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Longing insisted my heart grow tender,

أبى الشوق إلا أن يحن ضمير

1. Longing insisted my heart grow tender,
And all who yearn are deserving and tender.

١. أَبَى الشَّوْقُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَحِنَّ ضَمِيرُ
وَكُلُّ مَشُوقٍ بِالْحَنِينِ جَدِيرُ

2. Can a man conceal the pain of anguish
As tears flow and sighs surrender?

٢. وَهَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ الْمَرءُ كِتْمَانَ لَوْعَةٍ
يَنِمُّ عَلَيْهَا مَدْمَعٌ وَزَفِيرُ

3. I bowed to passions’ rule, though oft I rebelled,
No ruler could make me surrender.

٣. خَضَعْتُ لأَحْكَامِ الْهَوَى وَلَطَالَمَا
أَبَيْتُ فَلَمْ يَحْكُمْ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرُ

4. I bare the fangs of a lion in defiance,
My glance makes the dastard surrender.

٤. أَفُلُّ شَبَاةَ اللَّيْثِ وَهْوَ مُنَاجِزٌ
وَأَرْهَبُ لَحْظَ الرِّئْمِ وَهْوَ غَريرُ

5. My heart quakes at rebuff, yet in ordeal,
If swords clash, I stand calm and tender.

٥. وَيَجْزَعُ قَلْبِي لِلصُّدودِ وَإِنَّنِي
لَدَى الْبَأْسِ إِنْ طَاشَ الْكَمِيُّ صَبُورُ

6. Not all who dread eyes are faint at heart,
Nor are all who brave perils tender.

٦. وَمَا كُلُّ مَنْ خَافَ الْعُيُونَ يَرَاعَةٌ
وَلا كُلُّ مَنْ خَاضَ الْحُتُوفَ جَسُورُ

7. Passion holds sway by immutable decree,
Breaths chafe and rage as fires tender.

٧. وَلَكِنْ لأَحْكَامِ الْهَوَى جَبَرِيَّةٌ
تَبُوخُ لَهَا الأَنْفَاسُ وَهْيَ تَفُورُ

8. For my wanton passions I make amends
In adversity’s throes without surrender.

٨. وَإِنِّي عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْ سَرَفِ الْهَوَى
لَذُو تُدْرَأ في النَّائِباتِ مُغِيرُ

9. When troubles arise, my steed and drawn sword,
My howdah and roar defend and tender.

٩. يُرَافِقُنِي عِنْدَ الْخُطُوبِ إِذَا عَرَتْ
جَوَادٌ وَسَيفٌ صَارمٌ وَجَفِيرُ

10. In sport with comrades, a boon friend,
A morning cup makes cares slender.

١٠. وَيَصْحَبُنِي يَوْمَ الْخَلاعَةِ وَالصِّبَا
نَدِيمٌ وَكَأْسٌ رَيَّةٌ وَمُدِيرُ

11. At dawn I course with the horsemen,
At dusk a convivial companion tender,

١١. فَطَوْرَاً لِفُرْسَانِ الصَّبَاحِ مُطَارِدٌ
وَطَوْرَاً لإِخْوَانِ الصَّفَاءِ سَمِيرُ

12. O Lord of one whose raids
Make mountains totter and boulders tender,

١٢. وَيَا رُبَّ حَيٍّ قَدْ صَبَحْتُ بِغَارَةٍ
تَكَادُ لَهَا شُمُّ الْجِبَالِ تَمُورُ

13. And a night whose revels brought a beauty
With glances to enflame love’s tender,

١٣. وَلَيْلٍ جَمَعْتُ اللَّهْوَ فِيهِ بِغادَةٍ
لَهَا نَظْرَةٌ تُسْدِي الْهَوَى وَتُنِيرُ

14. With whom we made the most of youth’s least drop,
And where pleasures fly we tender.

١٤. عَقَلْنَا بِهِ مَا نَدَّ مِنْ كُلِّ صَبْوَةٍ
وَطِرْنَا مَعَ اللَّذَّاتِ حَيْثُ تَطِيرُ

15. We told the cupbearer: Keep it turning!
For after youth, life is but slender.

١٥. وَقُلْنَا لِسَاقِينَا أُدِرْهَا فَإِنَّمَا
بَقَاءُ الْفَتَى بَعْدَ الشَّبابِ يَسِيرُ

16. She circled, golden chalice sun-like,
Deep-draughted for the wise and tender.

١٦. فَطَافَ بِهَا شَمْسِيَّةً ذَهَبِيَّةً
لَهَا عِنْدَ أَلْبَابِ الرِّجَالِ ثُؤُورُ

17. When we drank it, though the earth spun under us,
We kept our seats not condescending to surrender.

١٧. إِذَا مَا شَرِبْنَاهَا أَقَمْنَا مَكَانَنَا
وَظَلَّتْ بِنَا الأَرْضُ الْفَضَاءُ تَدُورُ

18. Till night lifted its veil’s hem,
And dawn’s couriers hinted light tender,

١٨. إِلَى أَنْ أَمَاطَ اللَّيْلُ ثِنْيَ لِثَامِهِ
وَكَادَتْ أَسَارِيرُ الصَّبَاحِ تُنِيرُ

19. Dewdrops pattering woke us in a howdah
Studded with stars, a heavenly wonder,

١٩. وَنَبَّهَنَا وَقْعُ النَّدَى فِي خَمِيلَةٍ
لَهَا مِنْ نُجُومِ الأُقْحُوانِ ثُغُورُ

20. At which the birds chirped when the dawn
Showed a thread like a keen blade slender.

٢٠. تَنَاغَتْ بِهَا الأَطْيَارُ حِينَ بَدَا لَهَا
مِنَ الْفَجْرِ خَيْطٌ كَالْحُسَامِ طَرِيرُ

