فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِنّي

فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِنّي

مِنَ الفِتيانِ فِي عامِ الخُنانِ

مِنَ الفِتيانِ فِي عامِ الخُنانِ

So whoever asks about me: I was

So let him who asks after me know that I

among the young men in the year of al-Khunan.

Am of the youths in the days of pleasures

مَضَت مِئةٌ لِعامِ وُلِدتُ فِيهِ

مَضَت مِئةٌ لِعامِ وُلِدتُ فِيهِ

وَعَشرٌ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَحِجَّتانِ

وَعَشرٌ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَحِجَّتانِ

A hundred years have passed since the year I was born,

A hundred years have passed since the year I was born

and ten after that, and two years more.

And ten more after that, and two pilgrimages

فَقَد أَيقَنت صُروفُ الدَهرِ مِنّي

فَقَد أَيقَنت صُروفُ الدَهرِ مِنّي

كَما أَبقَت مِنَ السيفِ اليَماني

كَما أَبقَت مِنَ السيفِ اليَماني

For time's vicissitudes have indeed become certain of me,

So the turns of fate convinced me

just as they have left something of the Yemeni sword:

As it spared of the Yemeni sword

تَفَلَّلَ وَهوَ مَأثُورٌ جُرازٌ

تَفَلَّلَ وَهوَ مَأثُورٌ جُرازٌ

إِذا جُمِعَت بِقائِمِهِ اليَدانِ

إِذا جُمِعَت بِقائِمِهِ اليَدانِ

it has grown notched, though patterned and keen-edged,

It became worn, a common blade

when both hands are clasped upon its hilt.

When its two hands are joined to its handle

أَلا زَعَمَت بَنُو كَعبٍ بأَنّي

أَلا زَعَمَت بَنُو كَعبٍ بأَنّي

أَلا كَذَبُوا كَبِيرُ السِنِّ فاني

أَلا كَذَبُوا كَبِيرُ السِنِّ فاني

Lo, the sons of Ka'b claimed that I—

Do not the sons of Ka'b claim that I

lo, they lied!—am old and wasting away.

No! The old man denied it. I am ephemeral

جَلَبنا الخَيلَ مِن تَثلِيثَ حَتّى

جَلَبنا الخَيلَ مِن تَثلِيثَ حَتّى

أَتَينَ عَلى أَوارَةَ فَالعَدانِ

أَتَينَ عَلى أَوارَةَ فَالعَدانِ

We drove the horses from Tathlith until

We brought the horses from Tathleeth until

they reached Awarah, then al-'Adan.

We came upon the sands of Faladan

أَتَينَ عَلى المُنَقَّى مُمسَّكاتٍ

أَتَينَ عَلى المُنَقَّى مُمسَّكاتٍ

خِفافَ الوَطءِ مِن جَذبِ الزَمانِ

خِفافَ الوَطءِ مِن جَذبِ الزَمانِ

They reached al-Munaqqa, held in check,

We came upon the cleaned, well-kept

light of tread from the pull of time.

Light of step from the pulling of time

يُعارِضُهُنَّ أَخضَرُ ذُو ظِلالٍ

يُعارِضُهُنَّ أَخضَرُ ذُو ظِلالٍ

عَلى حَافاتِهِ فِلَقُ الدِنانِ

عَلى حَافاتِهِ فِلَقُ الدِنانِ

A dark-green host with shadows keeps abreast of them;

Green with shade opposes them

along its fringes are fragments of wine jars.

At its edges the splitting of the quilts

وَظَلَّ لِنِسوَةِ النُعمانِ منّا

وَظَلَّ لِنِسوَةِ النُعمانِ منّا

عَلى سَفَوانَ يَومٌ أَرَوناني

عَلى سَفَوانَ يَومٌ أَرَوناني

And al-Nu'man's women had at our hands

And for the women of Numaan a day shaded us

at Safawan a dreadful, tumultuous day.

At Sufwan when they showed me

فَأَردَفنا حَلِيلَتَهُ وَجِئنا

فَأَردَفنا حَلِيلَتَهُ وَجِئنا

بِما قَد كانَ جَمَّعَ مِن هِجانِ

بِما قَد كانَ جَمَّعَ مِن هِجانِ

So we seated his wife behind us and came

So we made his wife ride behind and came

with the fine white camels he had gathered.

With what he had gathered of belongings

فَظَلتُ كَأَنَّنِي نادَمتُ كِسرى

فَظَلتُ كَأَنَّنِي نادَمتُ كِسرى

لَهُ قاقُزَّةٌ وليَ اثنَتانِ

لَهُ قاقُزَّةٌ وليَ اثنَتانِ

So I spent the day as though I had drunk with Kisra:

So I remained as if I regretted, a cupbearer to Chosroes

he had one wine cup, and I had two.

