وقَفْناwe stood فيin ديارِthe dwellings of بنيthe sons of عَديٍّʿAdī
وقَفْنا في ديارِ بني عَديٍّ
وتلكَand those ديارُthe dwellings of مُخلِفَةِone who disappoints الظُّنونِhopes
وتلكَ ديارُ مُخلِفَةِ الظُّنونِ
We stood in the dwellings of the Banū ʿAdī,
We stood in the abodes of the tribe of Adiyy
And those are the dwellings of one who dashes hopes.
And those are abodes forsaken by hopes
فلوso if تسطيعُthey could مقدرةًpower لصارتْthey would become
فلو تسطيعُ مقدرةً لصارتْ
دموعاًtears فيin المآقيthe inner eye-corners والجفونِand the eyelids
دموعاً في المآقي والجفونِ
So, if they had the power, they would become
If it had the power, it would become
Tears in the eye-corners and eyelids.
Tears in the disasters and the eyelids
أذكِّرُI remind ناقَتيmy she-camel نشرَthe fragrance of الخُزامىlavender
أذكِّرُ ناقَتي نشرَ الخُزامى
فتُسعِدُنيso she aids me علىin رَجعthe echo of الحَنينِlonging
فتُسعِدُني على رَجع الحَنينِ
I remind my she-camel of lavender's fragrance,
I remind my she-camel of the spreading of aroma
So she joins me in the echoing cry of longing.
So it makes me happy at the return of yearning
لَحاmay curse اللهُGod الزمانَtime وحالتيهِand its two states
لَحا اللهُ الزمانَ وحالتيهِ
سِجالِthe alternating turns of العيشِlife فيهwithin it والمَنونِand death
سِجالِ العيشِ فيه والمَنونِ
May God curse time and its two states:
May Allah make right the time and its states
The alternating turns of life and death within it.
The struggles of living in it and death
ولوand if كلَّفْتُI entrusted همّيmy cares غيرَother than عَزْميmy resolve
ولو كلَّفْتُ همّي غيرَ عَزْمي
تركتُI would have left السيفَthe sword يأخذُto collect ليfor me دُيونيthe debts owed me
تركتُ السيفَ يأخذُ لي دُيوني
And had I entrusted my cares to anything but my resolve,
And if I tasked my worries besides my determination
I would have left the sword to collect my debts for me.
I would leave the sword to collect my debts