قَد لَعِبَ الدَهرُ عَلى هامَتي

قَد لَعِبَ الدَهرُ عَلى هامَتي

وَذُقتُ مُرّاً بَعدَ حَلواءِ

وَذُقتُ مُرّاً بَعدَ حَلواءِ

Time has had its sport upon my head,

Time has played havoc with my resolve

And I have tasted bitterness after sweetness.

And I have tasted bitter after sweet

إِن كُنتِ حَرباً لَهُمُ فَاِنظُري

إِن كُنتِ حَرباً لَهُمُ فَاِنظُري

شَطري بِعَينٍ غَيرِ حَولاءِ

شَطري بِعَينٍ غَيرِ حَولاءِ

If you are their enemy, then look

If you are at war with them, watch

Toward me with an eye that does not squint.

My situation with impartial eyes

يا حُسنَها حينَ تَراءَت لَنا

يا حُسنَها حينَ تَراءَت لَنا

مَكسورَةَ العَينِ بِإِغفاءِ

مَكسورَةَ العَينِ بِإِغفاءِ

How lovely she was when she appeared to us,

Oh her beauty when she appeared to us

Her eye drooping with drowsiness.

With languid eyes and drowsiness

كَأَنَّما أَلبَستَها رَوضَةً

كَأَنَّما أَلبَستَها رَوضَةً

ما بَينَ صَفراءَ وَخَضراءِ

ما بَينَ صَفراءَ وَخَضراءِ

As though you had clothed her in a garden,

As if you had clothed her in a garden

Between yellow and green.

Between yellow and green

يَلومُني عَمروٌ عَلى إِصبُعٍ

يَلومُني عَمروٌ عَلى إِصبُعٍ

نَمَّت عَلَيَّ السِرَّ خَرساءِ

نَمَّت عَلَيَّ السِرَّ خَرساءِ

Amr blames me for a finger

Amr blames me for a finger

That, though mute, betrayed my secret.

On which the secrets grew silent

لِلناسِ حاجاتٌ وَمِنّي الهَوى

لِلناسِ حاجاتٌ وَمِنّي الهَوى

يُذكيهِ شَيءٌ بَعدَ أَشياءِ

يُذكيهِ شَيءٌ بَعدَ أَشياءِ

People have needs; from me comes love,

People have needs and I have passion

Kindled by one thing after another.

Kindled by things after other things

بَل أَيُّها المَهجورُ مِن رَأيِهِ

بَل أَيُّها المَهجورُ مِن رَأيِهِ

أَعتِب أَخاً وَاِخرُج عَنِ الداءِ

أَعتِب أَخاً وَاِخرُج عَنِ الداءِ

But you, deserted by your own good sense,

But oh you who are spurned by his opinion

Appease a brother, and leave the sickness behind.

Reproach a brother and step away from harm

مَن يَأخُذِ النارَ بِأَطرافِهِ

مَن يَأخُذِ النارَ بِأَطرافِهِ

يَنضَح عَلى النارِ مِنَ بإيتائي

يَنضَح عَلى النارِ مِنَ بإيتائي

Whoever takes fire with his fingertips

He who takes fire in his palms

Sprinkles the fire with some of my giving [wording unclear].

Will have the fire splash back from my verses

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ في سُخطِنا ناصِبٌ

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ في سُخطِنا ناصِبٌ

وَمِن هَوانا نازِحٌ ناءِ

وَمِن هَوانا نازِحٌ ناءِ

You are a man bent on earning our displeasure,

You are a man set against our wrath

Remote and far removed from our love.

And fleeing from our disgrace

كَأَنَّما أَقسَمتَ لا تَبتَغي

كَأَنَّما أَقسَمتَ لا تَبتَغي

بِرّي وَلا تَحفَل بِئيتائي

بِرّي وَلا تَحفَل بِئيتائي

As though you had sworn not to seek

As if you swore not to seek

My kindness, nor to care for my giving.

My innocence or heed my verses

وَإِن تَعَلَّلتُ إِلى زَلَّةٍ

وَإِن تَعَلَّلتُ إِلى زَلَّةٍ

أَكَلتُ في سَبعَةِ أَمعاءِ

أَكَلتُ في سَبعَةِ أَمعاءِ

And if I sought a pretext for a lapse,

And if I slip into a sin

I ate with seven intestines.

I have eaten forbidden meat

حَسَدتَني حينَ أَصَبتُ الغِنى

حَسَدتَني حينَ أَصَبتُ الغِنى

ما كُنتَ إِلّا كَاِبنَ حَوّاءِ

ما كُنتَ إِلّا كَاِبنَ حَوّاءِ

You envied me when I attained wealth;

You envied me when I attained wealth

You were only like the son of Eve,

You were nothing but a son of Eve

لاقى أَخاهُ مُسلِماً مُحرِماً

لاقى أَخاهُ مُسلِماً مُحرِماً

بِطَعنَةٍ في الصُبحِ نَجلاءِ

بِطَعنَةٍ في الصُبحِ نَجلاءِ

Who met his brother, a Muslim and inviolable,

He met his brother, a pilgrim,

With a gaping stab at dawn.

And stabbed him at dawn in treachery

وَأَنتَ تَلحاني وَلا ذَنبَ لي

وَأَنتَ تَلحاني وَلا ذَنبَ لي

لَكُم يُرى حَمّالَ أَعبائي

لَكُم يُرى حَمّالَ أَعبائي

And you reproach me, though no fault of mine

While you accuse me though I am innocent

Is visible to you, O bearer of my burdens.

I appear to you bearing burdens

كَأَنَّما عانيتَ بي عائِفاً

كَأَنَّما عانيتَ بي عائِفاً

أَزرَقَ مِن أَهلِ حَروراءِ

أَزرَقَ مِن أَهلِ حَروراءِ

As though in me you had to contend with an augur,

As if you have suffered harm from me

Blue-eyed, from the people of Harura.

More blue than the people of Haroura

فَاِرحَل ذَميماً أَو أَقِم عائِذاً

فَاِرحَل ذَميماً أَو أَقِم عائِذاً

مُلّيتَ مِن غِلٍّ وَأَدواءِ

مُلّيتَ مِن غِلٍّ وَأَدواءِ

Then depart disgraced, or stay seeking refuge:

So depart, blameworthy, or stay, finding refuge,

May you live long with rancor and ailments!

You are fed up with malice and harm

لا رَقَأَت عَينُ اِمرِىءٍ شامِتٍ

لا رَقَأَت عَينُ اِمرِىءٍ شامِتٍ

يَبكي أَخاً لَيسَ بِبَكّاءِ

يَبكي أَخاً لَيسَ بِبَكّاءِ

May the eye of a gloating man never dry,

No eye of a gloating enemy shall shed a tear

Who weeps for a brother, though he is no great weeper.

Crying for a brother who is no crier

لَو كُنتَ سَيفاً لي أُلاقي بِهِ

لَو كُنتَ سَيفاً لي أُلاقي بِهِ

طِبتُ بِهِ نَفساً لِأَعدائي

طِبتُ بِهِ نَفساً لِأَعدائي

If you were a sword of mine to fight with,

If you were a sword I had to face

I would gladly yield it to my enemies.

I would have healed myself of my enemies

أَو كُنتَ نَفسي جُمِعَت في يَدي

أَو كُنتَ نَفسي جُمِعَت في يَدي

أَلفَيتَني سَمحاً بِإِبقاءِ

أَلفَيتَني سَمحاً بِإِبقاءِ

Or if you were my soul, gathered in my hand,

Or if you were my soul in my hands

You would find me generous in sparing it.

I would have found myself forgiving