سَنا بَرْقٍ تَبَلَّجَ واستَنارا

سَنا بَرْقٍ تَبَلَّجَ واستَنارا

أثارَ من الصَّبابة ما أثارا

أثارَ من الصَّبابة ما أثارا

The radiance of lightning broke forth and shone,

A lightning flash gleamed and lit up,

stirring in longing all that it stirred.

Stirring up the youthful passions within me.

وهاج لي الغرام وهيّجت بي

وهاج لي الغرام وهيّجت بي

فؤاداً يا أُميمة مستطارا

فؤاداً يا أُميمة مستطارا

Passion surged within me, and you stirred in me

Love kindled in me, igniting

a heart beside itself, O Umayma.

A heart, O Umima, aflame with desire.

فبرقاً شِمْتُه واللَّيل داج

فبرقاً شِمْتُه واللَّيل داج

كما أوْقَدْتَ في الظَّلماء نارا

كما أوْقَدْتَ في الظَّلماء نارا

I watched a lightning flash while the night was dark,

The lightning whose flash I perceived in the dark night

as though you had kindled a fire in the darkness.

Was like a fire you kindled in the gloom.

كأَنَّ وميضَه لمعانُ عَضبٍ

كأَنَّ وميضَه لمعانُ عَضبٍ

يشقُّ من الدُّجى نقعاً مثارا

يشقُّ من الدُّجى نقعاً مثارا

Its flicker seemed the gleam of a keen sword

Its glimmer was like the shining of wrath

cleaving a cloud of dust stirred from the darkness.

Ripping through the darkness in fiery shreds.

ذكرتُ به ابتسامك يا سُليمى

ذكرتُ به ابتسامك يا سُليمى

فأبكاني اشتياقاً وادّكارا

فأبكاني اشتياقاً وادّكارا

It brought your smile to mind, O Sulayma,

It reminded me of your smile, O Suleima,

and made me weep with longing and remembrance.

Which made me weep in yearning and recollection.

فما مرَّ الخيال إذنْ بطرفي

فما مرَّ الخيال إذنْ بطرفي

ولَمْ أذُقِ الكرى إلاَّ غرارا

ولَمْ أذُقِ الكرى إلاَّ غرارا

Then no dream-vision passed before my eyes,

Thus did memory pass before my eyes

and I tasted sleep only fleetingly.

And I tasted nothing but deceitful mirage.

وذكرى ما مضى من طيب عيشٍ

وذكرى ما مضى من طيب عيشٍ

سحبت من الشباب به إزارا

سحبت من الشباب به إزارا

And the memory of the pleasant life gone by,

The memory of a life of goodness gone by

in which I trailed the robe of youth,

Has dragged away my mantle of youth.

وعهد هوىً لأيام التصابي

وعهد هوىً لأيام التصابي

وإنْ كانت لياليه قصارا

وإنْ كانت لياليه قصارا

and a season of love in the days of youthful dalliance,

And the passion of days of trysts,

though its nights were brief.

Although their nights were brief.

أخَذْتُ بجانب اللَّذات منها

أخَذْتُ بجانب اللَّذات منها

على طَربي وعاقرتُ العقارا

على طَربي وعاقرتُ العقارا

I took my share of their pleasures

I took my share of pleasures from them,

amid my delight, and quaffed wine.

Disturbing my joy and keeping away the cups.

وكم من لذَّةٍ بكُمَيْت راحٍ

وكم من لذَّةٍ بكُمَيْت راحٍ

أغَرْناها فأبْعَدْنا المغارا

أغَرْناها فأبْعَدْنا المغارا

And how many a pleasure with dark-red wine

How many delights we neglected in our haste,

we raided, carrying our foray far!

Driving them away to distance and remoteness!

منظمة الحباب كأنَّ كسرى

منظمة الحباب كأنَّ كسرى

أماطَ الطَّوق فيها والسّوارا

أماطَ الطَّوق فيها والسّوارا

Its bubbles were strung like jewels, as though Kisra

The wine-pourer Dispenser of drinks was as though

had cast his collar and bracelet into it.

Khosrow had removed his collar and bracelet for her.

مزجناها وقد كانت عقيقاً

مزجناها وقد كانت عقيقاً

فصيَّرها المزاج لنا نضارا

فصيَّرها المزاج لنا نضارا

We mixed it when it was carnelian,

We blended the wine, and it had been pure ruby,

and the admixture turned it into gold for us.

