تُرى نُوَبُ الأَيّامِ تُرجي صِعابَها

تُرى نُوَبُ الأَيّامِ تُرجي صِعابَها

وَتَسأَلُ عَن ذي لِمَّةٍ ما أَشابَها

وَتَسأَلُ عَن ذي لِمَّةٍ ما أَشابَها

Do time's calamities, I wonder, defer their hardships?

The turns of fate, do they hope for their difficulties?

And you ask of a man with flowing locks what turned them gray.

And ask about one whose tribe has made him grey,

وَهَل سَبَبٌ لِلشَيبِ مِن بَعدِ هَذِه

وَهَل سَبَبٌ لِلشَيبِ مِن بَعدِ هَذِه

فَدَأبُكَ يا لَونَ الشَبابِ وَدابُها

فَدَأبُكَ يا لَونَ الشَبابِ وَدابُها

And is there any cause of grayness beyond these?

And is there a cause for greyness after this?

So keep to your course, O hue of youth, and let them keep to theirs.

For your wont, O hue of youth, is its wont.

شَرِبنا مِنَ الأَيّامِ كَأساً مَريرَةً

شَرِبنا مِنَ الأَيّامِ كَأساً مَريرَةً

تُدارُ بِأَيدٍ لا نَرُدُّ شَرابَها

تُدارُ بِأَيدٍ لا نَرُدُّ شَرابَها

We drank from the days a bitter cup,

We drank from the days a bitter cup,

Passed round by hands, its draught we cannot refuse.

Passed around by hands we do not refuse its sipping.

نُعاتِبُها وَالذَنبُ مِنها سَجيَّةٌ

نُعاتِبُها وَالذَنبُ مِنها سَجيَّةٌ

وَمَن عاتَبَ الخَرقاءَ مَلَّ عِتابَها

وَمَن عاتَبَ الخَرقاءَ مَلَّ عِتابَها

We reproach them, though wrongdoing is ingrained in them;

We reproach them though the blame is innate in them,

Whoever reproaches a foolish woman tires of reproaching her.

And who reproaches the patchwork has wearied of blaming it.

وَقالوا سِهامَ الدَهرِ خاطٍ وَصائِبٌ

وَقالوا سِهامَ الدَهرِ خاطٍ وَصائِبٌ

فَكَيفَ لَقينا يا لِقَومٍ صَيابَها

فَكَيفَ لَقينا يا لِقَومٍ صَيابَها

And they said, 'Time's arrows: some miss, some strike.'

And they said fate's arrows go astray and hit true,

How, then, O people, did we encounter those that strike?

So how did we encounter them, O people prone to calamity?

أَبَت لِقحَةُ الدُنيا دُروراً لِعاصِبٍ

أَبَت لِقحَةُ الدُنيا دُروراً لِعاصِبٍ

وَيَحلُبُها مَن لا يُعاني عِصابَها

وَيَحلُبُها مَن لا يُعاني عِصابَها

The world's milch-camel refused to yield milk to one who binds her,

The seed of life refused pearls to a resolute rival,

While one who takes no trouble to bind her milks her.

And he who suffers no misery milks it.

وَقَد يُلقِحُ النَعماءَ قَومٌ أَعِزَّةٌ

وَقَد يُلقِحُ النَعماءَ قَومٌ أَعِزَّةٌ

وَيَخسَرُ قَومٌ عاجِزونَ سِقابَها

وَيَخسَرُ قَومٌ عاجِزونَ سِقابَها

And mighty men may breed good fortune,

Yet noble souls succeed in impregnating bliss,

While powerless men lose its male camel-calves.

While feeble souls lose even its drippings.

وَكُنتُ إِذا ضاقَت مَناديحُ خِطَّةٍ

وَكُنتُ إِذا ضاقَت مَناديحُ خِطَّةٍ

دَعَوتُ اِبنَ حَمدٍ دَعوَةً فَأَجابَها

دَعَوتُ اِبنَ حَمدٍ دَعوَةً فَأَجابَها

Whenever the avenues of a course of action narrowed,

Whenever the expanses of schemes narrowed,

I called Ibn Hamd, and he answered my call.

I called upon Ibn Hamd, so he answered the call.

