أَلَم تَغتَمِض عَيناكَ لَيلَةَ أَرمَدا

أَلَم تَغتَمِض عَيناكَ لَيلَةَ أَرمَدا

وَعادَكَ ما عادَ السَليمَ المُسَهَّدا

وَعادَكَ ما عادَ السَليمَ المُسَهَّدا

Have your sore eyes not closed all night,

Did you not shed tears when your eyes were inflamed one night,

and has the sleepless, snake-bitten man's torment returned to you?

And what afflicted you was not like what afflicts the placid sleeper,

وَما ذاكَ مِن عِشقِ النِساءِ وَإِنَّما

وَما ذاكَ مِن عِشقِ النِساءِ وَإِنَّما

تَناسَيتَ قَبلَ اليَومَ خُلَّةَ مَهدَدا

تَناسَيتَ قَبلَ اليَومَ خُلَّةَ مَهدَدا

And this is not from love of women; rather,

This is not from love of women, but rather

you had put Mahdad's love out of mind before today.

You forgot the cradle of Mahadda before this day,

وَلَكِن أَرى الدَهرَ الَّذي هُوَ خاتِرٌ

وَلَكِن أَرى الدَهرَ الَّذي هُوَ خاتِرٌ

إِذا أَصلَحَت كَفّايَ عادَ فَأَفسَدا

إِذا أَصلَحَت كَفّايَ عادَ فَأَفسَدا

But I see Time, treacherous as it is,

But I see time which is a trickster,

whenever my two hands set things right, return and ruin them.

If I fixed my affairs, it returned and made them corrupt,

شَبابٌ وَشَيبٌ وَاِفتِقارٌ وَثَروَةٌ

شَبابٌ وَشَيبٌ وَاِفتِقارٌ وَثَروَةٌ

فَلِلَّهِ هَذا الدَهرُ كَيفَ تَرَدَّدا

فَلِلَّهِ هَذا الدَهرُ كَيفَ تَرَدَّدا

Youth and gray hair, poverty and wealth—

Youth and old age and poverty and wealth,

God's is this Time—how it turns to and fro!

How this time wanders aimlessly!

وَما زِلتُ أَبغي المالَ مُذ أَنا يافِعٌ

وَما زِلتُ أَبغي المالَ مُذ أَنا يافِعٌ

وَليداً وَكَهلاً حينَ شِبتُ وَأَمرَدا

وَليداً وَكَهلاً حينَ شِبتُ وَأَمرَدا

And I have kept seeking wealth since I was a young lad,

And I have not ceased to seek money since I was a young man

as a child, as a middle-aged man when I turned gray, and as a beardless youth.

As a lad and when I grew old and became senile,

وَأَبتَذِلُ العيسَ المَراقيلَ تَغتَلي

وَأَبتَذِلُ العيسَ المَراقيلَ تَغتَلي

مَسافَةَ ما بَينَ النَجيرِ فَصَرخَدا

مَسافَةَ ما بَينَ النَجيرِ فَصَرخَدا

And I wear out pale, swift-trotting camels, speeding

And I make the nimble camels kneel down, they trample

over the distance between al-Najir and Sarkhad.

The distance between al-Najir and Sarakhad,

فَإِن تَسأَلي عَنّي فَيا رُبَّ سائِلٍ

فَإِن تَسأَلي عَنّي فَيا رُبَّ سائِلٍ

حَفِيٍّ عَنِ الأَعشى بِهِ حَيثُ أَصعَدا

حَفِيٍّ عَنِ الأَعشى بِهِ حَيثُ أَصعَدا

So if you ask about me—ah, how many an inquirer

So if you ask about me, O questioner,

eager for news of al-A'sha, wherever he went upcountry!

About al-A’sha in the places where he climbed,

أَلا أَيُّهَذا السائِلي أَينَ يَمَّمَت

أَلا أَيُّهَذا السائِلي أَينَ يَمَّمَت

فَإِنَّ لَها في أَهلِ يَثرِبَ مَوعِدا

فَإِنَّ لَها في أَهلِ يَثرِبَ مَوعِدا

Listen, you who ask me where she is bound:

Do not be, O questioner, where are you heading?

for she has an appointment among the people of Yathrib.

