مَن لِقَلبٍ يَهيمُ في كُلِّ وادي

مَن لِقَلبٍ يَهيمُ في كُلِّ وادي

وَقَتيلٍ لِلحُبِّ مِن غَيرِ وادي

وَقَتيلٍ لِلحُبِّ مِن غَيرِ وادي

Who will tend a heart wandering in every valley,

For a heart that roams in every valley,

and one slain by love, with none to pay his blood-price?

And a slain victim of love without a valley,

اِنَّما أَذكُر الغَوانِيَ وَالمَق

اِنَّما أَذكُر الغَوانِيَ وَالمَق

صدُ سُعدى مُكَثِّراً لِلسّوادِ

صدُ سُعدى مُكَثِّراً لِلسّوادِ

I merely name the beauties, while my aim

I but commemorate the taverns and the wine,

is Suʿdā; I am swelling the throng.

My endeavor is to brighten the blackness.

وَإِذا ما صَدَقتُ فَهيَ مَرامي

وَإِذا ما صَدَقتُ فَهيَ مَرامي

وَمَنائي وَرَوضَتي وَمُرادي

وَمَنائي وَرَوضَتي وَمُرادي

And if I speak truly, she is my aim,

And if I am truthful then it is my object,

and my hopes, my garden, and my desire.

And my purposes, and my garden, and my desire,

وَنَدى اِبنِ العَميدِ اِنّي عَميد

وَنَدى اِبنِ العَميدِ اِنّي عَميد

مِن هَواها اليَّةَ الأَمجادِ

مِن هَواها اليَّةَ الأَمجادِ

By Ibn al-ʿAmīd's bounty, I am stricken

By the hand of Ibn Al-Ameed, verily I am a pillar,

by love for her—an oath of the noble.

Of his love the sign of glories.

لَو دَرى الدَهرُ أَنَّهُ مِن بَنيهِ

لَو دَرى الدَهرُ أَنَّهُ مِن بَنيهِ

لَاِزدَرى قَدرَ سائِر الأَولادِ

لَاِزدَرى قَدرَ سائِر الأَولادِ

Had Time known that he was one of its sons,

If fate but knew that he was one of its sons,

it would have scorned the worth of all the other children.

It would despise the worth of all other children.

أَو رَأى الناسُ كَيفَ يَهتَزُّ لِلجو

أَو رَأى الناسُ كَيفَ يَهتَزُّ لِلجو

دِ لما عَدَّدوهُ في الأَطوادِ

دِ لما عَدَّدوهُ في الأَطوادِ

Or if people saw how he quivers with joy at

Or if people saw how his limbs shake from love,

giving, they would not count him among the mountains.

They would not enumerate him among the seekers.

أَيُّها الآملونَ حُطّوا سَريعاً

أَيُّها الآملونَ حُطّوا سَريعاً

بِرَفيعِ العماد واري الزِنادِ

بِرَفيعِ العماد واري الزِنادِ

O you who hope, alight swiftly

O you who are hopeful, descend quickly

with him whose pillar is lofty and whose firesticks kindle.

With the eminent pillar and lion of spears.

فَهوَ ان جادَ ظُنَّ حاتِمَ طيٍّ

فَهوَ ان جادَ ظُنَّ حاتِمَ طيٍّ

وَهو اِن قالَ قيل قسُّ ايادِ

وَهو اِن قالَ قيل قسُّ ايادِ

For if he gives, he is taken for Ḥātim of Ṭayy;

For if he is generous, then the supposition of Hatem Al-Ta’i is surpassed,

and if he speaks, he is called Quss of Iyād.

And if he speaks, it is said "Be quiet O Iyad".

وَاِذا ما اِرتَأى فَأَينَ زِياد

وَاِذا ما اِرتَأى فَأَينَ زِياد

مِن علاهُ وَأَينَ آلِ زِيادِ

مِن علاهُ وَأَينَ آلِ زِيادِ

And when he deliberates, where then is Ziyād

And if he decides, then where is Ziyad

beside his eminence—and where is the house of Ziyād?

Compared to his eminence? And where are the family of Ziyad?

أَقبَل العيد يَستَعيد حلاه

أَقبَل العيد يَستَعيد حلاه

من علاهُ العَزيزَة الأَندادِ

من علاهُ العَزيزَة الأَندادِ

The festival has come to regain its adornments

The feast has returned to repeat its beauty,

from his eminence, whose equals are rare.

From its glorious companions and peers.

سَيَضحّي فيهِ بِمَن لا يُوالي

سَيَضحّي فيهِ بِمَن لا يُوالي

هِ وَيَبقى بَقِيَّة الأَعيادِ

هِ وَيَبقى بَقِيَّة الأَعيادِ

During it he will sacrifice whoever is not loyal to

In it he will sacrifice those unloyal to him,

him, and live on through all the festivals to come.

And there will remain the rest of the feasts.

وَمَديحي اِن لَم يَكُن طالَ أَبيا

وَمَديحي اِن لَم يَكُن طالَ أَبيا

تاً فَقَد طالَ في مَجالي الجِيادِ

تاً فَقَد طالَ في مَجالي الجِيادِ

And if my praise has not grown long in

And if my praise was not long in meter,

verses, it has indeed ranged far in the arenas of fine steeds.

It has been long in the battlefields of valor.

اِنَّ خَيرَ المدّاحَ مَن مدحَتهُ

اِنَّ خَيرَ المدّاحَ مَن مدحَتهُ

شُعراءُ البِلاد في كُل نادي

شُعراءُ البِلاد في كُل نادي

Indeed, the best of panegyrists is he whom

Verily the best praiser is he whose praise

the poets of the land have praised in every gathering.

Is proclaimed by the poets in every club.