عَلَيكَ السَلامُ أَيُّها القَمَرُ البَدرُ

عَلَيكَ السَلامُ أَيُّها القَمَرُ البَدرُ

وَلازالَ مَعموراً بِأَيّامِكَ العُمرُ

وَلازالَ مَعموراً بِأَيّامِكَ العُمرُ

Peace be upon you, O full moon,

Peace be upon you, O full moon

and may life ever be filled with your days.

And may your days be ever blessed

وَداعاً لِشَهرٍ إِنَّ مِن شاسِعِ النَوى

وَداعاً لِشَهرٍ إِنَّ مِن شاسِعِ النَوى

عَلى الكَبِدِ الحَرّى إِذا اِلتَهَبَت شَهرُ

عَلى الكَبِدِ الحَرّى إِذا اِلتَهَبَت شَهرُ

Farewell for a month—for among far-reaching separations

Farewell to a month that pains

to the burning liver, when it blazes, is a month.

The burning heart when it departs

هُوَ اِسمُ فِراقٍ طالَ أَو قَصُرَ المَدى

هُوَ اِسمُ فِراقٍ طالَ أَو قَصُرَ المَدى

فَلِلصَدرِ مِنهُ ما يَحِرُّ لَهُ الصَدرُ

فَلِلصَدرِ مِنهُ ما يَحِرُّ لَهُ الصَدرُ

It is a name for parting, whether the span be long or short,

It is the name of parting, long or brief

so from it the breast receives what makes the breast burn.

That grieves the heart however it occurs

أَنا الظالِمُ المُختارُ فَقدَكَ عالِماً

أَنا الظالِمُ المُختارُ فَقدَكَ عالِماً

بِفَقدِ اللُهى فيهِ وَما ظَلَمَ الدَهرُ

بِفَقدِ اللُهى فيهِ وَما ظَلَمَ الدَهرُ

I am the wrongdoer, choosing to lose you, knowing

I am the unjust one who chose to lose you

that this means losing largesse; time has done no wrong.

Though time was not unfair in your loss

مَلَأتُ يَدي فَاِشتَقتُ وَالشَوقُ عادَةٌ

مَلَأتُ يَدي فَاِشتَقتُ وَالشَوقُ عادَةٌ

لِكُلِّ غَريبٍ زَلَّ عَن يَدِهِ الفَقرُ

لِكُلِّ غَريبٍ زَلَّ عَن يَدِهِ الفَقرُ

I filled my hand and felt longing; longing is a habit

I filled my hands longing for more

of every exile from whose hand poverty has slipped away.

As yearning is the wont of the destitute

وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ يَشتاقُ مِن بُعدِ أَرضِهِ

وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ يَشتاقُ مِن بُعدِ أَرضِهِ

إِلى أَهلِهِ حَتّى يَكونَ لَهُ وَفرُ

إِلى أَهلِهِ حَتّى يَكونَ لَهُ وَفرُ

And what man, far from his homeland, longs

What man far from his land

for his family before he has wealth?

Does not yearn for his people to return?

تَلافَيتَني في ظَمأَةٍ فَدَفَعتَني

تَلافَيتَني في ظَمأَةٍ فَدَفَعتَني

إِلى نائِلٍ فيهِ المَخاضَةُ وَالغَمرُ

إِلى نائِلٍ فيهِ المَخاضَةُ وَالغَمرُ

You rescued me in thirst, then sent me

You left me thirsty and pushed me away

to bounty with fordable shallows and deep water.

To a spring of bitterness and peril

وَيَدنو قَرارُ البَحرِ طَوراً وَرُبَّما

وَيَدنو قَرارُ البَحرِ طَوراً وَرُبَّما

تَباعَدَ حَتّى لا يُنالَ لَهُ قَعرُ

تَباعَدَ حَتّى لا يُنالَ لَهُ قَعرُ

And the seabed draws near at times, and sometimes

The sea comes near at times and then

it recedes until no bottom can be reached.

Retreats far out of reach

وَلَولاكَ ما أَسخَطتُ غُمّى وَرَوضَها

وَلَولاكَ ما أَسخَطتُ غُمّى وَرَوضَها

وَنَهرَ دُجَيلٍ بِالَّذي رَضِيَ الثَغرُ

وَنَهرَ دُجَيلٍ بِالَّذي رَضِيَ الثَغرُ

But for you, I would not have displeased Ghumma and its meadows

Were it not for you I'd not resent my sorrow

and the river Dujayl with what pleased the frontier.

