سَلامَةُ عِرْضِي فِي خِفَارَةِ صَارِمِي

سَلامَةُ عِرْضِي فِي خِفَارَةِ صَارِمِي

وَإِنْ كَانَ مَالِي نُهْبَةً لِلْمَكَارِمِ

وَإِنْ كَانَ مَالِي نُهْبَةً لِلْمَكَارِمِ

My honor rests safe beneath my keen sword’s guard,

My honor's safety is in the keeping of my keen sword,

And all my wealth was but spoil for my noble deeds.

Though my wealth is plunder for noble deeds.

بَلَغْتُ عُلاً لا يَبْلُغُ النَّجْمُ شَأْوَهَا

بَلَغْتُ عُلاً لا يَبْلُغُ النَّجْمُ شَأْوَهَا

إِذَا هُوَ لَمْ يَنْهَضْ لَهَا بِقَوَادِمِ

إِذَا هُوَ لَمْ يَنْهَضْ لَهَا بِقَوَادِمِ

I attained heights whose utmost reach no star can gain,

I have reached heights no star can attain,

If it does not soar toward them on its foremost pinions.

Unless it rises toward them on flight feathers.

إِذَا المَرْءُ لَمْ يَطرَبْ إِلَى اللَهْوِ وَالصِبَا

إِذَا المَرْءُ لَمْ يَطرَبْ إِلَى اللَهْوِ وَالصِبَا

فَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا مِنْ عِدَادِ الْبَهَائِمِ

فَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا مِنْ عِدَادِ الْبَهَائِمِ

If a man feels no rapture in diversion and youthful passion,

If a man takes no delight in play and youthful passion,

Then he is merely numbered among the beasts.

He is but numbered among the beasts.

فَأَيَّةُ أَرْضٍ لَمْ تَجُبْهَا سَوَابِقِي

فَأَيَّةُ أَرْضٍ لَمْ تَجُبْهَا سَوَابِقِي

وَغَمْرَةِ بَأْسٍ لَمْ تَخُضْهَا صَوَارِمِي

وَغَمْرَةِ بَأْسٍ لَمْ تَخُضْهَا صَوَارِمِي

What land have my fleet steeds not traversed?

So what land have my swift steeds not traversed,

What maelstrom of battle have my swords not plunged through?

And what maelstrom of battle have my sharp swords not waded through?

وَمَا اللَّيْلُ إِلَّا هَبْوَةٌ مِنْ كَتَائِبِي

وَمَا اللَّيْلُ إِلَّا هَبْوَةٌ مِنْ كَتَائِبِي

وَلا الشُّهْبُ إِلَّا لَمْعَةٌ مِنْ لَهَاذِمِي

وَلا الشُّهْبُ إِلَّا لَمْعَةٌ مِنْ لَهَاذِمِي

Night itself is only dust raised by my battalions,

And night is but a dust cloud from my battalions,

And shooting stars are only flashes from my keen blades.

Nor are the shooting stars more than a flash from my keen blades.

جَنَانٌ تَحِيدُ الأُسْدُ عَنْهُ وَعَزْمَةٌ

جَنَانٌ تَحِيدُ الأُسْدُ عَنْهُ وَعَزْمَةٌ

هِيَ الْمَوْتُ بَيْنَ الْمَأْزِقِ الْمُتَلاحِمِ

هِيَ الْمَوْتُ بَيْنَ الْمَأْزِقِ الْمُتَلاحِمِ

My courage makes lions shrink away, and my resolve

A heart that lions shrink from, and a resolve

Is death itself amid the close-packed press of battle.

That is death amid the crush of close-locked combat.

وَلَكِنَّنِي أَمْسَيْتُ لِلْحُبِّ خَاضِعاً

وَلَكِنَّنِي أَمْسَيْتُ لِلْحُبِّ خَاضِعاً

وَلِلْحُبِّ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى كُلِّ حَاكِمِ

وَلِلْحُبِّ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى كُلِّ حَاكِمِ

Yet I have become submissive to love,

Yet I have become submissive to love,

For love holds dominion over every ruler.

And love has dominion over every ruler.

وَبِي مِنْ صَمِيمِ الْعُرْبِ حَوْرَاءُ طفْلَةٌ

وَبِي مِنْ صَمِيمِ الْعُرْبِ حَوْرَاءُ طفْلَةٌ

نَحِيلَةُ مَجْرَى الْبَنْدِ رَيَّا الْمَعَاصِمِ

نَحِيلَةُ مَجْرَى الْبَنْدِ رَيَّا الْمَعَاصِمِ

I am smitten with a tender, dark-eyed maid of pure Arab stock,

And I am smitten with a tender, dark-eyed beauty of pure Arab stock,

Slender where the sash encircles her, yet full about the wrists.

Slender where her girdle lies, full-fleshed at the wrists.

لَهَا نَظْرَةٌ لَوْ خَامَرَتْ قَلْبَ حَازِمٍ

لَهَا نَظْرَةٌ لَوْ خَامَرَتْ قَلْبَ حَازِمٍ

لأَصْبَحَ مَسْلُوبَ النُّهَى غَيْرَ حَازِمِ

لأَصْبَحَ مَسْلُوبَ النُّهَى غَيْرَ حَازِمِ

She has a glance that, if it entered a prudent man’s heart,

She has a glance: if it took hold of a resolute man's heart,

Would leave him robbed of reason, no longer resolute.

He would become bereft of reason, no longer resolute.

أَطَعْتُ الْهَوَى فِيهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ ظَالِمَاً

أَطَعْتُ الْهَوَى فِيهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ ظَالِمَاً

وَعَاصَيْتُ فِي حُبِّي لَهَا كُلَّ رَاحِمِ

وَعَاصَيْتُ فِي حُبِّي لَهَا كُلَّ رَاحِمِ

For her I obeyed passion, though it was tyrannical,

I obeyed passion for her, though it was tyrannical,

And in loving her defied every compassionate adviser.

And in my love for her, I defied everyone who pitied me.

وَمِنْ عَجَبٍ أَنِّي أَدِينُ لِحُكْمِهَا

وَمِنْ عَجَبٍ أَنِّي أَدِينُ لِحُكْمِهَا

وَأَكْبُرُ أَنْ أَنْقَادَ طَوْعَ الْخَزَائِمِ

وَأَكْبُرُ أَنْ أَنْقَادَ طَوْعَ الْخَزَائِمِ

How strange that I submit to her decree,

And it is a wonder that I submit to her rule,

When I am too proud to be led obediently by nose-rings.

Yet I am too proud to be led tamely by nose-rings.

فَقَلْبِيَ حُرٌّ لا يَدِينُ لِصَوْلَةٍ

فَقَلْبِيَ حُرٌّ لا يَدِينُ لِصَوْلَةٍ

وَعُودِيَ صُلْبٌ لا يَلِينُ لِعَاجِمِ

وَعُودِيَ صُلْبٌ لا يَلِينُ لِعَاجِمِ

For my heart is free and submits to no assault,

For my heart is free, bowing to no onslaught,

And my neck is unyielding; it bends to none who tests it.

And my wood is hard; it will not yield to one who bites to test it.