هاتيكَ دارُ المَلكِ مُقفِرَةٌ

هاتيكَ دارُ المَلكِ مُقفِرَةٌ

ما إِن بِها مِن أَهلِها شَخصُ

ما إِن بِها مِن أَهلِها شَخصُ

That abode of the king is deserted;

That royal abode lies deserted,

Not one of its inhabitants is there.

None of its people remain,

عَهدي بِها وَالخَيلُ جائِلَةٌ

عَهدي بِها وَالخَيلُ جائِلَةٌ

لا يَستَبينُ لِشَمسِها قُرصُ

لا يَستَبينُ لِشَمسِها قُرصُ

I remember it when the horses wheeled about,

I knew it once, with horses wandering,

The disc of its sun could not be discerned.

Its sun disc indistinct.

وَإِذا عَلَت صَخراً حَوافِرُها

وَإِذا عَلَت صَخراً حَوافِرُها

غادَرنَهُ وَكَأَنَّهُ دِعصُ

غادَرنَهُ وَكَأَنَّهُ دِعصُ

And when their hooves trod upon rock,

When their hooves climb a boulder

They left it as though it were a sand mound.

They leave it as if it were a ram

وَالمُلكُ مَنشورُ الجَناحِ وَلَم

وَالمُلكُ مَنشورُ الجَناحِ وَلَم

يَهتِك قَوادِمَ ريشِهِ القَصُّ

يَهتِك قَوادِمَ ريشِهِ القَصُّ

And sovereignty's wing was outspread, and no

The realm—its wings widespread, but not

Clipping had torn the foremost feathers of its plumage.

Ruffling the tips of its feathers.

يَنشَقُّ مِنهُ الجَمعُ عَن قَمَرٍ

يَنشَقُّ مِنهُ الجَمعُ عَن قَمَرٍ

ما في تَكامُلِ حُسنِهِ نَقصُ

ما في تَكامُلِ حُسنِهِ نَقصُ

The throng parts, revealing a moon from its midst,

The throng breaks away from it like the moon

There is no flaw in the perfection of his beauty.

Whose beauty is perfect, no defect.

أَخَذَت يَداهُ المُلكَ مُمتَلِياً

أَخَذَت يَداهُ المُلكَ مُمتَلِياً

حَزماً وَعودُ شَبابِهِ رَخصُ

حَزماً وَعودُ شَبابِهِ رَخصُ

His hands took hold of sovereignty, as he brimmed

It has taken into its hands a king

With resolve, while the stem of his youth was tender.

Seizing authority, though still green of youth.

وَمَعاشِرٍ وَجَدوا مَشيئَتَهُم

وَمَعاشِرٍ وَجَدوا مَشيئَتَهُم

وَبِما تَحُبُّ نُفوسُهُم خُصّوا

وَبِما تَحُبُّ نُفوسُهُم خُصّوا

And groups who found their wishes fulfilled,

And intimates who found their desires

And were favored with what their souls loved.

Fulfilled, and were given what delighted their souls.

طيبُ التَحيَّةِ حَيثُ قُمتُ لَهُم

طيبُ التَحيَّةِ حَيثُ قُمتُ لَهُم

فَهُمُ الأُلى حَيّوكَ وَاِختَصّوا

فَهُمُ الأُلى حَيّوكَ وَاِختَصّوا

Sweet was the greeting wherever I rose for them,

Pleasant was the greeting when I stood before them,

For they are those who greeted you and enjoyed special favor.

They were the nearest, greeting me as their own.

فَمَضى بِذاكَ العَيشِ آخِرُهُ

فَمَضى بِذاكَ العَيشِ آخِرُهُ

وَالهَمُّ مِمّا سَرَّ مُقتَصُّ

وَالهَمُّ مِمّا سَرَّ مُقتَصُّ

Then its ending carried that life away,

Then the last of that life went by.

And sorrow exacts revenge on what once brought joy.

Grief remains from what once gave joy.

وَالدَهرُ يَخبِطُ أَهلَهُ بِيَدٍ

وَالدَهرُ يَخبِطُ أَهلَهُ بِيَدٍ

في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ لَهُ قَرصُ

في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ لَهُ قَرصُ

And Time batters its people with a hand;

Fortune buffets its people with a hand

For every limb it has a pinch.

That pierces them in every limb.

أَفَما تَرى بَلَداً أَقَمتُ بِهِ

أَفَما تَرى بَلَداً أَقَمتُ بِهِ

أَعلى مَساكِنَ أَهلِهِ خُصُّ

أَعلى مَساكِنَ أَهلِهِ خُصُّ

Do you not, then, see a town where I have dwelt,

Do you not see a land where I dwelt

Whose people's loftiest dwelling is a reed hut?

