لَيتَ شِعري أَفاحَ رائِحَةُ المِس

لَيتَ شِعري أَفاحَ رائِحَةُ المِس

كِ وَما إِن إِخالُ بِالخَيفِ أُنسي

كِ وَما إِن إِخالُ بِالخَيفِ أُنسي

Would that I knew: has the scent of musk wafted?

If only I knew, did the scent of evening spread

And I do not think I have company at al-Khayf,

When the tents brought me intimacy at dusk

يَومَ غابَت بَنو أُمَيَّةَ عَنّي

يَومَ غابَت بَنو أُمَيَّةَ عَنّي

وَالبَهاليلُ مِن بَني عَبدِ شَمسِ

وَالبَهاليلُ مِن بَني عَبدِ شَمسِ

On the day the sons of Umayya were absent from me,

The day the Umayyads went away from me

And the noble men among the sons of Abd Shams.

And the cubs of the clan of Shams remained

حُلَماءٌ إِذا الحُلومُ اِستُخِفَّت

حُلَماءٌ إِذا الحُلومُ اِستُخِفَّت

بِوُجوهٍ مِثلِ الدَنانيرِ مُلسِ

بِوُجوهٍ مِثلِ الدَنانيرِ مُلسِ

Forbearing men when sound judgment is shaken,

Wise men, when wisdom is scorned

With faces smooth as dinars;

With faces like shiny dinars, smooth

خُطَباءٌ عَلى المَنابِرِ فُرسا

خُطَباءٌ عَلى المَنابِرِ فُرسا

نٌ عَلَيها وَقالَةٌ غَيرُ خُرسِ

نٌ عَلَيها وَقالَةٌ غَيرُ خُرسِ

Orators on the pulpits, knights

Orators on the Pulpits, horses

Upon them, and speakers who are not mute.

Atop them, eloquent, not mute

لا يُعابونَ صامِتينَ وَإِن قا

لا يُعابونَ صامِتينَ وَإِن قا

لوا أَصابوا وَلَم يَقولوا بِلَبسِ

لوا أَصابوا وَلَم يَقولوا بِلَبسِ

They are not faulted when silent, and if they

They are not blamed when silent, and if

Speak, they hit the mark and speak without ambiguity.

They speak, they hit the mark, no ambiguity

لَيلُهُم وَالنَهارُ بَذلٌ إِذا ما

لَيلُهُم وَالنَهارُ بَذلٌ إِذا ما

قَحَطَ القَطرُ عَن شِتاءٍ وَيَبسِ

قَحَطَ القَطرُ عَن شِتاءٍ وَيَبسِ

Their night and day are generosity, whenever

Their night and day are generosity, when

Rain fails through winter and drought.

Rain is scarce in winter and summer’s dryness