لَسَيري في الفَلا وَاللَيلُ داجٍ

لَسَيري في الفَلا وَاللَيلُ داجٍ

وَكَرّي في الوَغى وَالنَقعُ داجِن

وَكَرّي في الوَغى وَالنَقعُ داجِن

Surely, my journey through the wilderness while night is dark,

My journey is in the wilderness and the night is dark,

and my charging in battle while the dust hangs dark,

And my strife is in tumult and conflict sinking,

وَحَملي مُرهَفَ الحَدَّينِ ضامٍ

وَحَملي مُرهَفَ الحَدَّينِ ضامٍ

لِحامِلِهِ وَجودَ النَصرِ ضامِن

لِحامِلِهِ وَجودَ النَصرِ ضامِن

and my bearing a keen-cutting sword, sharpened on both edges,

And my burden with sharpened edges binding,

that guarantees victory to its bearer,

For its bearer, and victory's existence ensuring,

وَهِزّي ذابِلاً لِلخَيلِ مارٍ

وَهِزّي ذابِلاً لِلخَيلِ مارٍ

يُلينُ بِبَزِّهِ صَدراً وَمارِن

يُلينُ بِبَزِّهِ صَدراً وَمارِن

and my brandishing a slender spear that milks horses of blood,

And my swaying, for the horses running,

whose overpowering force makes breast and nose-tip yield,

With its glory, a breast softening and piercing,

وَخَطوي تَحتَ رايَةِ لَيثِ غابٍ

وَخَطوي تَحتَ رايَةِ لَيثِ غابٍ

بِسَطوَتِهِ لِصَرفِ الدَهرِ غابِن

بِسَطوَتِهِ لِصَرفِ الدَهرِ غابِن

and my striding beneath the banner of a forest lion,

And my steps under a vanished lion's banner,

who by his might outwits the reversals of Time,

With his might, time's vicissitudes conquering,

وَرَكضي أَدهَمَ الجِلبابِ صافٍ

وَرَكضي أَدهَمَ الجِلبابِ صافٍ

خَفيفَ الجَريِ يَومَ السَلمِ صافِن

خَفيفَ الجَريِ يَومَ السَلمِ صافِن

and my spurring a steed cloaked in pure black,

And my gallop, the smooth-coated gray, gliding,

light of gait, standing with one foreleg raised in peacetime,

Light of gait the day of peace, gliding,

شَديدُ البَأسِ ذو أَمرٍ مُطاعٍ

شَديدُ البَأسِ ذو أَمرٍ مُطاعٍ

مُضارِبُ كُلِّ قَرمٍ أَو مُطاعِن

مُضارِبُ كُلِّ قَرمٍ أَو مُطاعِن

mighty in battle, with commands obeyed,

Severe in might, of obeyed command,

dueling every champion with sword or spear—

Striking each enemy or lancer,

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن تَغريدِ شادٍ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن تَغريدِ شادٍ

وَكَأسِ مُدامَةٍ مِن كَفِّ شادِن

وَكَأسِ مُدامَةٍ مِن كَفِّ شادِن

are dearer to me than a singer's warbling,

Dearer to me than a singing companion,

and a cup of wine from a fawn-like youth's hand,

And a brimming cup from an admirer's hand,

وَحَشّي بِالكُؤوسِ إِلى بَواطٍ

وَحَشّي بِالكُؤوسِ إِلى بَواطٍ

ظَواهِرُهُنَّ غابٌ وَالبَواطِن

ظَواهِرُهُنَّ غابٌ وَالبَواطِن

and my hastening with cups toward wine bowls,

And my revelry with cups to a recluse,

whose outsides and insides are forests,

Their exterior absent, their core present,

وَلَثمِ مُضَعَّفِ الأَجفانِ ساجٍ

وَلَثمِ مُضَعَّفِ الأَجفانِ ساجٍ

بِمُطلَقِ حُسنِهِ لِلقَلبِ ساجِن

بِمُطلَقِ حُسنِهِ لِلقَلبِ ساجِن

and kissing a languid one with drooping eyelids,

And kissing double-lidded slumberous eyes,

who with his unfettered beauty imprisons the heart,

With absolute beauty, to the heart present,

وَفِكري في حَياةٍ أَو وَفاةٍ

وَفِكري في حَياةٍ أَو وَفاةٍ

لِأُرضي كُلَّ فاتِنَةٍ وَفاتِن

لِأُرضي كُلَّ فاتِنَةٍ وَفاتِن

and my pondering life or death

And my contemplation of life or death,

to please every enchantress and enchanter,

To gratify each enchantress and tempter,

فَأُمسي وَالشَوامِتُ بي هَوازٍ

فَأُمسي وَالشَوامِتُ بي هَوازٍ

كَما شَمِتَت بِبَكرٍ في هَوازِن

كَما شَمِتَت بِبَكرٍ في هَوازِن

so I pass the evening with gloaters mocking me,

And so I face those who exult in my love,

as they gloated over Bakr among Hawazin.

