لَحا اللهُ الجزيرَةَ من بلادٍ

لَحا اللهُ الجزيرَةَ من بلادٍ

ولا حَيّا مُحيّاها بمُزْنِ

ولا حَيّا مُحيّاها بمُزْنِ

May God curse al-Jazira among all lands,

May God curse al-Jazira among the lands,

and may no raincloud ever greet its face.

and may He not greet its face with rain clouds.

فإنّ بها يقيني عاد شَكّاً

فإنّ بها يقيني عاد شَكّاً

وأصدقُ من يقينِ الناسِ ظَنّي

وأصدقُ من يقينِ الناسِ ظَنّي

For there my certainty reverted to doubt,

For there my certainty turned to doubt,

and my suspicion proved truer than people’s certainty.

and my surmise is truer than people's certainty.

دعا حَوذانُها إبلي فقالتْ

دعا حَوذانُها إبلي فقالتْ

ألا لا أشْتري عُشْباً بمَنِّ

ألا لا أشْتري عُشْباً بمَنِّ

Its ḥawdhān plants called to my camels, but they said:

Its buttercups beckoned my camel herd, which said:

“No—I will not buy grass at the cost of another’s favor.”

'No indeed—I will not buy grass at the cost of obligation.'

وتهتِفُ بي ألا تمْتاحُ أهْلي

وتهتِفُ بي ألا تمْتاحُ أهْلي

أأَهْلِكُ ليتَ أمي لم تلِدْني

أأَهْلِكُ ليتَ أمي لم تلِدْني

And she calls to me: “Will you not draw water for my kin?

And it calls to me: 'Will you not seek bounty from my people?'

Am I to perish? Would that my mother had never borne me!”

Am I to perish? Would that my mother had not borne me!

فضُمّي يا نَصِيْبِيْنُ الحَواني

فضُمّي يا نَصِيْبِيْنُ الحَواني

على ما فيكِ من طيبٍ وحُسْنِ

على ما فيكِ من طيبٍ وحُسْنِ

So gather your curving sides, O Nisibin,

So draw your ribs together, O Nisibin,

around all the sweetness and beauty within you.

over the sweetness and beauty within you.

فلو في القَيظِ جِئتُكِ رَهنَ عَشْرٍ

فلو في القَيظِ جِئتُكِ رَهنَ عَشْرٍ

لما ألقيتُ في الهِرْماسِ شَنّي

لما ألقيتُ في الهِرْماسِ شَنّي

Had I come to you in summer’s blaze, my excuse would have been assured;

For had I come to you in summer's heat, captive to ten days' thirst,

I would never have lowered my waterskin into al-Hirmas,

I would not have cast my worn waterskin into al-Hirmas,

ولا استقيتُ فيكِ سوى العَوالي

ولا استقيتُ فيكِ سوى العَوالي

وبِيضِ الهندِ من ضَربِ وطَعْنِ

وبِيضِ الهندِ من ضَربِ وطَعْنِ

nor drawn water in you with anything but lofty spears

nor drawn from you anything but tall lances

and gleaming Indian blades, amid slashing and thrusting.

and India's bright blades, in blows and thrusts.

بلادٌ ما رأيتُ بها صديقاً

بلادٌ ما رأيتُ بها صديقاً

ولا النصلَ الذي يَحويهِ جَفْني

ولا النصلَ الذي يَحويهِ جَفْني

A land where I saw no friend,

A land where I have seen no friend,

nor any palm for my eye to behold.

not even the blade my scabbard holds.

أَبيضَ المشرفيةِ إنّ سيفي

أَبيضَ المشرفيةِ إنّ سيفي

رعى للهامِ ما لم يَرْعَ منّي

رعى للهامِ ما لم يَرْعَ منّي

I make the Mashrafi blade flash; indeed, my sword

O bright Mashrafi blade, indeed my sword

has shown skulls a care it never showed me.

has shown skulls a regard it never showed me.

ولو ذاقَ المَذلّةَ من نَميرٍ

ولو ذاقَ المَذلّةَ من نَميرٍ

أصابَ بني عُقيلٍ بالتّجَنّي

أصابَ بني عُقيلٍ بالتّجَنّي

And if one of Numayr were to taste humiliation—

And even if it tasted humiliation from Numayr,

the one who wrongfully assailed Banu ʿUqayl—

it would assail Banu Uqayl with baseless accusations.

فتطمعُ أن تَمَلّكَ بالتَواني

فتطمعُ أن تَمَلّكَ بالتَواني

وقد عرّضتَ حالكَ للتظنّي

وقد عرّضتَ حالكَ للتظنّي

do you then hope to gain dominion through delay,

So you hope to gain dominion through indolence,

when you have exposed your condition to suspicion

though you have exposed your condition to suspicion,

ولم ترْعَ اللّبيبَ بمُلْجَماتٍ

ولم ترْعَ اللّبيبَ بمُلْجَماتٍ

تَبُذُّ تجاربَ الرجلِ المُسِنِّ

تَبُذُّ تجاربَ الرجلِ المُسِنِّ

and have not terrified the prudent with bridled steeds

and have not protected the discerning man with bridled steeds

that outstrip the experience of an aged man?

that surpass an aged man's experience.

فإما أنْ تَزورَ بني عديٍّ

فإما أنْ تَزورَ بني عديٍّ

وفي رِجْليكَ أحْجالٌ تُعني

وفي رِجْليكَ أحْجالٌ تُعني

Then either you will visit Banu ʿAdi

So either you visit Banu Adi,

with tormenting fetter-rings upon your legs,

with fetters on your feet that hold you captive,

وإمّا أن تزُورَهُمُ بجيشٍ

وإمّا أن تزُورَهُمُ بجيشٍ

يُصَدَّقُ كلّما زَعَمَ التّمنّي

يُصَدَّقُ كلّما زَعَمَ التّمنّي

or you will visit them at the head of an army

or you visit them with an army

that makes true all that aspiration has claimed.

that is believed whenever wishful thinking makes a claim.