ما فاحَ طيب شَذا صبا نَجد

ما فاحَ طيب شَذا صبا نَجد

إِلّا أَهاج بَلابل الوَجدِ

إِلّا أَهاج بَلابل الوَجدِ

Never did the sweet scent of Najd's east breeze waft

No scent of gentle breeze has spread in Najd,

without stirring the tumults of longing.

Except to stir the nightingales' love-longing.

نَقَلت أَحاديث الَّذين رَعوا

نَقَلت أَحاديث الَّذين رَعوا

ذمم العُهود وَحُرمة الودِّ

ذمم العُهود وَحُرمة الودِّ

It carried tales of those who honored

They tell of those who kept faith's covenant true,

the obligations of covenants and the sanctity of love.

And those who broke its sacred bonds of trust.

يا قَلب حَتماً تَذوب جَوىً

يا قَلب حَتماً تَذوب جَوىً

بِجَمال مَن أَذكى لَظى الصَدِّ

بِجَمال مَن أَذكى لَظى الصَدِّ

O heart, you are bound to melt in love's anguish

O heart, for one whose glances lit desire

at the beauty of one who stoked the blaze of rejection.

You'll pine until consumed by passion's fire!

وَإِلامَ تَحفظ عَهد غادرة

وَإِلامَ تَحفظ عَهد غادرة

خَفرت ظباها ذمّة العَهدِ

خَفرت ظباها ذمّة العَهدِ

And how long will you keep faith with a faithless woman,

Why keep the vows of her who proves forsworn,

whose sword edges have violated the pledge's bond?

When even gazelles scorn all vows she's torn?

عِش واحِداً فَالناس حالهُم

عِش واحِداً فَالناس حالهُم

حال الزَمان هُما عَلى حَدِّ

حال الزَمان هُما عَلى حَدِّ

Live alone, for people's ways

Be one alone! For people's state appears

are the ways of time; the two are on a par:

As Time's - its aspects match in good and evil years.

سيّان في ضَنك وَفي سعةٍ

سيّان في ضَنك وَفي سعةٍ

شبهان في عَكس وَفي طَردِ

شبهان في عَكس وَفي طَردِ

alike in hardship and in ease,

Whether in straitness or felicity,

alike in reversal and in onward course.

They're fellow-seemers in alternity.

فَدَع الأَنام وَلا تَكُن رَجُلاً

فَدَع الأَنام وَلا تَكُن رَجُلاً

غِرّاً بِذات البَرق وَالرَعدِ

غِرّاً بِذات البَرق وَالرَعدِ

So leave mankind, and do not be a man

So shun mankind, and never be a man

gullibly trusting a cloud's lightning and thunder.

Who glories in the lightning's flare and roar.

ما كُلّ سارِية بِماطرة

ما كُلّ سارِية بِماطرة

ما كُلّ زند واري الزندِ

ما كُلّ زند واري الزندِ

Not every cloud that passes by night brings rain;

Not every cloud brings rain, and not each arm

not every fire-stick strikes a spark.

Wields flashing blade. Illusions bring us harm!

هَيهات كَم خَطب العُلى رَجل

هَيهات كَم خَطب العُلى رَجل

فَنَبت بِهنّ عَواثر الجَدِّ

فَنَبت بِهنّ عَواثر الجَدِّ

How far away! How many a man has courted the heights,

Alas, how often noble warriors' eyes

only for fortune's stumbling blows to thwart his pursuit of them.

On glory feasted, but it mocked their dream...

وَلربَّ ذي نَظَر إِلى شَرَف

وَلربَّ ذي نَظَر إِلى شَرَف

وَالمَجد يضحك مِنهُ عَن بُعدِ

وَالمَجد يضحك مِنهُ عَن بُعدِ

And many a man fixes his gaze on high rank,

While many a wise man spied ignoble shame,

while glory laughs at him from afar.

As glory laughed at him from afar.