حيّا رُبوعَكِ من رُبىً ومنازِلِ

حيّا رُبوعَكِ من رُبىً ومنازِلِ

ساري الغَمامِ بكلِّ هامٍ هامِلِ

ساري الغَمامِ بكلِّ هامٍ هامِلِ

May your haunts of hills and dwellings be greeted

Greet its dwellings, both settled and nomadic

by night-traveling clouds, with rain streaming and pouring.

Covered with clouds, burdened and portentous

وسَقَتْكِ يا دارَ الهَوى بعد النَّوى

وسَقَتْكِ يا دارَ الهَوى بعد النَّوى

وطَفاءُ تَسفَحُ بالهَتونِ الهاطلِ

وطَفاءُ تَسفَحُ بالهَتونِ الهاطلِ

And may you be watered, O home of love, after separation,

It has quenched you, O abode of love, after hope

by a dense cloud shedding steady, pouring rain,

And downpour pours, streaming heavily

حتّى تُروِّضَ كلَّ ماحٍ ماحِلٍ

حتّى تُروِّضَ كلَّ ماحٍ ماحِلٍ

عافٍ وتُرويَ كلَّ ذاوٍ ذابِلِ

عافٍ وتُرويَ كلَّ ذاوٍ ذابِلِ

until it makes a meadow of every faded, barren tract

Until it tames every unruly wanderer

lying waste, and waters every withered, drooping plant.

Quenching all the thirsty and nourishing the feeble

أبكيكَ أم أبْكي زماني فيكَ أمْ

أبكيكَ أم أبْكي زماني فيكَ أمْ

أهليكَ أم شَرخَ الشبابِ الرّاحِلِ

أهليكَ أم شَرخَ الشبابِ الرّاحِلِ

Shall I weep for you, or for my days in you, or

Shall I weep for you, or weep for my days in you, or

for your people, or for the prime of youth now departed?

My family, or the fading of blithe youth?

ما قدرُ دَمعيَ أن يقسِّمَه الأسى

ما قدرُ دَمعيَ أن يقسِّمَه الأسى

والوجدُ بين أحبّةٍ ومنازِلِ

والوجدُ بين أحبّةٍ ومنازِلِ

What store of tears have I, to be divided by grief

My tears cannot be apportioned by sorrow

and yearning between loved ones and dwellings?

Between loved ones and dwellings

أنفقتُهُ سَرَفاً وها أنا ماثِلٌ

أنفقتُهُ سَرَفاً وها أنا ماثِلٌ

في ماحلٍ أبكي بِجَفنٍ ماحِلِ

في ماحلٍ أبكي بِجَفنٍ ماحِلِ

I spent them to excess, and here I stand

I spent them wastefully, and here I am, present

in a parched place, weeping with a parched eyelid.

Weeping with a weeping eye in a shelter

وإذا فَزعتُ إلى العَزاءِ دعوتُ مَن

وإذا فَزعتُ إلى العَزاءِ دعوتُ مَن

لا يَستجيبُ ورُمتُ نُصرةَ خاذِلِ

لا يَستجيبُ ورُمتُ نُصرةَ خاذِلِ

And when I sought refuge in consolation, I called upon one

And if I cry out for solace, I call on one

who does not answer, and sought the aid of one who withholds it.

Who does not respond, and I seek the aid of one who disappoints

أين الظِّباءُ عهدتُهُنَّ كوانِساً

أين الظِّباءُ عهدتُهُنَّ كوانِساً

بِك في ظلالِ السَّمهرِيِّ الذَّابِلِ

بِك في ظلالِ السَّمهرِيِّ الذَّابِلِ

Where are the gazelles I knew sheltering in their lairs

Where are the gazelles I counted as companions

in you, in the shade of the slender, hard-shafted spear?

In your shade, withered and wasted?

النّافراتُ من الأنيسِ تكرُّماً

النّافراتُ من الأنيسِ تكرُّماً

والآنساتُ بكلِّ ليثٍ باسِلِ

والآنساتُ بكلِّ ليثٍ باسِلِ

Shunning human company out of noble reserve,

Those who fled from a loved one out of dignity

and at ease with every valiant lion,

And those made intimate with every valiant lion

من كلِّ مكروهِ اللّقاءِ مُنازِلٍ

من كلِّ مكروهِ اللّقاءِ مُنازِلٍ

رحبِ الفِناءِ لطارقٍ أو نازلِ

رحبِ الفِناءِ لطارقٍ أو نازلِ

each a warrior dreaded in combat,

Of every hated encounter, of dwellings

with a spacious courtyard for a night visitor or guest,

With courtyards wide for guest or settler

متمنِّعٍ صعبٍ على أعدائه

متمنِّعٍ صعبٍ على أعدائه

سهلِ المَقادَة للخليلِ الواصِلِ

سهلِ المَقادَة للخليلِ الواصِلِ

unassailable, unyielding toward his enemies,

Difficult to access, hard on his enemies

yet easy to lead for the friend who keeps the bond.

