يا لَياليَّ القَديماتِ اِرجِعي

يا لَياليَّ القَديماتِ اِرجِعي

قَد تَخَلَّفتِ بِلَيلاتٍ شِدادِ

قَد تَخَلَّفتِ بِلَيلاتٍ شِدادِ

O my old nights, return!

O nights of old, return

You have given way to harsh nights.

You left behind harsh nights

نَبَأٌ خُبِّرتُهُ مِن مَعشَرٍ

نَبَأٌ خُبِّرتُهُ مِن مَعشَرٍ

أَخرَجَت أَضغانُهُم حَيّاتِ وادِ

أَخرَجَت أَضغانُهُم حَيّاتِ وادِ

I was told news from a people

News I was told by a group

whose grudges brought out a valley's snakes.

Whose vipers brought out poisonous snakes

إِنَّني ذاكَ الَّذي جَرَّبتُهُم

إِنَّني ذاكَ الَّذي جَرَّبتُهُم

لَم يَطُل عَهدي بِإِرغامِ الأَعادي

لَم يَطُل عَهدي بِإِرغامِ الأَعادي

Indeed, I am that very one who has tested them;

I am the one who tested them

it has not been long since I humbled my enemies.

My time did not last long forcing enemies

فَمِنَ الآنَ فَكُرّوا وَاِرجِعوا

فَمِنَ الآنَ فَكُرّوا وَاِرجِعوا

فَالَّذي تَخشَونَ أَحلى في فُؤادي

فَالَّذي تَخشَونَ أَحلى في فُؤادي

So from now on, charge again and return;

So from now, think and return

for what you fear is sweeter in my heart.

What you fear is sweetest in my heart

وَلَحا الرَحمَنُ مِنّا طالِبَ ال

وَلَحا الرَحمَنُ مِنّا طالِبَ ال

صُلحِ وَالأَطوَعَ في حَبلِ القِيادِ

صُلحِ وَالأَطوَعَ في حَبلِ القِيادِ

And may the Merciful curse whoever among us seeks

And the Merciful became gentle with us, seeker

peace, and whoever is most obedient to the leading rein.

Of peace and most compliant to the rein of guidance

وَعَلى الأَظلَمِ مِنّا سَخَطَ اللَ

وَعَلى الأَظلَمِ مِنّا سَخَطَ اللَ

هُ وَالأَنكَبِ عَن سُبُلِ الرَشادِ

هُ وَالأَنكَبِ عَن سُبُلِ الرَشادِ

And upon the more unjust of us be the wrath of

And He was angry with the unjust among us

God, and upon whoever strays farther from the paths of right guidance.

And the most turning away from the paths of righteousness

أَقدِموا قَبلَ رِماحٍ أُشرِعَت

أَقدِموا قَبلَ رِماحٍ أُشرِعَت

وَسُيوفٍ ذاتِ عَصٍّ وَصِعادِ

وَسُيوفٍ ذاتِ عَصٍّ وَصِعادِ

Advance before spears are leveled,

Come before spears were let loose

and swords with hard blows and upward strokes.

And swords of polished blades

ثُمَّ إِيّايَ وَأُخرى مِثلَها

ثُمَّ إِيّايَ وَأُخرى مِثلَها

تَكحَلُ العَينَ بِمَملولِ السُهادِ

تَكحَلُ العَينَ بِمَملولِ السُهادِ

Then beware of bringing me another like it,

Then beware of me and another like it

that rims the eye with wearisome sleeplessness.

The eye reddens with dripping of tears

وَخُذوا عَفوِيَ ما دُمتُ لَكُم

وَخُذوا عَفوِيَ ما دُمتُ لَكُم

يَدَ أَخذٍ وَاِلحَقوا بَعضَ وِدادي

يَدَ أَخذٍ وَاِلحَقوا بَعضَ وِدادي

And take my pardon while I remain for you

And take my pardon as long as you are

a hand that seizes, and regain some of my affection.

A hand that takes and join some of my love

لا تَعودوا فَيَعُد إِسخاطُهُ

لا تَعودوا فَيَعُد إِسخاطُهُ

وَاِترُكوا سَيفِيَ في بَعضِ الغِمادِ

وَاِترُكوا سَيفِيَ في بَعضِ الغِمادِ

Do not repeat it, lest you provoke it again,

Do not repeat so His anger repeats

and leave my sword partly in its sheath.