أَخٌ لي إِن أَعيَت عَلَيَّ مَطالِبي

أَخٌ لي إِن أَعيَت عَلَيَّ مَطالِبي

رَمى لِيَ أَغراضَ المُنى فَأَصابَها

رَمى لِيَ أَغراضَ المُنى فَأَصابَها

A brother to me: if my aims proved beyond my reach,

A brother to me, if my requests overwhelmed me,

He shot for me at the targets of my wishes, and hit them.

He flung at me the objects of wishes, hitting them.

إِذا اِستَبهَمَت عَلياءُ لا يُهتَدى لَها

إِذا اِستَبهَمَت عَلياءُ لا يُهتَدى لَها

قَرَعتُ بِهِ دونَ الأَخِلّاءِ بابَها

قَرَعتُ بِهِ دونَ الأَخِلّاءِ بابَها

When a lofty height grew obscure, with no path to it,

When the sublime grew obscure, not to be guided,

I knocked at its gate through him, rather than my close friends.

I knocked with him, not with dear friends, at its door.

بِهِ خَفَّ عَنّي ثِقلُ فادِحَةِ النُوى

بِهِ خَفَّ عَنّي ثِقلُ فادِحَةِ النُوى

وَحَبَّبَ عِندي نَأيَها وَاِغتِرابَها

وَحَبَّبَ عِندي نَأيَها وَاِغتِرابَها

Through him, the burden of crushing separation grew light for me,

With him the burden of intense sorrows lightened over me,

And he made its remoteness and estrangement dear to me.

And he made its remoteness and estrangement desirable to me.

ثَمانونَ مِن لَيلِ التَمامِ نَجوبُها

ثَمانونَ مِن لَيلِ التَمامِ نَجوبُها

رَفيقَينِ تَكسونا الدَياجي ثِيابَها

رَفيقَينِ تَكسونا الدَياجي ثِيابَها

Eighty full-length nights we traverse,

Eighty nights on the back of the she-camel, navigating them,

As two companions, the dark nights clothing us in their garments.

Two friends whom its darknesses clothe in their robes.

نَؤُمُّ بِكَعبِ العامِريِّ نُجومَها

نَؤُمُّ بِكَعبِ العامِريِّ نُجومَها

إِذا ما نَظَرناها اِنتَظَرنا غِيابَها

إِذا ما نَظَرناها اِنتَظَرنا غِيابَها

With Ka'b al-Amiri, we make for their stars;

With the Kaaba's bright stars we take omens,

Whenever we watch them, we await their setting.

Whenever we see them, we await their setting.

نُقَوِّمُ أَيدي اليَعمَلاتِ وَراؤَهُ

نُقَوِّمُ أَيدي اليَعمَلاتِ وَراؤَهُ

وَنَعدِلُ مِنها أَينَ أَومى رِقابَها

وَنَعدِلُ مِنها أَينَ أَومى رِقابَها

We straighten the swift she-camels' forelegs behind him,

We line up the hands of the Pleiades, then judge

And turn their necks wherever he gestures.

Where in their necks the pointer directs them.

كَأَنّا أَنابيبُ القَناةِ يَؤُمُّها

كَأَنّا أَنابيبُ القَناةِ يَؤُمُّها

سِنانٌ مَضى قُدماً فَأَمضى كِعابَها

سِنانٌ مَضى قُدماً فَأَمضى كِعابَها

As though we were a spear-shaft's sections, led

As if we are the channels' pipes, lined by them,

By a spearhead pressing forward, driving its joints onward.

Teeth that have marched forth, marching their immuno-deficiency.

كَذِئبِ الغَضا أَبصَرتَهُ عِندَ مَطمَعٍ

كَذِئبِ الغَضا أَبصَرتَهُ عِندَ مَطمَعٍ

إِذا هَبَطَ البَيداءَ شَمَّ تُرابَها

إِذا هَبَطَ البَيداءَ شَمَّ تُرابَها

Like a wolf of the ghada scrub you have spotted where prey beckons,

Like hungry wolves you saw them when need descended,

When it descends into the wasteland, it sniffs its dust.

Smelling its dust when the wilderness dismounted.

بِعَينِ اِبنِ لَيلى لا تُداوى مِنَ القَذى

بِعَينِ اِبنِ لَيلى لا تُداوى مِنَ القَذى

يُريبُ أَقاصي رَكبِهِ ما أَرابَها

يُريبُ أَقاصي رَكبِهِ ما أَرابَها

Under Ibn Layla's eye—may it never need curing of grit—

Do not heal Ibn Layla's eye from the speck with Layla's eye,

Whatever alarms it alarms the farthest men in his caravan.

