تَضاعَفَ ضَعفي بَعدَ بُعدِ الحَبائِبِ

تَضاعَفَ ضَعفي بَعدَ بُعدِ الحَبائِبِ

وَقَد حَجَبوا عَنّي قِسِيَّ الحَواجِبِ

وَقَد حَجَبوا عَنّي قِسِيَّ الحَواجِبِ

My weakness doubled after my loved ones departed,

My weakness has doubled since the absence of loved ones

and they have veiled from me the bows of their brows.

And their stern brows have been veiled from me

وَمُذ أَفَلَت تِلكَ الكَواكِبِ لَم تَزَل

وَمُذ أَفَلَت تِلكَ الكَواكِبِ لَم تَزَل

مُوَكَّلَةً عَنّي بِرَعيِ الكَواكِبِ

مُوَكَّلَةً عَنّي بِرَعيِ الكَواكِبِ

And since those stars set, they have remained

Since those stars set, they have not ceased

charged, on my behalf, with watching the stars.

To be occupied with me in guiding the stars

فَما آيبٌ لِلهَمِّ عَنّي بِرائِحٍ

فَما آيبٌ لِلهَمِّ عَنّي بِرائِحٍ

وَلا رائِحٌ لِلعَيشِ عَنّي بِآيِبِ

وَلا رائِحٌ لِلعَيشِ عَنّي بِآيِبِ

So no grief that returns ever departs from me,

So neither grief departs from me with a passing scent

nor does life's ease, once gone from me, return.

Nor life approaches me with one who comes

وَنادِبَةٍ ناحَت سُحَيراً بِأَيكَةٍ

وَنادِبَةٍ ناحَت سُحَيراً بِأَيكَةٍ

فَهَيَّجَتِ الوَسواسَ في قَلبِ نادِبِ

فَهَيَّجَتِ الوَسواسَ في قَلبِ نادِبِ

And a mourning bird wailed just before dawn in a thicket,

A wailing woman cried out mournfully with anguish

so she stirred anxious thoughts in a mourner's heart.

And stirred up misgiving in the heart of the mourner

تَنوحُ عَلى غُصنٍ أَنوحُ لِمِثلِهِ

تَنوحُ عَلى غُصنٍ أَنوحُ لِمِثلِهِ

وَهَل حاضِرُ يَبكي أَسىً مِثلُ غائِبِ

وَهَل حاضِرُ يَبكي أَسىً مِثلُ غائِبِ

She mourns upon a bough; I mourn for its like.

She laments over a branch, and I lament for the like of it

And does one present weep in sorrow like one absent?

Does one present weep the sorrow of one absent?

بِوادٍ بِوادي الغوطَتَينِ رُبوعَكُم

بِوادٍ بِوادي الغوطَتَينِ رُبوعَكُم

رَبيعي وَمِن ذاكَ التُرابُ تُرابي

رَبيعي وَمِن ذاكَ التُرابُ تُرابي

In a valley, in the valley of the two Ghoutas, your dwellings

In the valley, in the valley of Al-Ghoutatayn, are your meadows

are my springtime, and my dust is from that soil.

My springtime, and from that soil is my dust

يَزيدُ اِحتِراقي وَاِشتِياقي إِلَيكُم

يَزيدُ اِحتِراقي وَاِشتِياقي إِلَيكُم

إِذا صاحَ بي عَرِّج عَلى الدارِ صاحِبي

إِذا صاحَ بي عَرِّج عَلى الدارِ صاحِبي

My burning and my longing for you increase

My burning and my longing for you increase

when my companion cries to me, 'Turn aside to the dwelling!'

When my companion calls to me, "Stop by the abode!"

وَأَهوى هَواها مِن رِياضٍ أَنيقَةٍ

وَأَهوى هَواها مِن رِياضٍ أَنيقَةٍ

فَتَصرِفُني عَنها صُروفُ النَوائِبِ

فَتَصرِفُني عَنها صُروفُ النَوائِبِ

And I love their air from lovely gardens,

And I desire it from elegant gardens

but the turns of calamity turn me away from them.

So the vicissitudes of fate divert me from it

تَظَلُّ ثُغورُ الأُقحُوانِ ضَواحِكاً

تَظَلُّ ثُغورُ الأُقحُوانِ ضَواحِكاً

إِذا ما بَكَت فيها عُيونُ السَحائِبِ

إِذا ما بَكَت فيها عُيونُ السَحائِبِ

The mouths of the daisies remain smiling

The smiles of the beauties remain

whenever the eyes of the clouds weep in them.

