تَضيقُ اللَيالي عَن مَحَلَّةِ ماجِدٍ

تَضيقُ اللَيالي عَن مَحَلَّةِ ماجِدٍ

فَما ضَمِنَت إِلّا ذَميمَ فَعالِ

فَما ضَمِنَت إِلّا ذَميمَ فَعالِ

The nights are too narrow for a noble man's dwelling;

The nights are too narrow for Majid's encampment,

for they have housed none but a man of vile deeds.

Yet they guaranteed nothing but the stench of vile deeds,

وَأَيّا مُنا مِثلُ الأُيومِ وَإِنَّما

وَأَيّا مُنا مِثلُ الأُيومِ وَإِنَّما

سَعى لِيَ مِن ساعاتِهِنَّ سَعالُ

سَعى لِيَ مِن ساعاتِهِنَّ سَعالُ

And our days are like serpents, and only

And which of us is like the days? They merely

she-ghouls from their hours have striven for me.

Coughed up hours that did me no good.

فَلا تَسأَلِ المَرءَ الغَنِيَّ عَطائَهُ

فَلا تَسأَلِ المَرءَ الغَنِيَّ عَطائَهُ

وَرَجِّ الغِنى مِن رَبِّكَ المُتَعالي

وَرَجِّ الغِنى مِن رَبِّكَ المُتَعالي

So do not ask the wealthy man for his bounty,

So do not ask a wealthy man for his generosity

and hope for wealth from your Lord, the Exalted.

And seek wealth from your Exalted Lord,

وَمَهلاً بَني الوَرهاءَ ما كانَ فيكُمُ

وَمَهلاً بَني الوَرهاءَ ما كانَ فيكُمُ

رَشيدٌ وَلا أَنتُم بِأَهلِ مَعالي

رَشيدٌ وَلا أَنتُم بِأَهلِ مَعالي

Easy now, sons of the foolish woman: never has there been among you

And wait, O clan of Warha, none among you

a wise man, nor are you worthy of high honors.

Was ever reasonable nor are you now worthy of high moral values,

عَسى جَدُّ خَيلٍ قَرَّبَتكُم مِنَ العُلا

عَسى جَدُّ خَيلٍ قَرَّبَتكُم مِنَ العُلا

يَجودُ لَها مِن عَسجَدٍ بِنِعالِ

يَجودُ لَها مِن عَسجَدٍ بِنِعالِ

May the good fortune of horses that brought you near to eminence

May the excellence of the horses that brought you near supremacy

bestow upon them horseshoes of gold.

Prompt generosity from them toward the shoeless,

هَبوا وَاِجعَلوا لِلجودِ فيكُم بَقِيَّةً

هَبوا وَاِجعَلوا لِلجودِ فيكُم بَقِيَّةً

سِوى جودِ هَمّامٍ عَلى اِبنِ جِعالِ

سِوى جودِ هَمّامٍ عَلى اِبنِ جِعالِ

Give, and leave some remnant of generosity among you,

Come, set aside in yourselves some generosity

beyond Hammām's generosity toward Ibn Jiʿāl, the wolf.

Other than Hammam's generosity toward Ibn Ji'al,

إِذا اليَومُ وَلّى أَعجَزَ القَومَ رَدُّهُ

إِذا اليَومُ وَلّى أَعجَزَ القَومَ رَدُّهُ

وَلَو تَبِعوا آثارَهُ بِرِعالِ

وَلَو تَبِعوا آثارَهُ بِرِعالِ

When the day has passed, people cannot bring it back,

When today passes, its return will confound the people

even if they pursue its tracks with cavalry squadrons.

Even if they trace its footsteps with stirrups

يَمُدّونَ لِلطَعنِ الثَعالِبَ في الوَغى

يَمُدّونَ لِلطَعنِ الثَعالِبَ في الوَغى

وَآسادُهُم عِندَ اللِقاءِ ثِعالِ

وَآسادُهُم عِندَ اللِقاءِ ثِعالِ

They extend their spear-tips—the 'foxes'—to thrust in battle,

They extend their throats to the slanderers in the fray

yet their lions are foxes when battle is joined.

While their lions in the clash are but hares

وَإِنَّ أَخا نُسكٍ دَعا لَكَ بِالَّذي

وَإِنَّ أَخا نُسكٍ دَعا لَكَ بِالَّذي

مَلَكتَ بِضِدٍّ مِن غِناكَ دَعا لي

مَلَكتَ بِضِدٍّ مِن غِناكَ دَعا لي

And indeed, a devout man who prayed for you to have what

Your brother Nusuk prayed for you with that

you possess prayed for me to have the opposite of your wealth.

Opposite to what your wealth prayed for me.