Easy to approach for a loyal friend

عزّوا على الدّنيا وخالفَ فِعلُهُم

عزّوا على الدّنيا وخالفَ فِعلُهُم

أفعالَها فبغَتْهُمُ بغَوائِلِ

أفعالَها فبغَتْهُمُ بغَوائِلِ

They defied the world, and their deeds opposed

They condoled the world, and their actions

its deeds; so it assailed them with treacherous calamities,

Opposed its deeds, so it beset them with calamities

حتّى إذا اغتالَتْهُمُ بخطوبِها

حتّى إذا اغتالَتْهُمُ بخطوبِها

ورمتهُمُ بحوادثٍ وزَلازِلِ

ورمتهُمُ بحوادثٍ وزَلازِلِ

until, when it had slain them treacherously with its afflictions

Until, when it assailed them with its afflictions

and struck them with disasters and earthquakes,

And cast them amidst tumult and tremors

دَرَسَتْ منازِلُهم وأوْحَشُ مِنهُمُ

دَرَسَتْ منازِلُهم وأوْحَشُ مِنهُمُ

مأنوسُ أنديةٍ وعزُّ مَحافِلِ

مأنوسُ أنديةٍ وعزُّ مَحافِلِ

their dwellings were effaced, and desolate without them grew

It demolished their dwellings, and more cheerless than them

the familiar gathering places and glorious assemblies.

Were familiar gatherings and pride of assemblies

واهاً لهم من عالِمٍ ومَعالِمٍ

واهاً لهم من عالِمٍ ومَعالِمٍ

ومُمَنَّعاتِ عَقائلٍ ومَعاقِلِ

ومُمَنَّعاتِ عَقائلٍ ومَعاقِلِ

Alas for them—for the scholar and the landmarks,

Woe to them, from a learned man and learning

and well-protected noblewomen and strongholds!

And guarded tribes and impregnable forts

كانوا شَجىً في صدرِ كل مُعانِدٍ

كانوا شَجىً في صدرِ كل مُعانِدٍ

وقذىً يجول بعينِ كلِّ مُحاوِلِ

وقذىً يجول بعينِ كلِّ مُحاوِلِ

They were a choking grief in the breast of every adversary,

They were a burning in the breast of every opponent

and a mote swirling in the eye of every assailant;

And a speck roving in the eye of every aspirant

غَوثاً لملهوفٍ وملجأَ لاجِئٍ

غَوثاً لملهوفٍ وملجأَ لاجِئٍ

وجوارَ رَبّ جَرائرٍ وطَوائِلِ

وجوارَ رَبّ جَرائرٍ وطَوائِلِ

succor for the distressed, and a refuge for one seeking shelter,

A haven for the anguished, and refuge for the fugitive

and protection for one burdened with offenses and blood-feuds.

And neighbor of bold raids and hardships

ذهبوا ذهابَ الأمسِ ما من مُخبرٍ

ذهبوا ذهابَ الأمسِ ما من مُخبرٍ

عَنهُم وزالوا كالظِّلالِ الزّائِلِ

عَنهُم وزالوا كالظِّلالِ الزّائِلِ

They went the way of yesterday; no one brings tidings

They went the way of yesterday, none remains to inform

of them, and they vanished like passing shadows.

About them, and they vanished like fading shadows

وبقيتُ بعدهُمُ حليفَ كآبةٍ

وبقيتُ بعدهُمُ حليفَ كآبةٍ

مستورَةٍ بتجمُّلٍ وتَحامُلِ

مستورَةٍ بتجمُّلٍ وتَحامُلِ

And I remained after them, a companion to sorrow

And I remained after them, ally of sorrow

concealed by composure and strained endurance.

Cloaked in composure and resilience

سعدُوا براحَتِهم وها أنا بعدَهُم

سعدُوا براحَتِهم وها أنا بعدَهُم

في شَقوةٍ تُضني وهمٍّ داخِلِ

في شَقوةٍ تُضني وهمٍّ داخِلِ

They found happiness in their rest; and here I am after them,

They were happy with their rest, while here am I, after them

in misery that wastes me, and anguish deep within.

In misery that exasperates me and inner disquiet

فاعجب لشَقوةِ مُتعَبٍ بمُقامِهِ

فاعجب لشَقوةِ مُتعَبٍ بمُقامِهِ

من بعد أسرتِه وراحةِ راحِلِ

من بعد أسرتِه وراحةِ راحِلِ

So marvel at the misery of one wearied by staying on

So stranger is the misery of one wearied, in his place

after his family is gone, and at the rest of one departed.

After his family's rest and that of one departed

دَع ذا فأنتَ على الحوادِث مَروةٌ

دَع ذا فأنتَ على الحوادِث مَروةٌ

تَلقى الرّزايا عالماً كالجاهلِ

تَلقى الرّزايا عالماً كالجاهلِ

Leave this aside, for you are a flint against calamities;

Leave this be, for you are steadfast against events

you meet misfortunes, though learned, just like the ignorant.

Meeting calamities knowing, like the ignorant

واصبِر فما فيما أصابَكَ وصمَةٌ

واصبِر فما فيما أصابَكَ وصمَةٌ

كلُّ الوَرى غرضٌ لسَهمِ النَّابِلِ

كلُّ الوَرى غرضٌ لسَهمِ النَّابِلِ

And be patient: there is no disgrace in what has befallen you;

And be patient - in what befell you is no stigma

all humankind is a target for the archer's arrow.

All of existence is prey to the archer's arrow