وَلَوَ اِنَّ ما يَأوي إِلَيـ

وَلَوَ اِنَّ ما يَأوي إِلَيـ

ـيَ أُصابَ مِن ثَهلانَ فِندا

ـيَ أُصابَ مِن ثَهلانَ فِندا

And if what befalls

If only the refuge I seek

me had struck a crag of Thahlān,

Were struck by Tha'laban's sword

أَو رَأسَ رَهوَةَ أَو رُؤو

أَو رَأسَ رَهوَةَ أَو رُؤو

سَ شَوامِخٍ لِهُدِدنَ هَدّا

سَ شَوامِخٍ لِهُدِدنَ هَدّا

or Rahwa’s summit, or the summits

Or Ruhawah’s head was there

of lofty mountains, they would have been utterly shattered.

Or the lofty peaks to be razed

خَيلي وَفارِسُها لَعَمـ

خَيلي وَفارِسُها لَعَمـ

ـرُ أَبيكَ كانَ أجَلَّ فَقدا

ـرُ أَبيكَ كانَ أجَلَّ فَقدا

My horses and their rider—by the life

My steed and its rider would stay

of your father—were the greatest loss.

Though your father’s death was so dire

فَضَعي قِناعَكِ إِنَّ رَيبَ

فَضَعي قِناعَكِ إِنَّ رَيبَ

مُخَبِّلٍ أَفنى مَعَدّا

مُخَبِّلٍ أَفنى مَعَدّا

So lay aside your veil: the ravages

Unmask yourself, for my Lord

of maddening Fate have annihilated Maʿadd.

Destroys the mighty warriors

مَن حاكِمٌ بَيني وَبَيـ

مَن حاكِمٌ بَيني وَبَيـ

ـنَ الدَهرِ مالَ عَلَيَّ عَمدا

ـنَ الدَهرِ مالَ عَلَيَّ عَمدا

Who will arbitrate between me and

Who judges between me and

Time, which has deliberately turned against me?

Fate that has wronged me for long

أَودى بِسادَتِنا وَقَد

أَودى بِسادَتِنا وَقَد

تَرَكوا لَنا حَلَقاً وَجُردا

تَرَكوا لَنا حَلَقاً وَجُردا

It carried off our chieftains, though

And destroyed our chiefs of repute

they left us ring-mail and sleek steeds.

Leaving us with shackles and want

وَلَقد رَأَيتُ مَعاشِراً

وَلَقد رَأَيتُ مَعاشِراً

قَد جَمَّعوا مالاً وَوُلدا

قَد جَمَّعوا مالاً وَوُلدا

And I have seen companies of men

I've seen groups who gathered wealth

who have amassed wealth and children,

And children but wandered astray

وَهُمُ زَبابٌ حائِرٌ

وَهُمُ زَبابٌ حائِرٌ

لا يَسمَعُ الآذانُ رَعدا

لا يَسمَعُ الآذانُ رَعدا

yet they are bewildered shrews,

Deaf to the thunder's great roar

whose ears hear no thunder.

So live by your ancestors' creed

فَاِنعَم بِجَدٍّ لا يَضِر

فَاِنعَم بِجَدٍّ لا يَضِر

كَ النُوكُ ما أُعطيتَ جَدّا

كَ النُوكُ ما أُعطيتَ جَدّا

So enjoy good fortune; no harm will come

No harm comes from goodness and grace

to you from folly, so long as you are granted luck.

Like an ostrich knows what to feed

عِش بِالجُدودِ فَما يَضرِ

عِش بِالجُدودِ فَما يَضرِ

الجَهل ما أَوتيتُ

الجَهل ما أَوتيتُ

Live by good fortune; no harm is done

The ignorant cannot annoy

by ignorance to what I have been granted.

Those endowed with wisdom and faith

فالنوكُ خَيرٌ في ظِلا

فالنوكُ خَيرٌ في ظِلا

لِ العَيشِ مِمَّن عاشَ كَدّا

لِ العَيشِ مِمَّن عاشَ كَدّا

For fools are better off in the shade

For the ostrich fares better in shade

of life than one who lives in toil.

Than one who toiled all his days

هَل يُحرَمُ المَرءُ القَوِيُّ

هَل يُحرَمُ المَرءُ القَوِيُّ

وَقَد تَرى لِلنّوكِ رُشدا

وَقَد تَرى لِلنّوكِ رُشدا

Is the strong man deprived,

Can a strong man be denied

while you see fools prosper?

When the ostrich shows prudence and care?