أُعاتِبُ دَهراً لا يَلينُ لِعاتِبِ

أُعاتِبُ دَهراً لا يَلينُ لِعاتِبِ

وَأَطلُبُ أَمناً مِن صُروفِ النَوائِبِ

وَأَطلُبُ أَمناً مِن صُروفِ النَوائِبِ

I reproach time, which yields to no reproacher,

I blame fate, unmoved by blame,

And seek safety from the shifting turns of misfortune.

And seek refuge from misfortunes' aim.

وَتوعِدُني الأَيّامُ وَعداً تَغُرُّني

وَتوعِدُني الأَيّامُ وَعداً تَغُرُّني

وَأَعلَمُ حَقّاً أَنَّهُ وَعدُ كاذِبِ

وَأَعلَمُ حَقّاً أَنَّهُ وَعدُ كاذِبِ

And the days threaten me with a promise, deceiving me,

Days promise and tempt in vain,

And I know for certain that it is a liar's promise.

Though I know they promise falsely and cause pain.

خَدَمتُ أُناساً وَاِتَّخَذتُ أَقارِباً

خَدَمتُ أُناساً وَاِتَّخَذتُ أَقارِباً

لِعَوني وَلَكِن أَصبَحوا كَالعَقارِبِ

لِعَوني وَلَكِن أَصبَحوا كَالعَقارِبِ

I served people and took them as kinsmen

I served and took as kin some folks,

To aid me, but they became like scorpions.

For aid, but they became like scorpion-stings in cloaks.

يُنادونَني في السِلمِ يا اِبنَ زَبيبَةٍ

يُنادونَني في السِلمِ يا اِبنَ زَبيبَةٍ

وَعِندَ صِدامِ الخَيلِ يا اِبنَ الأَطايِبِ

وَعِندَ صِدامِ الخَيلِ يا اِبنَ الأَطايِبِ

In peace they call me, 'O son of Zabiba,'

They call me Ibn Zabeba in peace,

And when horses clash, 'O son of the noblest!'

And son of brave knights when swords are unleashed.

وَلَولا الهَوى ما ذَلَّ مِثلي لِمِثلِهِم

وَلَولا الهَوى ما ذَلَّ مِثلي لِمِثلِهِم

وَلا خَضَعَت أُسدُ الفَلا لِلثَعالِبِ

وَلا خَضَعَت أُسدُ الفَلا لِلثَعالِبِ

And but for love, one like me would not abase himself before their like,

But for passion I'd not have stooped so low,

Nor would the lions of the desert bow to foxes.

Nor would the lion have bowed to jackals in its woe.

سَيَذكُرُني قَومي إِذا الخَيلُ أَصبَحَت

سَيَذكُرُني قَومي إِذا الخَيلُ أَصبَحَت

تَجولُ بِها الفُرسانُ بَينَ المَضارِبِ

تَجولُ بِها الفُرسانُ بَينَ المَضارِبِ

My people will remember me when the horses begin

My people will recall me when the horses neigh

To range with their riders among the tents.

And riders roam with them through the camps mid-day.

فَإِن هُم نَسوني فَالصَوارِمُ وَالقَنا

فَإِن هُم نَسوني فَالصَوارِمُ وَالقَنا

تُذَكِّرُهُم فِعلي وَوَقعَ مَضارِبي

تُذَكِّرُهُم فِعلي وَوَقعَ مَضارِبي

So if they forget me, the keen swords and spears

And if my people forget, swords and spears remind

Will remind them of my deeds and the impact of my blows.

Them of my deeds when stirring war I did find.

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يُدني أَحِبَّتي

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يُدني أَحِبَّتي

إِلَيَّ كَما يُدني إِلَيَّ مَصائِبي

إِلَيَّ كَما يُدني إِلَيَّ مَصائِبي

Oh, if only time would bring my loved ones close

Would that fate unite me with loved ones,

To me, as it brings my misfortunes close to me.

As misfortunes it brings ever closer to my arms.

وَلَيتَ خَيالاً مِنكِ يا عَبلَ طارِقاً

وَلَيتَ خَيالاً مِنكِ يا عَبلَ طارِقاً

يَرى فَيضَ جَفني بِالدُموعِ السَواكِبِ

يَرى فَيضَ جَفني بِالدُموعِ السَواكِبِ

And would that a phantom of you, O Abla, visiting by night,

Would that your phantom, O Ably, like a shooting star,

Could see my eyelid overflowing with streaming tears.

Pass by to see me and wet my eyes that softly spar.

سَأَصبِرُ حَتّى تَطَّرِحني عَواذِلي

سَأَصبِرُ حَتّى تَطَّرِحني عَواذِلي

وَحَتّى يَضِجَّ الصَبرُ بَينَ جَوانِبي

وَحَتّى يَضِجَّ الصَبرُ بَينَ جَوانِبي

I shall be patient until my reproachers cast me aside,

I'll show patience till betrayal unveils its art,

And until patience cries out within me.

And till patience overflows between my ribs athwart.

مَقامُكِ في جَوِّ السَماءِ مَكانُهُ

مَقامُكِ في جَوِّ السَماءِ مَكانُهُ

وَباعي قَصيرٌ عَن نَوالِ الكَواكِبِ

وَباعي قَصيرٌ عَن نَوالِ الكَواكِبِ

Your dwelling has its place in the expanse of heaven,

Your abode's in heaven - its place is known.

And my reach is too short to attain the stars.

While my reach falls short of stars that have grown.