يائِبنَةَO daughter of الدَهرِTime هَلhave? رَأَيتِyou have seen كَمِثليone like me
يائِبنَةَ الدَهرِ هَل رَأَيتِ كَمِثلي
عِندَwhen دَفعِcasting off المُنىwishes وَنفيِand banishing الشُكوكِdoubts
عِندَ دَفعِ المُنى وَنفيِ الشُكوكِ
O daughter of Time, have you seen my like
O companion of life, have you ever seen someone like me
in casting off wishes and banishing doubts?
When repelling desires and doubting doubts
أَركَبُI traverse المَهمَهَthe trackless wilderness المَهولَthe dreadful بِعَزمٍwith resolve
أَركَبُ المَهمَهَ المَهولَ بِعَزمٍ
وَثِيابيand my garments ظَلامَةُdarkness الحَلكوكِpitch-black gloom
وَثِيابي ظَلامَةُ الحَلكوكِ
I traverse the dreadful wilderness with resolve,
I embark on a momentous mission with determination
with pitch-black darkness for my garments.
And my clothes are the darkness of convolutions
وَأَشُقُّand I tear open الجُيوبَthe collars مِنfrom خَلعِthe robes of اللَيnight (first part)
وَأَشُقُّ الجُيوبَ مِن خَلعِ اللَي
لِnight (completion) بِكَفٍّwith a hand مِنَof الزَماعِfirm determination بَتوكِclean-severing
لِ بِكَفٍّ مِنَ الزَماعِ بَتوكِ
And I tear open the collars of night's robes
I tear open sleeves to get rid of weariness
with a clean-severing hand of determination.
With a handful of resolve and a strong grip
وَأَناand I الباعِثُthe one who rouses العَزيمَresolve إِلىtoward الهَمambitions (first part)
وَأَنا الباعِثُ العَزيمَ إِلى الهَم
مِambitions (completion) فَأُجليهِso I bring it forth عَنfrom ثَباتِthe steadfastness of الحَنيكِthe seasoned man
مِ فَأُجليهِ عَن ثَباتِ الحَنيكِ
And I am the one who rouses resolve toward ambition,
And I am the one who rouses determination towards anxiety
drawing it forth from a veteran's steadfastness.
So I dispel it from the steadfastness of the frowning one
شَمَّرِيُّswift and resolute الجَنانِof heart كَالخَذمِlike a cleaving sword الصاkeen-edged (first part)
شَمَّرِيُّ الجَنانِ كَالخَذمِ الصا
رِمِkeen-edged (completion) بَينَbetween الإِرهافِkeen honing وَالتَحبيكِand firm workmanship
رِمِ بَينَ الإِرهافِ وَالتَحبيكِ
Resolute of heart, like a cleaving sword,
The protector of the soul like the cheeky and audacious one
keenly honed and firmly wrought.
Wavering between arrogance and entanglement
فيon غِرارَيهِits two cutting edges وَالذُبابِand the point بَناتُdaughters of الذَرtiny ants (first part)
في غِرارَيهِ وَالذُبابِ بَناتُ الذَر
رِtiny ants (completion) يَرفُلنَtrail their robes فيwithin نَهيكٍa keen blade سَبيكِof cast metal
رِ يَرفُلنَ في نَهيكٍ سَبيكِ
On its two edges and its point, the daughters of tiny ants
In his thickets, the flies, daughters of the insects
trail their robes within keen, cast steel.
Frolick in an alluring and interwoven manner
مُتَجافٍkeeping away عَنِfrom الوِسادِthe pillow بِقَلبٍwith a heart
مُتَجافٍ عَنِ الوِسادِ بِقَلبٍ
يَقِظِalert اللُبِّof mind غَيرِnot جَوشٍdull صَكيكِfeeble
يَقِظِ اللُبِّ غَيرِ جَوشٍ صَكيكِ
I keep away from the pillow, with a heart
Indifferent to pillows, with a heart that keeps
alert of mind, neither dull nor feeble.
The mind awake, not boiling or hissing
أَركَبُI ride through اللَيلَthe night فيin زُهاthe height of هائِلِthe terror of اللَيnight (first part)
أَركَبُ اللَيلَ في زُها هائِلِ اللَي
لِnight (completion) وَرَأدَand the early part of الضُحىthe forenoon لِوَقتِup to the time of الدُلوكِthe sun's decline
لِ وَرَأدَ الضُحى لِوَقتِ الدُلوكِ
I ride through night at the height of its terror,
I ride the night in the horror of the immense darkness
and through early forenoon until the sun declines.
