ذَكَرتُ صَبابَتي مِن بَعدِ حينِ

ذَكَرتُ صَبابَتي مِن بَعدِ حينِ

فَعادَ لِيَ القَديمُ مِنَ الجُنونِ

فَعادَ لِيَ القَديمُ مِنَ الجُنونِ

I recalled my ardent longing after a time,

I recalled my youth after a time

so my old madness returned to me.

So my past madness returned to me

وَحَنَّ إِلى الحِجازِ القَلبُ مِنّي

وَحَنَّ إِلى الحِجازِ القَلبُ مِنّي

فَهاجَ غَرامُهُ بَعدَ السُكونِ

فَهاجَ غَرامُهُ بَعدَ السُكونِ

And my heart yearned for the Hijaz,

And my heart yearned for the Hijaz

so its passion surged after stillness.

So its passion was stirred after tranquility

أَيَطلُبُ عَبلَةً مِنّي رِجالٌ

أَيَطلُبُ عَبلَةً مِنّي رِجالٌ

أَقَلُّ الناسِ عِلماً بِاليَقينِ

أَقَلُّ الناسِ عِلماً بِاليَقينِ

Do men seek Abla from me—

Does a man seek virtue from me

the least knowledgeable of all people about the truth?

When I have little knowledge of certainty?

رُوَيداً إِنَّ أَفعالي خُطوبٌ

رُوَيداً إِنَّ أَفعالي خُطوبٌ

تَشيبُ لِهَولِها روسُ القُرونِ

تَشيبُ لِهَولِها روسُ القُرونِ

Wait! My deeds are calamities

Gently! My deeds are serious matters

whose horror turns the heads of generations gray.

That make the heads of centuries turn gray

فَكَم لَيلٍ رَكِبتُ بِهِ جَواداً

فَكَم لَيلٍ رَكِبتُ بِهِ جَواداً

وَقَد أَصبَحتُ في حِصنٍ حَصينِ

وَقَد أَصبَحتُ في حِصنٍ حَصينِ

For many a night I rode a noble steed,

How many a night have I ridden a steed

and by morning I was in a well-fortified stronghold.

And by morning found myself in a mighty fortress

وَناداني عِنانٌ في شِمالي

وَناداني عِنانٌ في شِمالي

وَعاتَبَني حُسامٌ في يَميني

وَعاتَبَني حُسامٌ في يَميني

And a rein in my left hand called to me,

With my rein calling to me from my left

and a sharp sword in my right hand reproached me.

And my sword blaming me on my right

أَيَأخُذُ عَبلَةً وَغدٌ ذَميمٌ

أَيَأخُذُ عَبلَةً وَغدٌ ذَميمٌ

وَيَحظى بِالغِنى وَالمالِ دوني

وَيَحظى بِالغِنى وَالمالِ دوني

Shall a contemptible wretch take Abla,

Should another take virtue while tomorrow is vile

and enjoy affluence and wealth instead of me?

And enjoy wealth and possessions without me?

فَكَم يَشكو كَريمٌ مِن لَئيمٍ

فَكَم يَشكو كَريمٌ مِن لَئيمٍ

وَكَم يَلقى هِجانٌ مِن هَجينِ

وَكَم يَلقى هِجانٌ مِن هَجينِ

For how often a noble man complains of a base one,

How much does a noble one complain of an ignoble one

and how much a purebred endures from a mongrel!

And how much does the pure suffer from the impure?

وَما وَجَدَ الأَعادي فِيَّ عَيباً

وَما وَجَدَ الأَعادي فِيَّ عَيباً

فَعابوني بِلَونٍ في العُيونِ

فَعابوني بِلَونٍ في العُيونِ

And my enemies found no fault in me,

And my enemies found no fault in me

so they faulted me for a color visible to the eyes.

Yet blamed me for the color of my eyes

وَما لي في الشَدائِدِ مِن مُعينٍ

وَما لي في الشَدائِدِ مِن مُعينٍ

سِوى قَيسَ الَّذي مِنهُ يَقيني

سِوى قَيسَ الَّذي مِنهُ يَقيني

And in hardships I have no helper

In adversities, I have no helper

except Qays, from whom comes my assurance.

Other than Qays in whom is my certainty

كَريمٌ في النَوائِبِ أَرتَجيهِ

كَريمٌ في النَوائِبِ أَرتَجيهِ

كَما هُوَ لِلمَعامِعِ يَصطَفيني

كَما هُوَ لِلمَعامِعِ يَصطَفيني

A generous man I look to in calamities,

Noble in calamities, I hope in him

just as he chooses me for fierce battles.

Just as he chooses me for noble deeds

لَقَد أَضحى مَتيناً حَبلُ راجٍ

لَقَد أَضحى مَتيناً حَبلُ راجٍ

تَمَسَّكَ مِنهُ بِالحَبلِ المَتينِ

تَمَسَّكَ مِنهُ بِالحَبلِ المَتينِ

Indeed, the rope of one who hopes has grown strong,

Indeed, the rope of the sheltering one has grown firm

who has held fast to his firm rope.

I clung to the strong rope

مِنَ القَومِ الكِرامِ وَهُم شُموسٌ

مِنَ القَومِ الكِرامِ وَهُم شُموسٌ

وَلَكِن لا تُوارى بِالدُجونِ

وَلَكِن لا تُوارى بِالدُجونِ

He is of a noble people, and they are suns,

Of the generous folk, and they are suns

yet they are not veiled by gloom.

Though they do not disappear in darkness

إِذا شَهِدوا هِياجاً قُلتَ أُسدٌ

إِذا شَهِدوا هِياجاً قُلتَ أُسدٌ

مِنَ السُمرِ الذَوابِلِ في عَرينِ

مِنَ السُمرِ الذَوابِلِ في عَرينِ

When they enter battle, you would say they are lions,

When they witness passion, you say "A lion

in a lair of dusky, slender spears.

Of the slim lionesses in a den"

أَيا مَلِكاً حَوى رُتَبَ المَعالي

أَيا مَلِكاً حَوى رُتَبَ المَعالي

إِلَيكَ قَدِ اِلتَجَأتُ فَكُن مُعيني

إِلَيكَ قَدِ اِلتَجَأتُ فَكُن مُعيني

O king who has attained the ranks of lofty honor,

O king who has attained the highest degrees

to you I have turned for refuge; so be my helper.

To you I have fled, so be my helper

حَلَلتَ مِنَ السَعادَةِ في مَكانٍ

حَلَلتَ مِنَ السَعادَةِ في مَكانٍ

رَفيعِ القَدرِ مُنقَطِعِ القَرينِ

رَفيعِ القَدرِ مُنقَطِعِ القَرينِ

You have settled in a place of good fortune,

You have detached yourself from good fortune

lofty in rank and without a peer.

In a lofty, peerless place

فَمَن عاداكَ في ذُلٍّ شَديدٍ

فَمَن عاداكَ في ذُلٍّ شَديدٍ

وَمَن والاكَ في عِزٍّ مُبينِ

وَمَن والاكَ في عِزٍّ مُبينِ

So whoever opposes you is in deep humiliation,

So one who opposes you is in severe humiliation

and whoever is loyal to you is in manifest honor.

And one who supports you, in clear honor