أَمسَيتَyou have become إِذwhen رَحَلَdeparted الشَبابُyouth حَزيناsorrowful
أَمسَيتَ إِذ رَحَلَ الشَبابُ حَزينا
لَيتَwould that اللَيالِيَthe nights قَبلَbefore ذاكَthat فَنيناthey had perished
لَيتَ اللَيالِيَ قَبلَ ذاكَ فَنينا
You have grown sorrowful now that youth has departed.
I became sad when youth departed
Would that the nights had perished before that!
Would that those nights before had perished
ماwhat لِلمَنازِلِwith the dwellings لاnot يُجِبنَthey answer حَزيناa sorrowful man
ما لِلمَنازِلِ لا يُجِبنَ حَزينا
أَصَمِمنَhave they grown deaf? أَمor قَدُمَgrew old المَدىthe span of time فَبَليناso they decayed
أَصَمِمنَ أَم قَدُمَ المَدى فَبَلينا
What ails the dwellings, that they do not answer a sorrowful man?
Why do dwellings not respond, sorrowful?
Have they grown deaf, or has so much time passed that they have decayed?
Are they deaf or has time worn us out?
قَفراًdesolate تَقادَمَgrew ancient عَهدَهُنَّtheir age عَلىamid البِلىdecay
قَفراً تَقادَمَ عَهدَهُنَّ عَلى البِلى
فَلَبِثنَso they remained فيthrough عَدَدِthe count of الشُهورِthe months سِنيناyears
فَلَبِثنَ في عَدَدِ الشُهورِ سِنينا
Desolate, they have lain long in decay,
Desolate, their era passed into decay
And lingered for years, month upon month.
So they lasted as months of years
وَتَرىand you see العَواذِلَthe reproaching women يَبتَدِرنَhasten to مَلامَتيblaming me
وَتَرى العَواذِلَ يَبتَدِرنَ مَلامَتي
وَإِذاand when أَرَدنَthey desire سِوىother than هَوايَmy passion عُصيناthey are disobeyed
وَإِذا أَرَدنَ سِوى هَوايَ عُصينا
And you see the reproaching women hasten to blame me;
You see the maidens begin to blame me
And when they desire something other than my passion, they are disobeyed.
When they desire but my passion disobedient
بَكَرَcame early العَواذِلُthe reproaching women بِالمَلامَةِwith blame بَعدَماafter
بَكَرَ العَواذِلُ بِالمَلامَةِ بَعدَما
قَطَعَjourneyed on الخَليطُthe companions بِساجِرٍat Sajir لِيَبيناto depart
قَطَعَ الخَليطُ بِساجِرٍ لِيَبينا
The reproaching women came early with their blame, after
The maidens were early with blame after
The companions moved on at Sajir, intent on parting.
The motley throng made clear with collision
أَمسَينَthey became إِذwhen بانَdeparted الشَبابُyouth صَوادِفاًturning away
أَمسَينَ إِذ بانَ الشَبابُ صَوادِفاً
لَيتَwould that اللَيالِيَthe nights قَبلَbefore ذاكَthat فَنيناthey had perished
لَيتَ اللَيالِيَ قَبلَ ذاكَ فَنينا
They have turned away now that youth has departed.
I became when youth was manifest, chance-taking
Would that the nights had perished before that!
Would that those nights before had perished
إِنَّindeed الَّذينَthose who غَدَواdeparted at dawn بِلُبِّكَwith your reason غادَرواleft behind
إِنَّ الَّذينَ غَدَوا بِلُبِّكَ غادَروا
وَشَلاًa trickle بِعَينِكَin your eye ماnot يَزالُceases مَعيناflowing
وَشَلاً بِعَينِكَ ما يَزالُ مَعينا
Indeed, those who bore off your reason at dawn left behind
Those who went forth with your heart left
A trickle in your eye that never ceases flowing.
And limping with your eye still aiding
غَيَّضنَthey held back مِنsome of عَبَراتِهِنَّtheir tears وَقُلنَand they said ليto me
غَيَّضنَ مِن عَبَراتِهِنَّ وَقُلنَ لي
ماذاwhat لَقيتَhave you suffered مِنَfrom الهَوىlove وَلَقيناand we have suffered
ماذا لَقيتَ مِنَ الهَوى وَلَقينا
They held back some of their tears and said to me,
They shed tears and said to me
What have you—and we too—suffered from love?
What did you find of passion and we found?
وَلَقَدand indeed تَسَقَّطَنيtried to draw me out الوُشاةُthe tale-bearers فَصادَفواand so they found
وَلَقَد تَسَقَّطَني الوُشاةُ فَصادَفوا
حَصِراًtight-lipped بِسِرِّكِabout your secret ياO أُمَيمَUmaym ضَنيناloath to divulge
حَصِراً بِسِرِّكِ يا أُمَيمَ ضَنينا
And indeed, the tale-bearers tried to draw me out, but found
The slanderers did make me stumble and they found
A man tight-lipped about your secret, O Umaym, and loath to reveal it.
A confinement with your secret, O Umayma, grieving
كَلَّفتُI charged حاجَةَa task ماwhat أُكَلِّفُI require ضُمَّراًlean she-camels
كَلَّفتُ حاجَةَ ما أُكَلِّفُ ضُمَّراً
مِثلَlike القِسِيِّbows مِنَfrom السَراءِsarā wood بُريناthey were carved
مِثلَ القِسِيِّ مِنَ السَراءِ بُرينا
I have charged lean she-camels with the task I require of them,
I tasked the need of what I task concealed
Like bows carved from sarā wood.