And the dawn returns at the time of buckets
وَكَذاand thus أَشتَهيI wish يَكونُto be فَتىa young man of الحِمmettle (first part)
وَكَذا أَشتَهي يَكونُ فَتى الحِم
مَةِmettle (completion) غَيرَnot الخُمَيِّمِthe petty weakling المَأفوكِthe deluded
مَةِ غَيرَ الخُمَيِّمِ المَأفوكِ
And so I wish a young man of mettle to be,
And so I wish to be the young man of ambition
not a petty, deluded weakling.
Not the lowly and defeated one
وَإِلىand to اِخوَتيmy brothers ذَويpossessors of الرَدَبِrank (reading uncertain) الغُرillustrious (first part)
وَإِلى اِخوَتي ذَوي الرَدَبِ الغُر
رِillustrious (completion) أُؤَدّيI convey تَحِيَّتيmy greeting وَأَلوكيand my message
رِ أُؤَدّي تَحِيَّتي وَأَلوكي
And to my brothers of illustrious rank [reading uncertain],
And to my brothers, owners of the camel litter
I convey my greeting and my message,
I send my greetings and affections
حَيِّهِمtheir living ones مِنهُمُamong them كَشاهِدِlike one present among عُربٍArabs
حَيِّهِم مِنهُمُ كَشاهِدِ عُربٍ
غائِبٍabsent مِنهُمُfrom them بِدارِin the abode of عَتيكِʿAtīk
غائِبٍ مِنهُمُ بِدارِ عَتيكِ
to the living among them, whether Arabs close at hand
Greet them from someone witnessing the Bedouins
or away from them in the abode of ʿAtīk.
Who is absent from them in the abode of Atik
فَمَديحُthen praise (context unclear) فَغورِهاthen its lowlands فَتِهامٍthen Tihām
فَمَديحُ فَغورِها فَتِهامٍ
فَبِأَرضِthen in the land of العِراقِIraq وَاليَرموكِand the Yarmūk
فَبِأَرضِ العِراقِ وَاليَرموكِ
Then praise [wording unclear], then its lowlands, then Tihām;
So the praise of its expanses is conjecture
then in the land of Iraq and the Yarmūk;
In the land of Iraq and Yarmouk
فَخُراسانَthen Khurāsān صاحَfriend فَاليَمَنِthen Yemen الناdistant (first part)
فَخُراسانَ صاحَ فَاليَمَنِ النا
زِحِdistant (completion) صَنعائِهاits Ṣanʿāʾ فَأَهلِthen the people of تَبوكِTabūk
زِحِ صَنعائِها فَأَهلِ تَبوكِ
then Khurāsān, friend, then Yemen's distant
Khorasan roared, and Yemen the remover
Ṣanʿāʾ, then the people of Tabūk.
The making of its Sanaa, and the people of Tabuk
وَيلَكُمwoe to you وَيبَكُمalas for you لَقَدindeed هُتِكَhas been violated الشِعpoetry (first part)
وَيلَكُم وَيبَكُم لَقَد هُتِكَ الشِع
رُpoetry (completion) فَبَكّواso weep لِسِترِهِfor its veil المَهتوكِthe torn
رُ فَبَكّوا لِسِترِهِ المَهتوكِ
Woe to you, alas for you! Poetry has been violated;
Woe to you, may you cry, poetry has been violated
so weep for its torn veil.
So weep for its ravaged curtain
ثُمَّthen شُقّواtear open الجُيوبَthe collars قَدalready قَرُبَhas drawn near الأَمthe affair (first part)
ثُمَّ شُقّوا الجُيوبَ قَد قَرُبَ الأَم
رُthe affair (completion) وَاِتِّساعُهُand its extent كَأَبيlike Abū الدُروكِal-Durūk
رُ وَاِتِّساعُهُ كَأَبي الدُروكِ
Then tear your collars; the affair has drawn near,
Then they tore open the sleeves, the matter came close
and its extent is like that of Abū al-Durūk.
And its vastness is like Abu Al-Durook
ياO اِمرَأَImruʾ القَيسِal-Qays لَوif رَأَيتَyou saw حَبيكَthe close weave of الthe (attached to next line's 'poetry')
يا اِمرَأَ القَيسِ لَو رَأَيتَ حَبيكَ ال
شِعرِpoetry يُغدىis fed بِماءِwith the water of لَفظٍdiction رَكيكِfeeble
شِعرِ يُغدى بِماءِ لَفظٍ رَكيكِ
O Imruʾ al-Qays, if you saw the close weave of
O woman of Qais, if you saw your beloved poetry
poetry fed with the water of feeble diction,
Brought down by the water of inferior diction
لَبَكَيتَyou would surely weep الدِماءَblood لِلأَدَبِfor literature الغَضِّfresh and tender
لَبَكَيتَ الدِماءَ لِلأَدَبِ الغَضِّ
بِفَيضٍwith a flood مِنَof الدُموعِtears سَفوكِpouring abundantly
بِفَيضٍ مِنَ الدُموعِ سَفوكِ
you would weep blood for the tender art of letters,
You would cry tears of blood for literature
in a copious, spilling flood of tears.
