جَسَدٌ ذاب نحولاً وسَقاما

جَسَدٌ ذاب نحولاً وسَقاما

وفؤادٌ زِيدَ وجداً وغراما

وفؤادٌ زِيدَ وجداً وغراما

A body melted away in emaciation and illness,

A body melted away through wasting and sickness,

and a heart made fuller in longing and passion.

and a heart increased in passion and ardor.

دَنِفٌ لولا تباريح الجوى

دَنِفٌ لولا تباريح الجوى

جَعَلَ اللائمَ في الحبّ إماما

جَعَلَ اللائمَ في الحبّ إماما

One love-sick—were it not for passion’s searing pangs—

A lovesick man who, but for love's searing torments,

would have made the censor an imam in love.

would have made the censurer his guide in love.

ما الَّذي أوْجَبَ ما جئتم به

ما الَّذي أوْجَبَ ما جئتم به

من صدود وعلاما وإلاما

من صدود وعلاما وإلاما

What has brought about what you have come with—

What prompted what you have brought—

this turning away? Why, and until when?

this aversion—and why, and until when?

يا أباة الضَّيم ما لي ولكم

يا أباة الضَّيم ما لي ولكم

أفترضون بمثلي أن يُضاما

أفترضون بمثلي أن يُضاما

O you who refuse humiliation, what have I to do with you?

O you who reject injustice, what have I to do with you?

Would you consent that one like me be wronged?

Would you then consent to one like me being wronged?

أُظهِرُ الصَّبرَ وعندي غيره

أُظهِرُ الصَّبرَ وعندي غيره

غير أنِّي أَكتُمُ الوجد اكتتاما

غير أنِّي أَكتُمُ الوجد اكتتاما

I make a show of patience, though within me lies its opposite;

I display patience, though within me lies something else;

yet I conceal my ardor utterly.

yet I conceal my passion completely.

وأراني جَلِداً فيما أرى

وأراني جَلِداً فيما أرى

من أمور أَعْرَقَتْ مني العظاما

من أمور أَعْرَقَتْ مني العظاما

I see myself steadfast before all I see,

And I see myself steadfast in what I witness

before trials that have made my very bones sweat.

of trials that have stripped my bones bare.

إنَّ برقاً شِمتُه من جانب العا

إنَّ برقاً شِمتُه من جانب العا

رض الوسميّ أبكاني ابتساما

رض الوسميّ أبكاني ابتساما

A lightning flash I glimpsed from the quarter of the

Indeed, a lightning flash I watched from the side of the

rain-cloud of the wasmi season made me weep at its smile.

autumn rain cloud made me weep with its smile.

ويح قلب الصّبّ لِمْ لا ينثني

ويح قلب الصّبّ لِمْ لا ينثني

فإذا قلت اسْتفق يا قلب هاما

فإذا قلت اسْتفق يا قلب هاما

Woe to the lover’s heart! Why will it not turn back?

Woe to the lover's heart! Why will it not turn back?

Whenever I say, “Awake, O heart,” it wanders madly.

Whenever I said, 'Awake, O heart,' it went love-mad.

ما بكى المغرم إلاَّ بدمٍ

ما بكى المغرم إلاَّ بدمٍ

بلَّ كُمَّيْهِ وما بلَّ أواما

بلَّ كُمَّيْهِ وما بلَّ أواما

The enamored one wept nothing but blood;

The lover wept only tears of blood,

it soaked his sleeves, yet never quenched his thirst.

which soaked both his sleeves but did not quench his thirst.

قوَّض الرّكبُ وأبقى لي الأَسى

قوَّض الرّكبُ وأبقى لي الأَسى

لا الجوى ولَّى ولا الصَّبر أقاما

لا الجوى ولَّى ولا الصَّبر أقاما

The caravan struck camp and left me sorrow,

The caravan struck camp, leaving me sorrow;

neither passion departing nor patience staying.

neither did love's burning depart nor did patience remain.