When the eyes of the clouds weep over them

كَأَنَّ لَميعَ البَرقِ في جَنَباتِها

كَأَنَّ لَميعَ البَرقِ في جَنَباتِها

سُيوفُ مُعينِ الدينِ بَينَ الكَتائِبِ

سُيوفُ مُعينِ الدينِ بَينَ الكَتائِبِ

As though the gleam of lightning along their sides

As if the flashing of lightning in their sides

were Mu'in al-Din's swords amid the battalions.

Were the swords of the helper of religion among the regiments

فَتىً لَم يَعُد حَتّى تَعَفَّر قَرنُهُ

فَتىً لَم يَعُد حَتّى تَعَفَّر قَرنُهُ

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ الضَربَ ضَربَةُ لازِبِ

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ الضَربَ ضَربَةُ لازِبِ

A young man who did not return until his foe lay dust-covered,

A young man who did not refrain until his spearhead was bloodstained

as though dealing blows were a binding duty upon him.

As if the striking against him were the blow of a piercing blade

حَشِيَّتُهُ سِرجُ عَلى ظَهرِ سابِحٍ

حَشِيَّتُهُ سِرجُ عَلى ظَهرِ سابِحٍ

وَحُلَّتُهُ دِرعٌ عَلى غَيرِ هارِبٍ

وَحُلَّتُهُ دِرعٌ عَلى غَيرِ هارِبٍ

His cushion is a saddle on the back of a swimming steed,

His saddlecloth is a blanket on the back of a swimmer

and his robe is mail upon one who does not flee.

And his coat of mail is armor on one who does not flee

غَدا في المَعالي راغِباً غَيرَ زاهِدٍ

غَدا في المَعالي راغِباً غَيرَ زاهِدٍ

وَفيما سِواها زاهِداً غَيرَ راغِبِ

وَفيما سِواها زاهِداً غَيرَ راغِبِ

He has become eager for lofty attainments, not renouncing them,

Tomorrow he set out aspiring to glory, not an ascetic

and renounces all else, not desiring it.

And in anything other he was an ascetic, not aspiring

يَظُنُّ صَلاحُ الدينِ فُرسانَ جَلَّقٍ

يَظُنُّ صَلاحُ الدينِ فُرسانَ جَلَّقٍ

كَفُرسانِهِ ما الأَسَدُ مِثلَ الثَعالِبِ

كَفُرسانِهِ ما الأَسَدُ مِثلَ الثَعالِبِ

Salah al-Din thinks the horsemen of Jallaq

Saladin thinks the knights of Gallaq

are like his own horsemen—the lion is not like foxes.

Are like his knights. The lion is not like jackals.

غَداً تَطلُعُ الشامُ الفِرِنجَ بِفَيلَقٍ

غَداً تَطلُعُ الشامُ الفِرِنجَ بِفَيلَقٍ

مُعَوَّدَةٍ أَبطالُهُ لِلمَصائِبِ

مُعَوَّدَةٍ أَبطالُهُ لِلمَصائِبِ

Tomorrow al-Sham will confront the Franks with an army

Tomorrow Damascus will charge the Franks with a regiment

whose champions are inured to calamities.

Whose heroes are accustomed to misfortunes

رِجالٌ إِذا قامَ الصَليبُ تَصَلَّبَتِ

رِجالٌ إِذا قامَ الصَليبُ تَصَلَّبَتِ

رِماحُهُمُ في كُلِّ ماشٍ وَراكِبِ

رِماحُهُمُ في كُلِّ ماشٍ وَراكِبِ

Men: when the cross rises, rigid grow

Men, when the cross stands, their spears

their spears in every footman and rider.

Are crucified in every charging horseman and rider

لَها اللَيلُ نَقعٌ وَالأَسِنَّةُ أَنجُمُ

لَها اللَيلُ نَقعٌ وَالأَسِنَّةُ أَنجُمُ

فَما غَيرُ أَبطالٍ وَغَيرُ جَنائِبِ

فَما غَيرُ أَبطالٍ وَغَيرُ جَنائِبِ

For them, the night is a dust cloud, and spearheads are stars;

For them the night has drinking and the tongues are stars

so there is nothing but champions and led steeds.

So none but heroes and none but wildly blowing winds