إن أَكُ قَد أَقصَرتُ عَن طولِ رِحلَةٍ

إن أَكُ قَد أَقصَرتُ عَن طولِ رِحلَةٍ

فَيا رُبَّ أَصحابٍ بَعَثتُ كِرامِ

فَيا رُبَّ أَصحابٍ بَعَثتُ كِرامِ

If I have now given up long journeys,

Though I have fallen short of a lengthy journey,

yet oh, how many noble companions I have roused!

O Lord of noble friends I have sent as ransom,

فَقُلتُ لَهُم سيروا فِدىً خالَتي لَكُم

فَقُلتُ لَهُم سيروا فِدىً خالَتي لَكُم

أَما تَجِدونَ الريحَ ذاتَ سَهامِ

أَما تَجِدونَ الريحَ ذاتَ سَهامِ

So I said to them, 'Travel on—may my maternal aunt be your ransom!

I said to them "Travel in ransom for my aunt,

Do you not feel the wind laden with scorching heat?'

Do you not find the blowing wind with arrows?"

فَقاموا إِلى عيسٍ قَدِ اِنضَمَّ لَحمُها

فَقاموا إِلى عيسٍ قَدِ اِنضَمَّ لَحمُها

مُوَقَّفَةٍ أَرساغُها بِخَدام

مُوَقَّفَةٍ أَرساغُها بِخَدام

So they rose to pale camels whose flesh had drawn tight,

So they stood to a mare whose flesh was firm,

their pasterns encircled with anklets.

Halted, with its saddlebags attended by servants,

وَقُمتُ إِلى وَجناءَ كَالفَحلِ جَبلَةٍ

وَقُمتُ إِلى وَجناءَ كَالفَحلِ جَبلَةٍ

تُجاوِبُ شَدِّيَ نِسعَها بِبُغام

تُجاوِبُ شَدِّيَ نِسعَها بِبُغام

And I rose to a thick-cheeked she-camel, massive as a stallion,

And I stood to a mare like a mighty stallion,

answering my tightening of her girth with a low bellow.

Answering my pulling of its lead with neighing.

فَأُدلِجُ حَتّى تَطلُعَ الشَمسُ قاصِداً

فَأُدلِجُ حَتّى تَطلُعَ الشَمسُ قاصِداً

وَلَو خُلِطَت ظَلماؤُها بِقَتامِ

وَلَو خُلِطَت ظَلماؤُها بِقَتامِ

So I travel by night until the sun rises, keeping a steady course,

I travel until sunrise breaks forth,

even if its darkness is mingled with dust.

Though its darkness mixes with gloom.

فَأَورَدتُهُم ماءً عَلى حينٍ وِردِهِ

فَأَورَدتُهُم ماءً عَلى حينٍ وِردِهِ

عَلَيه خَليطٌ مِن قَطاً وَحَمامِ

عَلَيه خَليطٌ مِن قَطاً وَحَمامِ

So I brought them to water at watering time,

I brought them to water at the time of its flowing,

upon it a mingled flock of sandgrouse and doves.

On it a mixture of wildcats and pigeons.

وَأَهوَنُ كَفٍّ لا تَضيرُكَ ضَيرَةً

وَأَهوَنُ كَفٍّ لا تَضيرُكَ ضَيرَةً

يَدٌ بَينَ أَيدٍ في إِناءِ طَعامِ

يَدٌ بَينَ أَيدٍ في إِناءِ طَعامِ

And the least burdensome palm, one that does you no harm,

The easiest palm causes you no harm,

is a hand among hands in a bowl of food—

A hand between hands in a bowl of food,

يَدٌ مِن بَعيدٍ أَو قَريبٍ أَتَت بِهِ

يَدٌ مِن بَعيدٍ أَو قَريبٍ أَتَت بِهِ

شَآمِيَّةٌ غَبَراءُ ذاتُ قَتامِ

شَآمِيَّةٌ غَبَراءُ ذاتُ قَتامِ

the hand of someone from far or near, brought by

A hand from far or near that came with it,

a dust-gray wind from Syria, laden with dust.

Dusty, dark, from Syria.

كَأَنّي وَقَد جاوَزتُ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

كَأَنّي وَقَد جاوَزتُ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

خَلَعتُ بِها يَوماً عِذارِ لِجامي

خَلَعتُ بِها يَوماً عِذارِ لِجامي

It is as though, now that I have passed ninety years,

As if I have crossed ninety pilgrimages,

I had one day, in those years, cast off my bridle's cheek-strap.

By which I once cast off the mantle of my youth,

عَلى الراحَتَينِ مَرَّةً وَعَلى العَصا

عَلى الراحَتَينِ مَرَّةً وَعَلى العَصا

أَنوءُ ثَلاثاً بَعدَهُنَّ قِيامي

أَنوءُ ثَلاثاً بَعدَهُنَّ قِيامي

On both palms once, and on my staff,

Once on my palms and once on my staff,

I strain upward three times; after those efforts I stand.

I sway thrice after them before my standing.

رَمَتني بَناتُ الدَهرِ مِن حَيثُ لا أَرى

رَمَتني بَناتُ الدَهرِ مِن حَيثُ لا أَرى

فَكَيفَ بِمَن يُرمى وَلَيسَ بِرامِ

فَكَيفَ بِمَن يُرمى وَلَيسَ بِرامِ

The daughters of Time have shot at me from where I cannot see;

The girls of fate have pelted me from where I see not,

so what of one who is shot at yet is no archer?

So what of one pelted who has no pelter?

فَلَو أَنَّها نَبلٌ إِذاً لَاِتَّقَيتُها

فَلَو أَنَّها نَبلٌ إِذاً لَاِتَّقَيتُها

وَلَكِنَّني أُرمى بِغَيرِ سِهامِ

وَلَكِنَّني أُرمى بِغَيرِ سِهامِ

Had they been arrows, I would have guarded against them,

If only they were arrows I would have avoided them,

but I am struck by other than arrows.

But I am pelted with other than arrows.

إِذا ما رَآني الناسُ قالوا أَلَم تَكُن

إِذا ما رَآني الناسُ قالوا أَلَم تَكُن

حَديثاً جَديدَ البَزِّ غَيرَ كَهامِ

حَديثاً جَديدَ البَزِّ غَيرَ كَهامِ

When people see me, they say, 'Were you not

When people see me they say "Were you not once

recently in fresh attire, not dull and feeble?'

Fresh, with a new cloak, not ragged?"

وَأَفنى وَما أُفني مِنَ الدَهرِ لَيلَةً

وَأَفنى وَما أُفني مِنَ الدَهرِ لَيلَةً

وَلَم يُغنِ ما أَفنَيتُ سِلكَ نِظامِ

وَلَم يُغنِ ما أَفنَيتُ سِلكَ نِظامِ

And I waste away, yet do not use up a single night of Time;

I perished in a night from fate,

and what I have spent has not gained me even a necklace's thread.

And that which I perished did not profit the course of fate,

وَأَهلَكَني تَأميلُ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ

وَأَهلَكَني تَأميلُ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ

وَتَأميلُ عامٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَعامِ

وَتَأميلُ عامٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَعامِ

And hoping for a day and a night has destroyed me,

And thinking of a day and night destroyed me,

and hoping for a year after that, and yet another year.

As did thinking of a year after that, and years.