Aloft above the dwellings of its clan?

وَوِلاتُهُ نَبَطٌ زَنادِقَةٌ

وَوِلاتُهُ نَبَطٌ زَنادِقَةٌ

مَلأى البُطونِ وَأَهلُها خُمصُ

مَلأى البُطونِ وَأَهلُها خُمصُ

And its governors are Nabataean heretics,

Its governors are Nabataean heretics

Their bellies full, while its people are hungry.

Filled with bellies—the people are weasels.

وَلَهُم مَسالِخُ يَسلَخونَ بِها

وَلَهُم مَسالِخُ يَسلَخونَ بِها

لا يَتَّقي سَطواتِها اللِصُّ

لا يَتَّقي سَطواتِها اللِصُّ

And they have flaying houses where they flay;

They have slaughterhouses where they butcher

The thief does not fear their assaults.

Undeterred by ravagers.

أَسيافُها خُشُبٌ مُعَلَّقَةٌ

أَسيافُها خُشُبٌ مُعَلَّقَةٌ

مَصنوعَةٌ وَقِرابُها جَصُّ

مَصنوعَةٌ وَقِرابُها جَصُّ

Their swords are pieces of wood hung up,

Their swords hang idle,

Crafted, and their scabbards are of plaster.

Fabricated, their spears are plaster.

وَجُنودُهُم تَحمي رَعيَّتِهِم

وَجُنودُهُم تَحمي رَعيَّتِهِم

وَلَهُم عَلى أَكبادِهِم رَقصُ

وَلَهُم عَلى أَكبادِهِم رَقصُ

And their troops protect their subjects,

Their soldiers protect their subjects

And dance upon their livers.

While dancing on their livers.

غَلَبَت خِيانَتُهُم أَمانَتَهُم

غَلَبَت خِيانَتُهُم أَمانَتَهُم

وَطَغى عَلى تَقواهُمُ الحِرصُ

وَطَغى عَلى تَقواهُمُ الحِرصُ

Their treachery has overcome their honesty,

Their treachery prevails over their good faith

And greed has overpowered their piety.

And greed dominates their piety.

فِتيانُهُم في كُلِّ رابِيَةٍ

فِتيانُهُم في كُلِّ رابِيَةٍ

وَلَهُم بِكُلِّ قَرارَةٍ شَخصُ

وَلَهُم بِكُلِّ قَرارَةٍ شَخصُ

Their young men are on every hill,

Their youths are in every shack

And they have a man in every hollow.

And they have rascals in every stead.

وَأَميرُهُم مُتَقَدِّمٌ بِهِمُ

وَأَميرُهُم مُتَقَدِّمٌ بِهِمُ

نَحوَ الحَرامِ وَسَيرُهُ نَصُّ

نَحوَ الحَرامِ وَسَيرُهُ نَصُّ

And their commander leads them onward

Their commander proceeds before them

Toward the forbidden, his pace at full speed.

Toward sacrilege, his course set.

وَإِذا بَدا أُفدي الزَمانُ بِهِ

وَإِذا بَدا أُفدي الزَمانُ بِهِ

وَسَطَ الخَميسِ كَأَنَّهُ دُلُصُ

وَسَطَ الخَميسِ كَأَنَّهُ دُلُصُ

And when he appears—may Time be ransomed with him—

When he appears, time is ransomed through him,

Amid the army, as though he were gleaming mail,

Amid the crowd it is as if he is a bully.

وَكَأَنَّ خَلَّ الخَمرِ يَعصَرُ مِن

وَكَأَنَّ خَلَّ الخَمرِ يَعصَرُ مِن

وَجَناتِهِ أَو يُجتَنى العَفصُ

وَجَناتِهِ أَو يُجتَنى العَفصُ

And as though wine vinegar were pressed from

As though the wine is squeezed from his vineyards

His cheeks, or gallnuts were gathered there.

Or snakes are culled from Afs.

فَتَرى الأَنامَ كَهامَةٍ حُلِقَت

فَتَرى الأَنامَ كَهامَةٍ حُلِقَت

وَيَرونَ رُخصَ السِعرِ أَغبَطُ في ال

وَيَرونَ رُخصَ السِعرِ أَغبَطُ في ال

So you see the people like a shaven head,

You see people like clustered insects,

And they deem low prices more enviable in the

Deeming cheap prices to be profitable

بَلوى وَلَيسَ بِدِرهِمٍ رُخصُ

بَلوى وَلَيسَ بِدِرهِمٍ رُخصُ

Hardship, yet cheapness is no dirham.

When there is no bargain for a dirham.