ونَأَتْ سَلمى فهلْ من مبلغٍ

ونَأَتْ سَلمى فهلْ من مبلغٍ

منكما عنِّي إلى سَلمى سلاما

منكما عنِّي إلى سَلمى سلاما

Salma has gone far—will one of you two carry

Salma has gone far away; is there anyone

a greeting from me to Salma?

of you two to carry my greeting to Salma?

خفرت من عاشقٍ ذَمَّته

خفرت من عاشقٍ ذَمَّته

إنَّ للعشَّاق في الحبّ ذماما

إنَّ للعشَّاق في الحبّ ذماما

She broke the covenant owed to a lover,

She broke the pledge owed to a lover;

though lovers have a sacred covenant in love.

indeed, lovers have a binding covenant in love.

لستُ أنسى السّرب أشكو بَعْدَه

لستُ أنسى السّرب أشكو بَعْدَه

كَبِداً حرَّى ويُدميني قواما

كَبِداً حرَّى ويُدميني قواما

I shall not forget that bevy; I lament its distance

I cannot forget the gazelle-herd; after its departure I lament

with my innards burning, while its grace makes me bleed.

a burning liver; its graceful figure makes me bleed.

أيُّها الرَّامي قلبي عَبَثاً

أيُّها الرَّامي قلبي عَبَثاً

بُؤْتَ بالوزر وقُلّدت أثاما

بُؤْتَ بالوزر وقُلّدت أثاما

O you who shoot my heart in sport,

O you who shoot at my heart heedlessly,

you return bearing guilt, laden with sins.

you have incurred guilt and been laden with sin.

ما لِمَنْ حَلَّلَ قتلي في الهوى

ما لِمَنْ حَلَّلَ قتلي في الهوى

حَرَّم الوصل وما كانَ حراما

حَرَّم الوصل وما كانَ حراما

How can one who declared my killing lawful in love

Why has the one who sanctioned my death in love

forbid union, though union was never forbidden?

forbidden union, though it was never forbidden?

أَرأَيتم أَنَّني من بعدكم

أَرأَيتم أَنَّني من بعدكم

في عذابٍ لم يكن إلاَّ غراما

في عذابٍ لم يكن إلاَّ غراما

Do you think that after your departure I am

Have you seen that, since your departure,

in any torment other than passion?

I am in torment that is nothing but consuming love?

إنْ يُلاقِ الصُّبحُ ما لاقيته

إنْ يُلاقِ الصُّبحُ ما لاقيته

أَصبحَ الصُّبحُ لما يلقى ظلاما

أَصبحَ الصُّبحُ لما يلقى ظلاما

If dawn were to suffer what I have suffered,

If dawn were to suffer what I have suffered,

the dawn would turn to darkness from what it met.

dawn would become darkness from what it endured.

بَرَزَتْ أَسماءُ أَو أَترابها

بَرَزَتْ أَسماءُ أَو أَترابها

يُوقِرَنَّ السَّمْعَ عذلاً وملاما

يُوقِرَنَّ السَّمْعَ عذلاً وملاما

Asma appeared—or else her peers—

Asma or her age-mates have come forth,

filling the ear with censure and blame.

burdening the ear with reproach and blame.

يتناجَين بإيلام فتًى

يتناجَين بإيلام فتًى

ضَيَّعَ الحزم فلم يشدد حزاما

ضَيَّعَ الحزم فلم يشدد حزاما

They whispered together of tormenting a youth

They whisper together about hurting a young man

who squandered prudence and failed to tighten his belt.

who abandoned resolve and never tightened his belt.

قلنَ لو رام وما في باعه

قلنَ لو رام وما في باعه

قِصَرٌ أدركَ بالسَّعي المراما

قِصَرٌ أدركَ بالسَّعي المراما

They said: Had he sought his aim, with no

They said, 'Had he tried—and his reach is

shortness in his reach, striving would have won desire.

not short—he would have attained his goal through striving.'

