شكَّ فيما شَكوتُ مِن طولِ لَيلي

شكَّ فيما شَكوتُ مِن طولِ لَيلي

إِذ رآني في الصُّبحِ أَسحبُ ذَيلي

إِذ رآني في الصُّبحِ أَسحبُ ذَيلي

He doubted my complaint about the length of my night,

He doubted what I complained of the length of my night

when he saw me in the morning trailing my hem,

When he saw me in the morning dragging my tail

مُسهراً والرُّقادُ أسهلُ ما أَع

مُسهراً والرُّقادُ أسهلُ ما أَع

رِفُ مِنه ما كانَ عندَ سُهيلِ

رِفُ مِنه ما كانَ عندَ سُهيلِ

kept awake; the easiest slumber I know

Staying up while slumber is the easiest thing I know

is what was with Suhayl.

Of it what was with Suhail

حَربي منه حينَ يُقبل مَقبو

حَربي منه حينَ يُقبل مَقبو

لَ التَّجنِّي وإن تَوَلَّى فَويلي

لَ التَّجنِّي وإن تَوَلَّى فَويلي

My torment comes from him when he approaches—welcome are

My war with it when it turns favorable is welcome

his unjust reproaches; but if he turns away, woe to me.

Not cowardice even if it turns away then woe to me

ذو اعتِدالٍ لا مَيل فيهِ ولكِن

ذو اعتِدالٍ لا مَيل فيهِ ولكِن

ربَّما مالَ حُكمُهُ كلَّ مَيلِ

ربَّما مالَ حُكمُهُ كلَّ مَيلِ

Well-proportioned, with no crookedness in him, yet

With moderation no inclination in it but

sometimes his judgment swerves to the utmost.

Perhaps its rule leaned every inclination

وغَدا يَستَضيمُني الدَّهرُ فيهِ

وغَدا يَستَضيمُني الدَّهرُ فيهِ

يالَ عَوفِ بنِ عامِر بن عُقَيلِ

يالَ عَوفِ بنِ عامِر بن عُقَيلِ

And Time has begun to wrong me through him.

And tomorrow time will slight me in it

O ʿAwf son of ʿĀmir son of ʿUqayl, come to my aid

Oh Awf bin Amer bin Uqail

لمُلِمٍّ مِن الحَوادِثِ لا يَك

لمُلِمٍّ مِن الحَوادِثِ لا يَك

شِفُهُ غَيرُ لَفِّ خَيلٍ بِخَيلِ

شِفُهُ غَيرُ لَفِّ خَيلٍ بِخَيلِ

against a calamity among misfortunes, which cannot be

For a disaster from events that does not

dispelled except by cavalry clashing with cavalry,

Heal it except the slashing of horses with horses

أو ندىً من يَدَي أَبي الجَيشِ لا يُح

أو ندىً من يَدَي أَبي الجَيشِ لا يُح

صَى بِوَزنٍ ولا يُحاطُ بكَيلِ

صَى بِوَزنٍ ولا يُحاطُ بكَيلِ

or bounty from the hands of Abu al-Jaysh, which cannot be

Or dew from the hands of the father of the army that cannot

reckoned by weight or encompassed by measure.

Be counted by weight nor encompassed by measure

فَهو غادٍ مَع الغَوادي بِهَطلٍ

فَهو غادٍ مَع الغَوادي بِهَطلٍ

وهو بادٍ مِن كلِّ وادٍ بسَيلِ

وهو بادٍ مِن كلِّ وادٍ بسَيلِ

For he goes forth with the morning clouds in a downpour,

So it is departing with the departing wildly

and appears from every valley in a torrent.

And it is perishing from every valley with flood

فلَقَد أشكَلَ الشآمُ عَلَينا

فلَقَد أشكَلَ الشآمُ عَلَينا

ريفُ جُودٍ يَجري بِه نِيلُ نَيلِ

ريفُ جُودٍ يَجري بِه نِيلُ نَيلِ

Indeed, Syria has become puzzling to us:

So sham has become difficult for us

a fertile land of bounty through which flows a Nile of gifts.

A countryside of generosity flowing with the Nile of Nile