As they exulted in Bakr among the Hawazin,

وَلَيسَ المَجدُ إِلّا في مَواطٍ

وَلَيسَ المَجدُ إِلّا في مَواطٍ

عَلى هامِ السَماكِ لَها مَواطِن

عَلى هامِ السَماكِ لَها مَواطِن

Glory lies only in footholds

And glory lies only in towering places,

whose stations lie upon al-Simak's crown,

At the summit of greatness, its positions,

بِعَزمٍ في الشَدائِدِ غَيرَ واهٍ

بِعَزمٍ في الشَدائِدِ غَيرَ واهٍ

وَبَأسٍ في الوَقائِعِ غَيرَ واهِن

وَبَأسٍ في الوَقائِعِ غَيرَ واهِن

through resolve amid hardships that never falters,

With resolve in adversities, not wavering,

and valor in battles that never weakens,

And valor in events, not weakening,

وَصُحبَةِ ماجِدٍ كَالنَجمِ هادٍ

وَصُحبَةِ ماجِدٍ كَالنَجمِ هادٍ

يُسِرُّ النَطشَ حِلماً وَهوَ هادِن

يُسِرُّ النَطشَ حِلماً وَهوَ هادِن

and companionship with a noble man who guides like a star,

And company of a glorified star guiding,

who conceals his force out of forbearance while keeping peace,

Facilitating dawn with forbearance, guiding,

وَكُلُّ غَضَنفَرٍ لِلبُؤسِ كامٍ

وَكُلُّ غَضَنفَرٍ لِلبُؤسِ كامٍ

شَبيهِ السَيفِ فيهِ المَوتُ كامِن

شَبيهِ السَيفِ فيهِ المَوتُ كامِن

and every lion who conceals hardship,

And every hot-tempered angry lion,

like a sword with death lurking within it;

Like a sword, in him death residing,

كَريمٍ لا يُطيعُ مَقالَ لاحٍ

كَريمٍ لا يُطيعُ مَقالَ لاحٍ

غَدا في فِعلِهِ وَالقَولِ لاحِن

غَدا في فِعلِهِ وَالقَولِ لاحِن

a generous man who heeds no critic's speech—

Generous, not heeding the speech of a slanderer,

a critic gone astray in deed and word;

Tomorrow in his action and words, slayer,

تَقِيٍّ مِن ثِيابِ العارِ عارٍ

تَقِيٍّ مِن ثِيابِ العارِ عارٍ

بِهِمَّتِهِ لِأَنفِ الدَهرِ عارِن

بِهِمَّتِهِ لِأَنفِ الدَهرِ عارِن

a pious man, bare of the garments of shame,

Pious, from the garment of dishonor, disdaining,

who with his resolve strikes Time's nose;

With his ambition, time's repute, disdaining,

وَعُشرَةِ كاتِبٍ لِلعِلمِ قارٍ

وَعُشرَةِ كاتِبٍ لِلعِلمِ قارٍ

لِحُسنِ الخُلقِ بِالآدابِ قارِن

لِحُسنِ الخُلقِ بِالآدابِ قارِن

and companionship with a writer who gathers knowledge,

And company of a constant scholar,

who joins good character with cultivated manners,

In good conduct with knowledge, constant,

أَخي كَرَمٍ لِداءِ الخِلِّ آسٍ

أَخي كَرَمٍ لِداءِ الخِلِّ آسٍ

وَماءُ الوُدِّ مِنهُ غَيرُ آسِن

وَماءُ الوُدِّ مِنهُ غَيرُ آسِن

endowed with generosity, a healer of his friend's illness,

A brother, for the malady ofEnmity, healing,

whose water of affection never grows stagnant.

And water of love from him, not tainted,

وَإِن أَنقَذتَ نَفسَكَ في مَعادٍ

وَإِن أَنقَذتَ نَفسَكَ في مَعادٍ

وَصَيَّرتَ العَفافَ بِها مَعادِن

وَصَيَّرتَ العَفافَ بِها مَعادِن

And if you save your soul in the hereafter,

And if you save yourself in battle,

and set within it mines of chastity,

And make chastity through it a refuge,

فَما لَكَ في السَعادَةِ مِن مُوازٍ

فَما لَكَ في السَعادَةِ مِن مُوازٍ

وَلا لَكَ في السِيادَةِ مِن مُوازِن

وَلا لَكَ في السِيادَةِ مِن مُوازِن

then you have no equal in happiness,

Then you have no equal in fortune,

nor any peer in eminence.

And no match in supremacy and dominion.