قَد كُنتُ أَسمَعُ بِالزَمانِ وَلا أَرى

قَد كُنتُ أَسمَعُ بِالزَمانِ وَلا أَرى

أَنَّ الزَمانَ يُطيقُ نَتفَ جَناحي

أَنَّ الزَمانَ يُطيقُ نَتفَ جَناحي

I had heard of Time, but did not see

I used to hear of time yet not see

that Time had power to pluck my wing.

That time could pluck the feathers of my wings

فَأَراهُ أَسرَعَ فِيَّ حَتّى أَصبَحَت

فَأَراهُ أَسرَعَ فِيَّ حَتّى أَصبَحَت

بيضاً مُتونُ عَوارِضي مِن أَراحي

بيضاً مُتونُ عَوارِضي مِن أَراحي

Now I see it has hastened through me, until

So I see it swifter in me until my plumage

the surfaces of my cheek-beard turned white, from my arāḥ [unclear word].

turned white, the quills of my pinions weary.

وَأَنا الكَبيرُ لِنِسبَةٍ في قَومِهِ

وَأَنا الكَبيرُ لِنِسبَةٍ في قَومِهِ

هَيهاتَ كَم ناسَمتُ مِن أَرواحي

هَيهاتَ كَم ناسَمتُ مِن أَرواحي

And I am the elder by lineage among his people.

And I, elder to a people,

Alas, how distant! How many of my spirits I have breathed alongside!

Alas! How many souls have I outlived!

صافَحتُ ذا جَدَنٍ وَأَدرَكَ مَولِدي

صافَحتُ ذا جَدَنٍ وَأَدرَكَ مَولِدي

شَمِرُ بنُ عَمرٍو يُتَّقى بِالراحِ

شَمِرُ بنُ عَمرٍو يُتَّقى بِالراحِ

I shook hands with Dhu Jadan; my birth was witnessed by

I clasped one with shriveled skin and my birth

Shamir son of Amr, feared for his palms.

overlapped with Shimr ibn ‘Amr feared for his soul.

وَالقَيلُ ذو يَزَنٍ رَأَيتُ مَحَلَّهُ

وَالقَيلُ ذو يَزَنٍ رَأَيتُ مَحَلَّهُ

بِالقَهرِ بَنيَ جَنادِلٍ وَصِفاحِ

بِالقَهرِ بَنيَ جَنادِلٍ وَصِفاحِ

And Dhu Yazan the chieftain—I saw his abode

And Qayl, he of Yazan-I saw his place

at al-Qahr, built of boulders and stone slabs.

seized through oppression by Janaadil's clan.

فَتَكَ الزَمانُ بِمُلكِ حِميَرَ فَتكَةً

فَتَكَ الزَمانُ بِمُلكِ حِميَرَ فَتكَةً

تَسعى بِكُلِّ عَشِيَّةٍ وَصَباحِ

تَسعى بِكُلِّ عَشِيَّةٍ وَصَباحِ

Time dealt Himyar's kingdom a deadly blow

So time played havoc with the Himyarite rule,

that advances every evening and morning.

raging at dusk and dawn.

أَودى أَبو كَرِبٍ وَعَمرٌو قَبلَهُ

أَودى أَبو كَرِبٍ وَعَمرٌو قَبلَهُ

وَأَبادَ مُلكَ أُذَينَةَ الوَضّاحِ

وَأَبادَ مُلكَ أُذَينَةَ الوَضّاحِ

Abu Karib perished, and Amr before him;

Abu Karib was undone, and ‘Amr before him,

and it annihilated the kingdom of Udhayna the radiant.

And it destroyed the rule of Udhayna the Eloquent.

وَأَبادَ أَفريقيسَ بَعدَ مَقامِهِ

وَأَبادَ أَفريقيسَ بَعدَ مَقامِهِ

في المُلكِ بِالمُستَغرِقِ المُجتاحِ

في المُلكِ بِالمُستَغرِقِ المُجتاحِ

And it annihilated Afriqis after his tenure

And it destroyed Afriqis after his reign

in kingship, with an engulfing, sweeping devastation.

in a kingdom swept by the overwhelming flood.

وَالصَعبُ ذو القَرنَينِ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً

وَالصَعبُ ذو القَرنَينِ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً

بِالحِنوِ بَينَ تَلاعُبِ الأَرواحِ

بِالحِنوِ بَينَ تَلاعُبِ الأَرواحِ

And al-Sa'b, Dhu al-Qarnayn, came to lie buried

And Sa‘b, he of the two horns, lies desolate

at al-Hinw, amid the play of the winds.

amid the sand, the sport of spirits.

وَغَدا بِأَبرَهَةَ المَنار فَأَصبَحَت

وَغَدا بِأَبرَهَةَ المَنار فَأَصبَحَت

أَيّامُهُ مَسلوبَةَ الإِصباحِ

أَيّامُهُ مَسلوبَةَ الإِصباحِ

And it carried off Abraha al-Manar, leaving

And gone are the days of Abraha the Elephant,

his days robbed of dawn.

robbed of dawn's first light.