يا نساءَ الحَيِّ خاصَمْتُنَّني

يا نساءَ الحَيِّ خاصَمْتُنَّني

حَسْبُكُنَّ الدَّهرَ منكنَّ خصاما

حَسْبُكُنَّ الدَّهرَ منكنَّ خصاما

O women of the tribe, you have made me your adversary;

O women of the tribe, you have contended with me;

may Time itself suffice you as an adversary.

let Time suffice as my adversary in your stead.

لو تنبَّهتُ لها مجتهداً

لو تنبَّهتُ لها مجتهداً

كيف بالحظِّ إذا ما الحظُّ ناما

كيف بالحظِّ إذا ما الحظُّ ناما

Even had I roused myself and striven for her,

Even if I roused myself to it with all my effort,

what can be done with fortune when fortune sleeps?

what could I do with fortune, when fortune slept?

أو رأى المقدور فينا رأيه

أو رأى المقدور فينا رأيه

ما تكَلَّفْتُ نهوضاً وقياما

ما تكَلَّفْتُ نهوضاً وقياما

Or if fate had pronounced its verdict upon us,

Or had destiny decreed its judgment upon us,

I would not have troubled myself to rise and stand.

I would not have troubled to rise and stand.

أبرح الدَّهر على ما لم أَرِدْ

أبرح الدَّهر على ما لم أَرِدْ

ورزاياه اصطكاكاً واضطراما

ورزاياه اصطكاكاً واضطراما

I never cease to learn from Time what I never sought,

Time grew cruel over what I never wished,

from its calamities—collision and conflagration.

and its calamities clashed and blazed.

لم يَلِنْ للدَّهر منِّي جانب

لم يَلِنْ للدَّهر منِّي جانب

حيث لم أستعطف القومَ اللّئاما

حيث لم أستعطف القومَ اللّئاما

No side of me has yielded to Time,

No part of me softened before Time,

for I have never begged favor of ignoble men.

for I did not beg favor from base people.

وعناءٍ كلّها أُمنيتي

وعناءٍ كلّها أُمنيتي

في زمانٍ أنْ أرى النَّاس كراما

في زمانٍ أنْ أرى النَّاس كراما

All my toil is for this one wish:

And what hardship lies in my entire wish:

in such an age, to see people noble.

in this age, to see people noble.

بأَبي محمود ينبوع النَّدى

بأَبي محمود ينبوع النَّدى

أُبْصِرُ الأَعلام أطلالاً ركاما

أُبْصِرُ الأَعلام أطلالاً ركاما

May my father ransom Mahmud, fountain of generosity!

Through Abu Mahmoud, the fountain of bounty,

Beside him I see the great as ruins, heaps of rubble.

I see the eminent as ruins, heaps of rubble.

وأرى كلَّ عليٍّ دونه

وأرى كلَّ عليٍّ دونه

فتعالى ذلك القرم الهماما

فتعالى ذلك القرم الهماما

Every lofty man I see beneath him;

And I see every exalted one beneath him;

exalted is that noble, heroic lord.

so lofty is that valiant chieftain!

أُنْفِقُ العُمرَ جميلاً فليَدُمْ

أُنْفِقُ العُمرَ جميلاً فليَدُمْ

وجميل الصّنع أنَّى دام داما

وجميل الصّنع أنَّى دام داما

May he spend his life in beauty, and may it endure;

I spend my life nobly; may he endure,

his beautiful works, so long as he lasts, endure.

and may he, gracious in action, endure wherever he abides.

ويميناً إنَّه لوْ لمْ يَجدْ

ويميناً إنَّه لوْ لمْ يَجدْ

في منام لم يذق قطّ مناما

في منام لم يذق قطّ مناما

By my oath, if he did not find

I swear: if he did not give generously

even in a dream someone to aid, he would never taste sleep.

in his sleep, he would never taste sleep.

فَسلُوه هلْ خلا ممَّا به

فَسلُوه هلْ خلا ممَّا به

يصنَعُ البرَّ فيوليه الأَناما

يصنَعُ البرَّ فيوليه الأَناما

Ask him: has he ever been free of that

So ask him: has he ever lacked that by which

with which he does good and bestows it upon mankind?

he does good and bestows it upon mankind?

