أَحْلَلْتَنِي بمَحَلَّةِ الجَوْزاءِ

أَحْلَلْتَنِي بمَحَلَّةِ الجَوْزاءِ

ورَويتُ عِنْدَكَ مِن دَمِ الأَعْدَاءِ

ورَويتُ عِنْدَكَ مِن دَمِ الأَعْدَاءِ

You lodged me in the abode of al-Jawza,

You honoured me with the station of glory,

And at your side I drank my fill of the enemies' blood.

And I quenched my thirst with the blood of enemies.

وطَعِمْتُ لَحْمَ المارقينَ فَأَخْصَبَتْ

وطَعِمْتُ لَحْمَ المارقينَ فَأَخْصَبَتْ

حالي وبَلَّغَنِي الزَّمَانُ شِفائِى

حالي وبَلَّغَنِي الزَّمَانُ شِفائِى

And I ate the flesh of renegades; thus prospered

I tasted the flesh of rebels, so my state prospered,

My lot, and time brought me my cure.

And time brought me to full recovery.

وحَمَلْتَنِي كالصَّقْر فَوْقَ مَعَاشِر

وحَمَلْتَنِي كالصَّقْر فَوْقَ مَعَاشِر

تحتِى كَأَنَّهُمْ بَنَاتُ الماءِ

تحتِى كَأَنَّهُمْ بَنَاتُ الماءِ

And you bore me like a falcon above bands of men

You carried me like an eagle above the masses;

Beneath me, as though they were waterfowl.

Beneath me they were like the daughters of water.

ولَمَحْتُ إِخْوَانِي لَدَيْكَ كأَنَّهُمْ

ولَمَحْتُ إِخْوَانِي لَدَيْكَ كأَنَّهُمْ

مِمّا رَفَعْتَهُمُ نُجُومُ سَماءِ

مِمّا رَفَعْتَهُمُ نُجُومُ سَماءِ

And I glimpsed my brethren at your side, as though they were

I saw my brothers beside you as if they were

Stars in the sky, so high had you raised them.

Among the stars you had raised to the sky’s dome.

لا يَرْحَمِ الرَّحْمنُ مَصْرَعَ مارِقٍ

لا يَرْحَمِ الرَّحْمنُ مَصْرَعَ مارِقٍ

عَبِثَتْ بطاعتِهِ يَدُ الأَهْواءِ

عَبِثَتْ بطاعتِهِ يَدُ الأَهْواءِ

May the Merciful show no pity for a renegade's death,

The Merciful does not pity the fallen rebel

Whose obedience the hand of passions toyed with.

Who played with His obedience by whims’ hands.

أَلْحِقْ به إخْوانَهُ فحَيَاتُهُمْ

أَلْحِقْ به إخْوانَهُ فحَيَاتُهُمْ

نَكَدٌ وقد أَوْدَى أَخُو السُّفَهاءِ

نَكَدٌ وقد أَوْدَى أَخُو السُّفَهاءِ

Make his brethren join him, for their lives

Finish off his brothers, for their lives are misery,

Are misery, and the brother of fools has already perished.

Since the brother of fools perished.

ساعِدْ بذاكَ ودَعْ مَقالَ مَعاشِرٍ

ساعِدْ بذاكَ ودَعْ مَقالَ مَعاشِرٍ

بَخِلُوا فنالُوا خُطَّةَ البُخَلاءِ

بَخِلُوا فنالُوا خُطَّةَ البُخَلاءِ

Lend aid in that, and disregard the talk of men

Support that with leaving the talk of folk

Who were miserly and so earned the lot of misers.

Who were stingy and so won the stain of stinginess.

مَن لم يُفِدْكَ سِوَى الزَّمَان فَخَلِّهِ

مَن لم يُفِدْكَ سِوَى الزَّمَان فَخَلِّهِ

للشَّمْسِ يَرْقُبُهَا مع الحِرباءِ

للشَّمْسِ يَرْقُبُهَا مع الحِرباءِ

Whoever has given you nothing but time, leave him

He who did not benefit you but time, leave him

To the sun, to watch it with the chameleon.

To gaze at the sun with the crows.

ودعِ القَلانِسَ في السَّحَابِ يَشُقُّهَا

ودعِ القَلانِسَ في السَّحَابِ يَشُقُّهَا

ومَفاخِرَ الآباءِ للأَبْنَاءِ

ومَفاخِرَ الآباءِ للأَبْنَاءِ

And leave the caps in the clouds, which rend them,

Leave the fine lances in the clouds that pierce them

And the fathers' glories to the sons.

And the boasts of ancestry to the sons.

إِنَّ الرِّجَالَ إِذا تَأَخَّرَ نَفْعُهُمْ

إِنَّ الرِّجَالَ إِذا تَأَخَّرَ نَفْعُهُمْ

في كُلِّ مَعْنًى شُبِّهُوا بنِساءِ

في كُلِّ مَعْنًى شُبِّهُوا بنِساءِ

Indeed, when men are slow to be of use,

Men, when their usefulness is delayed

In every respect they are likened to women.

In every sense, are likened to women.

أَناصِلُّهُمْ عنْدَ الخِصَامِ فخَلِّهِمْ

أَناصِلُّهُمْ عنْدَ الخِصَامِ فخَلِّهِمْ

للِسانِ هذى الحَيَّةِ الرَّقْشاءِ

للِسانِ هذى الحَيَّةِ الرَّقْشاءِ

I am their viper in disputes, so leave them

I charge them in contention, so leave them

To the tongue of this speckled serpent.

To the tongue—this hissing serpent.