كأنَّ اللَّيالي باللَّيالي طَلَبنَني

كأنَّ اللَّيالي باللَّيالي طَلَبنَني

فهنَّ طَويلاتٌ ذَواتُ طَوائِلِ

فهنَّ طَويلاتٌ ذَواتُ طَوائِلِ

It is as though the nights pursued me for other nights,

As if the nights sought me with the nights,

so they are long, with scores to settle.

For they are long, with lengthy tales,

يُحاوِلنَ منِّي ما مَضى من مَسَرَّتي

يُحاوِلنَ منِّي ما مَضى من مَسَرَّتي

منَ الخالِياتِ الماضِياتِ الأوائِلِ

منَ الخالِياتِ الماضِياتِ الأوائِلِ

They seek from me the happiness I once enjoyed

They try to take from me what is past of my joy,

in those earliest nights, now past and gone.

From the bare, bygone first times,

وهُنَّ قليلاتٌ قِصارٌ وإنَّما

وهُنَّ قليلاتٌ قِصارٌ وإنَّما

يُحاوِلنَ ثأراً بالقِصارِ القَلائِلِ

يُحاوِلنَ ثأراً بالقِصارِ القَلائِلِ

Those were few and short; these nights only

Yet they are short, brief, rather

seek vengeance for those few short nights.

They try revenge with the brief, little ones.

وإِلا قَصرنَ عن طَريقي فَفي يَدي

وإِلا قَصرنَ عن طَريقي فَفي يَدي

على ضَعفِها ما في يدِ ابنِ مُقاتِلِ

على ضَعفِها ما في يدِ ابنِ مُقاتِلِ

Otherwise they fall short of my path; for in my hand,

Unless they fell short of my path, in my hand,

weak though it is, lies what lies in Ibn Muqatil's hand.

Despite their weakness, is what is in the hand of the son of Muqatil.

إِذا قُلتُ أَمسى فاعِلاً فكَأنَّني

إِذا قُلتُ أَمسى فاعِلاً فكَأنَّني

أتيتُ الَّذي يَأتي ولَستُ بِفاعِلِ

أتيتُ الَّذي يَأتي ولَستُ بِفاعِلِ

When I speak, it becomes active, as though I

If I say I did it this evening, it is as if

had done what it does, though I am not the doer.

I came to the one who comes and am not a doer.

سلاحُ اللَّيالي كلّ أبيضَ باذِلٍ

سلاحُ اللَّيالي كلّ أبيضَ باذِلٍ

تجاذِبُه لا كلُّ أَسمَرَ ذابِلِ

تجاذِبُه لا كلُّ أَسمَرَ ذابِلِ

The weapon against the nights is every fair, generous man

The weapon of the nights is every white healthful one

with whom you vie—not every dusky, slender spear.

Pulling him, not every brown fading one.

أبا أحمَدٍ خفَّ الزَّمانُ وصَرفُهُ

أبا أحمَدٍ خفَّ الزَّمانُ وصَرفُهُ

إِلَيكَ بِهَذا القاعِد المُتثاقِلِ

إِلَيكَ بِهَذا القاعِد المُتثاقِلِ

Abu Ahmad, time and its vicissitudes have hastened

O Abu Ahmad, time diminished and diverted him

to you with this seated, sluggish man.

To you with this sedentary obese one.

فكُن حائِلاً بَينَ الزَّمانِ وبَينَه

فكُن حائِلاً بَينَ الزَّمانِ وبَينَه

فَما شُكرُه بعدَ الزَّمانِ بِحائِلِ

فَما شُكرُه بعدَ الزَّمانِ بِحائِلِ

So be a barrier between time and him,

So be an obstacle between time and him,

for his gratitude will not change after time has passed.

For his thanks after time are not with an obstacle.

ولا تحرِمَنهُ منكَ تَعظيمَ شَأنِه

ولا تحرِمَنهُ منكَ تَعظيمَ شَأنِه

فَما كلُّ مَنزورٍ عطيَّة باخِلِ

فَما كلُّ مَنزورٍ عطيَّة باخِلِ

And do not deny him the honor you can bestow,

And do not deprive him of honoring his rank from you,

for not every scant gift is a miser's gift.

For not every visited one is a gift of a miser.