For it has an appointment with the people of Yathrib,

فَأَمّا إِذا ما أَدلَجَت فَتَرى لَها

فَأَمّا إِذا ما أَدلَجَت فَتَرى لَها

رَقيبَينِ جَدياً لا يَغيبُ وَفَرقَدا

رَقيبَينِ جَدياً لا يَغيبُ وَفَرقَدا

And when she travels by night, you see her

As for when night falls, you see it has

two watchers: Jady, which never sets, and Farqad.

Two guards keeping continual vigil and slumbering,

وَفيها إِذا ما هَجَّرَت عَجرَفِيَّةٌ

وَفيها إِذا ما هَجَّرَت عَجرَفِيَّةٌ

إِذا خِلتَ حِرباءَ الظَهيرَةِ أَصيَدا

إِذا خِلتَ حِرباءَ الظَهيرَةِ أَصيَدا

And when she journeys at noon, she has a headlong vigor,

And in it, when dawn breaks hot and sultry,

when you would think the noonday chameleon stiff-necked.

A she-camel at noon bolts at the prey,

أَجَدَّت بِرِجلَيها نَجاءً وَراجَعَت

أَجَدَّت بِرِجلَيها نَجاءً وَراجَعَت

يَداها خِنافاً لَيِّناً غَيرَ أَحرَدا

يَداها خِنافاً لَيِّناً غَيرَ أَحرَدا

She presses swiftly on with her hind legs, while

Moving briskly with her feet, then turning back

her forelegs repeat a supple outward swing, without stiffness.

Her smooth, gentle hands not roughed or chapped,

فَآلَيتُ لا أَرثي لَها مِن كَلالَةٍ

فَآلَيتُ لا أَرثي لَها مِن كَلالَةٍ

وَلا مِن حَفىً حَتّى تَزورَ مُحَمَّدا

وَلا مِن حَفىً حَتّى تَزورَ مُحَمَّدا

So I swore not to pity her for exhaustion,

I vowed I will not mourn her out of yearning,

nor for sore feet, until she visits Muhammad.

Nor pity her, until she visits Muhammad,

مَتى ما تُناخي عِندَ بابِ اِبنِ هاشِمٍ

مَتى ما تُناخي عِندَ بابِ اِبنِ هاشِمٍ

تُريحي وَتَلقَي مِن فَواضِلِهِ يَدا

تُريحي وَتَلقَي مِن فَواضِلِهِ يَدا

Whenever you are made to kneel at the door of Hashim's son,

Whenever she stops at the door of the son of Hashim,

you will rest and find a helping hand in his bounty.

She rests and receives generously from his hands,

نَبِيٌّ يَرى ما لا تَرَونَ وَذِكرُهُ

نَبِيٌّ يَرى ما لا تَرَونَ وَذِكرُهُ

أَغارَ لَعَمري في البِلادِ وَأَنجَدا

أَغارَ لَعَمري في البِلادِ وَأَنجَدا

A prophet who sees what you do not see; and his renown

A prophet who sees what you do not see, and the mention of him

has spread, by my life, through lands both low and high.

Spread with pride in the towns and gave victory,

لَهُ صَدَقاتٌ ما تُغِبُّ وَنائِلٌ

لَهُ صَدَقاتٌ ما تُغِبُّ وَنائِلٌ

وَلَيسَ عَطاءُ اليَومِ مانِعَهُ غَدا

وَلَيسَ عَطاءُ اليَومِ مانِعَهُ غَدا

He has unceasing alms and bounty,

He has ongoing charities that do not cease,

and giving today does not hold him back tomorrow.

And the gifts of today do not prevent those of tomorrow,

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَسمَع وَصاةَ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَسمَع وَصاةَ مُحَمَّدٍ

نَبِيِّ الإِلَهِ حينَ أَوصى وَأَشهَدا

نَبِيِّ الإِلَهِ حينَ أَوصى وَأَشهَدا

Have you truly not heard the counsel of Muhammad,

You were heedless, you did not hear the testament of Muhammad,

God's prophet, when he counseled and called witnesses?