Nor Diyala's meadows that pleased my lips

وَلَكانَ غَزوُ الرومِ بَعضَ مَآرِبي

وَلَكانَ غَزوُ الرومِ بَعضَ مَآرِبي

وَهَمّي وَلا مِمّا أُطالِبُهُ الأَجرُ

وَهَمّي وَلا مِمّا أُطالِبُهُ الأَجرُ

And campaigning against the Romans would have been among my aims

Raiding Rome would be just one of my troubles

and my concern, with no payment among the things I seek.

Not what I seek for recompense

لِتَعلَمَ أَنَّ الوُدَّ يَجمَعُنا عَلى

لِتَعلَمَ أَنَّ الوُدَّ يَجمَعُنا عَلى

صَفاءِ التَصافي قَبلَ يَجمَعُنا عَمروُ

صَفاءِ التَصافي قَبلَ يَجمَعُنا عَمروُ

So you may know that affection unites us in

So you may know affection unites us

the purity of mutual friendship, before Amr unites us.

In purity before fate unites us in death

وَإِنّي مَتى أَعدُد مَعاليكَ أَعتَدِد

وَإِنّي مَتى أَعدُد مَعاليكَ أَعتَدِد

بِها شَرَفاً إِذ كُلُّ فَخرِكَ لي فَخرُ

بِها شَرَفاً إِذ كُلُّ فَخرِكَ لي فَخرُ

And whenever I recount your lofty merits, I take

When I recount your virtues I count

honor in them, for all your glory is glory to me.

Them as my pride for your glory is mine

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلي ظَلَّ يَمدَحُ نَفسَهُ

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلي ظَلَّ يَمدَحُ نَفسَهُ

وَيَأخُذُ أَجراً إِنَّ ذا عَجَبٌ بَهرُ

وَيَأخُذُ أَجراً إِنَّ ذا عَجَبٌ بَهرُ

And I have seen no one like me, who keeps praising himself

Unlike others singing self-praise

and taking payment—truly, this is an astounding marvel.

And taking payment – how vain!

وَما اِختَرتُ داراً غَيرَ دارِكَ مِن قِلاً

وَما اِختَرتُ داراً غَيرَ دارِكَ مِن قِلاً

وَأَينَ تُرى قَصدي وَمِن خَلفِيَ البَحرُ

وَأَينَ تُرى قَصدي وَمِن خَلفِيَ البَحرُ

And I chose a home other than yours not out of aversion;

I chose no abode but yours though few

and where, I wonder, am I bound, with the sea behind me?

Where does my quest lead but over the sea?

فَإِن بِنتُ عَنكُم مُصبِحاً حَضَرَ الهَوى

فَإِن بِنتُ عَنكُم مُصبِحاً حَضَرَ الهَوى

وَإِن غِبتُ عَنكُم سائِراً شَهِدَ الشِعرُ

وَإِن غِبتُ عَنكُم سائِراً شَهِدَ الشِعرُ

So if I leave you in the morning, love is present;

If I leave you at morn, love appears

and if I am away from you on my travels, poetry is present.

If I depart, poetry bears witness

سَأَشكُرُ لا أَنّي أُجازيكَ نِعمَةً

سَأَشكُرُ لا أَنّي أُجازيكَ نِعمَةً

بِأُخرى وَلَكِن كَي يُقالَ لَهُ شُكرُ

بِأُخرى وَلَكِن كَي يُقالَ لَهُ شُكرُ

I shall give thanks—not that I repay you one kindness

I will give thanks - not to repay one favor

with another, but so it may be said, 'He was thanked.'

With another - but so it is said: He is thankful

وَأَذكُرُ أَيّامي لَدَيكَ وَنِعمَتي

وَأَذكُرُ أَيّامي لَدَيكَ وَنِعمَتي

وَآخِرُ ما يَبقى مِنَ الذاهِبِ الذِكرُ

وَآخِرُ ما يَبقى مِنَ الذاهِبِ الذِكرُ

And I shall recall my days with you and my good fortune;

I recall my days with you, and my bounty

and the last thing left of what has passed is remembrance.

Lasting fame is what remains of the transient