اِستَحيِ مِن شَمسِ النَهارِ وَمِن

اِستَحيِ مِن شَمسِ النَهارِ وَمِن

قَمَرِ الدُجى وَنُجومِهِ الزُهرِ

قَمَرِ الدُجى وَنُجومِهِ الزُهرِ

Feel shame before the sun of day, and before

Be ashamed of the sun of daytime, and of

the moon of darkness and its radiant stars.

The moon of nightfall and its shining stars

يَجرينَ في الفَلَكِ المُدارِ بِإِذ

يَجرينَ في الفَلَكِ المُدارِ بِإِذ

نِ اللَهِ لا يَخشَينَ مِن بُهرِ

نِ اللَهِ لا يَخشَينَ مِن بُهرِ

They course in the revolving sphere by permission

Flowing in the orbit by the command of God

of God, fearing no breathlessness.

They do not fear the intensity of light

وَلَهُنَّ بِالتَعظيمِ في خَلَدي

وَلَهُنَّ بِالتَعظيمِ في خَلَدي

أَولى وَأَجدَرُ مِن بَني فِهرِ

أَولى وَأَجدَرُ مِن بَني فِهرِ

And to my mind, as objects of reverence, they are

And for them is due, in my essence,

worthier and more deserving than the sons of Fihr.

Greater respect than the people of excellence

سُبحانَ خالِقِهِنَّ لَستُ أَقو

سُبحانَ خالِقِهِنَّ لَستُ أَقو

لُ الشُهُبُ كابِيَةٌ مَعَ الدَهرِ

لُ الشُهُبُ كابِيَةٌ مَعَ الدَهرِ

Glory to their Creator! I do not say

Glory to their Creator. I do not say

that the shooting stars fade with time.

The meteors are diminishing over time

لا بَلَ أُفَكِّرُ هَل رُزِقنَ حِجاً

لا بَلَ أُفَكِّرُ هَل رُزِقنَ حِجاً

نَجِساً يُمَزنَ بِهِ مِنَ الطُهرِ

نَجِساً يُمَزنَ بِهِ مِنَ الطُهرِ

No; rather I wonder: have they been granted reason,

Rather, I wonder - were they given an impure pilgrim

impure, by which they are set apart from purity?

To be protected from impurity?

أَم هَل لِأُنثاها الحَصانِ بِذي التَ

أَم هَل لِأُنثاها الحَصانِ بِذي التَ

ذكيرِ مِن قُربى وَمِن صِهرِ

ذكيرِ مِن قُربى وَمِن صِهرِ

Or does their chaste female have, with the male,

Or did the female horses have, of the males

any kinship or tie by marriage?

Relatives or in-laws?

أَم يَخطُبُ العَوّا السَمّاكُ وَيُع

أَم يَخطُبُ العَوّا السَمّاكُ وَيُع

طيها الَّذي تَرضاهُ مِن مَهرِ

طيها الَّذي تَرضاهُ مِن مَهرِ

Or does al-Simāk woo al-‘Awwā, and give

Or does the kite court and is given

her whatever bridal gift she accepts?

What it accepts of dowry?

أَمّا الهِلالُ فَإِنَّهُ عَجَبٌ

أَمّا الهِلالُ فَإِنَّهُ عَجَبٌ

يَنمي وَيَمحَقُ في مَدى شَهرِ

يَنمي وَيَمحَقُ في مَدى شَهرِ

As for the crescent, it is a marvel:

As for the crescent, it is wondrous

it waxes and wanes within a month.

Growing and fading over the month

فَبُرِئَت مِن غاوٍ أَخي سَفَهٍ

فَبُرِئَت مِن غاوٍ أَخي سَفَهٍ

مُتَمَرِّدٍ في السِرِّ وَالجَهرِ

مُتَمَرِّدٍ في السِرِّ وَالجَهرِ

So I am free of a misguided man, a brother to folly,

So it is absolved of misleading, my ignorant brother

rebellious in secret and in public,

Rebellious, in private and public

أَلغى صَلاةَ العَصرِ مُحتَقِراً

أَلغى صَلاةَ العَصرِ مُحتَقِراً

وَرَمى وَراءَ الظَهرِ بِالظُهرِ

وَرَمى وَراءَ الظَهرِ بِالظُهرِ

who scornfully abandoned the afternoon prayer

He cancelled the afternoon prayer in disdain

and cast the noon prayer behind his back.

And neglected the obligatory prayer

فَاِمنَح ضَعيفَكَ إِن عَراكَ وَلَو

فَاِمنَح ضَعيفَكَ إِن عَراكَ وَلَو

نَزَراً وَلا تَصرِفهُ بِالكَهرِ

نَزَراً وَلا تَصرِفهُ بِالكَهرِ

So give to your weak one, if he comes to you, even

So grant your weak one, even if little

a little, and do not turn him away with harsh rebuke.

And do not turn him away in anger

وَاِرَفَع لَهُ شَقراءَ تَرمَحُ في

وَاِرَفَع لَهُ شَقراءَ تَرمَحُ في

دَهماءَ مِثلَ تَأَرُّنِ المُهرِ

دَهماءَ مِثلَ تَأَرُّنِ المُهرِ

And raise for him a ruddy flame that kicks in

And raise for him a blond spear

blackness, like the frisking of a colt.

In gloomy darkness like the neighing of a mare

وَاِنصِف يَتيمَكَ في التُراثِ وَلا

وَاِنصِف يَتيمَكَ في التُراثِ وَلا

تَأخُذُهُ بِالإِعناتِ وَالقَهرِ

تَأخُذُهُ بِالإِعناتِ وَالقَهرِ

And deal fairly with your orphan over the inheritance, and do not

And be just with your orphan in inheritance

subject him to hardship and oppression.

And do not seize it through force and coercion