In a stream of pouring tears
وَلَأَبكَيتَand you would make weep طَرفَةًṬarafa وَزُهَيراًand Zuhayr
وَلَأَبكَيتَ طَرفَةً وَزُهَيراً
وَلَبيداًand Labīd وَقَرمِand the chief of آلِthe house of نَهيكِNahīk
وَلَبيداً وَقَرمِ آلِ نَهيكِ
And you would make Ṭarafa and Zuhayr weep,
You would make Tarafa, Zuhair, Labid and the family of Nahik cry
and Labīd, and the chief of the house of Nahīk.
And the two Nabighas cried from intense passion
وَبَكىand would weep النابِغانِthe two Nābighas مِنfrom فَرطِan excess of وَجدٍgrief
وَبَكى النابِغانِ مِن فَرطِ وَجدٍ
ثُمَّthen صَنّاجَةُthe cymbal-player of القَريضِverse المَحوكِtightly woven
ثُمَّ صَنّاجَةُ القَريضِ المَحوكِ
And the two Nābighas would weep from overwhelming grief,
Then the plaiter of the well-woven poem
then the cymbal-player of tightly woven verse.
Where are Shammakh, Al-Kumait, and he of renown, the describer of momentous events and Nabik?
أَينَwhere شَمّاخُShammākh وَالكُمَيتُand al-Kumayt وَذوand Dhū الرُمal-Rummah (first part)
أَينَ شَمّاخُ وَالكُمَيتُ وَذو الرُم
مَةِal-Rummah (completion) وَصّافُthe vivid describer of مَهمَهٍa trackless wilderness وَنَبيكِand a hillock
مَةِ وَصّافُ مَهمَهٍ وَنَبيكِ
Where are Shammākh, al-Kumayt, and Dhū al-Rummah,
Where is that witty one, I mean Ibn Hani
the vivid describer of wilderness and hillock?
Good looking and taught the kings' companions?
أَينَwhere ذاكَthat الظَريفُrefined wit أَعنيI mean اِبنَIbn (son of) هانيHāni
أَينَ ذاكَ الظَريفُ أَعني اِبنَ هاني
حَسَناًḤasan وَيبَهُalas for him نَديمَthe boon companion of المُلوكِkings
حَسَناً وَيبَهُ نَديمَ المُلوكِ
Where is that elegant wit—I mean Ibn Hāni,
Death has ruled over you
Ḥasan—alas for him!—the boon companion of kings?
And its rule came without doubts
حَكَمَتpassed judgment فيكُمُupon you أَكُفُّthe hands of المَناياmortal fates
حَكَمَت فيكُمُ أَكُفُّ المَنايا
فَجَرىso took effect حُكمُهاits verdict بِغَيرِwithout شُكوكِdoubts
فَجَرى حُكمُها بِغَيرِ شُكوكِ
The hands of death passed judgment upon you,
And I was substituted for them with the substitution
and its verdict took effect without doubt.
Of the blind for the one-eyed, the unworthy for the worthy
وَتَبَدَّلتُand I took in exchange مِنهُمُin their place البَدَلَthe replacement الأَعone-eyed (first part)
وَتَبَدَّلتُ مِنهُمُ البَدَلَ الأَع
وَرَone-eyed (completion) بَينِbetween قُذرَةٍa filthy wretch وَأَفيكِand a habitual liar
وَرَ بَينِ قُذرَةٍ وَأَفيكِ
And I have taken in their stead a one-eyed replacement,
The people are gone. Rather, the time of the people has passed
between a filthy wretch and a habitual liar.
And I was left for the ravaged time
ذَهَبَhave gone الناسُthe people بَلrather مَضىhas passed زَمَنُthe age of الناpeople (first part)
ذَهَبَ الناسُ بَل مَضى زَمَنُ النا
سِpeople (completion) وَخُلِّفتُand I was left behind لِلزَمانِto Time الهَتوكِthe ravaging
سِ وَخُلِّفتُ لِلزَمانِ الهَتوكِ
People are gone—rather, the age of people has passed,
and I have been left to ravaging Time.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.