دَعَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ وَيْلَها ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ

دَعَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ وَيْلَها ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ

تُؤَنِّبُني وَالصُّبْحُ لَمْ يَتَنَفَّسِ

تُؤَنِّبُني وَالصُّبْحُ لَمْ يَتَنَفَّسِ

Umm ‘Amr cried, “Woe is me!” then came forward,

'Amr's mother cried "Woe!" and turned towards me,

Reproaching me before dawn had drawn a breath.

Rebuking me while dawn had barely drawn breath,

وَتَعْجَبُ مِنْ بَذْلِي لِكُلِّ رَغيبَةٍ

وَتَعْجَبُ مِنْ بَذْلِي لِكُلِّ رَغيبَةٍ

وَجُودِي بِمَا أَحْويهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مُنْفِسِ

وَجُودِي بِمَا أَحْويهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مُنْفِسِ

And she marvels at my giving of every coveted thing,

And wondering at my granting every wish,

And my generosity with every precious thing I possess.

My open-handedness with all I possess;

وَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ مَعْشَرٍ

وَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ مَعْشَرٍ

نَماهُمْ إِلى العَلْياءِ أِكرَمُ مَغْرَسِ

نَماهُمْ إِلى العَلْياءِ أِكرَمُ مَغْرَسِ

And she knows I am of the remnant of a people

And knowing I'm of a family

Whom the noblest stock raised to the heights.

Whose nobility the loftiest genealogy stressed,

هُمُ مَلَكُوا الأَعْناقَ بِالبَأْسِ وَالندى

هُمُ مَلَكُوا الأَعْناقَ بِالبَأْسِ وَالندى

وَعِزٍّ مُعاوِيِّ المَباءَةِ أَقْعَسِ

وَعِزٍّ مُعاوِيِّ المَباءَةِ أَقْعَسِ

They mastered necks through valor and bounty,

Masters of men by valor and munificence,

And unyielding might, whose abode is Mu‘awiya’s.

And the glory of generous, towering Ma'add's race;

وَقَدْ وَلَدَتْهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ سَراتُها

وَقَدْ وَلَدَتْهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ سَراتُها

على نَمَطَيْ بَيْضاءَ مِنْ سِرِّ فَقْعَسِ

على نَمَطَيْ بَيْضاءَ مِنْ سِرِّ فَقْعَسِ

And Quraysh’s nobles had indeed begotten them

Who were born to Quraysh ladies delicate

Upon the two patterned rugs of a fair woman from Faq‘as’s choicest stock.

Of dazzling fairness and lightly-dimpling face;

فَقُلْتُ لَها كُفِّي وَغاكِ فَأَعْرَضَتْ

فَقُلْتُ لَها كُفِّي وَغاكِ فَأَعْرَضَتْ

وَفي خَدِّها وَرْدٌ يُطِلُّ بِنَرْجِسِ

وَفي خَدِّها وَرْدٌ يُطِلُّ بِنَرْجِسِ

So I told her, “Still your clamor!” and she turned away,

So I said "Forbear, enough!" but she turned away,

And on her cheek a rose peered out with a narcissus.

On her cheek a rose peeping from narcissus' place.

أَبُخْلاً وَبَيْتِي مِنْ أُمَيَّةَ في الذُّرا

أَبُخْلاً وَبَيْتِي مِنْ أُمَيَّةَ في الذُّرا

وَعِرْقِي بِغَيْرِ المَجْدِ لَمْ يَتَلَبَّسِ

وَعِرْقِي بِغَيْرِ المَجْدِ لَمْ يَتَلَبَّسِ

Shall I be stingy, when my house of Umayya stands on the heights,

Am I miserly? - my tribe traced back to Umayya

And my root has never clothed itself in anything but glory?

Never with fame unmingled has been obsessed;

وَما أَنَا مِمَّنْ يَأْلَفُ الضِّحْكَ في الغِنى

وَما أَنَا مِمَّنْ يَأْلَفُ الضِّحْكَ في الغِنى

وَإِنْ نَالَ مِني الفَقْرُ لَمُ أَتَعَبَّسِ

وَإِنْ نَالَ مِني الفَقْرُ لَمُ أَتَعَبَّسِ

And I am not one who grows accustomed to laughter in wealth,

Nor am I one who finds the smiles of wealth agree,

And if poverty gets the better of me, I do not frown.

If poverty should come to me, I won't acquiesce.

فَفي العُسْرِ أَحْياناً وفي اليُسْرِ تَارَة

فَفي العُسْرِ أَحْياناً وفي اليُسْرِ تَارَة

يَعيشُ الفَتى وَالغُصْنُ يَعْرَى وَيَكتَسي

يَعيشُ الفَتى وَالغُصْنُ يَعْرَى وَيَكتَسي

For sometimes in hardship, and sometimes in ease,

A man may live at times in wealth, at times distress,

A young man lives; and the branch grows bare and clothes itself.

While branches now are leafless, now in leaf dressed.'