But blending turned it refreshing for us.

فلو طار السرور بمجتليها

فلو طار السرور بمجتليها

على الندمان يومئذٍ لطارا

على الندمان يومئذٍ لطارا

Had joy made its beholder fly

Had joy flown with it to its drinking haunts

above his drinking companions that day, he would have flown.

It would have flown that day to each grapevine.

وقد كانَ الشباب لنا لبوساً

وقد كانَ الشباب لنا لبوساً

يَلَذُّ بِخَلْعِنا فيه العذارا

يَلَذُّ بِخَلْعِنا فيه العذارا

Youth had been a garment for us,

For youth was our garb,

delightful as we cast off the bridle within it.

Taking pleasure in our shedding it like a slough.

فواهاً للشبيبة كيف ولّتْ

فواهاً للشبيبة كيف ولّتْ

وما استرجعتُ حلْيا مستعارا

وما استرجعتُ حلْيا مستعارا

Ah, youth—how it has departed!

Alas for youth! How it deserted us,

And I have not recovered that borrowed ornament.

And I could not recover a loaned ornament.

تنافَرَتْ الظباء وبان سِربٌ

تنافَرَتْ الظباء وبان سِربٌ

ولم أُنْكِرْ من الظبي النفارا

ولم أُنْكِرْ من الظبي النفارا

The gazelles scattered, and a herd departed;

The gazelles are scattered, and the herd is manifest;

I did not find a gazelle's flight strange.

I do not deny that the small gazelles have fled from me.

وشطّ نزارُ من أهواه عنِّي

وشطّ نزارُ من أهواه عنِّي

ومن لي أن أزورَ وأنْ أُزارا

ومن لي أن أزورَ وأنْ أُزارا

And Nizar, whom I love, grew distant from me.

The blossoms of those I loved have departed from me,

Who can enable me to visit and be visited?

And who do I have to visit or keep company with?

إلام أُسائل الرُّكبانَ عَنهمْ

إلام أُسائل الرُّكبانَ عَنهمْ

وأستَقْري المنازلَ والديارا

وأستَقْري المنازلَ والديارا

How long shall I question the riders about them

Why should I ask the caravans about them

and search the stopping places and dwellings,

Or inquire about the dwellings and abodes?

وقوفاً بالمطيِّ على رسومٍ

وقوفاً بالمطيِّ على رسومٍ

أُعاني ما تُعانيه البوارا

أُعاني ما تُعانيه البوارا

standing with my mounts beside ruined traces,

Standing beside my mount at the ruins

suffering the same desolation that they suffer?

I suffer what is suffered by the sleepless night.

أُرقْرِقُ عَبرة وأذوبُ شوقاً

أُرقْرِقُ عَبرة وأذوبُ شوقاً

ويَعدِمُني بها الشَّوقُ القرارا

ويَعدِمُني بها الشَّوقُ القرارا

I let a tear well up and melt with longing,

I whimper with sadness and melt with yearning,

and longing deprives me there of repose.

Yearning deprives me of rest at every halt.

وحنَّتْ أنيقي وبكَتْ رفاقي

وحنَّتْ أنيقي وبكَتْ رفاقي

وأرسَلَتِ الدُّموع لها غزارا

وأرسَلَتِ الدُّموع لها غزارا

My she-camels yearned, and my companions wept,

My companions have grieved for me and wept,

and shed copious tears for those dwellings.

Sending copious tears flowing forth.

أشوّقك العرارُ لأرض نجدٍ

أشوّقك العرارُ لأرض نجدٍ

ولا شيحاً شَمِمْتَ ولا عرارا

ولا شيحاً شَمِمْتَ ولا عرارا

Did the yellow oxeye make you yearn for Najd's land,

Longing for the land of Najd makes you homesick,

though you had smelled neither wormwood nor oxeye?

But you have not smelled its winds or inhaled its dust.

أضَرَّ بك الهوى لا باختيار

أضَرَّ بك الهوى لا باختيار

وما كانَ الهوى إلاَّ اضطرارا

وما كانَ الهوى إلاَّ اضطرارا

Love has harmed you, not by your choosing,

Passion has harmed you, not by your choice,

for love has only ever been compulsion.

For passion is nothing but compulsion.

سَقَتْها المزنُ سحًّا من نياقٍ

سَقَتْها المزنُ سحًّا من نياقٍ

وصَبَّ على معالمها القطارا

وصَبَّ على معالمها القطارا

The clouds watered it in torrents from she-camels,

It drove them to give a draught from a waterskin,

and poured rain upon its landmarks.

