صَبراً عَلى وَعدِ الزَمانِ وَإِن لَوى

صَبراً عَلى وَعدِ الزَمانِ وَإِن لَوى

فَعَساهُ يُصبِحُ تائِباً مِمّا جَنى

فَعَساهُ يُصبِحُ تائِباً مِمّا جَنى

Be patient with Time's promise, even if it delays;

Patience for the promise of time though it twist,

For perhaps it will grow repentant of the wrong it has done.

Perhaps it will become repentant of what it reaped.

لا يُجزِ عَنَّكَ أَنَّهُ رَفَعَ العِدى

لا يُجزِ عَنَّكَ أَنَّهُ رَفَعَ العِدى

فَلَسَوفَ يَهدِمهُ قَليلٌ ما بَنى

فَلَسَوفَ يَهدِمهُ قَليلٌ ما بَنى

Do not be dismayed that it has raised the foes;

It is no excuse that it raised adversity,

For soon it will tear down what it built.

For soon a little will demolish what it built.

حَكَموا فَجاروا في القَضاءِ وَما دَروا

حَكَموا فَجاروا في القَضاءِ وَما دَروا

أَنَّ المَراتِبَ تَستَحيلُ إِلى فَنا

أَنَّ المَراتِبَ تَستَحيلُ إِلى فَنا

They ruled, acted unjustly in judgment, and did not know

They judged unjustly and did not know

That ranks pass into nothingness.

That positions inevitably turn to ruin.

ظَنّوا الوِلايَةَ أَن تَدومَ عَليهِمُ

ظَنّوا الوِلايَةَ أَن تَدومَ عَليهِمُ

هَيهاتَ لَو دامَت لَهُم دامَت لَنا

هَيهاتَ لَو دامَت لَهُم دامَت لَنا

They thought authority would remain theirs.

They thought authority would last for them forever,

Far from it! Had it lasted for them, it would have lasted for us.

Never! Even if it lasted for them, it would last for us.

قَتَلوا رِجالي بَعدَ أَن فَتَكوا بِهِم

قَتَلوا رِجالي بَعدَ أَن فَتَكوا بِهِم

في وَقعَةِ الزَوراءِ فَتكاً بَيِّنا

في وَقعَةِ الزَوراءِ فَتكاً بَيِّنا

They killed my men after savagely attacking them

They killed my men after preying on them

In the battle of al-Zawra, with manifest ruthlessness.

In the battle of Zawra’, a clear carnage.

كُلُّ الَّذينَ غَشوا الوَقيعَةَ قُتِّلوا

كُلُّ الَّذينَ غَشوا الوَقيعَةَ قُتِّلوا

ما فازَ مِنهُم سالِماً إِلّا أَنا

ما فازَ مِنهُم سالِماً إِلّا أَنا

All who entered the battle were slaughtered;

All those who were in the ambush were killed,

None of them escaped unharmed except me.

None survived safely except me.

لَيسَ الفِرارُ عَلَيَّ عاراً بَعدَما

لَيسَ الفِرارُ عَلَيَّ عاراً بَعدَما

شَهِدوا بِبَأسي يَومَ مُشتَبَكِ القَنا

شَهِدوا بِبَأسي يَومَ مُشتَبَكِ القَنا

Flight is no disgrace to me, after

Fleeing is no disgrace for me after

They attested my valor on the day the spears clashed.

They witnessed my might the day swords clashed.

إِن كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَن نَأى عَن أَرضِهِم

إِن كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَن نَأى عَن أَرضِهِم

قَد كُنتُ يَومَ الحَربِ أَوَّلَ مَن دَنا

قَد كُنتُ يَومَ الحَربِ أَوَّلَ مَن دَنا

If I was the first to go far from their land,

If I was the first who fled from their land,

I was indeed the first to draw near on the day of war.

I was the first to advance on the day of war.

أَبعَدتُ عَن أَرضِ العِراقِ رَكائِبي

أَبعَدتُ عَن أَرضِ العِراقِ رَكائِبي

عِلماً بِأَنَّ الحَزمَ نِعمَ المُقتَنى

عِلماً بِأَنَّ الحَزمَ نِعمَ المُقتَنى

I took my riding camels far from the land of Iraq,

I removed my steeds from Iraq’s land

Knowing that prudence is an excellent possession.

Knowing that caution is excellent gain.

لا أَختَشي مِن ذِلَّةٍ أَو قِلَّةٍ

لا أَختَشي مِن ذِلَّةٍ أَو قِلَّةٍ

عِزّي لِساني وَالقَناعَةُ لي غِنى

عِزّي لِساني وَالقَناعَةُ لي غِنى

I fear neither humiliation nor want;

I do not fear humiliation or paucity,

My tongue is my strength, and contentment is my wealth.

My honor is my tongue and contentment is my wealth.

جُبتُ البِلادَ وَلَستُ مُتَّخِذاً بِها

جُبتُ البِلادَ وَلَستُ مُتَّخِذاً بِها

سَكَناً وَلَم أَرضَ الثُرَيّا مَسكِنا

سَكَناً وَلَم أَرضَ الثُرَيّا مَسكِنا

I roamed the lands, making none of them

I roamed the countries but did not settle

My home; nor did I accept the Pleiades as a dwelling,

Or choose luxury as a dwelling.

حَتّى أَنَختُ بِمارِدينَ مَطِيَّتي

حَتّى أَنَختُ بِمارِدينَ مَطِيَّتي

فَهُناكَ قالَ لي الزَمانُ لَكَ الهَنا

فَهُناكَ قالَ لي الزَمانُ لَكَ الهَنا

Until I made my camel kneel at Mardin.

Until I halted my steed in Mardin,

Then there Time said to me, "Happiness is yours."

There time said to me, “Be happy!”

في ظِلِّ مَلكٍ مُذ حَلَلتُ بِرَبعِهِ

في ظِلِّ مَلكٍ مُذ حَلَلتُ بِرَبعِهِ

أَمسى لِسانُ الدَهرِ عَنّي أَلكَنا

أَمسى لِسانُ الدَهرِ عَنّي أَلكَنا

In the shade of a king—since I settled in his abode,

In the shadow of a king, since I stayed in his land,

Time's tongue has grown tongue-tied concerning me.

The days began to speak gently of me.

نَظَرَ الخُطوبَ وَقَد قَسَونَ فَلانَ لي

نَظَرَ الخُطوبَ وَقَد قَسَونَ فَلانَ لي

وَرَأى الزَمانَ وَقَد أَساءَ فَأَحسَنا

وَرَأى الزَمانَ وَقَد أَساءَ فَأَحسَنا

He saw calamities had grown harsh, so he was gentle toward me;

He saw misfortunes after they hardened, so he inclined to me

And saw Time had done ill, so he did me good.

And saw time harm then do good.