أَرِقْنا وَأسْرابُ النُّجومِ هُجوعُ

أَرِقْنا وَأسْرابُ النُّجومِ هُجوعُ

نُعالِجُ هَمّاً أَضْمَرَتْهُ ضُلوعُ

نُعالِجُ هَمّاً أَضْمَرَتْهُ ضُلوعُ

We lay sleepless while the flocks of stars slumbered,

We are awake while the stars withdraw

Wrestling with a sorrow concealed within our ribs.

We wrestle with anguish hidden in our ribs

وَنُعْرِضُ عَنْ بِيضٍ تُديرُ وَراءَنا

وَنُعْرِضُ عَنْ بِيضٍ تُديرُ وَراءَنا

عُيونَ مَهاً فيها دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

عُيونَ مَهاً فيها دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

And we turn away from fair women who cast after us

And we turn away from the white that circles behind us

Eyes like an oryx's, filled with blood and tears.

Eyes filled with tears and blood

وَنَنْهَضُ لِلْعَلْياءِ وَالجَدُّ عاثِرٌ

وَنَنْهَضُ لِلْعَلْياءِ وَالجَدُّ عاثِرٌ

وَنَحْنُ بِمُسْتَنِّ الهَوانِ وُقوعُ

وَنَحْنُ بِمُسْتَنِّ الهَوانِ وُقوعُ

And we rise toward the heights, though fortune stumbles,

And we stand up to the arrogant while seriousness trips us up

While we lie fallen on humiliation's racecourse.

And we are in the grip of disgrace and submission

وَهَلْ تَرْفَعُ الأَيامُ إِلّا عِصابَةً

وَهَلْ تَرْفَعُ الأَيامُ إِلّا عِصابَةً

عَفَتْ بِهِمُ لِلْمَكْرُماتِ رُبوعُ

عَفَتْ بِهِمُ لِلْمَكْرُماتِ رُبوعُ

And do the days exalt any but a band

And does time raise up anything but a gang

Through whom the abodes of noble deeds have vanished?

Whose heights are deserted by the noble?

لَهُمْ ثَرْوَةٌ يَمْتَدُّ في اللُّؤْمِ باعُها

لَهُمْ ثَرْوَةٌ يَمْتَدُّ في اللُّؤْمِ باعُها

حَواهَا نَعامٌ في النَّعيمِ رَتُوعُ

حَواهَا نَعامٌ في النَّعيمِ رَتُوعُ

They have wealth whose reach extends far in baseness,

They have wealth that stretches out in adversity

Amassed by ostriches grazing amid luxury.

Containing ostriches enjoying bliss and ease

إِذَا شَبِعوا باتُوا نِياماً وَجَارُهُمْ

إِذَا شَبِعوا باتُوا نِياماً وَجَارُهُمْ

يُصارِمُ جَفْنَيْهِ الكَرَى وَيَجُوعُ

يُصارِمُ جَفْنَيْهِ الكَرَى وَيَجُوعُ

When they have eaten their fill, they sleep all night; as for their neighbor,

When they are full they sleep as their neighbor

Sleep forsakes his eyelids, and he goes hungry.

Battles his eyelids, hungering

شَكَتْ عُقَبَ المَسْرَى مَطَايَا تَؤُمُّهُمْ

شَكَتْ عُقَبَ المَسْرَى مَطَايَا تَؤُمُّهُمْ

وَتَذْرَعُ أَجْوازَ الفَلا وَتَبوعُ

وَتَذْرَعُ أَجْوازَ الفَلا وَتَبوعُ

The mounts heading for them complained of the stages of night travel,

The heels of the course complained of bearing them

As they crossed the hearts of the deserts with long strides.

And the vast expanse of wilderness roams and wanders

فَلا زِلْنَ حَسْرَى لِمْ حَمَلْنَ إِلَيْهِمُ

فَلا زِلْنَ حَسْرَى لِمْ حَمَلْنَ إِلَيْهِمُ

فَتىً لا يُناغِي نَاظِرَيْهِ خُشوعُ

فَتىً لا يُناغِي نَاظِرَيْهِ خُشوعُ

So may they remain exhausted—why did they carry to them

So cease your sorrow that we carried to them

A young man whose eyes meekness never woos?

A youth whose gaze knows no arrogance or humility

وَهُمْ نَفَضُ الآفاقِ قَدْ خَبُثَتْ لَهُمْ

وَهُمْ نَفَضُ الآفاقِ قَدْ خَبُثَتْ لَهُمْ

أُصُولٌ فَما طَابَتْ لَهُنَّ فُروعُ

أُصُولٌ فَما طَابَتْ لَهُنَّ فُروعُ

And they are the castoffs of the horizons; foul are their

And they are the elite while morals have corrupted for them

Roots, and so no wholesome branches have sprung from them.

Roots whose branches are no good

إِذَا زَارَ مَغْناهُمْ كَريمٌ فَما لَهُ

إِذَا زَارَ مَغْناهُمْ كَريمٌ فَما لَهُ

إِليْهَمْ إِذَا حُمَّ الفِرَاقُ رُجوعُ

إِليْهَمْ إِذَا حُمَّ الفِرَاقُ رُجوعُ

When a noble man visits their abode, he has no

When a generous one visits their magnificence

Return to them once parting is decreed.

He has no way back to them when separation arrives