لِمَن الخَيلُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ تَجوبُ

لِمَن الخَيلُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ تَجوبُ

صَحِبتُها في كُلِّ شِعبٍ شَعوبُ

صَحِبتُها في كُلِّ شِعبٍ شَعوبُ

Whose are the horses that roam every land,

For whom are all lands crossed by horses,

With Sha'ub—Death—accompanying them through every mountain pass,

Their companions in every valley throngs.

وَالجَواري الَّتي يَضيقُ بِها

وَالجَواري الَّتي يَضيقُ بِها

البَحرُ عَلى أَنَّهُ فَسيحٌ رَحيبُ

البَحرُ عَلى أَنَّهُ فَسيحٌ رَحيبُ

And the ships that crowd

And the slave girls whose tents

The sea, though it is vast and spacious,

The sea deems vast though spacious and wide.

غَيرَ سَيفِ الإِسلامِ خَيرُ فَتىً

غَيرَ سَيفِ الإِسلامِ خَيرُ فَتىً

عَزَّ بِهِ دينُنا وَذَلَّ الصَليبُ

عَزَّ بِهِ دينُنا وَذَلَّ الصَليبُ

If not those of Sayf al-Islam, the finest of men,

None better than the sword of Islam,

Through whom our faith grew mighty and the Cross was humbled?

Our faith prevailed and the cross declined.

مَلِكٌ مِنهُ في الخِطابِ إِذا شاءَ

مَلِكٌ مِنهُ في الخِطابِ إِذا شاءَ

خَطيبٌ وَفي النِزالِ خُطوبُ

خَطيبٌ وَفي النِزالِ خُطوبُ

A king who, in speech, whenever he wishes,

A king whose speech, when he desires,

Is an orator, and in battle a scourge.

An eloquent speaker, and in battle, renowned.

وَكَأَنّي أَبو نَواسٍ إِذا ما

وَكَأَنّي أَبو نَواسٍ إِذا ما

جِئتُ مِصراً وَأَنتَ فيها الخَصيبُ

جِئتُ مِصراً وَأَنتَ فيها الخَصيبُ

And it is as though I were Abu Nuwas when

As if I were Abu Nuwas when I come

I come to Egypt, and you are al-Khasib there.

To Egypt and you in it al-Khadib.

وَلَئِن كنتُ مُخطِئاً في قِياسي

وَلَئِن كنتُ مُخطِئاً في قِياسي

إِنَّ عُذري ما قالَ قِدَماً حَبيبُ

إِنَّ عُذري ما قالَ قِدَماً حَبيبُ

And even if I am mistaken in my comparison,

If I’m mistaken in my rhyme,

My excuse is what Habib said long ago:

My excuse is what the beloved of old said.

لَو أَرادَ الرَقيبُ يَنظُرُ جِسمي

لَو أَرادَ الرَقيبُ يَنظُرُ جِسمي

ما رَآهُ مِنَ النُحولِ رَقيبُ

ما رَآهُ مِنَ النُحولِ رَقيبُ

Were the watcher to wish to look at my body,

If the watcher wished to see my body,

No watcher would see it, such is its emaciation.

He wouldn’t see it emaciated, a watcher.

مِثلُ دارِ الزَكِيِّ كيسي وَكَأسي

مِثلُ دارِ الزَكِيِّ كيسي وَكَأسي

وَهِيَ قَفرٌ كَأَنَّها مَلحوبُ

وَهِيَ قَفرٌ كَأَنَّها مَلحوبُ

My purse and my cup are like al-Zaki's house,

Like the house of al-Zaki, my purse and my cup,

And it is a wasteland, as though it were Malhub.

It’s a wasteland as if swept away.