قد حصَلنا من الماش كما قي

قد حصَلنا من الماش كما قي

ل قديما لا عطرَ بعد عَروسِ

ل قديما لا عطرَ بعد عَروسِ

Our gain from al-Māsh is as was

We have obtained from life what was said of old:

said of old: “No perfume after ʿArūs.”

No more is there fragrance after the bride.

ذهبَ القومُ بالأطايبِ منه

ذهبَ القومُ بالأطايبِ منه

ودُعينا إلى الدّنىّ الخسيسِ

ودُعينا إلى الدّنىّ الخسيسِ

The people carried off its choicest things,

The people have borne away all sweetness from it,

and we were invited to the low and vile.

And we are left to ignominy and baseness.

لا جميلٌ بمثله يحسُن الذك

لا جميلٌ بمثله يحسُن الذك

رُ ولا عامرٌ خرابُ الكيِس

رُ ولا عامرٌ خرابُ الكيِس

No worthy deed by which remembrance grows fair,

Nothing beautifies remembrance like it,

nor an empty purse made full.

Nor does the abode of the wretched restore it.

وإذا ما عِدمتُ في الأمر هذي

وإذا ما عِدمتُ في الأمر هذي

ن فسيَّانِ نهضتى وجلوسي

ن فسيَّانِ نهضتى وجلوسي

And if, in this affair, I lack these

And if in this matter I lack those two,

two, my rising and my sitting are alike.

My sitting and rising betray and expose me.

عُرِضَت قبلَنا تَبالةُ للح

عُرِضَت قبلَنا تَبالةُ للح

جَّاج فاعتافها بوجهٍ عَبوسِ

جَّاج فاعتافها بوجهٍ عَبوسِ

Before us, Tabāla was offered to

Before us the pottage of the pilgrims was set,

al-Ḥajjāj, who spurned it with a scowling face.

And he acknowledged it with a frowning face.

وتولَّى أمر العراقين صالٍ

وتولَّى أمر العراقين صالٍ

نارَ حربٍ تُزْرى بحربِ البسوسِ

نارَ حربٍ تُزْرى بحربِ البسوسِ

And he took charge of the two Iraqs, braving

And Salih took charge of the two Iraqs,

a war's fire that dwarfed the War of al-Basūs.

A fire of war kindled with the war of Bisus.

جلسةٌ في الجحيم أحَرى وأولى

جلسةٌ في الجحيم أحَرى وأولى

من رحيل يُفضِى إلى تدنيسِ

من رحيل يُفضِى إلى تدنيسِ

A stay in Hell is more fitting and preferable

A session in hell is hotter and better

to a journey that leads to dishonor.

Than a departure leading to vileness.

ففرارا من المذلّة في آ

ففرارا من المذلّة في آ

دَمَ كان الفرارُ من إبليسِ

دَمَ كان الفرارُ من إبليسِ

For it was to escape humiliation before

So to escape from degradation in man,

Adam that Iblīs took flight.

Escape from Satan would have been wise.

أتراني مزاحماً لأناسٍ

أتراني مزاحماً لأناسٍ

قُلِّدوها بالسيف والدبّوسِ

قُلِّدوها بالسيف والدبّوسِ

Do you imagine me jostling with people

Think you I intrude where people

appointed to it through sword and mace?

Are invested with sword and chain?

بين ذي عُجمة وآخرَ منقو

بين ذي عُجمة وآخرَ منقو

صٍ وذي جِنَّةٍ وذي تنميسِ

صٍ وذي جِنَّةٍ وذي تنميسِ

Among one of foreign tongue and another

Among a foreigner and another with mange,

deficient, one mad, and one a dissembler,

And one possessed and one touched by jinn,

وبطينٍ وأبرصٍ وهمادا

وبطينٍ وأبرصٍ وهمادا

ءانِ غضَّا من قدرِ كلّ رئيسِ

ءانِ غضَّا من قدرِ كلّ رئيسِ

and a potbellied man and a leper—these are

And a sodomite and a leper, two who are

two ailments that diminish every chief's standing.

Lessened of the lot of every chief.

معشر ليس يبلغ الذمُّ فيهم

معشر ليس يبلغ الذمُّ فيهم

حدَّه وصفتهم بتيوسِ

حدَّه وصفتهم بتيوسِ

A company for whom censure does not reach

A tribe not to be fully blamed in them,

its full measure when I describe them as billy goats.

Described as possessing meanness.

غايةُ العلمِ عندهم وتمامُ ال

غايةُ العلمِ عندهم وتمامُ ال

فضل حشنُ المركوب والملبوسِ

فضل حشنُ المركوب والملبوسِ

The height of their learning and the fullness of their

The goal of knowledge with them, and the full

merit lie in fine mounts and clothes.

Extent of merit, is saddle and clothes.

ما افتخار الفتى بثوبٍ جديدٍ

ما افتخار الفتى بثوبٍ جديدٍ

وهو من تحته بعِرضٍ لبيسِ

وهو من تحته بعِرضٍ لبيسِ

What worth is a young man's pride in a new garment,

No glory for the youth lies in new clothes

when beneath it his honor is threadbare?

While inwardly he owns reproachful poverty.

والغنىَ ليس باللُّجيْن وبالتِّب

والغنىَ ليس باللُّجيْن وبالتِّب

ر ولكن بعزّةٍ في النفوسِ

ر ولكن بعزّةٍ في النفوسِ

And wealth is not in silver or

Wealth lies not in much heirloom and linen,

gold, but in dignity within souls.

But in honor within the souls.

عادة للزمان يَجرِي عليها

عادة للزمان يَجرِي عليها

أن تصير الأذنابُ فوق الرءوسِ

أن تصير الأذنابُ فوق الرءوسِ

Time has a custom it follows:

The custom of time upon it flows,

tails come to be above heads.

That tails turn above the heads.

قد حويتُ الذي به ينجح السع

قد حويتُ الذي به ينجح السع

يُ فمن لي بحظىَ المنحوسِ

يُ فمن لي بحظىَ المنحوسِ

I have acquired what makes striving

I have contained that by which success is attained,

succeed; who will help me with my ill-starred fortune?

So who will grant me my inauspicious lot?

وإذا صحَّ لي هوى شرف الدي

وإذا صحَّ لي هوى شرف الدي

ن تولَّى النعيمُ قتلَ البوسِ

ن تولَّى النعيمُ قتلَ البوسِ

And if I have the true affection of Sharaf

And if the love of the religion of truth befits me,

al-Dīn, bliss will undertake to slay misery.

He has charge of bliss, killing misfortune.

قد توثَّقْتُ يا صروفَ الليالي

قد توثَّقْتُ يا صروفَ الليالي

من اياديه فاحمُقى أو كِيسىِ

من اياديه فاحمُقى أو كِيسىِ

I have secured myself, O vicissitudes of the nights,

I have bound myself, O turnings of the nights,

through his favors; be foolish, then, or wise.

From his hands, so fool me or make me wise!

ليَ ما شئتُ روضةٌ وغديرٌ

ليَ ما شئتُ روضةٌ وغديرٌ

ومِراحٌ من ربعهِ المأنوس

ومِراحٌ من ربعهِ المأنوس

All I wish is mine: a garden and a pool,

I have, whatever I wished, a garden

and merriment from his welcoming abode.

And a pond from its frequented meadow.