سَقَى اللهُ أَطْلاَلاً رَعَيْتُ بِها الصَّبا

سَقَى اللهُ أَطْلاَلاً رَعَيْتُ بِها الصَّبا

سَحَابَةَ غَيْثٍ لاَ يَكِفُّ سَكُوبُها

سَحَابَةَ غَيْثٍ لاَ يَكِفُّ سَكُوبُها

May God water the ruins where I nurtured my youth,

God watered ruins I grazed my youth in

May God water the ruins where I spent my youth, with rain clouds whose pouring never ceases.

with a raincloud whose downpour never ceases.

A rain cloud whose pouring never stops

A time when the abodes of pleasure were familiar sanctuaries, and the realm of beauties was its branch and dune.

زَمَانَ مَغَانِي اللَّهْو مَأْنُوسَةُ الْحِمَى

زَمَانَ مَغَانِي اللَّهْو مَأْنُوسَةُ الْحِمَى

وَحُوزُ الْغَوانِي غُصْنُهَا وكَتَيبُها

وَحُوزُ الْغَوانِي غُصْنُهَا وكَتَيبُها

In days when the haunts of pleasure had familiar precincts,

A time of carefree revelry, and a familiar abode

When the stalk of boyhood had not withered, its growth fresh, and the prime of youth was its companion and mate.

and the realm of fair women—its bough and its dune [reading uncertain];

Its branches and booklets are the haunts of songstresses

They say, "Restrain your soul from its gazelles," but it has grown rebellious in love, bewildered by its sins.

وَعُودُ الصِّبَا لَمْ يَذْوَ غَضُّ نَبَاتِهِ

وَعُودُ الصِّبَا لَمْ يَذْوَ غَضُّ نَبَاتِهِ

وشَرَخُ الشَّبَابِ إِلْفُهَا وَقَرِينُهَا

وشَرَخُ الشَّبَابِ إِلْفُهَا وَقَرِينُهَا

and youth's stem—its tender growth had not withered,

The sapling of my youth did not wither

You departed and left me as plunder for sorrow, suffering a passion for which no healer can be found.

and youth's prime was their intimate and companion.

Its intimacy and company were still fresh

May you be congratulated by anguishes echoing in the heart, and the rebellion of an eye that refuses to stop weeping.

يَقُولُونَ كُفَّ النَّفْسَ عَنْ ظَبَيَاتَها

يَقُولُونَ كُفَّ النَّفْسَ عَنْ ظَبَيَاتَها

وَقَدْ مَرَدَتْ عَشْقاً وحارَتْ ذُنُوبُهَا

وَقَدْ مَرَدَتْ عَشْقاً وحارَتْ ذُنُوبُهَا

They say, “Restrain the soul from its gazelles,”

They say curb your soul from its whims

And the waste of judgment in doing favors for people whose flaws blacken the very face of benevolence.

though it has grown rebellious with passion and its sins are bewildered.

Yet it is love-struck and its sins confuse it

I am the son of the noble ones of Hashim; I have adorned Hashim, just as Al-Abbas, my kinsman, adorned it before me.

ظَعَنْتَ وَقَدْ خَلَّفْتَنِي نُهْبَةَ الأَسَى

ظَعَنْتَ وَقَدْ خَلَّفْتَنِي نُهْبَةَ الأَسَى

لِعَّلةِ وَجْدٍ لاَ يُصابُ طَبِيبهُا

لِعَّلةِ وَجْدٍ لاَ يُصابُ طَبِيبهُا

You departed, having left me a prey to sorrow,

You weakened and left me prey to sorrow

Ask and you shall know who was great as a child and youth, by whom the world was exalted and its calamities humbled.

from a sickness of longing whose physician cannot be found.

For a love-sickness no doctor can cure

Have I not extended hopes through knowledge and sovereignty? Both the youths and elders of Fehr take pride in me.

