لَو شِئتِ أَقصَرتِ مِن لَومي وَمِن عَذَلي

لَو شِئتِ أَقصَرتِ مِن لَومي وَمِن عَذَلي

فَالدَهرُ قَسَّمَ يَومَيهِ عَلَيَّ وَلي

فَالدَهرُ قَسَّمَ يَومَيهِ عَلَيَّ وَلي

If you wished, you would desist from reproaching and censuring me.

If you had wished, you would have shortened my blame and my rebuke

For fate apportioned its two days—one against me, one in my favor.

For fate has divided its days against me

لا تَحسَبِيني أَغُضُّ الطَرفَ مِن جَزَعٍ

لا تَحسَبِيني أَغُضُّ الطَرفَ مِن جَزَعٍ

فَالحُزنُ لِلخَودِ لَيسَ الحُزنُ لِلرَّجُلِ

فَالحُزنُ لِلخَودِ لَيسَ الحُزنُ لِلرَّجُلِ

Do not think I lower my gaze from distress.

Do not think I turn my eyes away out of despair

For grief belongs to the fair maiden; grief is not for a man.

For sadness is for the cheek, not for the man

كَم قَد عَرَتني مِنَ الأَيّامِ نائِبَةٌ

كَم قَد عَرَتني مِنَ الأَيّامِ نائِبَةٌ

فَما اكتَرَثتُ لِرَيبِ الحادِثِ الجَلَلِ

فَما اكتَرَثتُ لِرَيبِ الحادِثِ الجَلَلِ

How many a calamity of the passing days has befallen me,

How many tribulations have unveiled me

Yet I cared nothing for the perils of grievous calamity.

Yet I did not care for the doubt of the momentous event

إِنّا لَقَومٌ إِذا اِشتَدَّ الزَمانُ بِنا

إِنّا لَقَومٌ إِذا اِشتَدَّ الزَمانُ بِنا

كُنّا أَشَدَّ أَنابيباً مِن الأَسَلِ

كُنّا أَشَدَّ أَنابيباً مِن الأَسَلِ

We are indeed a people who, when time grows harsh with us,

We are a people, when times get tough on us

Prove sturdier of shaft than spears.

We become tougher than lions in our dens

يُبكى عَلَينا وَلا نَبكي عَلى أَحَدٍ

يُبكى عَلَينا وَلا نَبكي عَلى أَحَدٍ

لَنَحنُ أَغلَظُ أَكباداً مِنَ الإِبِلِ

لَنَحنُ أَغلَظُ أَكباداً مِنَ الإِبِلِ

We are wept over, but we weep for no one.

We are cried upon, and do not cry for anyone

Indeed, our livers are tougher than those of camels.

For we are harder in our hearts than camels

مِن مَعشَرٍ تَعصِفُ الأَهوالُ حَولَهُمُ

مِن مَعشَرٍ تَعصِفُ الأَهوالُ حَولَهُمُ

فَما يُراعُونَ عَصفَ الريحِ بِالجَبَلِ

فَما يُراعُونَ عَصفَ الريحِ بِالجَبَلِ

From a people around whom terrors rage,

Of a people, calamities whirl around them

Yet they are no more frightened than a mountain by the wind's blast.

Yet they do not heed the wind's gust on the mountain

خَيرُ الوَرى آلُ مِرداسٍ وَأَطهَرُهُم

خَيرُ الوَرى آلُ مِرداسٍ وَأَطهَرُهُم

مِنَ العُيوبِ وَأَبراهُم مِنَ الزَلَلِ

مِنَ العُيوبِ وَأَبراهُم مِنَ الزَلَلِ

The house of Mirdas are the best of humankind, the most untainted

The best of all people are the family of Mirdas, and the purest of them

By faults, and the freest of all from error.

Of shortcomings, and the most righteous of slipups

إِن تَلقَهُم تَلقَ مِنهُم في مَجالِسِهِم

إِن تَلقَهُم تَلقَ مِنهُم في مَجالِسِهِم

شُمَّ العَرانين ضَرّابينَ لِلقُلَلِ

شُمَّ العَرانين ضَرّابينَ لِلقُلَلِ

If you meet them, you will find among them in their gatherings

If you meet them, you smell from them in their sittings

Men of lofty noses, mighty smiters of heads.

The smell of youths, pounding on peaks

بِيضُ الوُجُوهِ إِذا لاحَت وَجُهوهُهُمُ

بِيضُ الوُجُوهِ إِذا لاحَت وَجُهوهُهُمُ

في حِندِسِ اللَيلِ جَلَّوا ظُلمَةَ الطَفَلِ

في حِندِسِ اللَيلِ جَلَّوا ظُلمَةَ الطَفَلِ

White-faced: when their faces shine forth

White of face, when their faces shine

In the pitch-black night, they dispel the gloom of dusk.