Prophet of God, when he enjoined and took witnesses,

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَرحَل بِزادٍ مِنَ التُقى

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَرحَل بِزادٍ مِنَ التُقى

وَلاقَيتَ بَعدَ المَوتِ مَن قَد تَزَوَّدا

وَلاقَيتَ بَعدَ المَوتِ مَن قَد تَزَوَّدا

If you do not set out with provisions of piety,

If you did not set forth with provision of piety,

and meet after death one who has laid in provisions,

And after death you meet the one who stocked provisions,

نَدِمتَ عَلى أَن لا تَكونَ كَمِثلِهِ

نَدِمتَ عَلى أَن لا تَكونَ كَمِثلِهِ

وَأَنَّكَ لَم تُرصِد لِما كانَ أَرصَدا

وَأَنَّكَ لَم تُرصِد لِما كانَ أَرصَدا

you will regret not being like him,

You will regret that you were not like him,

and not having prepared for what he prepared for.

And that you did not prepare for what had been prepared.

فَإِيّاكَ وَالمَيتاتِ لا تَأكُلَنَّها

فَإِيّاكَ وَالمَيتاتِ لا تَأكُلَنَّها

وَلا تَأخُذَن سَهماً حَديداً لِتَفصِدا

وَلا تَأخُذَن سَهماً حَديداً لِتَفصِدا

So beware of carrion: never eat it,

So beware of carrion, do not eat it,

and never take a sharp arrow to draw blood.

And do not take an iron arrowhead to hunt game,

وَذا النُصُبِ المَنصوبَ لا تَنسُكَنَّهُ

وَذا النُصُبِ المَنصوبَ لا تَنسُكَنَّهُ

وَلا تَعبُدِ الأَوثانَ وَاللهَ فَاِعبُدا

وَلا تَعبُدِ الأَوثانَ وَاللهَ فَاِعبُدا

And do not offer sacrifice to that erected altar-stone,

And the standing pillar, do not leave it,

nor worship idols; worship God.

And do not worship idols, and worship God alone,

وَصَلَّ عَلى حينِ العَشِيّاتِ وَالضُحى

وَصَلَّ عَلى حينِ العَشِيّاتِ وَالضُحى

وَلا تَحمَدِ الشَيطانَ وَاللَهَ فَاِحمَدا

وَلا تَحمَدِ الشَيطانَ وَاللَهَ فَاِحمَدا

And pray at evening-time and in the forenoon,

And pray at the times of evening and morning,

and do not praise Satan; praise God.

And do not praise Satan, and praise God instead,

وَلا السائِلَ المَحرومَ لا تَترُكَنَّهُ

وَلا السائِلَ المَحرومَ لا تَترُكَنَّهُ

لِعاقِبَةٍ وَلا الأَسيرَ المُقَيَّدا

لِعاقِبَةٍ وَلا الأَسيرَ المُقَيَّدا

And never abandon the deprived petitioner

And do not neglect the beseeching outcast,

to his fate, nor the fettered captive.

Or the chained prisoner, due to consequences,

وَلا تَسخَرَن مِن بائِسٍ ذي ضَرارَةٍ

وَلا تَسخَرَن مِن بائِسٍ ذي ضَرارَةٍ

وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ المَرءَ يَوماً مُخَلَّدا

وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ المَرءَ يَوماً مُخَلَّدا

And never mock a wretched man afflicted with blindness,

And do not ridicule a wretched man of ill fate,

nor ever suppose a man immortal.

Or think a man will live forever,

وَلا تَقرَبَنَّ جارَةً إِنَّ سِرِّها

وَلا تَقرَبَنَّ جارَةً إِنَّ سِرِّها

عَلَيكَ حَرامٌ فَاِنكِحَن أَو تَأَبَّدا

عَلَيكَ حَرامٌ فَاِنكِحَن أَو تَأَبَّدا

And never approach a neighboring woman: intimacy with her

And do not approach a neighbor's wife, for her privacy

is forbidden to you; marry, or remain celibate.

Is forbidden to you, so marry or remain celibate!