سَقياً لِأَيّامٍ مَضَت قَلائِلِ

سَقياً لِأَيّامٍ مَضَت قَلائِلِ

إِذ آلَ في عُذرِ الشَبابِ الجاهِلِ

إِذ آلَ في عُذرِ الشَبابِ الجاهِلِ

May rain bless those few days gone by,

A drink for days gone by, how few,

When one turned to heedless youth's excuse,

When my excuse was youthful ignorance,

وَأَمَلي مُطيعُ قَلبِ الآمِلِ

وَأَمَلي مُطيعُ قَلبِ الآمِلِ

وَلِمَّتي مَصقولَةُ السَلاسِلِ

وَلِمَّتي مَصقولَةُ السَلاسِلِ

And my hope obeyed the hopeful heart,

And my hope obeyed the heart of the hopeful one,

And my locks were chains polished bright.

And my ambition was polished like chains.

أَحكُمُ في أَحكامِ دَهرٍ غافِلِ

أَحكُمُ في أَحكامِ دَهرٍ غافِلِ

فَقَصَّرَ الحَقُّ عِنانَ الباطِلِ

فَقَصَّرَ الحَقُّ عِنانَ الباطِلِ

I ruled over the decrees of heedless time;

I judge in the judgments of an inattentive fate,

Then truth drew in falsehood's reins,

So right curtailed the rein of falsehood,

وَوَعَظَ الدَهرُ بِشَيبٍ شامِلِ

وَوَعَظَ الدَهرُ بِشَيبٍ شامِلِ

وَشَكَّني بِأَسهُمٍ قَواتِلِ

وَشَكَّني بِأَسهُمٍ قَواتِلِ

And time admonished me with all-pervading gray,

And fate preached with encompassing old age,

And pierced me with deadly arrows,

And bent me with deadly arrows,

صَوائِبٍ تَهتَزُّ في المَقاتِلِ

صَوائِبٍ تَهتَزُّ في المَقاتِلِ

أَفَلَستُ مِن ذاكَ الزَمانِ القاتِلِ

أَفَلَستُ مِن ذاكَ الزَمانِ القاتِلِ

Unerring, quivering in the vital spots.

Misfortunes that shake in the battles,

I came away from that murderous age bankrupt,

Am I not rid of that killing time,

إِلّا بِطولِ الذِكرِ وَالبَلابِلِ

إِلّا بِطولِ الذِكرِ وَالبَلابِلِ

قَد كُنتُ حَيّاداً عَنِ الحَبائِلِ

قَد كُنتُ حَيّاداً عَنِ الحَبائِلِ

Save for long remembrance and anxieties.

Save by long memory and sights?

I had always steered clear of snares;

I used to shy from the ropes,

لا تَلتَقي بي طُرُقُ المَناهِلِ

لا تَلتَقي بي طُرُقُ المَناهِلِ

وَلا أُرى فَريسَةً لِئاكِلِ

وَلا أُرى فَريسَةً لِئاكِلِ

The paths to watering places never crossed mine,

No paths of waterholes meet me,

Nor was I seen as prey for any devourer.

Nor do I see prey for the eater

مِن مَعشَرٍ هُم جِلَّةُ القَبائِلِ

مِن مَعشَرٍ هُم جِلَّةُ القَبائِلِ

مُنفَرِداً بِحَسَبٍ وَنائِلِ

مُنفَرِداً بِحَسَبٍ وَنائِلِ

Of a people who are the noblest of the tribes,

From a group who are all the tribes,

Unmatched in ancestral honor and bounty,

Alone with lineage and attaining,

وَأَدَبٍ يُكثِرُ غَيظَ الجاهِلِ

وَأَدَبٍ يُكثِرُ غَيظَ الجاهِلِ

وَقوتِ نَفسٍ كانَ غَيرَ واصِلِ

وَقوتِ نَفسٍ كانَ غَيرَ واصِلِ

And learning that swells the ignorant man's rage,

And discipline that augments the ignorant one’s rage

And a soul's sustenance that was not forthcoming:

And strength of soul that was never connecting.

يُقعِدُني عَنهُ قِيامُ السائِلِ

يُقعِدُني عَنهُ قِيامُ السائِلِ

وَيَفتَديني مِن رَجاءِ الباخِلِ

وَيَفتَديني مِن رَجاءِ الباخِلِ

A beggar's standing kept me back from it,

It makes me abstain the standing of the asker

And ransomed me from placing hope in a miser.

And ransoms me from the stingy one’s hope.

وَرَأيُ قَلبٍ كَالحُسامِ فاصِلِ

وَرَأيُ قَلبٍ كَالحُسامِ فاصِلِ

مُهَذَّبٍ يَرسُبُ في المَفاصِلِ

مُهَذَّبٍ يَرسُبُ في المَفاصِلِ

And a heart's judgment, like a keen sword that cleaves,

And the heart’s opinion is separating like a sword,

Finely honed, sinking deep into the joints.

Well-mannered, it runs in the joints.

كَم قَد عَرَفتُ مِن صَديقٍ باخِلِ

كَم قَد عَرَفتُ مِن صَديقٍ باخِلِ

وَحاسِدٍ يُشيرُ بِالأَنامِلِ

وَحاسِدٍ يُشيرُ بِالأَنامِلِ

How many a miserly friend I have known,

How much have I known of a stingy friend

And an envier pointing with his fingers,

And envious one who hints with gestures,

يَرجُمُني بِكَذِبٍ وَباطِلِ

يَرجُمُني بِكَذِبٍ وَباطِلِ

Pelting me with lies and falsehood.

Pelting me with lies and falsehood!