While he had two leopards and I had two

وَشَارَكنا قُرَيشاً في تُقاها

وَشَارَكنا قُرَيشاً في تُقاها

وَفي أَحسابِها شِركَ العِنانِ

وَفي أَحسابِها شِركَ العِنانِ

And we shared with Quraysh in their piety

And we shared with Quraysh their food

and in their ancestral honors, as partners sharing the reins,

And the bridling of their lineages

بِما وَلدَت نِساءُ بَني هِلالٍ

بِما وَلدَت نِساءُ بَني هِلالٍ

وَما ولَدَت نِساءُ بَني أَبانِ

وَما ولَدَت نِساءُ بَني أَبانِ

through the children borne by the women of Banu Hilal

With what the women of Bani Hilal bore

and those borne by the women of Banu Aban.

And what the women of Bani Aban bore

أَلا أَبلِغ بَني خَلَفٍ رَسُولاً

أَلا أَبلِغ بَني خَلَفٍ رَسُولاً

أحَقّاً أَنَّ أَخطَلَكُم هَجاني

أحَقّاً أَنَّ أَخطَلَكُم هَجاني

Lo, convey a message to the sons of Khalaf:

Shall I not send a messenger to Bani Khalaf

is it true that your Akhtal has satirized me?

With more right that I satirized you

فَلَولا أَنَّ تَغلِبَ رَهطُ أُمّي

فَلَولا أَنَّ تَغلِبَ رَهطُ أُمّي

وَكعبٍ وَهوَ مِنّي ذُو مَكانِ

وَكعبٍ وَهوَ مِنّي ذُو مَكانِ

So were it not that Taghlib are my mother's kin

And if not for the prevailing of my mother's clan

and Ka'b's—he holds a place of honor with me—

And Ka'b's, who has standing with me

تَرَاجَمنا بِصَدرِ القَولِ حَتّى

تَرَاجَمنا بِصَدرِ القَولِ حَتّى

نَصِيرَ كَأَنَّنا فَرَسا رِهانِ

نَصِيرَ كَأَنَّنا فَرَسا رِهانِ

we would have pelted each other with the foremost words, until

We would have engaged in the core of discourse until

we became like two horses in a wagered race.

We become as two horses bet upon

أَتاني ما يَقُولُ بَنُو جُعَيلٍ

أَتاني ما يَقُولُ بَنُو جُعَيلٍ

بِوادٍ مِن عَنِيَّةَ أَو عِيانِ

بِوادٍ مِن عَنِيَّةَ أَو عِيانِ

What the sons of Ju'ayl say reached me

There reached me what the clan of Ju'ayl says

in a valley of 'Aniyyah or 'Iyan.

In a valley of Aniyya or Eeyan

أَتاني نَصرُهُم وَهُمُ بَعِيدٌ

أَتاني نَصرُهُم وَهُمُ بَعِيدٌ

بِلاَدُهُمُ بِلادُ الخيزُرانِ

بِلاَدُهُمُ بِلادُ الخيزُرانِ

Their support reached me, though they are far away;

Their help came to me while they are far

their lands are the lands of bamboo.

Their lands are the lands of the pigs

لَقَد جَارى أَبُو لَيلى بِقَحمٍ

لَقَد جَارى أَبُو لَيلى بِقَحمٍ

وَمُنتكِثٍ عَلى التَّقرِيبِ وَانِ

وَمُنتكِثٍ عَلى التَّقرِيبِ وَانِ

Abu Layla has indeed raced with a decrepit steed,

Abu Layla verily raced with Qaham

broken-down and sluggish at the canter.

And Munatikith, nearing and distancing

إِذا أَلقى الخَبارَ كَبا لِفيهِ

إِذا أَلقى الخَبارَ كَبا لِفيهِ

يَخِرُّ عَلى الجَحافِلِ وَالجِرانِ

يَخِرُّ عَلى الجَحافِلِ وَالجِرانِ

When it casts up the loose earth, it stumbles onto its mouth,

When he meets the informers, it is as if

it falls upon its lips and the underside of its neck.

He charges upon the regiments and the patrols

فَمَن يَحرِص على كِبَري فإنّي

فَمَن يَحرِص على كِبَري فإنّي

مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَزمانَ الخُنانِ

مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَزمانَ الخُنانِ

So whoever is intent on my old age: I was

So let him who covets my advanced age know that I

among the young men in the days of al-Khunan.

Am of the youths in the days of pleasures