Like the stern one in easiness, quitting
روحواset out العَشِيَّةَthis evening رَوحَةًan evening journey مَذكورَةًremembered
روحوا العَشِيَّةَ رَوحَةً مَذكورَةً
إِنif حِرنَthey lose their way حِرناwe lose our way أَوor هُدينَthey are guided هُديناwe are guided
إِن حِرنَ حِرنا أَو هُدينَ هُدينا
Set out this evening on a journey to be remembered:
They went an evening going mentioned
If they lose their way, we do too; or if they are guided, so are we.
Whether stirred stirred or guided guided
وَرَمَواand they drove بِهِنَّwith them سَواهِماًgaunt عُرضَacross the breadth of الفَلاthe wastes
وَرَمَوا بِهِنَّ سَواهِماً عُرضَ الفَلا
إِنif مُتنَthey die مُتنَthey die وَإِنand if حُيِينَthey live حُيِيناwe live
إِن مُتنَ مُتنَ وَإِن حُيِينَ حُيِينا
And they drove them, gaunt, across the breadth of the wastes:
And they cast at them distracters expose of success
If they die, they die; and if they live, we live.
Whether extended extended or living lived
عيسٌpale she-camels تُكَلَّفُare made to traverse كُلَّevery أَغبَرَdust-gray نازِحٍdistant
عيسٌ تُكَلَّفُ كُلَّ أَغبَرَ نازِحٍ
يَطويtraverses تَنائِفَdesert wastes بِالمَلاon the open plain وَحُزوناand rugged ground
يَطوي تَنائِفَ بِالمَلا وَحُزونا
Pale she-camels, made to cross every dusty, distant tract,
Jesus you task every dusty departing
Traversing desert wastes on the open plain and rugged ground,
Folding the hems with tiredness and gloomy
حَتّىuntil بَلينَthey wore out مِنَfrom الوَجيفِswift trotting وَرَدَّهاand rendered them
حَتّى بَلينَ مِنَ الوَجيفِ وَرَدَّها
بُعدُthe vast distance of المَفاوِزِthe desert wastes كَالقِسِيِّlike bows حَنيناgroaning
بُعدُ المَفاوِزِ كَالقِسِيِّ حَنينا
Until they were worn out by swift trotting, and were made
Until worn from the carrion and it returned them
To groan like bows by the vast distances of the wastes.
The distance of horizons like the stern, yearning
وَلَدَbore الأُخَيطِلَal-Ukhaytil نِسوَةٌwomen مِنof تَغلِبٍTaghlib
وَلَدَ الأُخَيطِلَ نِسوَةٌ مِن تَغلِبٍ
هُنَّthey الخَبائِثُthe foul women بِالخَبيثِon what is foul غُذيناthey were fed
هُنَّ الخَبائِثُ بِالخَبيثِ غُذينا
Women of Taghlib bore al-Ukhaytil;
The Ukhaydir begat women of Taghlib
They are the foul women, fed on what is foul.
They are the wicked with the wicked fed
إِنَّindeed الَّذيHe who حَرَمَdenied المَكارِمَnoble virtues تَغلِباًTaghlib
إِنَّ الَّذي حَرَمَ المَكارِمَ تَغلِباً
جَعَلَplaced النُبُوَّةَprophethood وَالخِلافَةَand the caliphate فيناamong us
جَعَلَ النُبُوَّةَ وَالخِلافَةَ فينا
Indeed, He who denied Taghlib nobility
That which forbade honor Taghlib
Placed prophethood and the caliphate among us.
Made the prophecy and the caliphate among us
هَلdo ...? تَملِكونَyou possess مِنَamong المَشاعِرِthe sacred sites مَشعَراًa sacred site
هَل تَملِكونَ مِنَ المَشاعِرِ مَشعَراً
أَوor تَشهَدونَyou attend مَعَwith الأَذانِthe call to prayer أَذيناa call to worship
أَو تَشهَدونَ مَعَ الأَذانِ أَذينا
Do you possess a single one of the sacred sites,
Do you possess from the sanctuaries a sanctuary
Or attend a call to worship alongside the call to prayer?
Or testify with the call, ears?
مُضَرٌMudar أَبيmy father وَأَبوand the father of المُلوكِthe kings فَهَلso is there ...? لَكُمfor you
مُضَرٌ أَبي وَأَبو المُلوكِ فَهَل لَكُم
ياO خُزرَsquint-eyed men of تَغلِبَTaghlib مِنany أَبٍfather كَأَبيناlike our father
يا خُزرَ تَغلِبَ مِن أَبٍ كَأَبينا
Mudar is my father and the father of kings; have you,
Mudar my father and father of kings so do you, Khazraj and Taghlib, have one like our father?
O squint-eyed men of Taghlib, any father like ours?
This is my cousin as caliph in Damascus
هاذاthis اِبنُson of عَمّيmy paternal uncle فيin دِمَشقَDamascus خَليفَةًas caliph
هاذا اِبنُ عَمّي في دِمَشقَ خَليفَةً
لَوif شِئتُI wished ساقَكُمُhe would drive you إِلَيَّto me قَطيناas servants
لَو شِئتُ ساقَكُمُ إِلَيَّ قَطينا
This is my cousin, caliph in Damascus;
If I wished I'd lead you to me fettered
If I wished, he would drive you to me as servants.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.