أَخنى عَلى صَيفي بِحادِثِ صَرفِهِ

أَخنى عَلى صَيفي بِحادِثِ صَرفِهِ

مُستَأثِراً بِجَذيمَةَ الوَضّاحِ

مُستَأثِراً بِجَذيمَةَ الوَضّاحِ

It ruined Sayfi with a fresh turn of its vicissitudes,

It grieved me in my summer days, diverting it

claiming Jadhima the radiant for itself.

to monopolize al-Jadhimah, so eloquent.

آفآيْنَ عَلكَدَةُ الهُمامُ وَمُلكُهُ

آفآيْنَ عَلكَدَةُ الهُمامُ وَمُلكُهُ

أَم أَينَ عِزُّ عَبادَةَ الفَتّاحِ

أَم أَينَ عِزُّ عَبادَةَ الفَتّاحِ

Where, then, are 'Alkada the valiant and his kingdom?

Where is the glory of ‘Alqamah the Valiant and his rule?

Or where is the might of 'Abada the conqueror?

Where is the might of ‘Abadah the Conqueror?

لا تُمسِ في شَكِّ المُنونِ أَما تَرى

لا تُمسِ في شَكِّ المُنونِ أَما تَرى

أَيّامُهُ مَشهورَةَ الإيضاحِ

أَيّامُهُ مَشهورَةَ الإيضاحِ

Do not spend the evening doubting death; do you not see

Do not doubt the unknown, can you not see

its days, renowned for their clarity?

his days are famed for clarity?

لا تَأمَنَن مَكرَ الزَمانِ فَإِنَّهُ

لا تَأمَنَن مَكرَ الزَمانِ فَإِنَّهُ

أَردى الزَمانُ بِشَمَّرَ الوَضّاحِ

أَردى الزَمانُ بِشَمَّرَ الوَضّاحِ

Never feel safe from Time's guile, for indeed

Do not feel safe from the cunning of Time,

Time brought down Shammar the radiant.

for it ruined Shamr, so eloquent.

بَرَكَ الزَمانُ عَلى اِبنِ هاتِكِ عَرشِهِ

بَرَكَ الزَمانُ عَلى اِبنِ هاتِكِ عَرشِهِ

وَعَلى أُذَينَةَ سالِبِ الأَنواحِ

وَعَلى أُذَينَةَ سالِبِ الأَنواحِ

Time knelt heavily upon the son of him who shattered his throne,

Time smiled on the son of Hatik, his throne,

and upon Udhayna, the despoiler of lamentations,

and on Udhayna, tearer of wings,

وَعَلى الَّذي كانَت بِموكَلِ دارِهِ

وَعَلى الَّذي كانَت بِموكَلِ دارِهِ

نُهبُ القِيانِ وَكُلِّ أَجرِ وِشاحِ

نُهبُ القِيانِ وَكُلِّ أَجرِ وِشاحِ

and upon him whose house at Mawkal was

and on him whose abode the looting of the Persians

plunder of singing girls and every sash's payment [wording unclear].

and every bold plunderer once knew.

مِن بَعدِ مُلكِ الصينِ أَصبَحَ هالِكاً

مِن بَعدِ مُلكِ الصينِ أَصبَحَ هالِكاً

أَكرِم بِهِ مِن هالِكٍ مُجتاحِ

أَكرِم بِهِ مِن هالِكٍ مُجتاحِ

After ruling China, he became a dead man;

After the rule of China, he was destroyed –

how noble a dead man, swept away!

honor him, a generous conqueror.

إِنَّ الَّذينَ تَمَلَّكوا وَقَد أُهلِكوا

إِنَّ الَّذينَ تَمَلَّكوا وَقَد أُهلِكوا

وَعَلى المُقَنَّعِ حَلَّ بِالأَبراحِ

وَعَلى المُقَنَّعِ حَلَّ بِالأَبراحِ

Indeed, those who reigned—and have already been destroyed—

Those who ruled and were then destroyed

and upon al-Muqanna it descended with grievous afflictions.

and the contented man met with distress.

شَخَصَت عَلى بُعدِ النَوى أَشخاصُهُم

شَخَصَت عَلى بُعدِ النَوى أَشخاصُهُم

فَراتَهُم الأَوهامُ كَالأَشباحِ

فَراتَهُم الأَوهامُ كَالأَشباحِ

Their forms loomed despite the distance of separation,

Their forms loomed in the far horizon

so imaginings saw them as phantoms.

and the mirage made them seem like ghosts.

أَفَبَعدَ أَملاكٍ مَضَوا مِن حِميَرِ

أَفَبَعدَ أَملاكٍ مَضَوا مِن حِميَرِ

يُرجى الفَلاحُ وَلاتَ حينَ فَلاحِ

يُرجى الفَلاحُ وَلاتَ حينَ فَلاحِ

Is it, then, after kings of Himyar have passed away,

After the loss of kings from Himyar,

that deliverance is hoped for, when it is no time for deliverance?

can triumph be hoped when no triumph comes?

مَن ذا تَصافَقَ كَفُّهُ كَفَّ الرَدى

مَن ذا تَصافَقَ كَفُّهُ كَفَّ الرَدى

يَشري التُقى عَن بَيعَةِ الأَرواحِ

يَشري التُقى عَن بَيعَةِ الأَرواحِ

Who is it whose palm clasped the palm of death,

Who ever clasped hands with loss

buying piety in exchange for a sale of souls?

or bought the souls with faith?