أَلا إِنَّها غَمرُ السَخائِمِ وَالغَمرِ

أَلا إِنَّها غَمرُ السَخائِمِ وَالغَمرِ

جِنايَةُ مَن يَجني بِها ثَمَرَ الدَهرِ

جِنايَةُ مَن يَجني بِها ثَمَرَ الدَهرِ

Lo, it is the washing away of grudges and rancor—

Behold, it is a flood of grudges and rancor—

the harvest—the offense—of one who thereby reaps Time’s fruit.

the offense of one who reaps through it the fruit of time.

تَحِنُّ الرُبى لِلقَطرِ لا لِغَمامِهِ

تَحِنُّ الرُبى لِلقَطرِ لا لِغَمامِهِ

وَما تَنفَعُ السُحبُ السَواري بِلا قَطرِ

وَما تَنفَعُ السُحبُ السَواري بِلا قَطرِ

The uplands yearn for rain, not for clouds;

The hills yearn for rain, not for its clouds.

night-faring clouds are of no use without rain.

And clouds traveling by night are of no use without rain.

سَأَهجِرُ أَبكارَ القَوافي فَإِنَّني

سَأَهجِرُ أَبكارَ القَوافي فَإِنَّني

أَراها عَلى الأَيّامِ تَقتَصُّ بِالغَدرِ

أَراها عَلى الأَيّامِ تَقتَصُّ بِالغَدرِ

I shall forsake virgin rhymes, for I

I shall forsake virgin rhymes, for I

see them, as the days pass, exact revenge through treachery.

see them, as the days pass, taking revenge through treachery.