صح بخيلِ العُلى إلى الغاياتِ

صح بخيلِ العُلى إلى الغاياتِ

ما غَناءُ الأُسود في الغاباتِ

ما غَناءُ الأُسود في الغاباتِ

Urge the steeds of glory onward to the goals!

The camel rider journeys on to the farthest goals

What use are lions in the forests?

No song of praise the lions in their forests sing

أيُّ فرق وبيضُنا مُغمدات

أيُّ فرق وبيضُنا مُغمدات

بين أغمادنا وبين الظُّباتِ

بين أغمادنا وبين الظُّباتِ

What difference, while our gleaming swords lie sheathed,

Of what worth are our sheathed swords to them

is there between our scabbards and the blades?

Among their sheaths and those the beasts do bring

لا يردُّ الرَّدَى لزومُ بُيوت

لا يردُّ الرَّدَى لزومُ بُيوت

لا ولا يقتضيه جَوبُ فَلاةِ

لا ولا يقتضيه جَوبُ فَلاةِ

Keeping to houses does not ward off death,

Ruin comes not from shunning of men’s abodes

no, nor does crossing a desert bring it on.

Nor from traversing the farthest wildering

مَولِدُ الدُّر حَماةٌ فإذا سَا

مَولِدُ الدُّر حَماةٌ فإذا سَا

فَر حلَّى التيجانَ واللَّبَّاتِ

فَر حلَّى التيجانَ واللَّبَّاتِ

The pearl is born in mud; but when it travels,

Pearls are native to the gulf, but when they go

it adorns crowns and throats.

They deck the crowns and circlets of the kings

اُفِّ لدَهرٍ ما يَنِي يُتعِسُ الفا

اُفِّ لدَهرٍ ما يَنِي يُتعِسُ الفا

ضلَ في بدئِه وفي العَقَباتِ

ضلَ في بدئِه وفي العَقَباتِ

Fie on Time, which never ceases to afflict the worthy man,

Bear with Time, though he visit grief; the grieved

at his outset and through the trials that follow.

Lose at the start and in the reckoning

يَسكنُ المِسكُ سُرَّةَ الظَّبي بَدأً

يَسكنُ المِسكُ سُرَّةَ الظَّبي بَدأً

ثم يُصلِيه وَقدةَ الَجمَراتِ

ثم يُصلِيه وَقدةَ الَجمَراتِ

Musk first dwells in the gazelle's navel,

Musk scents the clothes of hunters at the first

then Time makes it suffer the burning heat of embers.

Then incense-burners with their glowing rings