In the darkness of night, they illuminate the darkness of the lost child

لا يَقلَقُونَ لِخَطبٍ مِن زَمانِهُم

لا يَقلَقُونَ لِخَطبٍ مِن زَمانِهُم

ولا يَبيتُونَ سُهّاداً مِنَ الوَجَلِ

ولا يَبيتُونَ سُهّاداً مِنَ الوَجَلِ

They are not troubled by a calamity of their times,

They are not disturbed by tribulations from their time

Nor do they spend the night sleepless with fear.

Nor do they stay up at night fretting

وَلا تَراهُم وَنارُ الخَطبِ مُوقَدَةٌ

وَلا تَراهُم وَنارُ الخَطبِ مُوقَدَةٌ

صُمّاً إِذا ما دَعى الداعي مِنَ الفَشَلِ

صُمّاً إِذا ما دَعى الداعي مِنَ الفَشَلِ

Nor do you see them, while calamity's fire is kindled,

You do not see them when the fire of tribulation is kindled

Deaf through cowardice when the caller calls.

Deaf when the caller calls from adversity

رُوحي فِدىً لَهُمُ قَوماً إِذا وُزِنُوا

رُوحي فِدىً لَهُمُ قَوماً إِذا وُزِنُوا

مالوا عَلى الناسِ مَيلَ الحَلي بِالعَطَلِ

مالوا عَلى الناسِ مَيلَ الحَلي بِالعَطَلِ

My soul be their ransom—a people who, when weighed,

My soul is ransom for them, a people, if weighed

Outweigh others as adornment outweighs bareness.

Would lean over people, like a smooth pearl on a thread

يا أَكرَمَ الناسِ مِن عُربٍ وَمِن عَجَمٍ

يا أَكرَمَ الناسِ مِن عُربٍ وَمِن عَجَمٍ

وَأَشجَعَ الناسِ مِن حافٍ وَمُنتَعِلٍ

وَأَشجَعَ الناسِ مِن حافٍ وَمُنتَعِلٍ

O most generous of people, among Arabs and non-Arabs,

O most generous of people, of Arabs and non-Arabs

And bravest of people, among the barefoot and the shod.

And bravest of people, armed and unarmed

أَنتَ الغَمامُ الَّذي يَهمي بِلا ضَجَرٍ

أَنتَ الغَمامُ الَّذي يَهمي بِلا ضَجَرٍ

أَنتَ الجَوادُ الَّذي يُعطي بِلا بُخُلِ

أَنتَ الجَوادُ الَّذي يُعطي بِلا بُخُلِ

You are the cloud that rains without impatience.

You are the cloud that storms without fatigue

You are the generous one who gives without stinginess.

You are the stallion that gives without stinginess

أَنتَ الَّذي ما جَلَبتَ الخَيلَ ساهِمَةً

أَنتَ الَّذي ما جَلَبتَ الخَيلَ ساهِمَةً

إِلّا وَزَلزَلتَ أَهلَ السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ

إِلّا وَزَلزَلتَ أَهلَ السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ

You are the one who never led forth gaunt horses

You are the one who never brought horses charging

Without making the people of plain and mountain quake.

Except shaking the people of plains and mountains

لَو كانَ يُمكِنُ أَن نَخباكَ مِن أَلَمٍ

لَو كانَ يُمكِنُ أَن نَخباكَ مِن أَلَمٍ

يُخشى خَبَيناكَ في الأَحداقِ وَالمُقَلِ

يُخشى خَبَيناكَ في الأَحداقِ وَالمُقَلِ

If it were possible for us to hide you from any pain

If it were possible to spare you of pain

That might be feared, we would hide you in our pupils and eyes.

We would have spared you in the pupils and eyelashes

يَفدي المُعِزَّ رِجالٌ قَلَّ خَيرُهُمُ

يَفدي المُعِزَّ رِجالٌ قَلَّ خَيرُهُمُ

كَما يَقِلُّ نَباتُ الماءِ في الوَشَلِ

كَما يَقِلُّ نَباتُ الماءِ في الوَشَلِ

May men whose goodness is scant ransom al-Muizz,

The protected are ransomed by men whose goodness is little

As water plants are sparse in a trickle.

Just as the growth of water is little in barren land

لَيتَ المُلوكَ لَهُ مِمّا عَرا بَدلٌ

لَيتَ المُلوكَ لَهُ مِمّا عَرا بَدلٌ

وَإِن هُمُ لَم يُساوُوا قِيمَةَ البَدَلِ

وَإِن هُمُ لَم يُساوُوا قِيمَةَ البَدَلِ

Would that kings could stand in his stead in what has befallen him,

If only the kings had compensation for what passed you

Even though they do not equal the value of such an exchange.

Yet they do not equal the value of compensation