إِذا فاضَ دَمعي وَاِستَهَلَّ عَلى خَدّي

إِذا فاضَ دَمعي وَاِستَهَلَّ عَلى خَدّي

وَجاذَبَني شَوقي إِلى العَلَمِ السَعدي

وَجاذَبَني شَوقي إِلى العَلَمِ السَعدي

When my tears overflow and stream down my cheek,

When my tears overflow and stream down my cheeks,

and my longing tugs me toward the Saʿdi height,

And my longing pulls me towards the happy world,

أُذَكِّرُ قَومي ظُلمَهُم لي وَبَغيَهُم

أُذَكِّرُ قَومي ظُلمَهُم لي وَبَغيَهُم

وَقِلَّةَ إِنصافي عَلى القُربِ وَالبُعدِ

وَقِلَّةَ إِنصافي عَلى القُربِ وَالبُعدِ

I remind my people of their injustice to me and their oppression,

I remind my people of their injustice towards me and their enmity,

and the scant fairness shown me, near and far.

And how little I was treated fairly, both near and far.

بَنَيتُ لَهُم بِالسَيفِ مَجداً مُشَيَّداً

بَنَيتُ لَهُم بِالسَيفِ مَجداً مُشَيَّداً

فَلَمّا تَناهى مَجدُهُم هَدَموا مَجدي

فَلَمّا تَناهى مَجدُهُم هَدَموا مَجدي

I built them lofty glory with the sword;

I built them glory with the sword, erect and towering,

but when their glory reached its height, they demolished mine.

But when their glory reached its peak, they demolished mine.

يَعيبونَ لَوني بِالسَوادِ وَإِنَّما

يَعيبونَ لَوني بِالسَوادِ وَإِنَّما

فِعالُهُمُ بِالخُبثِ أَسوَدُ مِن جِلدي

فِعالُهُمُ بِالخُبثِ أَسوَدُ مِن جِلدي

They fault my color for its blackness, yet in truth

They fault my complexion for its blackness, yet

their deeds, in wickedness, are blacker than my skin.

Their own wicked deeds are blacker than my skin.

فَوا ذُلَّ جيراني إِذا غِبتُ عَنهُمُ

فَوا ذُلَّ جيراني إِذا غِبتُ عَنهُمُ

وَطالَ المَدى ماذا يُلاقونَ مِن بَعدي

وَطالَ المَدى ماذا يُلاقونَ مِن بَعدي

Alas for my neighbors' humiliation when I am gone from them,

Woe to my neighbors when I’m absent from them

and the time stretches on—what will they face after me?

And the distance grows long - what will they face after me?

أَتَحسِبُ قَيسٌ أَنَّني بَعدَ طَردِهِم

أَتَحسِبُ قَيسٌ أَنَّني بَعدَ طَردِهِم

أَخافُ الأَعادي أَو أَذِلُّ مِنَ الطَردِ

أَخافُ الأَعادي أَو أَذِلُّ مِنَ الطَردِ

Does Qays think that, after their expulsion of me,

Do you think, O Qais, that after their rejection

I fear enemies or am humbled by being cast out?

I fear the enemies or accept humiliation from rejection?

وَكَيفَ يَحُلُّ الذُلُّ قَلبي وَصارِمي

وَكَيفَ يَحُلُّ الذُلُّ قَلبي وَصارِمي

إِذا اِهتَزَّ قَلبُ الضِدِّ يَخفُقُ كَالرَعدِ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ قَلبُ الضِدِّ يَخفُقُ كَالرَعدِ

And how can humiliation enter my heart, while my keen sword,

How can humiliation touch my heart and my sword

when brandished, makes the foe's heart pound like thunder?

When the heart of the foe trembles, throbbing like thunder?

مَتى سُلَّ في كَفّي بِيَومِ كَريهَةٍ

مَتى سُلَّ في كَفّي بِيَومِ كَريهَةٍ

فَلا فَرقَ ما بَينَ المَشايِخِ وَالمُردِ

فَلا فَرقَ ما بَينَ المَشايِخِ وَالمُردِ

Whenever it is drawn in my hand on a day of battle,

When has the sword been drawn in my hands on an evil day

there is no distinction between old men and beardless youths.

That I made no distinction between old and young?

وَما الفَخرُ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ عِمامَتي

وَما الفَخرُ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ عِمامَتي

مُكَوَّرَةَ الأَطرافِ بِالصارِمِ الهِندي

مُكَوَّرَةَ الأَطرافِ بِالصارِمِ الهِندي

And pride lies only in my turban being

Glory lies only in my turban being wound

wound at its edges with the keen Indian sword.

At its edges by an Indian blade, sharp and keen.

نَديمَيَّ إِمّا غِبتُما بَعدَ سَكرَةٍ

نَديمَيَّ إِمّا غِبتُما بَعدَ سَكرَةٍ

فَلا تَذكُرا أَطلالَ سَلمى وَلا هِندِ

فَلا تَذكُرا أَطلالَ سَلمى وَلا هِندِ

My two drinking companions, if you are absent after a drunken spell,

My two friends - when you are drunk after our revelry

do not mention the ruined camps of Salma or Hind.

