نسيم الصّبا كيفَ المنازِل من نجد

نسيم الصّبا كيفَ المنازِل من نجد

كَمَا كُنّ عَهْدي أم تَغيّرنَ مِن بَعْدي

كَمَا كُنّ عَهْدي أم تَغيّرنَ مِن بَعْدي

O east wind, how are the dwellings in Najd?

Breeze of the east wind, how are the dwellings in Najd?

Are they as I knew them, or have they changed since I left?

Are they as I knew them, or have they changed since my departure?

ويا عَذَبات البَانِ مِن سفْحِ حَاجرٍ

ويا عَذَبات البَانِ مِن سفْحِ حَاجرٍ

هَلِ السَّفحُ معمور الربوع على عَهْدي

هَلِ السَّفحُ معمور الربوع على عَهْدي

O graceful bān branches on the slope of Hājir,

And O slender branches of the ban trees on Hajir's slope,

Is that slope, with all its quarters, still inhabited as in my day?

Are the slope's dwellings still inhabited, as when I knew them?

ويا أَثلاث الجزْع من شعب عامرٍ

ويا أَثلاث الجزْع من شعب عامرٍ

لقد زادني ذكراكِ وجداً على وجدِي

لقد زادني ذكراكِ وجداً على وجدِي

O tracts of the valley-bend in the ravine of ʿĀmir,

And O tamarisks of the valley bend in ‘Amir's ravine,

The memory of you has added longing upon my longing.

Truly, remembering you has added longing to my longing.

منازل روّى تُربَها مثلُ أدمعي

منازل روّى تُربَها مثلُ أدمعي

من الغيث مُنْهلّ الحيا صادق الرّعدِ

من الغيث مُنْهلّ الحيا صادق الرّعدِ

Dwellings whose soil was watered, like my tears,

Dwellings whose soil was watered by the like of my tears—

By a cloudburst of life-giving rain, faithful in its thunder.

A raincloud pouring life-giving showers, true to its thunder's promise.

قَضَيتُ بها حَقَّ الصِّبا والزّمان لَمْ

قَضَيتُ بها حَقَّ الصِّبا والزّمان لَمْ

يُقابلْ إراداتي بعكسٍ ولا طَردِ

يُقابلْ إراداتي بعكسٍ ولا طَردِ

There I gave youth its due, while Time did not

There I fulfilled youth's due, while Time had not

Oppose my wishes, thwart them, or turn them back.

Met my wishes with opposition or rejection.

وقومٍ بنَعمانِ الأراك عهدتُهمْ

وقومٍ بنَعمانِ الأراك عهدتُهمْ

سقوني بها كأساً دِهَاقاً مِن الودِّ

سقوني بها كأساً دِهَاقاً مِن الودِّ

And people at Nuʿmān al-Arāk—I knew them well—

And a people at Na‘man of the arak trees whom I knew—

There gave me a brimming cup of affection.

There they gave me a brimming cup of affection to drink.

وكم هِمتُ فيهمْ والزّمان مُساعدٌ

وكم هِمتُ فيهمْ والزّمان مُساعدٌ

وصرفُ القضا يُجْري الأُمور على قصْدي

وصرفُ القضا يُجْري الأُمور على قصْدي

How often I wandered love-mad among them, while Time was my ally

How often I fell madly in love among them, while Time favored me,

And the course of fate directed all things toward my desire—

And the turns of destiny made affairs run as I intended,

بمعسول أَطراف الحديثِ كأنّما

بمعسول أَطراف الحديثِ كأنّما

يدير على أَهْلِ الغرام جَنَى الشّهدِ

يدير على أَهْلِ الغرام جَنَى الشّهدِ

With honeyed turns of speech, as though

With one whose turns of speech were honey-sweet, as though he

He offered lovers the gathered sweetness of honey.

Passed round honey's harvest to those in love.

مِن الغيدِ سحّار الّلحاظِ مُعَطّر

مِن الغيدِ سحّار الّلحاظِ مُعَطّر

اللَّمى جائر الأَحكام معتدل القدِّ

اللَّمى جائر الأَحكام معتدل القدِّ

One of the graceful beauties, bewitching in glance and fragrant,

One of the graceful beauties, a sorcerer of glances, with perfumed

Dark-lipped, tyrannical in judgment, yet perfectly proportioned.

Dark lips, unjust in his judgments, yet well-proportioned in form.

وقد كان طوعي والحوادثُ نوّمٌ

وقد كان طوعي والحوادثُ نوّمٌ

فها أَنا إن سلّمتُ يبخَلُ بالردُ

فها أَنا إن سلّمتُ يبخَلُ بالردُ

He once obeyed me, while all misfortunes slept;

And he once was at my bidding, while calamities slept;

Now, even when I greet him, he begrudges me a reply.

But here I am: if I greet him, he grudges a reply.

وكَم ليلةٍ قد زارني في ظلامِها

وكَم ليلةٍ قد زارني في ظلامِها

وددتُ بها نّي فَرشتُ له خدّي

وددتُ بها نّي فَرشتُ له خدّي

How many a night he visited me amid its darkness;

And how many a night he visited me in its darkness,

I wished that night I had spread my cheek beneath him.

When I wished I had spread my cheek out for him.

إلى أن سَعَتْ فينا اللّيالي بفُرقةٍ

إلى أن سَعَتْ فينا اللّيالي بفُرقةٍ

وغرَّبنَني عَنهُ وغَيّرنَهُ بَعْدي

وغرَّبنَني عَنهُ وغَيّرنَهُ بَعْدي

Until the nights conspired between us to bring separation,

Until the nights worked to bring a separation between us,

Banished me far from him, and changed him once I was away.

