حَسَناتي عِندَ الزَمانِ ذُنوبُ

حَسَناتي عِندَ الزَمانِ ذُنوبُ

وَفَعالي مَذَمَّةٌ وَعُيوبُ

وَفَعالي مَذَمَّةٌ وَعُيوبُ

My virtues, in Time’s reckoning, are sins,

My good deeds are sins in Time's eyes,

and my deeds are reproaches and faults.

and my deeds are deemed blameworthy and flawed.

وَنَصيبي مِنَ الحَبيبِ بِعادٌ

وَنَصيبي مِنَ الحَبيبِ بِعادٌ

وَلِغَيري الدُنُوُّ مِنهُ نَصيبُ

وَلِغَيري الدُنُوُّ مِنهُ نَصيبُ

My lot from the beloved is distance,

And my share from the beloved is separation,

while another’s lot is nearness to the beloved.

while another's share is nearness to the beloved.

كُلُّ يَومٍ يُبري السُقامَ مُحِبٌّ

كُلُّ يَومٍ يُبري السُقامَ مُحِبٌّ

مِن حَبيبٍ وَما لِسُقمي طَبيبُ

مِن حَبيبٍ وَما لِسُقمي طَبيبُ

Each day some lover is cured of sickness

Every day a lover cures his sickness

by a beloved—yet my sickness has no physician.

through a beloved, yet my sickness has no physician.

فَكَأَنَّ الزَمانَ يَهوى حَبيباً

فَكَأَنَّ الزَمانَ يَهوى حَبيباً

وَكَأَنّي عَلى الزَمانِ رَقيبُ

وَكَأَنّي عَلى الزَمانِ رَقيبُ

It is as though Time itself loved a beloved,

So it is as though Time loves a beloved,

and I were set as a watcher over Time.

and as though I were a watcher over Time.

إِنَّ طَيفَ الخَيالِ يا عَبلَ يَشفي

إِنَّ طَيفَ الخَيالِ يا عَبلَ يَشفي

وَيُداوى بِهِ فُؤادي الكَئيبُ

وَيُداوى بِهِ فُؤادي الكَئيبُ

The phantom of your image, O ʿAbl, truly heals,

Indeed, the dream-vision, O Abla, heals,

and with it my sorrow-laden heart is treated.

and through it my sorrowful heart is healed.

وَهَلاكي في الحُبِّ أَهوَنُ عِندي

وَهَلاكي في الحُبِّ أَهوَنُ عِندي

مِن حَياتي إِذا جَفاني الحَبيبُ

مِن حَياتي إِذا جَفاني الحَبيبُ

To perish of love is easier for me

And my death in love is easier for me

than to live when the beloved shuns me.

than my life when the beloved shuns me.

يا نَسيمَ الحِجازِ لَولاكِ تَطفا

يا نَسيمَ الحِجازِ لَولاكِ تَطفا

نارُ قَلبي أَذابَ جِسمي اللَهيبُ

نارُ قَلبي أَذابَ جِسمي اللَهيبُ

O breeze of the Hijaz, but for you it would die out—

O breeze of the Hijaz, were you not quenching

the fire of my heart, whose blaze has melted my body.

my heart's fire, the blaze would melt my body.

لَكِ مِنّي إِذا تَنَفَّستُ حَرٌّ

لَكِ مِنّي إِذا تَنَفَّستُ حَرٌّ

وَلِرَيّاكِ مِن عُبَيلَةَ طيبُ

وَلِرَيّاكِ مِن عُبَيلَةَ طيبُ

Whenever you breathe, heat from me reaches you,

You draw heat from me whenever I breathe,

and the fragrance you bear from ʿUbayla is sweet.

and sweetness for your scent from Ubaylah.

وَلَقَد ناحَ في الغُصونِ حَمامٌ

وَلَقَد ناحَ في الغُصونِ حَمامٌ

فَشَجاني حَنينُهُ وَالنَحيبُ

فَشَجاني حَنينُهُ وَالنَحيبُ

A dove has indeed wailed among the branches,

And indeed a dove has lamented among the branches,

and its yearning and lament have stirred my grief.

so its yearning cry and sobbing grieved me.

باتَ يَشكو فِراقَ إِلفٍ بَعيدٍ

باتَ يَشكو فِراقَ إِلفٍ بَعيدٍ

وَيُنادي أَنا الوَحيدُ الغَريبُ

وَيُنادي أَنا الوَحيدُ الغَريبُ

All night it complained of parting from a distant mate

It spent the night lamenting separation from a distant mate,

and called, “I am the lone, estranged one.”

and calling, “I am the lonely stranger.”

يا حَمامَ الغُصونِ لَو كُنتَ مِثلي

يا حَمامَ الغُصونِ لَو كُنتَ مِثلي

عاشِقاً لَم يَرُقكَ غُصنٌ رَطيبُ

عاشِقاً لَم يَرُقكَ غُصنٌ رَطيبُ

O dove among the branches, were you like me—

O dove of the branches, if you were like me,

a lover—no fresh green bough would delight you.

a lover, no tender branch would delight you.

فَاِترُكِ الوَجدَ وَالهَوى لِمُحِبٍّ

فَاِترُكِ الوَجدَ وَالهَوى لِمُحِبٍّ

قَلبُهُ قَد أَذابَهُ التَعذيبُ

قَلبُهُ قَد أَذابَهُ التَعذيبُ

Then leave longing and passion to a lover

So leave yearning and passion to a lover

whose heart torment has melted.

whose heart torment has already melted.

