لَم يَبقَ لِلصَيفِ لا رَسمٌ وَلا طَلَلُ

لَم يَبقَ لِلصَيفِ لا رَسمٌ وَلا طَلَلُ

وَلا قَشيبٌ فَيُستَكسى وَلا سَمَلُ

وَلا قَشيبٌ فَيُستَكسى وَلا سَمَلُ

Of summer, neither trace nor ruined vestige remains,

The summer left no trace or ruins,

Nor any new garment to wear, nor a threadbare rag.

No dry stalks to be gleaned, no chaff.

عَدلٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ أَن يُبكى المَصيفُ كَما

عَدلٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ أَن يُبكى المَصيفُ كَما

يُبكى الشَبابُ وَيُبكى اللَهوُ وَالغَزَلُ

يُبكى الشَبابُ وَيُبكى اللَهوُ وَالغَزَلُ

It is just that tears be shed for summertime, as

It is right for the autumn to be wept

Youth is mourned, and pleasure and love are mourned.

Like youth, play, and flirtation weep.

يُمنى الزَمانِ طَوَت مَعروفَها وَغَدَت

يُمنى الزَمانِ طَوَت مَعروفَها وَغَدَت

يُسراهُ وَهيَ لَنا مِن بَعدِها بَدَلُ

يُسراهُ وَهيَ لَنا مِن بَعدِها بَدَلُ

Time's right hand has folded away its bounty, and now

Time has turned good fortune to ill,

Its left hand is our substitute for it.

Making what was once right, now wrong.

ما لِلشِتاءِ وَما لِلصَيفِ مِن مَثَلٍ

ما لِلشِتاءِ وَما لِلصَيفِ مِن مَثَلٍ

يَرضى بِهِ السَمعُ إِلّا الجودُ وَالبَخَلُ

يَرضى بِهِ السَمعُ إِلّا الجودُ وَالبَخَلُ

For winter and summer there is no likeness

Winter and summer can find no words

That pleases the ear, save generosity and miserliness.

To please the ear save bounty and dearth.

أَما تَرى الأَرضَ غَضبى وَالحَصى قَلِقٌ

أَما تَرى الأَرضَ غَضبى وَالحَصى قَلِقٌ

وَالأُفقَ بِالحَرجَفِ النَكباءِ يَقتَتِلُ

وَالأُفقَ بِالحَرجَفِ النَكباءِ يَقتَتِلُ

Do you not see the earth angry and the pebbles restless,

See how the earth scowls, the pebbles quake,

And the horizon battling with the icy, veering gale?

The horizon brawls with swelling storm clouds.

مَن يَزعَمُ الصَيفَ لَم تَذهَب بَشاشَتُهُ

مَن يَزعَمُ الصَيفَ لَم تَذهَب بَشاشَتُهُ

فَغَيرُ ذَلِكَ أَمسى يَزعُمُ الجَبَلُ

فَغَيرُ ذَلِكَ أَمسى يَزعُمُ الجَبَلُ

Whoever claims that summer has not lost its cheer—

Who claims summer’s brightness is undimmed?

Yet the mountain now claims otherwise.

Even the mountains now make no such claim.

غَدا لَهُ مِغفَرٌ في رَأسِهِ يَقَقٌ

غَدا لَهُ مِغفَرٌ في رَأسِهِ يَقَقٌ

لا تَهتِكُ البيضُ فَودَيهِ وَلا الأَسَلُ

لا تَهتِكُ البيضُ فَودَيهِ وَلا الأَسَلُ

Upon its head it now has a pure-white helmet,

Tomorrow it will wear a coat of fur on its head,

Neither gleaming swords nor spears can pierce its temples.

Not torn by flints or by the twisting thongs.

إِذا خُراسانُ عَن صِنِّبرِها كَشَرَت

إِذا خُراسانُ عَن صِنِّبرِها كَشَرَت

كانَت قَتاداً لَنا أَنيابُها العُصُلُ

كانَت قَتاداً لَنا أَنيابُها العُصُلُ

When Khorasan bares its teeth, revealing its bitter cold,

When the Khurasan night unveils her teeth,

Its crooked fangs become qatad thorns to us.

Bared at us, they snatch limbs for gnawing.

يُمسي وَيُضحي مُقيماً في مَبائَتِهِ

يُمسي وَيُضحي مُقيماً في مَبائَتِهِ

وَبَأسُهُ في كُلى الأَقوامِ مُرتَحِلُ

وَبَأسُهُ في كُلى الأَقوامِ مُرتَحِلُ

It dwells in its abode through evening and morning,

Glowering, he rises and sleeps in his lair,

While its fury roams through people's kidneys.

