1. The ties of blood shed
A covenant over the submissive
١. سَقَت عُهُودُ الدَيَمِ
عَهداً عَلى ذي سَلَمِ
2. I spent therein a night
That passed as a dream
٢. قَضيتُ فيهِ لَيلَةً
مَرَّت لَنا كَالحُلُمِ
3. At daybreak it turned
As a bud in the gloomiest dark
٣. في جَبهَةِ الدَهرِ غَدَت
كَغُرَّةٍ في أَدهَمِ
4. And my company, a band
Organized like stars
٤. وَصُحبتي عِصابَةٌ
قَد نُظِّمَت كَأَنجُمِ
5. As if their manners
Were the blossoms of meadows and valleys
٥. كَأَنَّما أَخلاقُها
زَهرُ الرُبى وَالأَكَمِ
6. Or a gentle garden
Fenced with spear-wood
٦. أَو رَوضَةٍ أَريضَةٍ
جِيدَت بِنَوءِ المِرزَمِ
7. And so their words
Were symmetrical pearls
٧. وَهَكَذا أَلفاظُها
كَاللؤلؤِ المُنتَظمِ
8. From every love-struck
Submissive to its rule
٨. مِن كُلِّ مُنقادِ الهَوى
لِحُكمِهِ مُستَسلِمِ
9. But on the day of battle
A lion in its fearsome den
٩. لَكِنَّهُ يَومَ الوَغى
لَيثُ عَرينٍ ضَيغَمِ
10. And around us had grazed
Herds of a sleepy eye
١٠. وَحَولَنا قَد رَتَعَت
أَسرابُ عَينٍ جُثَّمِ
11. However much they wink their lids
In distraction over the orphan
١١. مَهما اِنثَنَت بِعطفِها
تيهاً عَلى المُتَيَّمِ
12. You see every withered one
Towered by every dwarf
١٢. تُريكَ كُلَّ ذابِلٍ
يَعلُوه كُلُّ لِهذَمِ
13. Their whispered secrets
Of a passionate lover
١٣. طارَحتُها نَجوى غَرا
مٍ مِن مُحِبٍّ مُغرَمِ
14. And I did not prevent the glances
From their talkative gatherings
١٤. وَلَم أَذُد سَرح اللِحا
ظِ عَن حِماها المُرهَمِ
15. Until when fate glanced
At their sick eye
١٥. حَتّى إِذا جالَ الكَرى
بِجَفنِها ذي السَقَمِ
16. They slept and when I slept
On burning embers
١٦. نامَت وَلَمّا أَنَم
عَلى جَوىً مُخَيّمِ
17. And tears of agony
Like blood shedders
١٧. وَعِبرة مُراقةٍ
كَهاطِلاتِ الدِيَمِ
18. Until when dawn came
In overwhelming influx
١٨. حَتّى إِذا الصُبحُ أَتى
في جَحفلٍ عَرَمرَمِ
19. And night escaped
With its defeated troops
١٩. وَاللَيلُ وَلّى هارِباً
بِجَيشِهِ المُنهَزِمِ
20. And the Pleiades inclined
Their forgiveness in the horizon
٢٠. وَمالَتِ الجَوزاءُ إِث
رَ غَفرِها بِالفَدَمِ
21. I left them, and in my mind love
Firmly embedded
٢١. فارَقتُها وَفي الحَشا
رسُّ هَوىً مُحكّمِ
22. And in the eyes – no crying –
Over tears and blood
٢٢. وَفي العُيون لا بَكَت
صَوبُ دُموعٍ وَدَمِ
23. From the blossoms
Of forenoon
٢٣. مِن مُشرِقاتِ المَبسَمِ
وَقاصِرات الخِيَمِ
24. And young women wearing
The attire of youth
٢٤. وَكُلُّ رُودٍ أُلبِسَت
بُردَ الشَبابِ المُعلَمِ
25. Strutting in the glory of youth
Unwrinkled
٢٥. تَختالُ في وَشيِ صِبا
بُرداه لَم ينمنَمِ
26. Oh would that the days
Reunite me with them
٢٦. أَوّاهُ إِن لَم تَجمَع ال
أَيّامُ شَملي بِهمِ
27. In a wide garden
With consistent branches
٢٧. في رَوضَةٍ مَطلولَةٍ
بِعارِضٍ مُنسَجِمِ
28. Wherein the song of passion sang
In the eloquent tunes
٢٨. غَنّت بِها وُرقُ الحِمى
بِمُفصحاتِ النَغمِ
29. I have spent passion over them
And sorrow for them
٢٩. قَضَيتُ وَجداً بِهم
وَحَسرَةً عَلَيهمِ
30. Yet I hope for it – and between us
No old covenant
٣٠. إِنّي لَأَرجوها وَما
بِعهدنا مِن قدَمِ
31. And here she is, a gorgeous one
Of elegant build
٣١. وَهاكِها بَهنانَةً
ذاتَ بَنانٍ عَندَمِ
32. Tied to the pendant of her earring
My words as pearls
٣٢. نيطَت بِمَهوى قُرطِها
لَآلئ مِن كَلمي
33. Of a wandering thought
And a preoccupied mind
٣٣. عَن فِكرَة شاردةٍ
وِخاطر مُقسَّمِ
34. Seeking acceptance in the shade
Of the most generous son of the generous
٣٤. تَبغى قَبُولاً في ظِلا
ل الأَكرَم بِن الأَكرمِ
35. The Persian knight has ascended
The stars with his superiority
٣٥. فَتى العَجَميّ مَن رَقَى
بِالفَضل هامَ الأَنجُمِ
36. And from his abundance
And flooding generosity
٣٦. وَتَنتَحي مِن فَيضِهِ
وَجُودِهِ المُلتَطمِ
37. Sending what necessity demanded
Of sticking to the unnecessary
٣٧. إِرسالَ ما أَلزَم مِن
لُزوم ما لَم يَلزَم
38. He still rises with nobility
In bounty and blessing
٣٨. لا زالَ يَسمو بِالعُلا
في نِعمةٍ وَأَنعُمِ
39. No beautiful bird twittered
More gentle than the turtledove
٣٩. ما غَرَّدت مُفتنّةٌ
أَرَق الحَمام الريمِ
40. Or glanced with temptation
At his eloquent words
٤٠. وَيَمّمت مُستَنّة
لَهُ مَطايا الكَلمِ