And poured down showers on its landmarks.

وصَلْتُ بها المهامه والفيافي

وصَلْتُ بها المهامه والفيافي

وجُبْتُ بها الفدافد والقفارا

وجُبْتُ بها الفدافد والقفارا

Upon them I crossed the wastelands and open deserts,

I reached the stony plains and wilderness with it,

and traversed barren uplands and desolate plains.

Traveling the Bedouin deserts and wastelands.

مُعلِّلتي بممرضتي حَديثاً

مُعلِّلتي بممرضتي حَديثاً

لقد داويت بالخمرِ الخمارا

لقد داويت بالخمرِ الخمارا

You who soothe me with her who lately made me ill,

Justifying my treatment at the hands of my nurse

you have treated a hangover with wine.

Is that I have been healed by drink from the imbiber of wine.

بمن لا زلت تحييني التفاتاً

بمن لا زلت تحييني التفاتاً

وتقتُلُني صُدوداً وازورارا

وتقتُلُني صُدوداً وازورارا

Through her you keep reviving me with a glance,

With her whose glance still gives me life

and killing me with rejection and aversion.

And whose estrangement kills me, little by little.

هي الحدق المراض فتكْنَ فينا

هي الحدق المراض فتكْنَ فينا

وألطف من ظبا البيض احورارا

وألطف من ظبا البيض احورارا

It is the languid eyes that have struck us down,

She is the tender-eyed gazelle, so she glanced at us,

finer in dark-eyed beauty than bright sword-edges.

More gentle than the shy wild cows with lovely eyes.

فلولا فتكها ما بتُّ أشكو

فلولا فتكها ما بتُّ أشكو

بأحشائي لها جرحاً جُبارا

بأحشائي لها جرحاً جُبارا

But for their deadly power, I would not spend the night lamenting

If not for her slaughtering me, I would not complain

an uncompensated wound from them deep within me.

Of the deep, gaping wounds she has torn in my guts.

كأنَّ جفونَها بالسِّحرِ منها

كأنَّ جفونَها بالسِّحرِ منها

سُكارى والنفوس بها سُكارى

سُكارى والنفوس بها سُكارى

Her eyelids seem, through her own magic,

As if by sorcery, her eyelids intoxicate

drunk, while souls are drunk on her.

Souls until they are drunk, all drunk.

بَلَوْتُ بني الزمان وعرفَتْني

بَلَوْتُ بني الزمان وعرفَتْني

تجاريبي سرائِرَهم جهارا

تجاريبي سرائِرَهم جهارا

I have tested the sons of this age, and have been shown

I have tasted the days, and they have taught me;

their secrets plainly by my experiences.

Their intimate secrets lay bare to me.

وإنَّك إن بلوتْ النَّاس مثلي

وإنَّك إن بلوتْ النَّاس مثلي

وجَدْتَ النَّاس أكثرهم شرارا

وجَدْتَ النَّاس أكثرهم شرارا

And if you tested people as I have,

And if you tested people as I have,

you would find most of them wicked.

You would find most people wicked.

وإنْ قِسْتَ الرجال وهم كبار

وإنْ قِسْتَ الرجال وهم كبار

بمجد محمد كانت صغارا

بمجد محمد كانت صغارا

If you measured men, great though they are,

If you judged men when they were elders

against Muhammad's glory, they would be small:

By the glory of Muhammed, they would seem small.

بأهداهم إلى المعروف برًّا

بأهداهم إلى المعروف برًّا

وأسرعهم إلى الحسنى بدارا

وأسرعهم إلى الحسنى بدارا

against him, the best guided toward deeds of kindness,

In guiding them to righteousness and goodness

and the swiftest to hasten toward goodness.

And hastening them to the most virtuous abodes.

وكم لحقته في ميدان فضل

وكم لحقته في ميدان فضل

فما شَقَّتْ له فيه غبارا

فما شَقَّتْ له فيه غبارا

How many have pursued him in excellence's arena,

How much virtue he attained in the arena of merit,

yet none has cleft his dust there.

Not stirring up in it a speck of dust!

بروحي من إذا ما جار خطبٌ

بروحي من إذا ما جار خطبٌ

فَرَرْتُ إليه يومئذٍ فرارا

فَرَرْتُ إليه يومئذٍ فرارا

My soul for him—when calamity oppresses,

By my soul! When disaster befalls,

I flee to him headlong that very day.