And leave my sword in some of the sheaths

أَو فَإِنّي مُسرِعٌ إِن شِئتُمُ

أَو فَإِنّي مُسرِعٌ إِن شِئتُمُ

بِحُسامٍ مَشرَفيٍّ وَجَوادِ

بِحُسامٍ مَشرَفيٍّ وَجَوادِ

Or else I will hasten, if you wish,

Or I will rush, if you wish

with a Mashrafi sword and a noble steed,

With a noble, lofty sword and steed

وَقَناةٍ فَوقَها كَوكَبُها

وَقَناةٍ فَوقَها كَوكَبُها

وَمِجَنٍّ كُلُّ هَذا في بِلادي

وَمِجَنٍّ كُلُّ هَذا في بِلادي

and a spear with its star above it,

And a bow above which is its star

and a shield—all this is in my land.

And a sharpened arrow, all of this in my lands

وَإِذا قُلتُ اِركَبوا قَد حَضَروا

وَإِذا قُلتُ اِركَبوا قَد حَضَروا

جُملَةُ الناسِ بِأَسيافٍ حِدادِ

جُملَةُ الناسِ بِأَسيافٍ حِدادِ

And when I say, 'Mount up,' they have already come:

And if I say ride, they came ready

all the people, with sharp swords.

The people all with sharpened swords

وَلَقَد ضاعَت أَيادٍ عِندَكُم

وَلَقَد ضاعَت أَيادٍ عِندَكُم

غُرِسَت في تُرَبٍ غَيرِ جِيادي

غُرِسَت في تُرَبٍ غَيرِ جِيادي

And indeed, favors have been wasted on you,

And hands were lost with you

planted in soils that were not fertile.

Planted in soil not my steed’s

أودِعَت قَمحاً فَلَمّا نُثِرَت

أودِعَت قَمحاً فَلَمّا نُثِرَت

كُلُّ أَرضٍ أَنبَتَت شَوكَ القَتادِ

كُلُّ أَرضٍ أَنبَتَت شَوكَ القَتادِ

They were deposited as wheat; but when they were scattered,

Entrusted with wheat, so when scattered

each patch of earth grew the thorns of qatad.

Every land sprouted thorns of witnesses

فَجَزاها لَعنَةً لِصاحِبٍ

فَجَزاها لَعنَةً لِصاحِبٍ

لَيسَ لِلزَرّاعِ أَصلاً مِن مَعادِ

لَيسَ لِلزَرّاعِ أَصلاً مِن مَعادِ

So he requited it with a curse upon a companion;

So may its curse be upon an owner

there is no return at all for the sower.

Who has no origin of return for farmers

حينَ وَتَّرتُ لَكُم أَقواسَكُم

حينَ وَتَّرتُ لَكُم أَقواسَكُم

قُمتُمُ بِالنَبلِ تَرمونَ سَوادي

قُمتُمُ بِالنَبلِ تَرمونَ سَوادي

When I strung your bows for you,

When you bended your bows for me

you stood with arrows, shooting at my dark figure.

You stood with arrows shooting my horses

أَيُّها المَوعِدُ قَد أَسمَعتَني

أَيُّها المَوعِدُ قَد أَسمَعتَني

ثُمَّ لَم يَثبُت مِنَ الهَمِّ وِسادِ

ثُمَّ لَم يَثبُت مِنَ الهَمِّ وِسادِ

O you who threaten, you have made me hear you;

O you who made a promise, you heard me

then no pillow stayed still for worry.

Then the anxiety did not remain as a pillow

سَوفَ تَجني أَنتَ ما تَغرِسُ لي

سَوفَ تَجني أَنتَ ما تَغرِسُ لي

وَتَمَسُّ النارَ مِن قَرعِ زِنادي

وَتَمَسُّ النارَ مِن قَرعِ زِنادي

You yourself will reap what you plant for me,

You will reap what you sow for me

and touch the fire struck from my fire-sticks.