أَمْ تَخلَّى من جميل ساعة

أَمْ تَخلَّى من جميل ساعة

من زمان غير ما صلَّى وصاما

من زمان غير ما صلَّى وصاما

Or has he ever set aside a beautiful deed for an hour

Or has he forsaken goodness for an hour

of his days, except while praying and fasting?

of time, save when he prayed and fasted?

كم له من نظرةٍ في رأفَةٍ

كم له من نظرةٍ في رأفَةٍ

أَيقَظَتْ لي أَعْيُناً كنَّ نياما

أَيقَظَتْ لي أَعْيُناً كنَّ نياما

How many a compassionate glance of his

How many a compassionate glance of his

has awakened eyes of mine that had been sleeping.

has awakened for me eyes that were asleep!

ذُلِّلَتْ مستصعبات لم يكَدْ

ذُلِّلَتْ مستصعبات لم يكَدْ

يملك القائد منهنَّ زماما

يملك القائد منهنَّ زماما

Hardships were made tractable that scarcely

Intractable things were tamed; scarcely could

let their leader take their reins.

their driver hold their reins.

أُسْتَقِلُّ الأَنجمَ الزّهرَ له

أُسْتَقِلُّ الأَنجمَ الزّهرَ له

أَنْ تُرى فيه نثاراً ونظاما

أَنْ تُرى فيه نثاراً ونظاما

I count the bright stars too slight for him,

I deem the shining stars too meager for him

whether scattered as prose or strung as verse in his praise.

to be seen upon him, scattered and strung.

ولو أن كلَّمْتُه في لؤلؤٍ

ولو أن كلَّمْتُه في لؤلؤٍ

ومن اللؤلؤ ما كانَ كلاما

ومن اللؤلؤ ما كانَ كلاما

Even if I were to speak of him in pearls—

Even if I spoke to him in pearls—

and what pearl could ever become speech?

and among pearls is that which is speech—

تجتلي قَرماً إماماً بالنَّدى

تجتلي قَرماً إماماً بالنَّدى

بأَبي ذيَّالك القرم الإِماما

بأَبي ذيَّالك القرم الإِماما

You behold a prince, an imam in generosity;

you would behold a chieftain, a leader in bounty;

my father be ransom for that prince, that imam.

may my father ransom that chieftain, that leader!

وحسام باترٍ لا سيَّما

وحسام باترٍ لا سيَّما

إنْ هَزَزْناه على الخطب حساما

إنْ هَزَزْناه على الخطب حساما

And a keen, severing sword—most of all

And a cleaving sword, especially

when we brandish him as a sword against calamity.

when we wield him against adversity as a sword.

فنوال ناب عن وبل الحيا

فنوال ناب عن وبل الحيا

وجمال يخجل البدر التماما

وجمال يخجل البدر التماما

A bounty that stands in for the downpour of rain,

His bounty takes the place of the rain's downpour,

and beauty that shames the full moon.

and his beauty shames the full moon.

رفعةٌ قد شَهِدَ الخصمُ لها

رفعةٌ قد شَهِدَ الخصمُ لها

قَعَدَ الغاربُ منها والسّناما

قَعَدَ الغاربُ منها والسّناما

A loftiness to which even the foe bears witness;

An eminence to which his adversary has borne witness:

before it, withers and hump alike sit low.

before it, both withers and hump sink low.

وإليه وإلى عليائه

وإليه وإلى عليائه

أَنيق الرَّاجين أمست تترامى

أَنيق الرَّاجين أمست تترامى

Toward him and toward his heights

Toward him and toward his lofty rank,

the choicest hopes of seekers stretch and reach.

the she-camels of hopeful petitioners now race.

وكأنِّي وكأن شعري له

وكأنِّي وكأن شعري له

مستميح حين شام البرق شاما

مستميح حين شام البرق شاما

It is as though I—and my verse addressed to him—

It is as though I—and as though my verse for him—

were a rain-seeker who, seeing lightning toward Syria, went there.

were a seeker of bounty who, on sighting lightning, keeps watching.

