ما لِريمِ الكِناسِ ليسَ يَريمُ

ما لِريمِ الكِناسِ ليسَ يَريمُ

أتُراهُ مُستَشعِراً ما يَرُومُ

أتُراهُ مُستَشعِراً ما يَرُومُ

What ails the gazelle of the covert, that it does not stir?

Why does Rim Al-Kinasi not weep

Do you think it senses what it seeks?

Do you think he feels what he intends

أم كذاكَ الظِّباء يُعرَفُ في نَظ

أم كذاكَ الظِّباء يُعرَفُ في نَظ

رَتِها مَن يضيفُ ممَّن يَشِيمُ

رَتِها مَن يضيفُ ممَّن يَشِيمُ

Or is this how gazelles are: in their glance

Or like the gazelles, in their glance

a visitor is distinguished from a watcher?

Is known who settles and who departs

لا تَسُم نَفسَك التَّعزِّي بشَيءٍ

لا تَسُم نَفسَك التَّعزِّي بشَيءٍ

فالتعزِّي أعزُّ شَيءٍ تَسُومُ

فالتعزِّي أعزُّ شَيءٍ تَسُومُ

Do not demand that your soul find solace in anything;

Do not name yourself consoled with anything

for solace is the hardest thing you can demand.

For consolation is the greatest thing you can determine

مُت كَتُوماً تَمُت كَريماً فإن بُح

مُت كَتُوماً تَمُت كَريماً فإن بُح

تَ فَسِيَّان بائِحٌ وكَتُومُ

تَ فَسِيَّان بائِحٌ وكَتُومُ

Die keeping your secret, and you will die noble; for if you speak

Die concealed and you will die noble

out, then a revealer and a concealer are alike.

For if you confess, both talebearer and concealed perish

كم إلى كم تَشكُو إلى النَّاسِ ما تَل

كم إلى كم تَشكُو إلى النَّاسِ ما تَل

قَى مِن النَّاسِ والقُلوب جُسُومُ

قَى مِن النَّاسِ والقُلوب جُسُومُ

How long—how long—will you complain to people of what

How much will you complain to people of what you received

you suffer from people, while hearts are mere bodies?

From people while hearts remain locked

وفِراقٌ فيهِ المَنايا أمانِي

وفِراقٌ فيهِ المَنايا أمانِي

يُ الفَرِيقَينِ والحِمامُ حَميمُ

يُ الفَرِيقَينِ والحِمامُ حَميمُ

And a parting in which death is the wish

And separation in which is death of desires

of both parties, and death an intimate friend.

To both separated ones while the dove is intimate

لم تَدَع لي مِن الأحبَّةِ إلا

لم تَدَع لي مِن الأحبَّةِ إلا

طارِقاً يَستَزِيرُهُ التَّهويمُ

طارِقاً يَستَزِيرُهُ التَّهويمُ

You have left me none of my loved ones except

You left me of loved ones only

a night-visitor whom drowsing invites.

A visitor frightened by insomnia

خِفتُ أن يَسمعَ الزَّمان بمَس

خِفتُ أن يَسمعَ الزَّمان بمَس

راهُ فَيَاتي بِلَوعَةٍ لا تُنِيمُ

راهُ فَيَاتي بِلَوعَةٍ لا تُنِيمُ

I feared that Time might hear of his nightly

I feared that time would hear his blindness

journey, and bring a burning grief that allows no sleep.

So he comes with a grief that does not soothe

فاستَوى في دُمُوعِ عَيني بالقَو

فاستَوى في دُمُوعِ عَيني بالقَو

لِ جَهُولٌ بِفَيضِها وعَلِيمُ

لِ جَهُولٌ بِفَيضِها وعَلِيمُ

So, in speaking of the tears of my eye,

So the ignorant equaled the knowledgeable in the tears of my eye

one ignorant of their torrent and one who knows are alike.

With its overflow

أتُرى انهَلَّت السَّحائِبُ في الصَّي

أتُرى انهَلَّت السَّحائِبُ في الصَّي

فِ بوَيلٍ أم جادَ إبراهِيمُ

فِ بوَيلٍ أم جادَ إبراهِيمُ

Did the clouds pour down in summer, do you suppose,

Do you see the clouds poured down at night

with woe, or did Ibrahim give generously?

In affliction or did Abraham yield

حاكِمٌ عادِلُ الحكُومَةِ إلا

حاكِمٌ عادِلُ الحكُومَةِ إلا

في عَطاياهُ والعُفاةُ خُصُومُ

في عَطاياهُ والعُفاةُ خُصُومُ

A judge just in his judgments, except

A ruler whose rule is just

in his gifts, with supplicants as litigants.

Except in his gifts while the destitute are adversaries

ولأموالهِ حَرِيمٌ ولا مِن

ولأموالهِ حَرِيمٌ ولا مِن

ها عَلى كلِّ حالَةٍ مَحرُومُ

ها عَلى كلِّ حالَةٍ مَحرُومُ

And his wealth has a protected precinct, yet no one

And for his money there is a sanctuary but from it

is denied it under any circumstances.

No one is deprived in any case

والنَّدى كالهَوى إِذا مَلَكَ الإن

والنَّدى كالهَوى إِذا مَلَكَ الإن

سانُ لم يَثنِ عَزمَه مَن يَلومُ

سانُ لم يَثنِ عَزمَه مَن يَلومُ

And generosity is like passion: when it masters a

And the dew like passion when it possesses a person

person, no one who blames him can sway his resolve.

No one will deter his resolve who blames

لستُ أدري ماذا أقولُ ولو قَص

لستُ أدري ماذا أقولُ ولو قَص

صَرتُ عمَّا أراهُ قلتُ كَريمُ

صَرتُ عمَّا أراهُ قلتُ كَريمُ

I do not know what to say; even if I fell

I do not know what to say and if I were concise

short of what I see, I would say: 'Generous.'

About what I see, I would say noble

ما لِمَن ساجَلَتكَ كفَّاهُ في جُو

ما لِمَن ساجَلَتكَ كفَّاهُ في جُو

دِكَ إلا التَّفويضُ والتَّسلِيمُ

دِكَ إلا التَّفويضُ والتَّسلِيمُ

For one whose hands vie with you in your generosity,

What is for he who contends with you except submission

there is nothing but yielding and surrender.

And concession in your generosity