إِذا ما عَقَدَ الكاتِم

إِذا ما عَقَدَ الكاتِم

وحَلَّ المَدمَعُ السَّاجِم

وحَلَّ المَدمَعُ السَّاجِم

When the secret-keeper ties a knot,

When the writer binds his reed,

and the streaming eye unties it,

And the flowing tears descend,

نَشا بَينَهما ما شِئ

نَشا بَينَهما ما شِئ

تَ من واشٍ ومِن لائِم

تَ من واشٍ ومِن لائِم

there arise between them as many as you wish

Between them may arise whatever you wish,

of tale-bearers and reproachers.

Of censure or blame.

فأمّا حالَتي بَعدَكَ

فأمّا حالَتي بَعدَكَ

فَاللَّهُ بِها عالِم

فَاللَّهُ بِها عالِم

As for my state since you left,

As for my state after you,

God is aware of it.

God knows best about it.

فُؤادٌ يَلج النَّارَ

فُؤادٌ يَلج النَّارَ

فلا يُحجِمُ عَن جاحِم

فلا يُحجِمُ عَن جاحِم

A heart plunges into fire,

A heart plunging into fire,

and does not recoil from a blaze;

Not hesitating to dive in.

وعَينٌ لا يَزالُ الصَّو

وعَينٌ لا يَزالُ الصَّو

بُ مِن دِيمتِها دائِم

بُ مِن دِيمتِها دائِم

and an eye whose downpour

An eye whose tears constantly flow,

from its steady rain is ever unceasing.

Forever streaming.

فقَد كانَ بماءِ الوَص

فقَد كانَ بماءِ الوَص

لِ فيها ماؤها قائِم

لِ فيها ماؤها قائِم

For once, through the water of union,

For with the water of intimacy,

its water had stood still within it.

Its water was sustained.

وفاضَ الماءُ لَمَّا

وفاضَ الماءُ لَمَّا

عَزَبَ الماءُ عَلى الحائِم

عَزَبَ الماءُ عَلى الحائِم

And the water overflowed when

But when the water was cut off,

water eluded the thirsty wanderer.

It overflowed on the swift.

وما أنتَ لَه مِن بَع

وما أنتَ لَه مِن بَع

دِ هَذا كلِّه راحِم

دِ هَذا كلِّه راحِم

And you, after

You are not merciful to it,

all this, have no mercy on him,

After all this.

ولَو جاءَكَ يَستَسقي

ولَو جاءَكَ يَستَسقي

بِما استَسقَى بنُو دارِم

بِما استَسقَى بنُو دارِم

even if he came to you seeking rain

If one who sought drink like the people of Darim came to you,

with that by which the sons of Darim sought it.

I see worry constantly accompanying,

أرَى الهَمَّ ندِيماً ما

أرَى الهَمَّ ندِيماً ما

عَلى فُرقَتِهِ نادِم

عَلى فُرقَتِهِ نادِم

I see sorrow as a drinking companion—none

Regret over its separation.

regrets parting from him.

So explain to me what separated,

فعَلِّلني بما فَرَّقَ

فعَلِّلني بما فَرَّقَ

بَين الهَمِّ والهائِم

بَين الهَمِّ والهائِم

So soothe me with what separates

Worry from the tranquil one.

sorrow from the lovesick wanderer:

With a cup whose fatherhood,

بكَاسٍ عُتِّقَت والدَّه

بكَاسٍ عُتِّقَت والدَّه

رُ عَنها غافِلٌ نائِم

رُ عَنها غافِلٌ نائِم

with a cup of wine aged while Time

Was neglected by a sleeping heedless one.

lay heedless of it, asleep.

So I do not reckon anything else,

فما أحسَبُ شَيئاً غَي

فما أحسَبُ شَيئاً غَي

رَها مِن صَرفهِ سالِم

رَها مِن صَرفهِ سالِم

For I deem nothing other

Safe from its dispensation.

than it safe from his vicissitudes—

Who was with me in the presence,

ومَن كانَ مَعي في حَض

ومَن كانَ مَعي في حَض

رَةِ الشَّيخ أبي القاسِم

رَةِ الشَّيخ أبي القاسِم

and whoever was with me in the presence

Of the Sheikh, Father of Al-Qassim.

of the shaykh Abu al-Qasim.

