مَتَى نرجو الثَباتَ مِنَ الزَّمانِ

مَتَى نرجو الثَباتَ مِنَ الزَّمانِ

وشَطراهُ كأَفراسِ الرِهانِ

وشَطراهُ كأَفراسِ الرِهانِ

When may we hope for constancy from Time,

When can we hope for constancy from time,

when its two halves are like racehorses in a wager?

when its two halves are like racehorses?

يُطارِدُنا بلا قَدَمٍ ويغزُو

يُطارِدُنا بلا قَدَمٍ ويغزُو

بلا سَيف يُسَلُّ ولا سِنانِ

بلا سَيف يُسَلُّ ولا سِنانِ

It pursues us without feet, and invades

It pursues us without feet, and attacks

without a sword being drawn or a spearhead.

without a sword drawn or a spearhead.

يقودُ الجَيشَ والساعاتُ فِيهِ

يقودُ الجَيشَ والساعاتُ فِيهِ

هِيَ الأَعوانُ للحربِ العَوانِ

هِيَ الأَعوانُ للحربِ العَوانِ

It leads an army, and within it the hours

It leads the army, and the hours within it

are the auxiliaries of a raging war.

are the helpers in the oft-renewed war.

إذا رُمتُ الفِرارَ بهِ فإِنِّي

إذا رُمتُ الفِرارَ بهِ فإِنِّي

فَرَرْتُ منَ الطِّعانِ إلى الطِّعانِ

فَرَرْتُ منَ الطِّعانِ إلى الطِّعانِ

If I seek to flee from it, then I

If I seek escape through it, then I

have fled from spear-thrusts into spear-thrusts.

have fled from spear-thrusts to spear-thrusts.

عَرَفنا الدَّهرَ في الحالَينِ قِدْماً

عَرَفنا الدَّهرَ في الحالَينِ قِدْماً

فهانَ بهِ علينا كلَّ شانِ

فهانَ بهِ علينا كلَّ شانِ

Long have we known Fate in both its states,

We have long known time in both its states,

and through it every matter has grown light to us.

so through it every matter has grown easy for us.

يمرُّ عليَّ يومُ البُؤسِ فيهِ

يمرُّ عليَّ يومُ البُؤسِ فيهِ

كما قد مرَّ يومُ المِهرَجانِ

كما قد مرَّ يومُ المِهرَجانِ

A day of misery passes over me in it,

A day of misery passes over me within it,

just as a day of festival has passed.

just as the festival day passed before.

فِراقٌ واجتماعٌ كُلَّ أَينٍ

فِراقٌ واجتماعٌ كُلَّ أَينٍ

ونَوْحٌ وابتِسامٌ كلَّ آنِ

ونَوْحٌ وابتِسامٌ كلَّ آنِ

Parting and meeting, in every place;

Parting and reunion everywhere,

wailing and smiling, at every moment.

and lamentation and smiles at every moment.

وما هذا ولا هذا بباقٍ

وما هذا ولا هذا بباقٍ

ولكنْ كلُّ ما في الأرضِ فانِ

ولكنْ كلُّ ما في الأرضِ فانِ

Neither this nor that endures:

And neither this nor that endures,

everything upon the earth must perish.

but everything on earth passes away.

بِعَيني مَن تَرَى في البُعدِ عيني

بِعَيني مَن تَرَى في البُعدِ عيني

وأَحسَبُهُ على بُعدٍ يَراني

وأَحسَبُهُ على بُعدٍ يَراني

Before my eyes is one my eye sees far away,

In my eye is he whom my eye sees from afar,

and I imagine that, distant though he is, he sees me.

and I think he sees me from afar.

دنا منِّي فأَنْأَتْهُ اللَيالي

دنا منِّي فأَنْأَتْهُ اللَيالي

نأَى عَنّي فأَدنَتْهُ الأَماني

نأَى عَنّي فأَدنَتْهُ الأَماني

He drew near to me, but the nights drove him far;

He drew near me, then the nights sent him far away;

he went far from me, but hopes brought him near.

he went far from me, then wishes brought him near.

حبيبٌ لا يَلِيقُ اللَومُ فيهِ

حبيبٌ لا يَلِيقُ اللَومُ فيهِ

نَعَمْ لكنْ تلِيقُ بهِ التَّهاني

نَعَمْ لكنْ تلِيقُ بهِ التَّهاني

A beloved whom blame does not befit—

A beloved for whom reproach is unfitting—

yes, but felicitations do befit him.

yes, but congratulations befit him.

وما كُلُّ الأَحِبَّةِ أَهلُ لَومٍ

وما كُلُّ الأَحِبَّةِ أَهلُ لَومٍ

ولا كُلُّ الهَوى شَرَكُ الهَوَانِ

ولا كُلُّ الهَوى شَرَكُ الهَوَانِ

Not every beloved deserves reproach,

And not all loved ones deserve reproach,

nor is every love a snare of humiliation.

nor is all love a snare of humiliation.

هُوَ البَدرُ المُنيرُ بَغَى أُفُولاً

هُوَ البَدرُ المُنيرُ بَغَى أُفُولاً

فمالَ الصُبحُ نحوَ المَغرِبانِ

فمالَ الصُبحُ نحوَ المَغرِبانِ

He is the radiant full moon, bent on setting,

He is the radiant full moon that sought to set,

so dawn inclined toward the two wests.

so dawn inclined toward sunset.

رَجَوْنا عَوْدَهُ والشَّهرُ ثانٍ

رَجَوْنا عَوْدَهُ والشَّهرُ ثانٍ

فلم يَسمَحْ بهِ والعامُ ثانِ

فلم يَسمَحْ بهِ والعامُ ثانِ

We hoped for his return when a second month came,

We hoped for his return as a second month came,

but it did not grant him, though a second year came.

but it was not granted, though a second year had come.

تُذكِّرُنِيهِ لائِحةُ الدَراري

تُذكِّرُنِيهِ لائِحةُ الدَراري

إذا سَطَعَت ورائِحةُ الجِنانِ

إذا سَطَعَت ورائِحةُ الجِنانِ

The gleam of the stars reminds me of him

The gleam of brilliant stars reminds me of him,

whenever they blaze, as does the fragrance of gardens.

when they shine, as does the fragrance of gardens.

وأنِصبُ شَخصَهُ غَرَضاً لعيني

وأنِصبُ شَخصَهُ غَرَضاً لعيني

فتَرميهِ بَمدمَعِها الجُمانِ

فتَرميهِ بَمدمَعِها الجُمانِ

I set his figure before my eye as a target,

And I set his form as a target for my eye,

and from its tear duct it shoots pearls at him.

so it pelts him with its tears of pearl.

على تلكَ الدِيارِ لَنا سَلامٌ

على تلكَ الدِيارِ لَنا سَلامٌ

نُرَدِدُهُ مع البَرقِ اليماني

نُرَدِدُهُ مع البَرقِ اليماني

To those dwellings, a greeting from us,

For those dwellings we have a greeting;

which we repeat with the lightning out of Yemen.

we repeat it with the lightning from Yemen.

وهل يَشفِي السَلامُ غليلَ شَوقٍ

وهل يَشفِي السَلامُ غليلَ شَوقٍ

لِصَبٍّ ليس يُشفى بالعيانِ

لِصَبٍّ ليس يُشفى بالعيانِ

Can a greeting heal the burning thirst of longing

And can a greeting quench the burning thirst of longing

in one so lovesick that even sight cannot cure him?

for a lovesick lover whom even the sight of his beloved cannot heal?