إِن أُمسِ مُنقَبِضَ اليَدَينِ عَنِ الغِنى

إِن أُمسِ مُنقَبِضَ اليَدَينِ عَنِ الغِنى

وَعَنِ العَدُوِّ مُخَيَّسَ الشَيطانِ

وَعَنِ العَدُوِّ مُخَيَّسَ الشَيطانِ

If evening finds me with hands drawn back from wealth,

Yesterday, want turned from me its greedy hands

And my devil held in check against the enemy,

And from the foe crept off the cringing Satan;

فَلَقَد أَروحُ عَلى اللِئامِ مُسَلَّطاً

فَلَقَد أَروحُ عَلى اللِئامِ مُسَلَّطاً

ثَلِجَ المُقيلُ مُنَعَّمَ النَدمانِ

ثَلِجَ المُقيلُ مُنَعَّمَ النَدمانِ

Yet I have gone forth, given power over the base,

So I spend freely, playing host to common folk,

Cool in my noonday rest, my boon companion pampered,

Cool calm in fortune’s spite and sure in purpose.

في ظِلِّ عَيشِ عَشيرَةٍ مَحمودَةٍ

في ظِلِّ عَيشِ عَشيرَةٍ مَحمودَةٍ

تَندَى يَدي وَيُخافُ فَرطُ لِساني

تَندَى يَدي وَيُخافُ فَرطُ لِساني

Living in the shade of a praiseworthy clan,

At ease I dwell with noble tribes around

My hand moist with bounty, and my tongue’s excesses feared,

Whose hands from mine and tongues from slips I guard.

أَزمانَ جِنِّيُّ الشَبابِ مُطاوِعٌ

أَزمانَ جِنِّيُّ الشَبابِ مُطاوِعٌ

وَإِذِ الأَميرُ عَلَيَّ مِن حَرّانِ

وَإِذِ الأَميرُ عَلَيَّ مِن حَرّانِ

In days when youth’s jinni obeyed me,

To youth and spring I bend a willing ear

And when the ruler over me was from Harran.

And prince's word - obey it out of Harran.

فَاِكحَل بِعَبدَةَ مُقلَتَيكَ مِنَ القَذى

فَاِكحَل بِعَبدَةَ مُقلَتَيكَ مِنَ القَذى

وَبِوَشكِ رُؤيَتِها مِنَ الهَمَلانِ

وَبِوَشكِ رُؤيَتِها مِنَ الهَمَلانِ

So kohl your two eyes with Abda, to cleanse them of grit,

Then comfort you with love your longing eyes

And with the nearness of seeing her, to stop their tears from streaming;

From motes with a glance at her from lids do freed.

فَلَقُربُ مَن تَهوى وَأَنتَ مُتَيَّمٌ

فَلَقُربُ مَن تَهوى وَأَنتَ مُتَيَّمٌ

أَشفى لِدائِكَ مِن بَني مَروانِ

أَشفى لِدائِكَ مِن بَني مَروانِ

For surely, nearness to the one you love, when you are love-enslaved,

So blessing you who pine for one long loved -

Is more healing for your illness than the sons of Marwan.

Than Marwan’s sons that meeting works best cure.