تَأوَّبَنِي طَارِقُ الْهَمِّ نَصْبَا

تَأوَّبَنِي طَارِقُ الْهَمِّ نَصْبَا

وَأَبْدَلَ سِلْمَي للدَّهْرِ حَرْباً

وَأَبْدَلَ سِلْمَي للدَّهْرِ حَرْباً

Grief's night visitor returned to me with weariness,

The plunderer of worries has made me his victim

and turned my peace with Time into war.

And turned my peace with fate into war

ونارٍ عَلَى شَرَفٍ أَوقِدَتْ

ونارٍ عَلَى شَرَفٍ أَوقِدَتْ

فَشَاهَدْتُ مَوقِدَهَا حِينَ شَبَّا

فَشَاهَدْتُ مَوقِدَهَا حِينَ شَبَّا

And a fire was kindled upon a height;

Fires lit on heights whose kindling

I watched its hearth when it blazed.

I witnessed as they raged in youth

فَلِلَّه مَا خَبَّأَ الدَّهْرُ لِي

فَلِلَّه مَا خَبَّأَ الدَّهْرُ لِي

أَفِي كُلِّ قُطْرٍ عَدُوٌّ مَخَبَّا

أَفِي كُلِّ قُطْرٍ عَدُوٌّ مَخَبَّا

So, by God, what Time has hidden for me!

So what fate has hidden for me

Is an enemy hidden in every region?

Is there a lurking foe in every land?

وَثَوْبَ ظَلاَمٍ تَدَرَّعْتُهُ

وَثَوْبَ ظَلاَمٍ تَدَرَّعْتُهُ

أَهُبَّ لَهُ يَقِظاً حِينَ هَبَّا

أَهُبَّ لَهُ يَقِظاً حِينَ هَبَّا

And I wore a cloak of darkness as armor;

I've donned the cloak of darkness

I spring up to face him, alert, when he springs up.

To which I woke and let blow in the wind

فَأَنْبَتَ مَزْعىً عَلَى دِمْنَةِ

فَأَنْبَتَ مَزْعىً عَلَى دِمْنَةِ

أُرَاقِبُ مِنْ عَطْفَةِ الدَّهْرِ وَثْبَا

أُرَاقِبُ مِنْ عَطْفَةِ الدَّهْرِ وَثْبَا

Then he made pasture [reading uncertain] grow on a dung heap;

It sprouted my misery on my abode

I watch for a pounce from Time's turning.

While I watch fate pounce from its side

وَقَالُوا حَلِيمٌ وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ

وَقَالُوا حَلِيمٌ وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ

لِرَايَةِ سَطْوٍ عَلَى الذَّنْبِ نَصْبا

لِرَايَةِ سَطْوٍ عَلَى الذَّنْبِ نَصْبا

And they said, 'He is forbearing,' though I could not

They called me forbearing when I couldn't

raise a banner of assault against wrongdoing.

Raise the flag of tyranny over sin

أَأُشْهِرُ سَيْفِي عَلَى نَابِحٍ

أَأُشْهِرُ سَيْفِي عَلَى نَابِحٍ

وَأَفْرِسُ للِثَّأْرِ قِرْداً وَكَلْباً

وَأَفْرِسُ للِثَّأْرِ قِرْداً وَكَلْباً

Should I draw my sword against a barking dog,

Should I unsheathe my sword against barker

and maul a monkey and a dog for vengeance?

And chase monkey and dog for revenge?

إذَا لأرْتَوَى مِنْ دَمٍ خَدُّهُ

إذَا لأرْتَوَى مِنْ دَمٍ خَدُّهُ

وَلاَ سَارَ بِالعَدْلِ شَرْقاً وغَرْبَا

وَلاَ سَارَ بِالعَدْلِ شَرْقاً وغَرْبَا

Then its cheek would drink its fill of blood,

Its maw is never sated by blood

and it would not go forth with justice, east and west.

Nor has it marched east or west in justice

وكَمْ قَدْ وَطئْتُ عَلَى فِتْنَةٍ

وكَمْ قَدْ وَطئْتُ عَلَى فِتْنَةٍ

وَثُرْتُ بأُخْرَى فَقَضَّيْتُ نَحْبَا

وَثُرْتُ بأُخْرَى فَقَضَّيْتُ نَحْبَا

And how many a rebellion have I trodden down,

How often have I trod over strife

and risen against another, fulfilling a vow.

And met another so I was brought low

أَخَالُ إِذَا دَهَمَتْنِي الْخُطُ

أَخَالُ إِذَا دَهَمَتْنِي الْخُطُ

وب وَفِي كُلِّ عُضْوٍ بِجِسْمِي قَلْبَا

وب وَفِي كُلِّ عُضْوٍ بِجِسْمِي قَلْبَا

I imagine, when calamities assail me,

I imagine when disasters beset me

that every limb of my body contains a heart.

In each limb of my body is a heart

وَمِنْ حَادِثٍ دُسْتُ أَمْثَالَهُ

وَمِنْ حَادِثٍ دُسْتُ أَمْثَالَهُ

وَأَتْبَعْتُ نَكْبَ مَعانِيهِ نَكْبَا

وَأَتْبَعْتُ نَكْبَ مَعانِيهِ نَكْبَا

And many a calamity whose like I have trampled down,

The likes of which I have probed

and followed the thwarting of its purposes with further thwarting—

And followed their meanings’ decline

أَرَى مُسْتَكِيناً لأَقْرَانِهِ

أَرَى مُسْتَكِيناً لأَقْرَانِهِ

إِذاً لاَ اسَغْتُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ عَذْبَا

إِذاً لاَ اسَغْتُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ عَذْبَا

am I to see myself cowed before others of its kind?

I see one who envies his peers

Then may I never swallow sweet water.

So from the water I do not taste the sweet