Doubt makes the edges of its mounts unclear to it.

تَراهُ قَبوعاً بَينَ شَرخَي رِحالِهِ

تَراهُ قَبوعاً بَينَ شَرخَي رِحالِهِ

كَمَذروبَةٍ ضَمّوا عَلَيها نِصابَها

كَمَذروبَةٍ ضَمّوا عَلَيها نِصابَها

You see him crouched between the twin bows of his saddle-gear,

You see it abject between the crevices of its saddlebags,

Like a sharp blade round which they have fitted its hilt.

Like bundled up patchwork they pressed over it its loads.

فَمِن حِلَّةٍ نَجتابُها وَقَبيلَةٍ

فَمِن حِلَّةٍ نَجتابُها وَقَبيلَةٍ

نَمُرُّ بِها مُستَنبِحينَ كِلابَها

نَمُرُّ بِها مُستَنبِحينَ كِلابَها

Now a settlement we cut through, now a tribe

So we pass by some garments, critiquing them, and some tribes,

We pass, rousing the barking of its dogs;

Barking our dogs through them.

وَمِن بارِقٍ نَهفو إِلَيهِ وَنَفحَةٍ

وَمِن بارِقٍ نَهفو إِلَيهِ وَنَفحَةٍ

تُذَكِّرُنا أَيّامَها وَشَبابَها

تُذَكِّرُنا أَيّامَها وَشَبابَها

Now a lightning-flash we yearn toward, now a breeze

And from some lightning we swoop down onto it, and from a gust

That reminds us of its days and its youth.

That reminds us of its days and its youth.

وَلَهفي عَلى عَهدِ الشَبابِ وَلِمَّةٍ

وَلَهفي عَلى عَهدِ الشَبابِ وَلِمَّةٍ

أَطَرَّت غَداةَ الخَيفِ عَنّي غُرابَها

أَطَرَّت غَداةَ الخَيفِ عَنّي غُرابَها

How I grieve for youth's days, and for a head of hair

I yearn for the days of youth and a tribe,

That sent its raven flying from me on the morning at al-Khayf.

That fluttered from me at dawn its ravens.

وَمِن دارِ أَحبابٍ نَبُلُّ طُلولَها

وَمِن دارِ أَحبابٍ نَبُلُّ طُلولَها

بِماءِ الأَماقِيَ أَو نُحَيّي جَنابَها

بِماءِ الأَماقِيَ أَو نُحَيّي جَنابَها

Now a home of loved ones, whose ruins we moisten

And from a house of loved ones we water its palm trees

With water from our eye-corners, or salute its precincts;

With spring water or revive its sides.

وَمِن رِفقَةٍ نَجديَّةٍ بَدَويَّةٍ

وَمِن رِفقَةٍ نَجديَّةٍ بَدَويَّةٍ

تُفَوِضُنا أَشجانَها وَاِكتِئابَها

تُفَوِضُنا أَشجانَها وَاِكتِئابَها

Now a company of Najdi Bedouins

And from a friendly rural caravan,

Sharing with us their sorrows and their dejection.

Entrusting us their tree branches and somberness.

وَنُذكِرُها الأَشواقَ حَتّى تُحِنَّها

وَنُذكِرُها الأَشواقَ حَتّى تُحِنَّها

وَتُعدي بِأَطرافِ الحَنينِ رِكابَها

وَتُعدي بِأَطرافِ الحَنينِ رِكابَها

We remind them of yearnings until these make them pine

And we remind it of longing until it pines

And infect their mounts with strains of yearning.

And stretches at the edges of pining its neck.

إِذا ما تَحَدّى الشَوقُ يَوماً قُلوبَنا

إِذا ما تَحَدّى الشَوقُ يَوماً قُلوبَنا

عَرَضنا لَهُ أَنفاسَنا وَاِلتِهابَها

عَرَضنا لَهُ أَنفاسَنا وَاِلتِهابَها

If longing ever challenges our hearts one day,

Whenever longing challenges our hearts one day,

We offer it our sighs and their burning.

We offer it our breaths and fervor.