And banished me from him, and changed him after my departure.

وما زالَ دهري منذ كان يَريشُ لي

وما زالَ دهري منذ كان يَريشُ لي

سِهاماً مِن الأَحداث تصمي على عَمْدِ

سِهاماً مِن الأَحداث تصمي على عَمْدِ

Ever since my life began, my fortune has kept feathering for me

And ever since it began, my fate has kept fletching for me

Arrows of calamity that strike the deeply wounded to the heart.

Arrows of calamity that deliberately strike to kill.

ليَ اللهُ كم أَلقى الزّمانَ بعزمةٍ

ليَ اللهُ كم أَلقى الزّمانَ بعزمةٍ

تُقصِّر عنها عزمة الصّارمِ الهندي

تُقصِّر عنها عزمة الصّارمِ الهندي

By God, how often I have faced Time with a resolve

God be my help! How often I face Time with a resolve

Before which even the resolve of an Indian sword falls short.

Before which the resolve of a keen Indian sword falls short.

وكم حشدتْ يوماً عليّ جنودَه

وكم حشدتْ يوماً عليّ جنودَه

فما كَلَّ عَنْ حربٍ لَهُ أبداً حدّي

فما كَلَّ عَنْ حربٍ لَهُ أبداً حدّي

How often it has mustered all its armies against me,

And on how many a day its armies have massed against me!

Yet never has my edge grown dull in war with it.

Yet never has my edge grown dull in battle against it.

وكم يَلْتَقِيني منْ بنيهِ محارباً

وكم يَلْتَقِيني منْ بنيهِ محارباً

بأخبثِ مِن صلٍّ وألأم مِن قردِ

بأخبثِ مِن صلٍّ وألأم مِن قردِ

How many warriors among its sons have met me,

And how often it confronts me in battle, from among its sons,

More vicious than an asp and baser than an ape.

With one viler than a viper and baser than an ape.

إلى اللهِ مِن أبناء دهري أشتكي

إلى اللهِ مِن أبناء دهري أشتكي

مرامي تُصمي كلَّ مُحْكمةٍ السّردِ

مرامي تُصمي كلَّ مُحْكمةٍ السّردِ

To God I complain of the sons of my age:

To God I complain of the sons of my age:

Missiles that pierce every tightly woven coat of mail.

Shafts that strike to kill through every coat of closely linked mail.

وما جَهلوا قدري لديهم ورفعتي

وما جَهلوا قدري لديهم ورفعتي

وأنّ زماني فيهمُ زمن الوردِ

وأنّ زماني فيهمُ زمن الوردِ

They were not ignorant of my worth among them or my stature,

And they were not ignorant of my worth among them and my eminence,

Nor that my time among them was a season of roses.

Nor that my time among them was the season of roses.

وما ضرَني أن لا يرون فضائلي

وما ضرَني أن لا يرون فضائلي

فما خَفِيتْ إلاّ على أَعْينِ رُمْدِ

فما خَفِيتْ إلاّ على أَعْينِ رُمْدِ

It has not harmed me that they fail to see my virtues;

It has not harmed me that they do not see my virtues;

They are hidden only from rheumy eyes.

For they are hidden only from inflamed eyes.

وما لي ذنبٌ غي أنّي في العُلَى

وما لي ذنبٌ غي أنّي في العُلَى

تقدَّمتُ مَن قَبْلي وأتعبتُ مَن بعدي

تقدَّمتُ مَن قَبْلي وأتعبتُ مَن بعدي

I have no fault except that, in the heights,

I have no fault, except that in the heights of glory

I outstripped those before me and exhausted those who followed.

I outstripped those before me and wearied those after me.

سَلِي الدهرَ عنّي إن شكَكْتِ وعَنْهمُ

سَلِي الدهرَ عنّي إن شكَكْتِ وعَنْهمُ

لِمَنْ قصبات السَّبق في حلبة المجدِ

لِمَنْ قصبات السَّبق في حلبة المجدِ

Ask Time about me, if you doubt—and ask about them:

Ask Time about me, if you doubt, and about them:

Who holds the reeds of precedence in the arena of glory?

To whom belong the victory stakes on glory's racecourse?

وقلةٍ لا عزّ إلاّ مع الغِنَى

وقلةٍ لا عزّ إلاّ مع الغِنَى

فَبِالمال يَسْتكْسِي الفتى حُلَلَ الْحَمْدِ

فَبِالمال يَسْتكْسِي الفتى حُلَلَ الْحَمْدِ

She said, “There is no honor except with wealth;

And [a woman said], “There is no honor except with wealth;

By wealth a young man clothes himself in robes of praise.

For through wealth a young man clothes himself in robes of praise.

فأعمِل إلى نيل الغِنى كلَّ حيلةٍ

فأعمِل إلى نيل الغِنى كلَّ حيلةٍ

وشق أديمَ الأرضِ في طلب الرّفدِ

وشق أديمَ الأرضِ في طلب الرّفدِ

So employ every stratagem to attain riches,

So employ every stratagem to attain wealth,

And split the earth’s hide in your search for bounty.”

And cleave the earth's skin in pursuit of largesse.”

فقلتُ لها مهلاً فليس بنافعي

فقلتُ لها مهلاً فليس بنافعي

دها ثُعَلٍ والمالُ في غُرَر الأُسْدِ

دها ثُعَلٍ والمالُ في غُرَر الأُسْدِ

I said to her, “Gently—this would profit me nothing:

So I said to her, “Easy now! Of no use to me is

What use is foxlike cunning when wealth lies in the lions’ grasp?”

The cunning of Thu‘al the fox, when wealth lies on lions' foreheads.”