I flee to him for refuge and escape.

يرى في ظلِّه العافون عيشاً

يرى في ظلِّه العافون عيشاً

يَروقُ العينَ بهجته اخضرارا

يَروقُ العينَ بهجته اخضرارا

Those seeking bounty find beneath his shade a life

In his shade the prosperous live a life

whose verdant beauty delights the eye.

That delights the eye with its greenery and freshness.

ويُنفِقُ في سبيل الله مالاً

ويُنفِقُ في سبيل الله مالاً

بهِ ادَّخرَ الثوابَ له ادِّخارا

بهِ ادَّخرَ الثوابَ له ادِّخارا

He spends wealth in God's cause,

And he spends money in God's cause,

storing up reward for himself through it.

Hoarding reward for himself by stockpiling it.

ويَرعى في صَنائِعِهِ ذِماراً

ويَرعى في صَنائِعِهِ ذِماراً

بجيلٍ قلَّ من يرعَى الذّمارا

بجيلٍ قلَّ من يرعَى الذّمارا

In his benefactions he safeguards honor,

And he cares in his affairs for the weak,

in a generation where few guard honor.

Few care for the weak as he cares!

تبصَّر في الأُمور وحنكته

تبصَّر في الأُمور وحنكته

التجاريب اختباراً واعتبارا

التجاريب اختباراً واعتبارا

He has discernment in affairs, and has been seasoned

Insight illuminates his affairs,

by experience, through trial and reflection.

And his experience tests and deduces.

وحلَّتْهُ فضائله بحِلْيٍ

وحلَّتْهُ فضائله بحِلْيٍ

لعمرك لن يُباعَ ولنْ يُعارا

لعمرك لن يُباعَ ولنْ يُعارا

His virtues have adorned him with ornaments

His virtues have adorned him with an ornament

that, by your life, will never be sold or lent.

That will surely neither be sold nor lent.

وأبدعَ بالمكارم والأَيادي

وأبدعَ بالمكارم والأَيادي

فما يأْتي بها إلاَّ ابتكارا

فما يأْتي بها إلاَّ ابتكارا

He has been inventive in noble deeds and benefactions,

He created novel acts of kindness and charity

offering them only as fresh creations.

Rarely accomplished except through invention.

وما زالتْ كرامُ بني زهير

وما زالتْ كرامُ بني زهير

خياراً تنتجُ القوم الخيارا

خياراً تنتجُ القوم الخيارا

The noble sons of Zuhayr have always been

The nobility of the Bani Zuhayr

the choicest, begetting the choicest of men.

Have always been the elite who engender the elite.

نِجار أُبوَّةٍ ونتاج فخرٍ

نِجار أُبوَّةٍ ونتاج فخرٍ

فحيَّا الله ذيَّاك النجارا

فحيَّا الله ذيَّاك النجارا

A lineage of forefathers, and offspring of glory—

Carpentry of glorious ancestry and product of pride,

may God bless that very lineage!

May God keep you, that excellent carpenter!

هم الجبل المنيع من المعالي

هم الجبل المنيع من المعالي

يُجيرُ من الخطوب من استجارا

يُجيرُ من الخطوب من استجارا

They are the unassailable mountain of lofty virtues,

They are the lofty mountain of glory,

sheltering from calamities whoever seeks refuge.

Sheltering from disasters whoever seeks their refuge.

وإنَّ محمَّداً أندى يميناً

وإنَّ محمَّداً أندى يميناً

وأَوفرُ نائلاً وأَعزُّ جارا

وأَوفرُ نائلاً وأَعزُّ جارا

Muhammad has the most generous hand,

Indeed, Muhammad was the most loyal ally,

the fullest bounty, and is the mightiest neighbor.

The most abundant winner and the noblest neighbor.

أبا عبد الحميد رُفِعتَ قدراً

أبا عبد الحميد رُفِعتَ قدراً

وقد أُوتِيتَ حِلماً واقتدارا

وقد أُوتِيتَ حِلماً واقتدارا

Abu Abd al-Hamid, you have been raised in rank,

O Father of Abdul-Hamid, you have been raised in esteem

and endowed with forbearance and power.

And granted forbearance and ability.

سَبقْتَ الأَوَّلين فلا تُجارى

سَبقْتَ الأَوَّلين فلا تُجارى

إلى أَمَد العلاء ولا تبارى

إلى أَمَد العلاء ولا تبارى

You have surpassed those before you and cannot be matched

You surpassed past peoples, so none can compare

in reaching glory's furthest goal, nor rivaled.

