد تَعَلَّمَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ الأُفُقُ

He asks the guest to recite poetry while the darkness is pitch-black,

He questions the guest and the dark night envelops

and the horizon has already learned from his character.

And the horizon has learned from his morals

البائِتونَ قَريباً مِن دِيارِهِمِ

البائِتونَ قَريباً مِن دِيارِهِمِ

وَلَو يَشاؤونَ آبوا الحَيَّ أَو طَرَقوا

وَلَو يَشاؤونَ آبوا الحَيَّ أَو طَرَقوا

Those spending the night near their homes

Those who spend the night near their homes

could, if they wished, return to the camp or visit by night.

If they wished, they’d return to the district or knock

مَهلاً فَداري أَبا عَمروٍ إِذا طُلِبَت

مَهلاً فَداري أَبا عَمروٍ إِذا طُلِبَت

أَرضُ الشَآمِ وَهَذي دارُكَ السَلَقُ

أَرضُ الشَآمِ وَهَذي دارُكَ السَلَقُ

Easy now, Abu Amr: my home, when sought,

Wait! My house, O Abu Amr, if asked for

is the land of Syria; and this home of yours is al-Salaq.

Is the land of Syria while this is your shack

أَبَعدَ مَسرايَ إِن رُمتُ النُزولَ عَلى

أَبَعدَ مَسرايَ إِن رُمتُ النُزولَ عَلى

حَيٍّ بِحَيثُ جِبالُ الثَلجِ تَأتَلِقُ

حَيٍّ بِحَيثُ جِبالُ الثَلجِ تَأتَلِقُ

Is it after my night journey, if I seek to lodge among

Is my dwelling far if I stay at a

a clan where the snowy mountains gleam,

Neighborhood where snowy mountains glitter?

أَغرى بِكَ اللَومَ مَجموعاً وَمُفتَرِقاً

أَغرى بِكَ اللَومَ مَجموعاً وَمُفتَرِقاً

لُؤمَ جَديدٍ وَعِرضٌ دارِسٌ خَلَقُ

لُؤمَ جَديدٍ وَعِرضٌ دارِسٌ خَلَقُ

that blame, gathered and scattered, has been stirred against you

You blamed me altogether and separately

by fresh baseness and a reputation faded and threadbare?

For a new sin and a watching habit

إِنَّ الحُلاقَ الَّذي أَنفَقتَهُ سَرَفاً

إِنَّ الحُلاقَ الَّذي أَنفَقتَهُ سَرَفاً

داءُ لَكُم مِن بَني عِمرانَ مُستَرَقُ

داءُ لَكُم مِن بَني عِمرانَ مُستَرَقُ

Indeed, the throat ailment you lavished so extravagantly

Indeed, the barber whom you spent extravagantly

is an affliction of yours, stolen from the sons of Imran.

Is a disease upon you from the thieving Banu Imran

لا تَأخُذوا حَظَّ أَقوامٍ تَليقُ بِهِم

لا تَأخُذوا حَظَّ أَقوامٍ تَليقُ بِهِم

إِذا بَدَت مِنهُمُ الأَخلاقُ وَالخِلَقُ

إِذا بَدَت مِنهُمُ الأَخلاقُ وَالخِلَقُ

Do not take the share of people whom it befits

Do not take the share of people it suits

when their character and bodily forms are revealed.

When their morals and nature appear from them

القَومُ أَخبَثُ أَلفاظاً إِذا اِجتَمَعوا

القَومُ أَخبَثُ أَلفاظاً إِذا اِجتَمَعوا

مِنكُم وَأَمرَضُ أَلحاظاً إِذا اِفتَرَقوا

مِنكُم وَأَمرَضُ أَلحاظاً إِذا اِفتَرَقوا

Those people are fouler in speech when they gather

The people most vile in speech when gathered

than you, and more languid in their glances when apart.

And sickest in glance when separated

بُلهُ الأَكُفِّ وَفي أَفخاذِهِم كَرَمٌ

بُلهُ الأَكُفِّ وَفي أَفخاذِهِم كَرَمٌ

مَرضى الأُيورِ وَفي اِستِهِم شَبَقُ

مَرضى الأُيورِ وَفي اِستِهِم شَبَقُ

Their hands are witless, but their thighs are generous;

Dull in palm and in their thighs, generosity

their cocks are sick, but their arses are lustful.

Sick in penis and in their lust, desire

يُشَبِّهونَ ظُهورَ الخَيلِ إِن رَكِبوا

يُشَبِّهونَ ظُهورَ الخَيلِ إِن رَكِبوا

فَيشاً فَسَيرُهُمُ التَقريبُ وَالعَنَقُ

فَيشاً فَسَيرُهُمُ التَقريبُ وَالعَنَقُ

When they ride, they liken the backs of horses

They resemble the backs of horses if they rode

to a penis-head; so their gait is a canter and a brisk pace.

So their pace is a trot and a canter

جَفّوا مِنَ البُخلِ حَتّى لَو بَدا لَهُمُ

جَفّوا مِنَ البُخلِ حَتّى لَو بَدا لَهُمُ

ضَوءُ السُها في سَوادِ اللَيلِ لَاِحتَرَقوا

ضَوءُ السُها في سَوادِ اللَيلِ لَاِحتَرَقوا

They have dried up from miserliness, so that, were there to appear to them

They are dried up from stinginess, if the glow

the light of al-Suha in the blackness of night, they would burn.

Of Suhā in the black night appeared, they'd burn

لَو صافَحوا المُزنَ ما اِبتَلَّت أَكُفُّهُمُ

لَو صافَحوا المُزنَ ما اِبتَلَّت أَكُفُّهُمُ

وَلَو يَخوضونَ بَحرَ الصينِ ما غَرِقوا

وَلَو يَخوضونَ بَحرَ الصينِ ما غَرِقوا

Were they to shake hands with the rainclouds, their palms would not get wet;

If they shook hands with the sad, their palms wouldn't suffer

and were they to wade into the Sea of China, they would not drown.

And if they sailed the China sea, they wouldn't drown

الباخِلونَ إِذا ما مازِنٌ بَذَلوا

الباخِلونَ إِذا ما مازِنٌ بَذَلوا

وَالمُفحَمونَ إِذا ما راسِبٌ نَطَقوا

وَالمُفحَمونَ إِذا ما راسِبٌ نَطَقوا

The misers, whenever Mazin gives freely,

The misers, if the generous Māzin gave

and the speechless ones, whenever Rasib speaks.

And the confounded, if the eloquent Rāsib spoke

لَو قيلَ لِلأَزدِ ما قالوا وَما اِنتَحَلوا

لَو قيلَ لِلأَزدِ ما قالوا وَما اِنتَحَلوا

مِن اِدِّعاءٍ إِلَيهِ قالَ ما صَدَقوا

مِن اِدِّعاءٍ إِلَيهِ قالَ ما صَدَقوا

Were al-Azd told what they said and claimed

If it was said to Al-Azd what they claimed and professed

of descent from him, he would say: 'They did not tell the truth.'

Of lies to it, they'd say they didn't speak truth