وَمِلنا عَلى الأَكوارِ طَربى كَأَنَّما

وَمِلنا عَلى الأَكوارِ طَربى كَأَنَّما

رَأَينا العِراقَ أَو نَزَلنا قِبابَها

رَأَينا العِراقَ أَو نَزَلنا قِبابَها

And lean upon the camel-saddles, rapt, as though

And we tire of the canteens, such delight as if

We had seen Iraq, or alighted beneath its domes.

We saw Iraq or alighted at its abodes.

نُشاقُ إِلى أَوطانِنا وَتَعوقُنا

نُشاقُ إِلى أَوطانِنا وَتَعوقُنا

زِياداتُ سَيرٍ ما حَسِبنا حِسابَها

زِياداتُ سَيرٍ ما حَسِبنا حِسابَها

We long for our homelands, but are held back

We yearn for our homelands but what augments our travel

By added stretches of travel we had not reckoned with.

Hinders us − we did not count its reckoning.

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ بِتنا نُكابِدُ هَولَها

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ بِتنا نُكابِدُ هَولَها

وَنَمزُقُ حَصباها إِذا الغَمرُ هابَها

وَنَمزُقُ حَصباها إِذا الغَمرُ هابَها

And how many a night we spent enduring its terror,

And how many nights we spent enduring its horrors

Tearing through its gravel when the novice feared it.

And tore its gravel when the deluge roared.

وَقَد نَصَلَت أَنضاؤُنا مِن ظَلَمِها

وَقَد نَصَلَت أَنضاؤُنا مِن ظَلَمِها

نَصُلُ بَنانِ الخَودِ تَنضو خَضابَها

نَصُلُ بَنانِ الخَودِ تَنضو خَضابَها

Our worn-out mounts slipped free of its darkness,

Our cheeks' illumination peeled from its darkness,

As a fair maiden's fingers shed their dye.

Illumination of cheeks smeared with their kohl.

وَهاجِرَةٍ تُلقي شِرارَ وَقودِها

وَهاجِرَةٍ تُلقي شِرارَ وَقودِها

عَلى الرَكبِ أَنعَلنا المَطيَّ ظِرابَها

عَلى الرَكبِ أَنعَلنا المَطيَّ ظِرابَها

And many a scorching noon, casting the sparks of its fuel

And a migrant who casts the sparks of its firewood

Upon the caravan—we shod the mounts with its rocky knolls.

Onto the riders, our camels' shoes struck its flints.

إِذا ماطَلَتنا بَعدَ ظَمءٍ بِمائِها

إِذا ماطَلَتنا بَعدَ ظَمءٍ بِمائِها

وَعَجَّ الظَوامي أَورَدَتنا سَرابَها

وَعَجَّ الظَوامي أَورَدَتنا سَرابَها

When, after thirst, it kept us waiting for its water,

When it tempted us after thirst with its water

And the thirsty mounts cried out, it brought us to its mirage.

And the sand dunes deceived us, it made its mirage disappoint us.

تَمَنّى الرِفاقُ الوِردَ وَالريقُ ناضِبٌ

تَمَنّى الرِفاقُ الوِردَ وَالريقُ ناضِبٌ

فَلا ريقَ إِلّا الشَمسُ تُلقي لُعابَها

فَلا ريقَ إِلّا الشَمسُ تُلقي لُعابَها

The companions longed for the watering-place, their saliva exhausted;

The companions craved flowers and the saliva was dry,

No saliva remained—only the sun cast down its spittle.

No saliva but the sun casts its spittle.

إِلى أَن وَقَفنا المَوقِفَينِ وَشافَهَت

إِلى أَن وَقَفنا المَوقِفَينِ وَشافَهَت

بِنا مَكَّةٌ أَعلامَها وَهِضابَها

بِنا مَكَّةٌ أَعلامَها وَهِضابَها

Until we stood at the two stations, and were greeted face to face

Until we stopped at the two stopping places, and

By Mecca, with its landmarks and its hills.

Mecca greeted us with its banners and plateaus.

وَبِتنا بِجَمعٍ وَالمَطيُّ مُوَقَّفٌ

وَبِتنا بِجَمعٍ وَالمَطيُّ مُوَقَّفٌ

نُؤَمِّلُ أَن نَلقى مِنىً وَحِصابَها

نُؤَمِّلُ أَن نَلقى مِنىً وَحِصابَها

And we spent the night at Jam', the mounts standing still,

We spent the night at a gathering and the camel halted,

Hoping to reach Mina and its pebbles.

