السَعدُ يَجعَلُ ذَرِّيَّ الدَبى نِعَماً

السَعدُ يَجعَلُ ذَرِّيَّ الدَبى نِعَماً

وَالنَحسُ يُهلِكُ ما لِلمَرءِ مِن أَمَرِ

وَالنَحسُ يُهلِكُ ما لِلمَرءِ مِن أَمَرِ

Good fortune turns tiny locust nymphs into blessings,

Good fortune makes dew-drenched grasslands bountiful,

and ill fortune destroys whatever wealth a man possesses.

While misfortune destroys all a man holds dear.

وَالخَمرُ تَخميرُ عُقلٍ فَاِجفُ ضارِبَةً

وَالخَمرُ تَخميرُ عُقلٍ فَاِجفُ ضارِبَةً

ترمي الحِجا في ضَراءِ الوِردِ وَالخَمَرِ

ترمي الحِجا في ضَراءِ الوِردِ وَالخَمَرِ

Wine veils reason; shun that assailant

Wine ferments the mind into a pounding frenzy,

that shoots at the mind amid the watering-place's brush and cover.

Hurling spears amidst roses and wine.

يُعَلِّلُ الحَيُّ نَفساً غَيرَ باقِيَةٍ

يُعَلِّلُ الحَيُّ نَفساً غَيرَ باقِيَةٍ

حَتّى يُقَصِّرَ عَنهُ اللَيلَ بِالسَمَرِ

حَتّى يُقَصِّرَ عَنهُ اللَيلَ بِالسَمَرِ

The living man diverts a soul that will not last,

The living hasten the death of their transient souls,

to shorten his night with evening conversation.

Shortening the nights with wakeful talk.

لا يُعجِبَنَّكَ في جُنحِ الدُجى قَمَرٌ

لا يُعجِبَنَّكَ في جُنحِ الدُجى قَمَرٌ

فَإِنَّ عُقبى مُحاقٍ غايَةُ القَمَرِ

فَإِنَّ عُقبى مُحاقٍ غايَةُ القَمَرِ

Let no moon delight you in the dark wing of night,

Do not admire the moon sailing the darkling sky,

for utter waning is the moon's final fate.

For the moon's glory ends in eclipse.

وَالدَهرُ أَنسى بَني بَكرٍ بُجُيرَهُمُ

وَالدَهرُ أَنسى بَني بَكرٍ بُجُيرَهُمُ

وَسَوفَ يُنسي قُرَيشاً غَدرَةَ الشَمِرِ

وَسَوفَ يُنسي قُرَيشاً غَدرَةَ الشَمِرِ

Time made Banu Bakr forget their Bujayr,

Time made the Bakr forget their tents,

and will make Quraysh forget al-Shamir's treachery.

And will make Quraysh forget betrayal by Sumayr.

وَلا تَروقَنَّكَ الأَغصانُ مائِدَةً

وَلا تَروقَنَّكَ الأَغصانُ مائِدَةً

فَإِنَّما تُحمَدُ الأَشجارُ بِالثَمَرِ

فَإِنَّما تُحمَدُ الأَشجارُ بِالثَمَرِ

And let no swaying branches charm you,

Though branches may please you as a banquet,

for trees are praised only for their fruit.

Trees are praised for their fruit, nothing more.

عَجِبتُ لِلظَبيِ مَنسوباً إِلى أَسَدٍ

عَجِبتُ لِلظَبيِ مَنسوباً إِلى أَسَدٍ

وَلِلمَهاةِ الَّتي تُعزى إِلى النَمِرِ

وَلِلمَهاةِ الَّتي تُعزى إِلى النَمِرِ

I marvel at a gazelle traced to Asad, the lion,

I marvel how the gazelle claims noble descent

and at an oryx ascribed to al-Namir, the leopard,

And the ostrich boasts lineage from the tiger.

في عالَمٍ غَيرَةُ الحَمراءِ عادَتُهُم

في عالَمٍ غَيرَةُ الحَمراءِ عادَتُهُم

وَلَيسَ تُعرَفُ فيهِمُ غَيرَةُ الحُمُرِ

وَلَيسَ تُعرَفُ فيهِمُ غَيرَةُ الحُمُرِ

in a world where jealousy for the fair-skinned woman is their custom,

In a world where zebras have coquettish pride

while the jealousy of asses is unknown among them.

And donkeys lack all jealousy and zeal.

وَحَجَّ كَلمِيَ بَعضُ الناسِ مُعتَمِراً

وَحَجَّ كَلمِيَ بَعضُ الناسِ مُعتَمِراً

فَهَل أُلامُ عَلى حَجٍّ وَمُعتَمَرِ

فَهَل أُلامُ عَلى حَجٍّ وَمُعتَمَرِ

And some people probed my wound as turbaned pilgrims;

My words made a man go on pilgrimage,

so am I to be blamed for pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage?