Does the wolf attack,

هَل الذِّئبُ عَلى الضِّرغا

هَل الذِّئبُ عَلى الضِّرغا

مِ في غابَتِهِ هاجِم

مِ في غابَتِهِ هاجِم

Does the wolf attack the lion

The young lambs in their thicket?

in his own thicket?

A young man, if fate deprives,

فَتىً إن أعدَمَ الواجِدَ

فَتىً إن أعدَمَ الواجِدَ

دَهرٌ أوجَدَ العادِم

دَهرٌ أوجَدَ العادِم

A youth who, if the wealthy are impoverished

Time restores the deprived.

by Time, gives wealth to the destitute.

I see times which,

أرَى أزمِنَةً يَندُبُ

أرَى أزمِنَةً يَندُبُ

فِيها الرّاحِلُ القادِم

فِيها الرّاحِلُ القادِم

I see times when

The arriving latecomer laments over.

the departing one laments the arriving one.

So if one passes by it, he passes,

فإِن مَرَّ بهِ مَرَّ

فإِن مَرَّ بهِ مَرَّ

بِهِ مُرتَقِباً واجِم

بِهِ مُرتَقِباً واجِم

And if he passes by him, he passes

Waiting apprehensively.

by him watchful and downcast.

And it makes him swerve, even if he was,

ويَثنِيهِ ولو كانَ

ويَثنِيهِ ولو كانَ

عَلى ما سَرَّه عازِم

عَلى ما سَرَّه عازِم

And he turns him back, even if he is

Determined to continue his course.

resolved on what delights him,

Opposing, clinging, and imposing,

خِلافاً واعتِسافاً وال

خِلافاً واعتِسافاً وال

تِزاماً ليسَ باللازِم

تِزاماً ليسَ باللازِم

out of opposition, arbitrariness, and undertaking

What is not necessary.

what is not required,

Transgressing, and for the servile one,

وعدواناً ولِلمَخدُو

وعدواناً ولِلمَخدُو

مِ أن يَعدُو عَلى الخادِم

مِ أن يَعدُو عَلى الخادِم

and aggression; the master

To transgress upon the servant.

may assail the servant.

When the roaming thought,

إذا ما الخاطِرُ النِّاثِ

إذا ما الخاطِرُ النِّاثِ

رُ خانَ القَلَم النَّاظِم

رُ خانَ القَلَم النَّاظِم

When the prose-composing mind

Dictates to the arranging pen.

betrays the verse-composing pen,

It built between them your merit,

بَنَى بَينَهما فَضلُ

بَنَى بَينَهما فَضلُ

كَ عَهداً ما لَه هادِم

كَ عَهداً ما لَه هادِم

your generosity builds between them

A covenant none can destroy.

a covenant no one can destroy.

You superseded the Arabs with the non-Arabs,

نَسَختَ العُربَ بالعُجمِ

نَسَختَ العُربَ بالعُجمِ

فلا كَعبٌ ولا حاتِم

فلا كَعبٌ ولا حاتِم

You have superseded the Arabs with the non-Arabs,

So there is no Kaʿb or Hatim.

so there is no Ka'b, nor Hatim.

You are today for the wealth,

فأنتَ اليومَ لِلمالِ

فأنتَ اليومَ لِلمالِ

ومن جادَ بهِ ظالِم

ومن جادَ بهِ ظالِم

So today you are unjust to wealth

And whoever is generous with it, an oppressor.

and to whoever has been generous with it.

Suspicions sometimes walk,

مَساعٍ ربَّما يَمشي

مَساعٍ ربَّما يَمشي

على الظنِّ بِها الرَّاجِم

على الظنِّ بِها الرَّاجِم

Deeds a conjecturer may pursue

With judgment casting them.

on the strength of guesswork,

So they walk after they were,

فيَمشي بعدَ ما كانَ

فيَمشي بعدَ ما كانَ

نَجِيباً جَمَلاً رازِم

نَجِيباً جَمَلاً رازِم

then walk on, after once being

Upright, perfect camels.

a fine-bred mount, as a camel too spent to rise.