Hoping we will find Mina and its pebbles.

وَطُفنا بِعادِيِّ البِناءِ مُحَجَّبٍ

وَطُفنا بِعادِيِّ البِناءِ مُحَجَّبٍ

نَرى عِندَهُ أَعمالَنا وَثَوابَها

نَرى عِندَهُ أَعمالَنا وَثَوابَها

And we circled an ancient, veiled building,

And we circumambulated the Ancient House veiled,

Seeing beside it our deeds and their reward.

Seeing by it our deeds and rewards.

وَزُرنا رَسولَ اللَهِ ثُمَّ بُعَيدَهُ

وَزُرنا رَسولَ اللَهِ ثُمَّ بُعَيدَهُ

قُبورَ رِجالٍ ما سَلَونا مُصابَها

قُبورَ رِجالٍ ما سَلَونا مُصابَها

And we visited the Messenger of God, then shortly afterward,

And we visited the Messenger of God, then afterward

The graves of men whose loss we have not ceased to mourn.

The graves of men whose afflictions we did not ask.

وَجُزنا بِسَيفِ البَحرِ وَالبَحرُ زاخِرٌ

وَجُزنا بِسَيفِ البَحرِ وَالبَحرُ زاخِرٌ

بِلُجَّتِهِ حَتّى وَطِئنا عُبابَها

بِلُجَّتِهِ حَتّى وَطِئنا عُبابَها

And we passed along the seashore, while the sea surged

And we crossed by the sword of the sea and the sea roared

With its deep waters, until we trod its swelling flood.

With its surges until we tread its shores.

خُطوبٌ يُعِنَّ الشَيبَ في كُلِّ لِمَّةٍ

خُطوبٌ يُعِنَّ الشَيبَ في كُلِّ لِمَّةٍ

وَيُنسينَ أَيّامَ الصِبا وَلِعابَها

وَيُنسينَ أَيّامَ الصِبا وَلِعابَها

Hardships that hasten grayness in every head of hair,

Ordeals that make grey hairs conspicuous in every tribe,

And make us forget youth's days and its games.

And make one forget the days of youth and its playfulness.

عَسى اللَهُ أَن يَأوي لِشُعثٍ تَناهَبوا

عَسى اللَهُ أَن يَأوي لِشُعثٍ تَناهَبوا

هِبابَ المَطايا نَصَّها وَاِنجِذابَها

هِبابَ المَطايا نَصَّها وَاِنجِذابَها

May God have compassion on disheveled travelers who vied to seize

May God lodge those who shared the stirring up

The mounts' vigor, their utmost pace and onward surge,

Of the camels' saddles, its organization and disarray,

وَجاسوا بِأَيديها عَلى عِلَلِ السُرى

وَجاسوا بِأَيديها عَلى عِلَلِ السُرى

حِرارَ أَماعيزِ الطَريقِ وَلابَها

حِرارَ أَماعيزِ الطَريقِ وَلابَها

And crossed, borne on their forelegs despite the strains of night travel,

And felt with their hands the fever of the path's ailments

The lava-strewn tracts of the road's rugged ground and its lava fields.

Upon the camel litters' staves and patches.

فَيَرمي بِها بَغدادَ كُلُّ مُكَبِّرٍ

فَيَرمي بِها بَغدادَ كُلُّ مُكَبِّرٍ

إِذا ما رَأى جُدرانَها وَقِبابَها

إِذا ما رَأى جُدرانَها وَقِبابَها

So every man proclaiming God's greatness sends them toward Baghdad

May each magnifier cast them unto Baghdad

When he sees its walls and its domes.

When he sees its walls and domes.

فَكَم دَعوَةٍ أَرسَلتُها عِندَ كُربَةٍ

فَكَم دَعوَةٍ أَرسَلتُها عِندَ كُربَةٍ

إِلَيهِ فَكانَ الطولُ مِنهُ جَوابَها

إِلَيهِ فَكانَ الطولُ مِنهُ جَوابَها

How many a prayer I sent in a time of distress

So how many calls did I send in time of distress

To Him, and bounty from Him was its answer.

To Him, and patience was his long reply.