كُلَّ يَومٍ لَهُ عِتابٌ مَعَ الدَه

كُلَّ يَومٍ لَهُ عِتابٌ مَعَ الدَه

رِ وَأَمرٌ يَحارُ فيهِ اللَبيبُ

رِ وَأَمرٌ يَحارُ فيهِ اللَبيبُ

Each day he has a quarrel with Ti—

Each day he has a quarrel with Time,

—me, and a matter that bewilders the discerning,

and a plight that bewilders the wise,

وَبَلايا ما تَنقَضي وَرَزايا

وَبَلايا ما تَنقَضي وَرَزايا

ما لَها مِن نِهايَةٍ وَخُطوبُ

ما لَها مِن نِهايَةٍ وَخُطوبُ

with afflictions that never cease, and calamities

and afflictions that never cease, and calamities

that have no end—and dire adversities.

that have no end, and grievous misfortunes.

سائِلي يا عُبَيلَ عَنّي خَبيراً

سائِلي يا عُبَيلَ عَنّي خَبيراً

وَشُجاعاً قَد شَيَّبَتهُ الحُروبُ

وَشُجاعاً قَد شَيَّبَتهُ الحُروبُ

Ask, O ʿUbayla, about me one who knows me well,

Ask about me, O Ubaylah, a man who knows,

and a valiant man whom wars have turned gray.

and a brave man whom wars have turned gray.

فَسَيُنبيكِ أَنَّ في حَدِّ سَيفي

فَسَيُنبيكِ أَنَّ في حَدِّ سَيفي

مَلَكَ المَوتِ حاضِرٌ لا يَغيبُ

مَلَكَ المَوتِ حاضِرٌ لا يَغيبُ

He will tell you that upon my sword’s edge

So he will tell you that on my sword's edge

the Angel of Death stands present, never absent.

the Angel of Death is present, never absent.

وَسِناني بِالدارِعينِ خَبيرٌ

وَسِناني بِالدارِعينِ خَبيرٌ

فَاِسأَليهِ عَمّا تَكونُ القُلوبُ

فَاِسأَليهِ عَمّا تَكونُ القُلوبُ

My spearpoint knows mail-clad warriors well;

And my spearpoint is well acquainted with armored men;

ask it what their hearts conceal.

so ask it what hearts are like.

كَم شُجاعٍ دَنا إِلَيَّ وَنادى

كَم شُجاعٍ دَنا إِلَيَّ وَنادى

يا لَقَومي أَنا الشُجاعُ المَهيبُ

يا لَقَومي أَنا الشُجاعُ المَهيبُ

Every brave warrior who drew near me and cried,

How many a brave man drew near to me and cried,

“O my people, I am the fearsome champion!”—

“O my people! I am the fearsome warrior!”

ما دَعاني إِلّا مَضى يَكدِمُ الأَر

ما دَعاني إِلّا مَضى يَكدِمُ الأَر

ضَ وَقَد شُقَّت عَلَيهِ الجُيوبُ

ضَ وَقَد شُقَّت عَلَيهِ الجُيوبُ

none has challenged me but ended biting the ear—

No one challenged me without ending up gnawing the earth,

—th—and collars were torn open in mourning for him.

with collars torn in mourning over him.

وَلِسُمرِ القَنا إِلَيَّ اِنتِسابٌ

وَلِسُمرِ القَنا إِلَيَّ اِنتِسابٌ

وَجَوادي إِذا دَعاني أُجيبُ

وَجَوادي إِذا دَعاني أُجيبُ

The dusky lances claim kinship with me,

And the tawny spears have kinship with me,

and when my steed calls me, I answer.

and when my steed calls me, I answer.

يَضحَكُ السَيفُ في يَدي وَيُنادي

يَضحَكُ السَيفُ في يَدي وَيُنادي

وَلَهُ في بَنانِ غَيري نَحيبُ

وَلَهُ في بَنانِ غَيري نَحيبُ

The sword laughs in my hand and calls aloud,

The sword laughs in my hand and calls out,

but in another man’s fingers it laments.

but in another's fingertips it wails.

وَهوَ يَحمى مَعي عَلى كُلِّ قِرنٍ

وَهوَ يَحمى مَعي عَلى كُلِّ قِرنٍ

مِثلَما لِلنَسيبِ يَحمي النَسيبُ

مِثلَما لِلنَسيبِ يَحمي النَسيبُ

Beside me it guards against every adversary,

And it grows fierce with me against every rival,

as one kinsman guards another.

just as one kinsman defends another.

فَدَعَوني مِن شُربِ كَأسِ مُدامٍ

فَدَعَوني مِن شُربِ كَأسِ مُدامٍ

مِن جَوارٍ لَهُنَّ ظَرفٌ وَطيبُ

مِن جَوارٍ لَهُنَّ ظَرفٌ وَطيبُ

So spare me from drinking a cup of wine

So spare me drinking a cup of wine

served by maidens endowed with elegance and sweetness.

from slave girls endowed with charm and fragrance,

وَدَعوني أَجُرُّ ذَيلَ فَخارٍ

وَدَعوني أَجُرُّ ذَيلَ فَخارٍ

عِندَما تُخجِلُ الجَبانَ العُيوبُ

عِندَما تُخجِلُ الجَبانَ العُيوبُ

And let me trail the sweeping train of glory

and let me trail the hem of pride

when disgraceful faults make the coward blush.

when faults put the coward to shame.