21. Their eyes were fixed on the morning’s glow,
Having slipped night’s feathered cover tender,

٢١. فَهُنَّ إِلَى ضَوْءِ الصَّبَاحِ نَوَاظِرٌ
وَعَنْ سُدْفَةِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُجَنَّحِ زُورُ

22. Fluttering out from one nest, fluttering into another,
Draped in heavy shade and water tender,

٢٢. خَوَارِجُ مِنْ أَيْكٍ دَوَاخِلُ غَيْرِهِ
زَهَاهُنَّ ظِلٌّ سَابِغٌ وَغَدِيرُ

23. Pillowed on plumage, pennoned with feathers
Fringed but lacking tethers or surrender,

٢٣. تَوَسَّدُ هَامَاتٌ لَهُنَّ وَسَائِدَاً
مِنَ الرِّيشِ فِيهِ طائِلٌ وَشَكِيرُ

24. When sunlight smiles on them, their wings
Gleam like damask and silk so tender,

٢٤. كَأَنَّ عَلَى أَعْطَافِهَا مِنْ حَبِيكِها
تَمَائِمَ لَمْ تُعْقَدْ لَهُنَّ سُيُورُ

25. When I saw night retire and the vanguard
Of the cavalry of dawn advance and splinter,

٢٥. إِذَا ضَاحَكَتْهَا الشَّمْسُ رَفَّتْ كَأَنَّما
عَلَى صَفْحَتَيْهَا سُنْدُسٌ وَحَرِيرُ

26. I slipped away veiled, wandering fecklessly -
Only the feckless wander free of surrender,

٢٦. فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ اللَّيْلَ وَلَّى وَأَقْبَلَتْ
طَلائِعُ مِنْ خَيْلِ الصَّبَاحِ تُغِيرُ

27. My nature scorns the world, my resolve
Scorns the lion’s craggy trials tender,

٢٧. ذَهَبْتُ أَجُرُّ الذَّيْلَ تِيهاً وإِنَّمَا
يَتِيهُ الْفَتَى إِنْ عَفَّ وَهْوَ قَدِيرُ

28. My will unbroken from worthy deeds refrains
Only when the matter is finished and tender,

٢٨. وَلِي شِيمَةٌ تَأْبَى الدَّنَايَا وَعَزْمَةٌ
تَفُلُّ شَباةَ الْخَطْبِ وَهْوَ عَسِيرُ

29. From beyond the veil, my will has ears that hear
And eyes that see what no seeing can render,

٢٩. مُعَوَّدَةٌ أَلَّا تَكُفَّ عِنَانَهَا
عَنِ الْجِدِّ إِلَّا أَنْ تَتِمَّ أُمُورُ

30. I am a man of stubborn disposition,
My spirit dares heights none dare tender.

٣٠. لَهَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْغَيْبِ أُذْنٌ سَمِيعَةٌ
وَعَيْنٌ تَرَى ما لا يَرَاهُ بَصِيرُ

31. I kept the faith the great expected of me,
Mine is fidelity none can tender.

٣١. وإِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَعْبُ الشَّكِيمَةِ بَالِغٌ
بِنَفْسِيَ شَأْواً لَيْسَ فِيهِ نَكِيرُ

32. I turn not from what brings honor,
Nor quail when events Pretender.

٣٢. وَفَيْتُ بِمَا ظَن الْكِرَامُ فِرَاسَةً
بِأَمْرِي وَمِثْلِي بِالْوَفَاءِ جَدِيرُ

33. My speech holds the reins, wisdom
A star, bright, beaming splendor.

٣٣. فَمَا أَنَا عَمَّا يُكْسِبُ الْعِزَّ نَاكِبٌ
وَلا عِنْدَ وَقْعِ الْمُحْفِظَاتِ حَسِيرُ

34. Had I been in ages past, Jarwal and Jareer
Would pale beside me in eloquence tender.

٣٤. إِذَا صُلْتُ كَفَّ الدَّهْرُ مِنْ غُلَوائِهِ
وَإِنْ قُلْتُ غَصَّتْ بِالْقُلُوبِ صُدُورُ

35. Had I met the Nuwasiy poets none would say,
“Our neighbor's daughter you would not surrender.”

٣٥. مَلَكْتُ مَقَالِيدَ الْكَلامِ وَحِكْمَةً
لَهَا كَوْكَبٌ فَخْمُ الضِّيَاءِ مُنِيرُ

36. I lost nothing being born after them,
My excellence the worlds engender.

٣٦. فَلَوْ كُنْتُ في عَصْرِ الْكَلامِ الَّذِي انْقَضَى
لَبَاءَ بِفَضْلِي جَرْوَلٌ وَجَرِيرُ

37. Sometimes the first falls behind in the race,
And the steed that lags proves swifter and tender.

٣٧. وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْرَكْتُ النُّواسِيَّ لَمْ يَقُلْ
أَجَارَةَ بَيْتَيْنَا أَبُوكِ غَيُورُ

38. When I speak, the days’ injustice is undone,
Hearts swell till they can scarce surrender.

٣٨. وَمَا ضَرَّنِي أَنِّي تَأَخَّرْتُ عَنْهُمُ
وَفَضْلِيَ بَيْنَ الْعَالَمِينَ شَهِيرُ

39. I hold the keys to speech, wisdom
A star of brilliant splendor.

٣٩. فَيَا رُبَّمَا أَخْلَى مِنَ السَّبْقِ أَوَّلٌ
وَبَزَّ الْجِيَادَ السَّابِقَاتِ أَخِيرُ