1. قُضِيَ الأُمورُ وَأُنجِزَ المَوعودُ

    وَاللَهُ رَبّي ماجِدٌ مَحمودُ

    Affairs have been settled, and the promise fulfilled.

    And God, my Lord, is glorious and praised.

  2. وَلَهُ الفَواضِلُ وَالنَوافِلُ وَالعُلا

    وَلَهُ أَثيثُ الخَيرِ وَالمَعدودُ

    His are the bounties, the added gifts, and exalted glory.

    And His is goodness in abundance and in counted measure.

  3. وَلَقَد بَلَت إِرَمٌ وَعادٌ كَيدَهُ

    وَلَقَد بَلَتهُ بَعدَ ذاكَ ثَمودُ

    And Iram and ʿAd indeed experienced His stratagem;

    And Thamud indeed experienced it after that.

  4. خَلّوا ثِيابَهُمُ عَلى عَوراتِهِ

    فَهُمُ بِأَفنِيَةِ البُيوتِ هُمودُ

    They left their garments over its exposed parts,

    So they lie lifeless in the courtyards of the houses.

  5. وَلَقَد سَئِمتُ مِنَ الحَياةِ وَطولِها

    وَسُؤالِ هَذا الناسِ كَيفَ لَبيدُ

    And I have indeed grown weary of life and its length,

    And of these people's asking, 'How is Labid?'

  6. وَغَنَيتُ سَبتاً قَبلَ مُجرى داحِسٍ

    لَو كانَ لِلنَفسِ اللَجوجِ خُلودُ

    And I lived an age before the running of Dahis,

    If there were immortality for the stubborn soul.

  7. وَشَهِدتُ أَنجِيَةَ الأَفاقَةِ عالِياً

    كَعبي وَأَردافُ المُلوكِ شُهودُ

    And I attended the councils of al-Afaqa, exalted

    In standing, with the kings' deputies present.

  8. وَأَبوكِ بُسرٌ لا يُفَنَّدُ عَمرَهُ

    وَإِلى بِلىً ما يُرجَعَنَّ جَديدُ

    And your father is still fresh, not deemed senile in his lifetime;

    And every new thing shall surely be returned to decay.

  9. غَلَبَ العَزاءَ وَكُنتُ غَيرَ مُغَلَّبٍ

    دَهرٌ طَويلٌ دائِمٌ مَمدودُ

    My fortitude was overcome, though I had been undefeated,

    By a long, unceasing, drawn-out age.

  10. يَومٌ إِذا يَأتي عَلَيَّ وَلَيلَةٌ

    وَكِلاهُما بَعدَ المَضاءِ يَعودُ

    A day, when it comes upon me, and a night—

    And both return after passing away.

  11. وَأَراهُ يَأتي مِثلَ يَومِ لَقيتُهُ

    لَم يَنصَرِم وَضَعُفتُ وَهوَ شَديدُ

    And I see it coming as on the day I encountered it:

    It has not ended; I have weakened, while it remains strong.

  12. وَحَمَيتُ قَومي إِذ دَعَتني عامِرٌ

    وَتَقَدَّمَت يَومَ الغَبيطِ وُفودُ

    And I defended my people when ʿAmir called me,

    And delegations advanced on the day of al-Ghabit.

  13. وَتَداكَأَت أَركانُ كُلِّ قَبيلَةٍ

    وَفَوارِسُ المَلِكِ الهُمامِ تَذودُ

    And the pillars of every tribe pressed together,

    While the valiant king's horsemen drove them back.

  14. أَكرَمتُ عِرضي أَن يُنالَ بِنَجوَةٍ

    إِنَّ البَريءَ مِنَ الهَناتِ سَعيدُ

    I kept my honor beyond assault, on safe high ground;

    Indeed, one free of failings is fortunate.

  15. ما إِن أَهابُ إِذا السُرادِقُ غَمَّهُ

    قَرعُ القِسيِّ وَأُرعِشَ الرِعديدُ

    I have no fear when the pavilion is engulfed

    By the clatter of bows, and the coward is made to tremble.