ضِعتَ بَينَ النُهى وَبَينَ الخَيالِ

ضِعتَ بَينَ النُهى وَبَينَ الخَيالِ

يا حَكيمَ النُفوسِ يا اِبنَ المَعالي

يا حَكيمَ النُفوسِ يا اِبنَ المَعالي

You were lost between reason and imagination,

You were placed between inhibitions and imagination

O sage of souls, O son of greatness.

O wise soul, O son of greatness

ضِعتَ في الشَرقِ بَينَ قَومٍ هُجودٍ

ضِعتَ في الشَرقِ بَينَ قَومٍ هُجودٍ

لَم يُفيقوا وَأُمَّةٍ مِكسالِ

لَم يُفيقوا وَأُمَّةٍ مِكسالِ

You were lost in the East among a slumbering people

You were placed in the East among downfallen people

Who have not awakened, and a slothful nation.

Who did not awaken, and a lazy nation

قَد أَذالوكَ بَينَ أُنسٍ وَكَأسٍ

قَد أَذالوكَ بَينَ أُنسٍ وَكَأسٍ

وَغَرامٍ بِظَبيَةٍ أَو غَزالِ

وَغَرامٍ بِظَبيَةٍ أَو غَزالِ

They have debased you amid conviviality and a winecup,

They have humiliated you between companionship and a cup

And passion for a doe or a gazelle,

And passion for a gazelle or a doe

وَنَسيبٍ وَمِدحَةٍ وَهِجاءٍ

وَنَسيبٍ وَمِدحَةٍ وَهِجاءٍ

وَرِثاءٍ وَفِتنَةٍ وَضَلالِ

وَرِثاءٍ وَفِتنَةٍ وَضَلالِ

And love verse, panegyric, and satire,

And lineage and praise and satire

And elegy, temptation, and error,

And elegy and sedition and misguidance

وَحَماسٍ أَراهُ في غَيرِ شَيءٍ

وَحَماسٍ أَراهُ في غَيرِ شَيءٍ

وَصَغارٍ يَجُرُّ ذَيلَ اِختِيالِ

وَصَغارٍ يَجُرُّ ذَيلَ اِختِيالِ

And fervor I see spent on nothing,

And zeal I see it in nothing

And abasement dragging the train of arrogance.

And pettiness that trails the hem of pretense

عِشتَ ما بَينَهُم مُذالاً مُضاعاً

عِشتَ ما بَينَهُم مُذالاً مُضاعاً

وَكَذا كُنتَ في العُصورِ الخَوالي

وَكَذا كُنتَ في العُصورِ الخَوالي

You lived among them, debased and wasted,

You have lived among them disgraced and lost

And so you were in bygone ages.

And so you were in past eras

حَمَّلوكَ العَناءَ مِن حُبِّ لَيلى

حَمَّلوكَ العَناءَ مِن حُبِّ لَيلى

وَسُلَيمى وَوَقفَةِ الأَطلالِ

وَسُلَيمى وَوَقفَةِ الأَطلالِ

They burdened you with the anguish of loving Layla

They burdened you with sorrow from the love of Layla

And Sulayma, and halting at the ruins,

And Sulayma and the ruins of encampments

وَبُكاءٍ عَلى عَزيزٍ تَوَلّى

وَبُكاءٍ عَلى عَزيزٍ تَوَلّى

وَرُسومٍ راحَت بِهِنَّ اللَيالي

وَرُسومٍ راحَت بِهِنَّ اللَيالي

And weeping for a dear one who departed,

And crying over a dear one who turned away

And traces that the nights have carried away.

And customs that have been taken by the nights

وَإِذا ما سَمَوا بِقَدرِكَ يَوماً

وَإِذا ما سَمَوا بِقَدرِكَ يَوماً

أَسكَنوكَ الرِحالَ فَوقَ الجِمالِ

أَسكَنوكَ الرِحالَ فَوقَ الجِمالِ

And if one day they raised your stature,

And if one day they elevate your worth

They lodged you in the saddles atop the camels.

They house you atop camels to settle

آنَ يا شِعرُ أَن نَفُكَّ قُيوداً

آنَ يا شِعرُ أَن نَفُكَّ قُيوداً

قَيَّدَتنا بِها دُعاةُ المُحالِ

قَيَّدَتنا بِها دُعاةُ المُحالِ

It is time, O poetry, for us to loosen the shackles

Now, O poetry, it is time to undo shackles

With which the advocates of the impossible have bound us.

With which the advocates of the impossible have fettered us

فَاِرفَعوا هَذِهِ الكَمائِمِ عَنّا

فَاِرفَعوا هَذِهِ الكَمائِمِ عَنّا

وَدَعونا نَشُمُّ ريحَ الشَمالِ

وَدَعونا نَشُمُّ ريحَ الشَمالِ

So lift these muzzles from us,

So lift these veils from us

And let us breathe the north wind.

And let us smell the wind of the north