Moving from tribe to desolated tribe.

مَن كانَ يَجهَلُ يَوماً حَدَّ سَورَتِهِ

مَن كانَ يَجهَلُ يَوماً حَدَّ سَورَتِهِ

في القَريَتَينِ وَأَمرُ الجَوِّ مُكتَهِلُ

في القَريَتَينِ وَأَمرُ الجَوِّ مُكتَهِلُ

Whoever once did not know the edge of its fury

Who did not know the span of his wall in both settlements

In the two towns, with the weather in its prime—

And the full reach of his tempest stirring the sands?

فَما الضُلوعُ وَلا الأَحشاءُ جاهِلَةٌ

فَما الضُلوعُ وَلا الأَحشاءُ جاهِلَةٌ

وَلا الكُلى أَنَّهُ المِقدامَةُ البَطَلُ

وَلا الكُلى أَنَّهُ المِقدامَةُ البَطَلُ

Yet neither ribs nor entrails are unaware,

His ribs and entrails know this, as his kidneys do –

Nor kidneys, that it is the intrepid champion.

That he is the intrepid hero and brave warrior.

هَذا وَلَم يَتَّزِر لِلحَربِ دَيدَنَهُ

هَذا وَلَم يَتَّزِر لِلحَربِ دَيدَنَهُ

فَأَيُّ قِرنٍ تَراهُ حينَ يَشتَمِلُ

فَأَيُّ قِرنٍ تَراهُ حينَ يَشتَمِلُ

All this, though it has not yet girded itself for war as is its wont;

He girded himself for battle without his armor –

Then what a foe do you think it will be when it cloaks itself?

What era shall we see him then in full array?

إِن يَسَّرَ اللَهُ أَمراً أَثمَرَت مَعَهُ

إِن يَسَّرَ اللَهُ أَمراً أَثمَرَت مَعَهُ

مِن حَيثُ أَورَقَتِ الحاجاتُ وَالأَمَلُ

مِن حَيثُ أَورَقَتِ الحاجاتُ وَالأَمَلُ

If God makes a matter easy, there will be fruit with it

When God gives success attending a thing,

Where desires and hope have put forth leaves.

Sprouting from the needs and hopes that flourish,

فَما صِلائِيَ إِن كانَ الصِلاءُ بِها

فَما صِلائِيَ إِن كانَ الصِلاءُ بِها

جَمرَ الغَضا الجَزلِ إِلّا السَيرُ وَالإِبلُ

جَمرَ الغَضا الجَزلِ إِلّا السَيرُ وَالإِبلُ

So my warming fire—if the fire there is

My prayers, if prayers can temper hot outrage,

Embers of thick ghada wood—is nothing but travel and camels,

Are nothing but riding and high-humped camels.

المُرضِياتُكَ ما أَرغَمتَ آنُفَها

المُرضِياتُكَ ما أَرغَمتَ آنُفَها

وَالهادِياتُكَ وَهيَ الشُرَّدُ الضُلُلُ

وَالهادِياتُكَ وَهيَ الشُرَّدُ الضُلُلُ

That please you so long as you rub their noses in the dust,

You tame the willful, gently lead the strayed,

And guide you, though they themselves are straying and lost.

Bring far exile home to safe return.

تُقَرِّبُ الشُقَّةَ القُصوى إِذا أَخَذت

تُقَرِّبُ الشُقَّةَ القُصوى إِذا أَخَذت

سِلاحَها وَهُوَ الإِرقالُ وَالرَمَلُ

سِلاحَها وَهُوَ الإِرقالُ وَالرَمَلُ

They shorten the farthest journey when they take up

You draw the distant raider near when you don

Their weapon: swift striding and a brisk trot.

Take up your arms of sifting sands and shifting dunes.

إِذا تَظَلَّمتَ مِن أَرضٍ فُصِلتَ بِها

إِذا تَظَلَّمتَ مِن أَرضٍ فُصِلتَ بِها

كانَت هِيَ العِزُّ إِلّا أَنَّها ذُلُلُ

كانَت هِيَ العِزُّ إِلّا أَنَّها ذُلُلُ

If you complain of a land, they carry you away from it;

Find yourself suddenly bereft of a land?

They are honor itself, though they are docile.

Be steadfast. All honour except in abasement.