لِمن ليل بِذي جُشُمٍ طَويلُ

لِمن ليل بِذي جُشُمٍ طَويلُ

لِمَن قَد شَفَّهُ همٌّ دَخيلُ

لِمَن قَد شَفَّهُ همٌّ دَخيلُ

Whose night at Dhū Jushum stretches so long?

For whom is the night long at Dhu Jushum?

It is his whom a deep-seated sorrow has wasted away.

For one whom an inward grief has indeed worn down.

وما ظُلمُ أمرئٍ في الجِيدِ غُلٌّ

وما ظُلمُ أمرئٍ في الجِيدِ غُلٌّ

وفي السَّاقَينِ ذُو حَلَقٍ طَويلُ

وفي السَّاقَينِ ذُو حَلَقٍ طَويلُ

What worse injustice can a man suffer than a collar upon his neck,

And what wrong has a man done, with a shackle at his neck,

and upon his legs a long, many-ringed chain?

and a long chain of rings around both legs?

ألاَ هَبَلَتكَ أُمُّكَ عَمُرو بَعدي

ألاَ هَبَلَتكَ أُمُّكَ عَمُرو بَعدي

أَتقعُدُ لا أُفَكُّ ولا تَصولُ

أَتقعُدُ لا أُفَكُّ ولا تَصولُ

Ah, may your mother mourn you, ʿAmr, after I am gone!

Ah, Amr—may your mother be bereaved of you after me!

Will you sit idle, neither freeing me nor striking out?

Do you sit idle, while I remain unfreed, and make no attack?

أَلم يَحزنَكَ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ عانٍ

أَلم يَحزنَكَ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ عانٍ

وأنتَ مُغَيَّبٌ غالَتكَ غُولُ

وأنتَ مُغَيَّبٌ غالَتكَ غُولُ

Does it not grieve you that your father is a captive,

Has it not grieved you that your father is a captive,

while you are far away, as though a ghoul had spirited you off?

while you are absent—may a ghoul destroy you!

تُغَنِّيكَ الَجرادَهُ وَسطَ جِسرٍ

تُغَنِّيكَ الَجرادَهُ وَسطَ جِسرٍ

وفي كَلبٍ وَتصحَبُكَ الشَّمولُ

وفي كَلبٍ وَتصحَبُكَ الشَّمولُ

Al-Jarādah sings to you in the heart of Jisr

Al-Jarada sings to you in the midst of Jisr,

and in Kalb, while wine keeps you company.

and in Kalb, while wine keeps you company.

فلو كنتَ الأسيرَ ولَم أَكُنهُ

فلو كنتَ الأسيرَ ولَم أَكُنهُ

إذاً عَلمَت مَعدٌّ ما أقولُ

إذاً عَلمَت مَعدٌّ ما أقولُ

Had you been the prisoner and not I,

For had you been the captive, and I not,

then Maʿadd would have known the truth of what I say:

then Ma'add would have known what I say.

لَمَا قَصَّرتُ عن طَلَبِ الَمعالي

لَمَا قَصَّرتُ عن طَلَبِ الَمعالي

فَتَقصُرُني المَنيَّةُ أو تَطولُ

فَتَقصُرُني المَنيَّةُ أو تَطولُ

I would never have held back from seeking glory,

I would not have fallen short in seeking high honors,

until death cut me short—or my life ran long.

whether death cut me short or was long delayed.

فأن أَهِلك فقد أَبلَيتُ قَومي

فأن أَهِلك فقد أَبلَيتُ قَومي

بَلاءً كُلُّه حَسَنٌ جَميلُ

بَلاءً كُلُّه حَسَنٌ جَميلُ

And if I perish, I have already served my people

So if I perish, I have indeed served my people,

with service wholly good and noble.

with service wholly good and fair.