Speak not of the ruins of Salma or of Hind;

وَلا تَذكُرا لي غَيرَ خَيلٍ مُغيرَةٍ

وَلا تَذكُرا لي غَيرَ خَيلٍ مُغيرَةٍ

وَنَقعَ غُبارٍ حالِكِ اللَونِ مُسوَدِّ

وَنَقعَ غُبارٍ حالِكِ اللَونِ مُسوَدِّ

And mention to me nothing but raiding horses

Speak to me only of raiding steeds

and a cloud of dust, pitch-dark in color, blackened.

And clouds of choking dust, gloomy and blackened;

فَإِنَّ غُبارَ الصافِناتِ إِذا عَلا

فَإِنَّ غُبارَ الصافِناتِ إِذا عَلا

نَشِقتُ لَهُ ريحاً أَلَذَّ مِنَ النَدِّ

نَشِقتُ لَهُ ريحاً أَلَذَّ مِنَ النَدِّ

For when the dust of the poised steeds rises,

For when the dust of war rises high

I inhale its scent, sweeter than nadd perfume.

I cleave it with a wind sweeter than moisture.

وَرَيحانَتي رُمحي وَكاساتُ مَجلِسي

وَرَيحانَتي رُمحي وَكاساتُ مَجلِسي

جَماجِمُ ساداتٍ حِراصٍ عَلى المَجدِ

جَماجِمُ ساداتٍ حِراصٍ عَلى المَجدِ

And my sweet basil is my spear, and the cups at my gathering

My oregano is my spear, and the cups of my drinking spot

are the skulls of lords eager for glory.

Are the skulls of proud chiefs, greedy for glory.

وَلي مِن حُسامي كُلَّ يَومٍ عَلى الثَرى

وَلي مِن حُسامي كُلَّ يَومٍ عَلى الثَرى

نُقوشُ دَمٍ تُغني النَدامى عَنِ الوَردِ

نُقوشُ دَمٍ تُغني النَدامى عَنِ الوَردِ

And each day, from my sword, I have upon the earth

My swords scratch on the ground each day

patterns of blood that spare my drinking companions the need for roses.

Tracings of blood that spare the regretful their roses.

وَلَيسَ يَعيبُ السَيفَ إِخلاقُ غِمدِهِ

وَلَيسَ يَعيبُ السَيفَ إِخلاقُ غِمدِهِ

إِذا كانَ في يَومِ الوَغى قاطِعَ الحَدِّ

إِذا كانَ في يَومِ الوَغى قاطِعَ الحَدِّ

And a sword is not disgraced by its scabbard's wear,

A sword's sheath cannot shame the blade

if its edge cuts keenly on the day of battle.

If on the day of battle it severs strongly.

فَلِلَّهِ دَرّي كَم غُبارٍ قَطَعتُهُ

فَلِلَّهِ دَرّي كَم غُبارٍ قَطَعتُهُ

عَلى ضامِرِ الجَنبَينِ مُعتَدِلِ القَدِّ

عَلى ضامِرِ الجَنبَينِ مُعتَدِلِ القَدِّ

God bless my prowess! How much dust I have cut through

By God, countless is the dust I have cut through

on a steed lean in both flanks and well-proportioned!

On a steed firm-flanked, evenly built.

وَطاعَنتُ عَنهُ الخَيلَ حَتّى تَبَدَّدَت

وَطاعَنتُ عَنهُ الخَيلَ حَتّى تَبَدَّدَت

هِزاماً كَأَسرابِ القَطاءِ إِلى الوِردِ

هِزاماً كَأَسرابِ القَطاءِ إِلى الوِردِ

And I fought the cavalry with my lance in his defense until they scattered,

I have charged through, driving off the horses

routed, like flocks of sandgrouse heading to the watering place.

Till they fled like herds of wild cows to pasture.

فَزارَةُ قَد هَيَّجتُمُ لَيثَ غابَةٍ

فَزارَةُ قَد هَيَّجتُمُ لَيثَ غابَةٍ

وَلَم تُفرِقوا بَينَ الضَلالَةِ وَالرُشدِ

وَلَم تُفرِقوا بَينَ الضَلالَةِ وَالرُشدِ

Fazara, you have roused a lion of the forest,

You, ministers, have provoked a lion of the thicket

and you have not distinguished error from right guidance.

And did not distinguish falsehood from truth.

فَقولوا لِحِصنٍ إِن تَعانى عَداوَتي

فَقولوا لِحِصنٍ إِن تَعانى عَداوَتي

يَبيتُ عَلى نارٍ مِنَ الحُزنِ وَالوَجدِ

يَبيتُ عَلى نارٍ مِنَ الحُزنِ وَالوَجدِ

Tell Hisn, then: if he takes up enmity toward me,

Say to a fortress, if it fears my enmity,

he will spend the night upon a fire of sorrow and anguish.

It will spend the night consumed by grief and passion.