إِن كانَ لَم يَتَّرِك قَيسٌ لَهُ وَطَراً

إِن كانَ لَم يَتَّرِك قَيسٌ لَهُ وَطَراً

إِلّا قَضاهُ فَما قَضَّيتُ مِن وَطَرِ

إِلّا قَضاهُ فَما قَضَّيتُ مِن وَطَرِ

If Qays left no desire of his

If Qays did not leave any desire

unfulfilled, I have fulfilled no desire.

Unfulfilled, I have fulfilled what I desired.

وَرُبَّ نَفسٍ أَصابَت عيشَةً رَغَداً

وَرُبَّ نَفسٍ أَصابَت عيشَةً رَغَداً

لَو لَم تَبِت مِن مَناياها عَلى خطَرِ

لَو لَم تَبِت مِن مَناياها عَلى خطَرِ

And many a soul would have found a life of ease,

And many a soul found a life of ease

had it not spent the night threatened by the deaths awaiting it.

Had she not slept in the midst of danger.

أُمورُ دُنياكَ سَطرٌ خَطَّهُ قَدَرٌ

أُمورُ دُنياكَ سَطرٌ خَطَّهُ قَدَرٌ

وَحَبُّها في السَجايا أَوَّلُ السَطرِ

وَحَبُّها في السَجايا أَوَّلُ السَطرِ

Your worldly affairs are a line inscribed by fate,

The matters of your world a line traced by fate

and love of this world, ingrained in our natures, begins that line.

And love of it is the first line written.

صُمنا عَنِ القوتِ يَوماً ثُمَّ أَعقَبَهُ

صُمنا عَنِ القوتِ يَوماً ثُمَّ أَعقَبَهُ

فِطرٌ وَلا صَومَ نَرجوهُ مِنَ الفِطرِ

فِطرٌ وَلا صَومَ نَرجوهُ مِنَ الفِطرِ

We fasted from food one day; then there followed

We fast a day, then comes breakfast,

a breaking of the fast, after which we expect no fasting.

No fasting we hope for after breakfast.

شاطِر ضَعيفَكَ ما أُتيتَ مِن نَشبٍ

شاطِر ضَعيفَكَ ما أُتيتَ مِن نَشبٍ

وَعَدِّ ذِكرَكَ أُختَ الجيرَةِ الشُطُرِ

وَعَدِّ ذِكرَكَ أُختَ الجيرَةِ الشُطُرِ

Share with your needy fellow whatever wealth you have been given,

Share your bounty, however little you were given,

and turn your thoughts away from the sister of distant neighbors.

And count your neighbour, though poor, a partner.

عَيشي بِعِزٍّ وَمَوتي غَيرَ خاضِعَةٍ

عَيشي بِعِزٍّ وَمَوتي غَيرَ خاضِعَةٍ

شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ

شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ

Live in dignity, and die unbowed.

My life with honour, my death not in submission,

You were healed by rain after being watered by rain.

Quenched by rain after watering with rain.

تَضوعُ دارُكِ مِسكاً وَهِيَ خالِيَةٌ

تَضوعُ دارُكِ مِسكاً وَهِيَ خالِيَةٌ

مِثلَ القَسيمَةِ بَعدَ الأَصهَبِ العَطِرِ

مِثلَ القَسيمَةِ بَعدَ الأَصهَبِ العَطِرِ

Your home exhales musk though it is empty,

Your abode diffuses musk though empty

like a perfume casket after its fragrant tawny contents are gone.

Like a perfume-seller after the fragrance is gone.

كَأَنَّما الرَوضُ لَمّا طُلَّ باكِرَها

كَأَنَّما الرَوضُ لَمّا طُلَّ باكِرَها

شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ

شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ

As though the garden, once bedewed, had visited her at dawn,

As though the meadow, when its flowers blossomed,

you were healed by rain after being watered by rain.

Quenched by rain after watering with rain.

وَما اِختِيالُ مَغانيها بِمُنقِصَةٍ

وَما اِختِيالُ مَغانيها بِمُنقِصَةٍ

إِذ لَيسَ ذَلِكَ مِن عُجبٍ وَلا بَطَرِ

إِذ لَيسَ ذَلِكَ مِن عُجبٍ وَلا بَطَرِ

And the proud bearing of her dwelling places is no flaw,

Her melodies feign no artifice,

since it arises from neither conceit nor insolence.

For that is not of wonders or miracles.

وَما أَصيحُ بِغِربانِ الشَبابِ قَعي

وَما أَصيحُ بِغِربانِ الشَبابِ قَعي

وَلا أُنادي غُرابَ الراسِ لا تَطِرِ

وَلا أُنادي غُرابَ الراسِ لا تَطِرِ

And I do not cry to the ravens of youth, 'Alight!'

I make no loud cries for the ravens of youth to return,

Nor call to the raven of my head, 'Do not fly away!'

Nor call the raven perched on the head to take flight.

وَيَحمِلُ الهَمَّ قَلبي مُعفِياً جَسَدي

وَيَحمِلُ الهَمَّ قَلبي مُعفِياً جَسَدي

رَأسي أَحَمُّ وَظَهري غَيرُ مُنأَطِرِ

رَأسي أَحَمُّ وَظَهري غَيرُ مُنأَطِرِ

And my heart bears care, sparing my body:

My heart bears the sorrow, giving respite to my body,

my head is black-haired, and my back is unbent.

My head I protect and my back is not bent.

وَما أَميرُكَ يا اِبنَ المَجدِ مُنتَسِباً

وَما أَميرُكَ يا اِبنَ المَجدِ مُنتَسِباً

لَكِنَّهُ اِبنُ تُرابٍ عَنهُ مُنفَطِرِ

لَكِنَّهُ اِبنُ تُرابٍ عَنهُ مُنفَطِرِ

And your prince, O son of glory, has no pedigree;

Your prince, son of glory, claims no lineage,

but he is a son of dust, sprung from it.

But he is a son of dust, of him we were created.

وَالإِسمُ لَفظٌ أَتاكَ القائِلونَ بِهِ

وَالإِسمُ لَفظٌ أَتاكَ القائِلونَ بِهِ

نَأى وَلَم يَدنُ لِلمَعنى وَلم يَطُرِ

نَأى وَلَم يَدنُ لِلمَعنى وَلم يَطُرِ

And the name is a word brought to you by those who utter it;

A name is but a word brought to you by speakers,

it stands far from the meaning, neither drawing near nor circling it.

It came not near to the meaning nor took flight.

أَبو نَعامَة بِالأَعدانِ مَولِدُهُ

أَبو نَعامَة بِالأَعدانِ مَولِدُهُ

فَكَيفَ أَصبَحَ مَعزوّاً إِلى قَطَرِ

فَكَيفَ أَصبَحَ مَعزوّاً إِلى قَطَرِ

Abu Na‘amah was born in al-A‘dan;

Abu Nuwas, though born in Ahwaz,

so how did he come to be ascribed to Qatar?

How did he become attributed to Qatar?