لَتَهْنِكَ لَوْعَاتٌ تُرَدَّدُ فِي الحَشَا

لَتَهْنِكَ لَوْعَاتٌ تُرَدَّدُ فِي الحَشَا

وعَصْيَانُ عَيْن مَا تُطِيعُ غُرُوبُهَا

وعَصْيَانُ عَيْن مَا تُطِيعُ غُرُوبُهَا

May you relish the burning pangs that recur within the breast,

Sorrows attack and echo through my thoughts

For I am its champion if the adversary loses the way, and its orator if the speakers fall silent.

and the defiance of an eye whose tear-streams will not obey,

And a disobedient eye cannot obey their setting

And my sword against its enemies is a sword of vengeance, bold against lives in whatever befalls them.

وَتَضْيِيعُ رَأْيٍ فِي اصْطِنَاعٍ مَعَاشِرٍ

وَتَضْيِيعُ رَأْيٍ فِي اصْطِنَاعٍ مَعَاشِرٍ

يُسَوِّدُ وَجْهَ الاِصْطِناع عُيُوبُهَا

يُسَوِّدُ وَجْهَ الاِصْطِناع عُيُوبُهَا

and judgment squandered in bestowing favors on associates

Squandering wisdom in improper company

whose faults blacken the face of beneficence.

Its faults blacken the face of propriety

أَنَا ابْنُ الأُلَى مِنْ هَاشِمٍ زِنْتُ هاشِماً

أَنَا ابْنُ الأُلَى مِنْ هَاشِمٍ زِنْتُ هاشِماً

كَمَا زَانَهَا الْعَبَّاسُ قَبْلي نَسيبُهَا

كَمَا زَانَهَا الْعَبَّاسُ قَبْلي نَسيبُهَا

I am a son of those of Hashim; I have adorned Hashim,

I am a son of the exalted Hashim, and I sinned like the glorious Hashim

as al-Abbas, its kinsman, adorned it before me.

Just as the Abbas disgraced it before me, his ancestor

سَلِي تَخْبَرِي مَنْ كاَنَ طِفْلاً ويافِعاً

سَلِي تَخْبَرِي مَنْ كاَنَ طِفْلاً ويافِعاً

فَعَزَّتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَذَلَّ خُطُوْبهَا

فَعَزَّتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَذَلَّ خُطُوْبهَا

Ask, and you will learn who, as a child and a youth,

Ask my story, who as a child and youth

made the world mighty and humbled its calamities.

The world prided itself on him and its affairs humbled themselves

أَلَمْ أَطِلِ الآمَالَ عِلْماً وسُؤْدَداً

أَلَمْ أَطِلِ الآمَالَ عِلْماً وسُؤْدَداً

وتَفْخَرُ بِي شُبَّانُ فِهْرٍ وَشِيبُهَا

وتَفْخَرُ بِي شُبَّانُ فِهْرٍ وَشِيبُهَا

Have I not stretched hopes far through learning and eminence,

Did I not raise hopes high, in knowledge and calm composure

while Fihr's youths and elders take pride in me?

And the youths of my clan and its elders pride themselves in me?

لأَنِّي إِنْ ضَلَّ الغَرِيمُ غَرِيمُهَا

لأَنِّي إِنْ ضَلَّ الغَرِيمُ غَرِيمُهَا

وَإِنْ فُحِمَ الخُطَّابُ مِنْهَا خَطِيبُهَا

وَإِنْ فُحِمَ الخُطَّابُ مِنْهَا خَطِيبُهَا

For, if the disputant loses his way, I am its champion in dispute,

For if the rival goes astray, I am his rival

and if its orators are silenced, I am its orator.

And if the suitor is dumbfounded by it, I am its suitor

وسَيْفِي عَلَى أَعْدَائِهَا سَيْفُ نِقْمَةٍ

وسَيْفِي عَلَى أَعْدَائِهَا سَيْفُ نِقْمَةٍ

جَرِئٌ عَلَى الأَعْمَارِ فِيما يَنُوبُهَا

جَرِئٌ عَلَى الأَعْمَارِ فِيما يَنُوبُهَا

And my sword against its enemies is a sword of vengeance,

And my sword against its enemies is the sword of vengeance

bold against lives whenever calamity befalls it.

Bold against the days and whatever befalls them