So should I be blamed for his Hajj and Umrah?

وَمُضمَراتِ أُمورٍ زادَهُنَّ سَناً

وَمُضمَراتِ أُمورٍ زادَهُنَّ سَناً

إِضمارُهُنَّ وَتَجري الخَيلُ بِالضُمُرِ

إِضمارُهُنَّ وَتَجري الخَيلُ بِالضُمُرِ

And many hidden matters have had their radiance increased

Secrets, hidden over years, only grew

by their concealment; horses run by virtue of leanness.

As their silence stretched and war-steeds charged.

خَلَّدتُهُنَّ بِسِجنِ السِرِّ مِن خَلَدٍ

خَلَّدتُهُنَّ بِسِجنِ السِرِّ مِن خَلَدٍ

سَوداؤُهُ مِن أَعادي البيضِ في الخُمُرِ

سَوداؤُهُ مِن أَعادي البيضِ في الخُمُرِ

I confined them forever in secrecy's prison within a mind

I imprisoned them in the jail of my heart,

whose black core is an enemy of fair women in veils.

Their blackness shaming white robes in vats of wine.

لَمّا تَوَلّى يَزيدُ الأَمرَ هانَ على

لَمّا تَوَلّى يَزيدُ الأَمرَ هانَ على

مَعاشِرٍ كَونُهُ مِن قَبلُ في عُمَرِ

مَعاشِرٍ كَونُهُ مِن قَبلُ في عُمَرِ

When Yazid took power, it mattered little to

When Yazid took power, it shamed the hordes

some people that it had previously rested with Umar.

Who earlier revelled in Umar's reign.

تَخافُ قُمرَ اللَيالي وَهيَ باهِشَةٌ

تَخافُ قُمرَ اللَيالي وَهيَ باهِشَةٌ

إِلى الأَنامِ بِأَيدي غالَةٍ قُمُرِ

إِلى الأَنامِ بِأَيدي غالَةٍ قُمُرِ

You fear the moonlit nights, while they reach out

The shining moon fears the rough mob

toward humankind with the hands of pale destroyers.

Will seize her, a prize pearled hands once held.

نَعوذُ بِاللَهِ مِن مُلكٍ نُشَبِّهُهُ

نَعوذُ بِاللَهِ مِن مُلكٍ نُشَبِّهُهُ

غَيماً أَراقَ مَتى لا يُمرَ لا يَمِرِ

غَيماً أَراقَ مَتى لا يُمرَ لا يَمِرِ

We seek refuge in God from a kingship that we liken

God protect us from a king who we liken

to a cloud flashing lightning: unless milked, it gives no rain.

To a raincloud that pours with no control or check!

وَلِلمَقاديرِ أَحكامٌ إِذا وَقَعَت

وَلِلمَقاديرِ أَحكامٌ إِذا وَقَعَت

بِالهَضبِ مارَ أَو اللُجِّيِّ لَم يَمُرِ

بِالهَضبِ مارَ أَو اللُجِّيِّ لَم يَمُرِ

And fate has decrees that, when they fall

When Destiny's decrees take place

on rocky heights, make them sway, or on the deep sea, still its motion.

On plain or mount they will not be reversed.

صارَ الكِتابُ مَزاميرَ الغُواةِ لَهُم

صارَ الكِتابُ مَزاميرَ الغُواةِ لَهُم

بِهِ أَغانِيُّ في حاميمَ وَالزُمَرِ

بِهِ أَغانِيُّ في حاميمَ وَالزُمَرِ

The Book has become the pipes of the erring; for them

The Book has become the wantons' lutes,

there are songs in it, in Ha Mim and al-Zumar.

Singing ditties in the taverns' ill-tuned roar.

صَلَّوا بِهِ ثُمَّ صَلّوا في مَظالِمِهِم

صَلَّوا بِهِ ثُمَّ صَلّوا في مَظالِمِهِم

مِثلَ السُيوفِ عَلى المُستَأنِسِ القُمُرِ

مِثلَ السُيوفِ عَلى المُستَأنِسِ القُمُرِ

They prayed with it, then clanged in their acts of oppression,

They pray with it, then in their wrongs, they pray

like swords against tame turtledoves.

Like swords slashing gentle, friendly moons.

قَد خانَتِ الَبَعلَ أُنثى تَستَجيشُ لَهُ

قَد خانَتِ الَبَعلَ أُنثى تَستَجيشُ لَهُ

بِهَمزَةٍ وَهوَ غَيثٌ جِدُّ مُنهَمِرِ

بِهَمزَةٍ وَهوَ غَيثٌ جِدُّ مُنهَمِرِ

A woman has indeed betrayed her husband, summoning troops for him

A wife betrays her mate, though he may summon rain,

with a prod, though he is rain pouring down in torrents.

With a mere glance, when clouds begin to pour.