And the fire will touch from my flints

رَبُّ مَن قَد كادَني في لَيلَةٍ

رَبُّ مَن قَد كادَني في لَيلَةٍ

وَهوَ في يَومِ الوَغى بِاِسمي يُنادي

وَهوَ في يَومِ الوَغى بِاِسمي يُنادي

Many a man has plotted against me in a night,

Lord of he who almost got me one night

while on the day of battle he calls out my name.

And he calls my name on the day of battle

حينَ خَلّى رَسَني جاذِبُهُ

حينَ خَلّى رَسَني جاذِبُهُ

وَاِمَّحى قُرطاسُ شَيبي مِن مِدادي

وَاِمَّحى قُرطاسُ شَيبي مِن مِدادي

When the one pulling my halter let it go,

When his pulling emptied my quiver

and the paper of my gray hair was effaced by my ink,

And the paper of my old age ran out of ink

ثُمَّ يَغدوا مَرِحاً إِن سَبَّني

ثُمَّ يَغدوا مَرِحاً إِن سَبَّني

وَيَرى لَحمِيَ مِن أَطيَبِ زادِ

وَيَرى لَحمِيَ مِن أَطيَبِ زادِ

then he goes about merry if he insults me,

Then he goes playfully if he insults me

and counts my flesh among the choicest provisions.

And sees my flesh as the tastiest food

وَيَظُنُّ الدَهرَ نَقداً كُلَّهُ

وَيَظُنُّ الدَهرَ نَقداً كُلَّهُ

ثُمَّ يَلقاني عَلى طولِ البُعادِ

ثُمَّ يَلقاني عَلى طولِ البُعادِ

And he thinks all of time is ready cash,

And he thinks time is all cash

then meets me after long separation.

Then he finds me in the length of distances

كَيفَ يَرجونَ اِهتِضامي بَعدَها

كَيفَ يَرجونَ اِهتِضامي بَعدَها

طالَ باعي وَرِدائي وَنِجادي

طالَ باعي وَرِدائي وَنِجادي

How can they hope to oppress me after that?

How can they hope to subdue me after it

My reach, my cloak, and my sword-baldric have grown long.

My banner became long and my honor and achievement

وَلِعُذرٍ لَهُمُ لَو قَبلَها

وَلِعُذرٍ لَهُمُ لَو قَبلَها

لَم يَروا إِلّا قِداحي وَزِنادي

لَم يَروا إِلّا قِداحي وَزِنادي

And they might have an excuse if, before that,

And for their excuse, if before it

they had seen nothing but my arrow-shafts and my fire-sticks.

They did not see except my sparks and flints

أَن يَكونوا قَد نَسَوا تِلكَ فَلي

أَن يَكونوا قَد نَسَوا تِلكَ فَلي

عَودَةٌ تُذعِرُهُم حَرَّ جِلادي

عَودَةٌ تُذعِرُهُم حَرَّ جِلادي

If they have forgotten that, then I have

That they may have forgotten those so for them

a return that will terrify them with the heat of my combat.

A return that will terrify them, heat of my whips

طالَ حِلمي عَنهُمُ فَاِستَحدَثوا

طالَ حِلمي عَنهُمُ فَاِستَحدَثوا

خُلُقاً مَكروهَةً عُريانَ بادي

خُلُقاً مَكروهَةً عُريانَ بادي

My forbearance toward them lasted long, so they called forth

My patience towards them lasted long so they adopted

a hateful temper, naked and exposed—

An ugly, blatantly evil trait

خَلَقاً يَخضِبُ أَطرافَ القَنا

خَلَقاً يَخضِبُ أَطرافَ القَنا

وَمُتونَ النَبلِ وَالبيضِ الصَوادي

وَمُتونَ النَبلِ وَالبيضِ الصَوادي

a temper that dyes the tips of spears,

A trait that dyes the edges of spears

and the shafts of arrows and thirsty white blades,

And the bodies of arrows and white horses

بِطِعانٍ نافِذٍ يَفري الحَشا

بِطِعانٍ نافِذٍ يَفري الحَشا

وَبِضَربٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

وَبِضَربٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

with piercing thrusts that rend the entrails,

With a piercing stab that makes the brave flee

and with blows like the mouths of waterskins.

And a blow like the mouths of auctions