أَقِلّي عَلَيَّ اللَومَ يا بِنتَ مُنذِرٍ

أَقِلّي عَلَيَّ اللَومَ يا بِنتَ مُنذِرٍ

وَنامي وَإِن لَم تَشتَهي النَومَ فَاِسهَري

وَنامي وَإِن لَم تَشتَهي النَومَ فَاِسهَري

Blame me less, O daughter of Mundhir,

Blame me less, O daughter of Munzir

and sleep; if you do not desire sleep, then stay awake.

And sleep even if you don’t feel like sleeping, stay up

ذَريني وَنَفسي أُمَّ حَسّانَ إِنَّني

ذَريني وَنَفسي أُمَّ حَسّانَ إِنَّني

بِها قَبلَ أَن لا أَملِكَ البَيعَ مُشتَري

بِها قَبلَ أَن لا أَملِكَ البَيعَ مُشتَري

Leave me to myself, Umm Hassan, for I am

Leave me and my soul be, O Umm Hasan

buying with my life, before I can no longer bargain,

For I was with it before I lose the ability to sell

أَحاديثَ تَبقى وَالفَتى غَيرُ خالِدٍ

أَحاديثَ تَبقى وَالفَتى غَيرُ خالِدٍ

إِذا هُوَ أَمسى هامَةً فَوقَ صُيَّرِ

إِذا هُوَ أَمسى هامَةً فَوقَ صُيَّرِ

tales that endure, though a young man is not immortal,

Conversations remain while the young man is not eternal

when he has become an owl above a grave-cairn,

If one evening he becomes obsessed above the palm trees

تُجاوِبُ أَحجارَ الكِناسِ وَتَشتَكي

تُجاوِبُ أَحجارَ الكِناسِ وَتَشتَكي

إِلى كُلِّ مَعروفٍ رَأَتهُ وَمُنكَرِ

إِلى كُلِّ مَعروفٍ رَأَتهُ وَمُنكَرِ

answering the stones of the lair, and lamenting

It answers the rocks of the fort and complains

to every familiar one and stranger it has seen.

To every good and bad it saw

ذَريني أُطَوِّف في البِلادِ لَعَلَّني

ذَريني أُطَوِّف في البِلادِ لَعَلَّني

أُخَلّيكِ أَو أُغنيكِ عَن سوءِ مَحضِري

أُخَلّيكِ أَو أُغنيكِ عَن سوءِ مَحضِري

Let me roam through the lands; perhaps I shall

Leave me wander in the countries maybe

leave you free, or enrich you beyond the hardship of my company.

I will spare you or make you needless of my presence

فَإِن فازَ سَهمٌ لِلمَنِيَّةِ لَم أَكُن

فَإِن فازَ سَهمٌ لِلمَنِيَّةِ لَم أَكُن

جَزوعاً وَهَل عَن ذاكَ مِن مُتَأَخِّرِ

جَزوعاً وَهَل عَن ذاكَ مِن مُتَأَخِّرِ

If Death's arrow wins, I shall not be

If an arrow of death takes me I won’t be

distraught—and can anyone delay that fate?

Saddened, and does anyone escapes that?

وَإِن فازَ سَهمي كَفَّكُم عَن مَقاعِدٍ

وَإِن فازَ سَهمي كَفَّكُم عَن مَقاعِدٍ

لَكُم خَلفَ أَدبارِ البُيوتِ وَمُنظَرِ

لَكُم خَلفَ أَدبارِ البُيوتِ وَمُنظَرِ

And if my arrow wins, it will spare you those seats

And if my arrow takes you I spare you seats

of yours behind the backs of houses, and the waiting there.

Behind the houses and sights

تَقولُ لَكَ الوَيلاتُ هَل أَنتَ تارِكٌ

تَقولُ لَكَ الوَيلاتُ هَل أَنتَ تارِكٌ

ضُبُوّاً بِرَجلٍ تارَةً وَبِمِنسَرِ

ضُبُوّاً بِرَجلٍ تارَةً وَبِمِنسَرِ

She says: Woe to you! Will you abandon

You are told woes, are you leaving

lying in wait, now with footmen, now with a mounted band,

Angrily, sometimes on foot and sometimes riding

وَمُستَثبِتٌ في مالِكَ العامَ أَنَّني

وَمُستَثبِتٌ في مالِكَ العامَ أَنَّني

أَراكَ عَلى أَقتادِ صَرماءَ مُذكِرِ

أَراكَ عَلى أَقتادِ صَرماءَ مُذكِرِ

and hold fast to your wealth this year? For I

And claiming in your property that I

see you on the saddle-frames of a milkless, male-like she-camel.