بالطَّويل الباع بالسَّامي الذّرى

بالطَّويل الباع بالسَّامي الذّرى

عرف المعروف شيخاً وغلاما

عرف المعروف شيخاً وغلاما

Through one of far-reaching hand and peaks held high,

With his long reach and lofty summits,

beneficence became known to old and young.

he knew generosity as an elder and as a youth.

وعلى ما هو فيه لم يزلْ

وعلى ما هو فيه لم يزلْ

أو يقال التّبر قد عادَ رغاما

أو يقال التّبر قد عادَ رغاما

Despite all that is his, he has never ceased—

And he has never ceased to be as he is,

until one might say that gold itself has turned to dust.

unless one says that gold has turned to dust.

والكريم النَّفس لا عن غرض

والكريم النَّفس لا عن غرض

أيُّها أَزكى شراباً وطعاما

أيُّها أَزكى شراباً وطعاما

Noble of soul, with no ulterior aim—

And noble of soul, with no ulterior motive—

O purest of all in drink and food.

O you whose drink and food are purest!

هكذا النَّاس إذا قيل النَّدى

هكذا النَّاس إذا قيل النَّدى

سحب تنشا جهاماً وركاما

سحب تنشا جهاماً وركاما

Such are people when generosity is named:

Such are people when bounty is mentioned:

clouds arise, rainless and piled high.

clouds rising rainless and piled high.

من سوى أَيديه في فرط الظّما

من سوى أَيديه في فرط الظّما

لا أراني الله أَسْتَسْقي الغماما

لا أراني الله أَسْتَسْقي الغماما

Except for his hands—in the extremity of thirst,

From aught but his hands, in fiercest thirst,

may God never make me beg rain from the clouds.

may God never let me see myself seeking rain from clouds!

كلَّما اعْوجَّتْ أُموري والْتوَتْ

كلَّما اعْوجَّتْ أُموري والْتوَتْ

قوَّم المعوَجَّ منها فاستقاما

قوَّم المعوَجَّ منها فاستقاما

Whenever my affairs grow crooked and twisted,

Whenever my affairs grew crooked and twisted,

he straightens their crookedness, and they stand straight.

he straightened their crookedness, and it became straight.

يا أبا محمود يا من لم يزلْ

يا أبا محمود يا من لم يزلْ

رحمةً للخلق برًّا باليتامى

رحمةً للخلق برًّا باليتامى

O Abu Mahmud, you who have never ceased

O Abu Mahmoud, O you who have ever been

to be mercy to creation, goodness to orphans;

a mercy to creation, kind to orphans,

غير ما خَوَّلْتَني من نِعمةٍ

غير ما خَوَّلْتَني من نِعمةٍ

أنا لا أملك في الدُّنيا حطاما

أنا لا أملك في الدُّنيا حطاما

apart from the blessings you have bestowed on me,

apart from the blessings you have granted me,

I own no scrap of worldly goods.

I own not a scrap of wealth in this world.

أَفْطَرَ النَّاس جميعاً غيرنا

أَفْطَرَ النَّاس جميعاً غيرنا

وبَقينا نحن في النَّاس صياما

وبَقينا نحن في النَّاس صياما

All people have broken their fast except us;

Everyone has broken the fast except us,

among them, we remain fasting.

and we remain fasting among the people.

فلقد هُنِّيت بها

فلقد هُنِّيت بها

غُرَّة الأَعياد والشّهر الحراما

غُرَّة الأَعياد والشّهر الحراما

May you indeed be congratulated upon it—

For you have indeed been congratulated on it:

the first splendor of festivals and the sacred month.

the bright beginning of the feasts and the sacred month.

وابقَ للإِسلام ركناً سالماً

وابقَ للإِسلام ركناً سالماً

مُنْعِماً يا عيدنا عاماً فعاما

مُنْعِماً يا عيدنا عاماً فعاما

Remain for Islam a sound and steadfast pillar,

And remain a sound pillar of Islam,

blessed, O our feast, year after year.

bestowing favors, O our festival, year after year!