To your stature and glory, or rival you.

فسبحان الَّذي أَعطاك حِلماً

فسبحان الَّذي أَعطاك حِلماً

فوازَنْتَ الجبالَ به وقارا

فوازَنْتَ الجبالَ به وقارا

Glory be to Him who gave you forbearance,

Glory to Him who granted you forbearance

so that in dignity you rival the mountains,

So you outweighed mountains in dignity and gravity!

وألهَمَكَ الصَّوابَ بكلِّ رأيٍ

وألهَمَكَ الصَّوابَ بكلِّ رأيٍ

يُريك ظلامَ حندسِهِ نهارا

يُريك ظلامَ حندسِهِ نهارا

and inspired sound judgment in your every opinion,

And inspired you with wisdom in every view,

showing you its deepest darkness as daylight.

Showing you the bright sunlight in its darkness.

عليك النَّاس ما بَرحتْ عيالاً

عليك النَّاس ما بَرحتْ عيالاً

ولم تبْرح لدائرها مدارا

ولم تبْرح لدائرها مدارا

The people have always been your dependents,

The people have not ceased being your dependents,

and you have always been the axis of their circle.

Never ceasing to revolve around you.

تُشَيِّدُ من عُلاك لهم مقاماً

تُشَيِّدُ من عُلاك لهم مقاماً

وتُوضِحُ من سَناك لهم منارا

وتُوضِحُ من سَناك لهم منارا

From your loftiness you build them a station,

You built with your ascendancy a station for them

and from your radiance make clear to them a beacon.

And illuminated with your brilliance a beacon for them.

لك النَّظر الدَّقيق يلوح منهم

لك النَّظر الدَّقيق يلوح منهم

هُدى قومٍ به كانتْ حيارى

هُدى قومٍ به كانتْ حيارى

Yours is keen insight, gleaming among them:

Yours is the discerning view from which guidance appears,

guidance for a people once bewildered about it.

A guide that led people who had been perplexed.

وفيك فطانة وثقوب ذهنٍ

وفيك فطانة وثقوب ذهنٍ

يَراكَ به المشيرُ المستشارا

يَراكَ به المشيرُ المستشارا

In you are intelligence and keenness of mind,

In you are shrewdness and sharpness of mind,

by which the adviser sees you as the one to consult.

The advisor and consultant see you thus.

بقد سارَتْ مناقبك السَّواري

بقد سارَتْ مناقبك السَّواري

فما اتَّخذت في الأرض لها دارا

فما اتَّخذت في الأرض لها دارا

Indeed, your night-traveling virtues have spread,

Your outstanding qualities have risen so high

and have taken no abode for themselves on earth.

That they have not taken any home on earth.

تَقَلَّدْتَ القوافي الغرَّ منها

تَقَلَّدْتَ القوافي الغرَّ منها

بأحسنَ ما تقلَّدتِ العذارى

بأحسنَ ما تقلَّدتِ العذارى

You have worn radiant rhymes drawn from them as a necklace,

You have assumed the most eloquent rhymes,

finer than the ornaments worn by maidens.

Better than the virgins assume their necklaces.

وما استَقْصَتْ مدائحك القوافي

وما استَقْصَتْ مدائحك القوافي

نظاماً في علاك ولا نثارا

نظاماً في علاك ولا نثارا

Yet rhymes have not exhausted your praises,

The rhymes have not encompassed your praises,

strung in verse on your loftiness or scattered in prose.

Neither in the systemization nor scattering of verse.

لئنْ قصَّرتُ فيما جئتُ منها

لئنْ قصَّرتُ فيما جئتُ منها

فقد تتلى اقتصاراً واختصارا

فقد تتلى اقتصاراً واختصارا

Even if I have fallen short in the praises I have brought,

If I fall short in what I have brought of them,

they may yet be recited in brevity and abridgment.

Recitation of them has been both concise and brief.

ليهنِك رُتْبَةٌ تعلو وتسمو

ليهنِك رُتْبَةٌ تعلو وتسمو

ونيشانٌ نُؤرِّخه افتخارا

ونيشانٌ نُؤرِّخه افتخارا

May you rejoice in a rank that rises ever higher,

May you occupy a rank, ascending and soaring,

and a decoration whose date we record with pride.

And a title that we can proudly commemorate!