See you chasing the sterility of an old woman

فَجوعٌ لِأَهلِ الصالِحينَ مَزَلَّةٌ

فَجوعٌ لِأَهلِ الصالِحينَ مَزَلَّةٌ

مَخوفٌ رَداها أَن تُصيبُكَ فَاِحذَرِ

مَخوفٌ رَداها أَن تُصيبُكَ فَاِحذَرِ

For hunger is a slippery place for the households of the righteous,

Hunger of good people is a feared shelter

its deadly fall feared; beware lest it strike you.

Drive it back lest it afflicts you

أَبى الخَفضَ مَن يَغشاكِ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ

أَبى الخَفضَ مَن يَغشاكِ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ

وَمِن كُلِّ سَوداءِ المَعاصِمِ تَعتَري

وَمِن كُلِّ سَوداءِ المَعاصِمِ تَعتَري

The kinsmen who visit you deny me ease,

He who approaches you from a relative refused politeness

and every black-wristed woman who comes calling,

And from every black-lipped woman that comes to you

وَمُستَهنِئٍ زَيدٌ أَبوهُ فَلا أَرى

وَمُستَهنِئٍ زَيدٌ أَبوهُ فَلا أَرى

لَهُ مَدفَعاً فَاِقنَي حَياءَكِ وَاِصبِري

لَهُ مَدفَعاً فَاِقنَي حَياءَكِ وَاِصبِري

and the seeker of gifts whose father is Zayd; so I see

And Zayd feels happy that his father

no way to turn him away; hold fast to your modesty and be patient.

I don’t see a defender for you so be patient

لَحى اللَهُ صُعلوكاً إِذا جَنَّ لَيلُهُ

لَحى اللَهُ صُعلوكاً إِذا جَنَّ لَيلُهُ

مُصافي المُشاشِ آلِفاً كُلَّ مَجزَرِ

مُصافي المُشاشِ آلِفاً كُلَّ مَجزَرِ

May God curse the pauper who, when night enfolds him,

May Allah disfigure Souloka if his night comes

is a friend to gristly bone-ends, haunting every slaughter-place.

Slaughtering the shepherd of sheep, a butcher of every sacrifice

يَعُدُّ الغِنى مِن نَفسِهِ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

يَعُدُّ الغِنى مِن نَفسِهِ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

أَصابَ قِراها مِن صَديقٍ مُيَسَّرِ

أَصابَ قِراها مِن صَديقٍ مُيَسَّرِ

He counts himself rich each night

He counts richness from himself every night

he gets that night's supper from a well-off friend.

Hit his towns with a friend made wealthy

يَنامُ عِشاءً ثُمَّ يُصبِحُ ناعِساً

يَنامُ عِشاءً ثُمَّ يُصبِحُ ناعِساً

يَحُتُّ الحَصى عَن جَنبِهِ المُتَعَفِّرِ

يَحُتُّ الحَصى عَن جَنبِهِ المُتَعَفِّرِ

He sleeps at nightfall, then rises drowsy,

He sleeps dinner then wakes up sleepy

scraping pebbles from his dust-covered side.

Scratches pebbles off his dirty side

قَليلُ اِلتِماسِ الزادِ إِلّا لِنَفسِهِ

قَليلُ اِلتِماسِ الزادِ إِلّا لِنَفسِهِ

إِذا هُوَ أَمسى كَالعَريشِ المُجَوَّرِ

إِذا هُوَ أَمسى كَالعَريشِ المُجَوَّرِ

He scarcely seeks provisions, except for himself,

Little asking for provision except for himself

when evening finds him like a sagging hut.

If one evening he becomes like an empty falcon nest

يُعينُ نِساءَ الحَيِّ ما يَستَعِنُّهُ

يُعينُ نِساءَ الحَيِّ ما يَستَعِنُّهُ

وَيُمسي طَليحاً كَالبَعيرِ المُحَسَّرِ

وَيُمسي طَليحاً كَالبَعيرِ المُحَسَّرِ

He helps the women of the tribe whenever they seek his help,

He helps the women of the neighborhood what helps him

and reaches evening exhausted, like a worn-out camel.

