أَلا هَبَّت أُمامَةُ بَعدَ هَدءٍ

أَلا هَبَّت أُمامَةُ بَعدَ هَدءٍ

تُعاتِبُني وَتَجبَهُني بِظُلمِ

تُعاتِبُني وَتَجبَهُني بِظُلمِ

Lo, Umamah arose after a spell of quiet,

Alas Ummama raged after calm

reproaching me and affronting me unjustly.

Rebuking me, outraged at my injustice

تُعاتِبُ أَن رَأَتني سافَ مالي

تُعاتِبُ أَن رَأَتني سافَ مالي

وَطاوَعتُ القِيادَ وَرَثَّ جِسمي

وَطاوَعتُ القِيادَ وَرَثَّ جِسمي

She reproaches me because she saw me with my wealth gone,

Angry that she saw me err

and I yielded to the reins, and my body grew worn.

And yield to fate as my body weakened

وَقَنَّعَني القَتيرُ خِمارَ شَيبٍ

وَقَنَّعَني القَتيرُ خِمارَ شَيبٍ

وَوَدَّعَني الشَبابُ وَرَقَّ عَظمي

وَوَدَّعَني الشَبابُ وَرَقَّ عَظمي

And greying covered me with a veil of white hair,

Age clothed me in its shroud

and youth bade me farewell, and my bones grew frail.

Youth bid farewell as my bones grew frail

فَقُلتُ لَها أُمامَةُ لَيسَ هَذا

فَقُلتُ لَها أُمامَةُ لَيسَ هَذا

عِتاباً بَعدَما أَنحَلتِ جِسمي

عِتاباً بَعدَما أَنحَلتِ جِسمي

So I said to her, 'Umamah, this is no

I said: Ummama, this is no cause for blame

reproach, after you have worn my body away.

Now that my body is ruined and decayed

فَإِن تَكُنِ الحَوادِثُ أَقصَدَتني

فَإِن تَكُنِ الحَوادِثُ أَقصَدَتني

وَأَخطَأَهُنَّ سَهمي حينَ أَرمي

وَأَخطَأَهُنَّ سَهمي حينَ أَرمي

For if misfortunes have struck me down,

If events have led me astray

and my arrow missed them as I shot,

And their arrows missed when I shot

فَقَد أَخطَأتُ حينَ تَبِعتُ سَهماً

فَقَد أَخطَأتُ حينَ تَبِعتُ سَهماً

سَفاهاً ما سَفِهتُ وَزَلَّ حِلمي

سَفاهاً ما سَفِهتُ وَزَلَّ حِلمي

then I surely erred when I followed Sahm.

The fault is mine for following

In utter folly I acted, and my judgment faltered.

A reckless arrow - I was foolish and lacked wisdom

تَبِعتُهُمُ وَضَيَّعتُ المَوالي

تَبِعتُهُمُ وَضَيَّعتُ المَوالي

فَأَلقَوا لِلضِباعِ دَمي وَلَحمي

فَأَلقَوا لِلضِباعِ دَمي وَلَحمي

I followed them and forsook my allies,

I followed them and neglected loyalties

so they cast my blood and my flesh to the hyenas.

So they abandoned my flesh and blood

وَضَيَّعتُ الكَرامَةَ فَاِرمَأَدَّت

وَضَيَّعتُ الكَرامَةَ فَاِرمَأَدَّت

وَقُبِّضتُ الشَقا في جَوفِ سَلمي

وَقُبِّضتُ الشَقا في جَوفِ سَلمي

And I squandered my dignity, and it grew ashen,

I lost dignity and it fled from me

and I was handed misery in the midst of my peace.

And misery filled my innards through and through

وَضَيَّعتُ النَعيمَ فَبانَ مِنّي

وَضَيَّعتُ النَعيمَ فَبانَ مِنّي

وَعانَقتُ الهَوانَ وَقَلَّ طُعمي

وَعانَقتُ الهَوانَ وَقَلَّ طُعمي

And I squandered comfort, and it departed from me,

I lost comfort and it deserted me

and I embraced humiliation, and my food grew scant.

Embracing disgrace as my taste turned bitter

وَبُدِّلتُ النَعيمَ بِدارِ ذُلٍّ

وَبُدِّلتُ النَعيمَ بِدارِ ذُلٍّ

كَذَلِكَ حِرفَتي وَكَذاكَ عِلمي

كَذَلِكَ حِرفَتي وَكَذاكَ عِلمي

And I was made to exchange comfort for an abode of abasement.

Exchanging comfort for an abode of humiliation

Such is my ill fortune, and such is what I know.

Such is my craft and such is my knowledge

فَما لَقِيَت شِمالي يَومَ خَيرٍ

فَما لَقِيَت شِمالي يَومَ خَيرٍ

وَما لَقِيَت يَميني يَومَ غُنمِ

وَما لَقِيَت يَميني يَومَ غُنمِ

So my left hand has never known a day of good fortune,

Never has my left hand brought good

nor has my right hand known a day of gain.'

Nor my right hand brought bounty