And becomes a smooth camel like a captive camel

وَلَكِنَّ صُعلوكاً صَفيحَةُ وَجهِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ صُعلوكاً صَفيحَةُ وَجهِهِ

كَضَوءِ شِهابِ القابِسِ المُتَنَوِّرِ

كَضَوءِ شِهابِ القابِسِ المُتَنَوِّرِ

And yet, the pauper whose broad face

Except Souloka’s face is like the shiny rising

is like the glow of a fire-seeker's torch,

Light of the burning torch

مُطِلّاً عَلى أَعدائِهِ يَزجُرونَهُ

مُطِلّاً عَلى أَعدائِهِ يَزجُرونَهُ

بِساحَتِهِم زَجرَ المَنيحِ المُشَهَّرِ

بِساحَتِهِم زَجرَ المَنيحِ المُشَهَّرِ

looming over his enemies, who shout him away

Looking at his enemies, they scare him

in their courtyard, as they rebuke a well-known blank gaming-arrow,

In their yard, the scare of a roaring lion

إِذا بَعُدوا لا يَأمَنونَ اِقتِرابَهُ

إِذا بَعُدوا لا يَأمَنونَ اِقتِرابَهُ

تَشَوُّفَ أَهلَ الغائِبِ المُتَنَظَّرِ

تَشَوُّفَ أَهلَ الغائِبِ المُتَنَظَّرِ

when they are far away, they never feel safe from his approach,

If they are away they don’t feel safe from his approach

watching like the family of an absent man long awaited—

Those who miss the absent hope for his return

فَذالِكَ إِن يَلقَ المَنِيَّةَ يَلقَها

فَذالِكَ إِن يَلقَ المَنِيَّةَ يَلقَها

حَميداً وَإِن يَستَغنِ يَوماً فَأَجدَرِ

حَميداً وَإِن يَستَغنِ يَوماً فَأَجدَرِ

that man, if he meets Death, meets it

So if he meets death he meets it

with honor; and if one day he grows rich, he well deserves it.

Praiseworthy and if lives for days then better

أَيَهلِكُ مُعتَمٌّ وَزَيدٌ وَلَم أَقُم

أَيَهلِكُ مُعتَمٌّ وَزَيدٌ وَلَم أَقُم

عَلى نُدَبٍ يَوماً وَلي نَفسُ مُخطِرِ

عَلى نُدَبٍ يَوماً وَلي نَفسُ مُخطِرِ

Shall Mu'tamm and Zayd perish, while I have never mounted

Does an uncertain or Zayd die and I don’t

a spirited steed even once, though mine is a risk-taker's soul?

Stand for condoling one day and my soul warns me

سَتُفزِعُ بَعدَ اليَأسِ مَن لا يَخافُنا

سَتُفزِعُ بَعدَ اليَأسِ مَن لا يَخافُنا

كَواسِعُ في أُخرى السَوامَ المُنَفَّرِ

كَواسِعُ في أُخرى السَوامَ المُنَفَّرِ

Those who do not fear us will be startled, after despair,

After despair those who don’t fear us will be scared

by steeds striking at the rear of the frightened grazing herd.

Like the spacious ostrich to the scattered arrows

يُطاعِنُ عَنها أَوَّلَ القَومِ بِالقَنا

يُطاعِنُ عَنها أَوَّلَ القَومِ بِالقَنا

وَبيضٍ خِفافٍ ذاتِ لَونٍ مُشَهَّرِ

وَبيضٍ خِفافٍ ذاتِ لَونٍ مُشَهَّرِ

He fights the foremost men with lances in its defense,

Stabbing the best of people with the spear

and with light, white swords of a gleaming sheen.

And white thin with colorful complexion

فَيَوماً عَلى نَجدٍ وَغاراتِ أَهلِها

فَيَوماً عَلى نَجدٍ وَغاراتِ أَهلِها

وَيَوماً بِأَرضٍ ذاتِ شَتٍّ وَعَرعَرِ

وَيَوماً بِأَرضٍ ذاتِ شَتٍّ وَعَرعَرِ

So one day in Najd, raiding its people,

One day in Najd and its people’s raids

and another in a land of shatt and juniper.

Another in a cold and flat land

يُناقِلنَ بِالشُمطِ الكِرامِ أُلي القُوى

يُناقِلنَ بِالشُمطِ الكِرامِ أُلي القُوى

نِقابَ الحِجازِ في السَريحِ المُسَيَّرِ

نِقابَ الحِجازِ في السَريحِ المُسَيَّرِ

They swiftly carry noble gray-haired men of strength

Transfer with dancers the generous vanguards

through the passes of the Hijaz, amid the grazing herds driven onward.

The veils of Hejaz in the strung unit

يُريحُ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ أَضيافَ ماجِدٍ

يُريحُ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ أَضيافَ ماجِدٍ

كَريمٍ وَمالي سارِحاً مالُ مُقتَرِ

كَريمٍ وَمالي سارِحاً مالُ مُقتَرِ

Night brings me the guests of a noble man,

The night rests guests of generous

a generous one, though my grazing herds are a poor man's wealth.

Kind Ma jid whose money is spent by an asker