أرَى في عِراصِي راكِباً مُتَرنِّما

أرَى في عِراصِي راكِباً مُتَرنِّما

فَهل جَدَّدَت عَيناكَ بَعدي مُتَيَّما

فَهل جَدَّدَت عَيناكَ بَعدي مُتَيَّما

I see in my courtyards a rider singing.

I see a rider singing in the meadows

So have your two eyes, after me, made a new love-struck lover?

Did your eyes renew their weeping after me

فأَيسَرُ ما يُهدَى حَديثُهما بِه

فأَيسَرُ ما يُهدَى حَديثُهما بِه

مَع الناسِ أنَّ الحُبَّ يَحدثُ مِنهُما

مَع الناسِ أنَّ الحُبَّ يَحدثُ مِنهُما

For the least conveyed in talk of those two eyes

What talk of them is easiest guided

among people is that love springs from them both.

That love occurs among the people from them

كأنَّكَ إِذ أمرَضتَ أكحلَ مُسقَماً

كأنَّكَ إِذ أمرَضتَ أكحلَ مُسقَماً

ضَعيفَ القُوى جَرَّدتَ أَبيضَ مِخذَما

ضَعيفَ القُوى جَرَّدتَ أَبيضَ مِخذَما

As though, when you made a dark-rimmed eye sickly,

As if when you were sick, you darkened a bleary-eyed

weak in its powers, you unsheathed a bright, keen-cutting sword.

Of weak strength, you stripped a white, gaunt

ولَو شِئتُ أنذَرتُ القُلوبَ بِحدِّه

ولَو شِئتُ أنذَرتُ القُلوبَ بِحدِّه

فقُلتُ ولكِن أتركُ القَولَ مُبهَما

فقُلتُ ولكِن أتركُ القَولَ مُبهَما

Had I wished, I would have warned hearts of its edge

And if I wanted, I would warn hearts about it

and spoken—but I leave my words obscure.

But I say and leave the words ambiguous

وإِن كُنتُ غِراً بالتَّغيِّرِ في الهَوى

وإِن كُنتُ غِراً بالتَّغيِّرِ في الهَوى

فَيوشِكُ بَعدَ اليَومِ أَن أتَعَلَّما

فَيوشِكُ بَعدَ اليَومِ أَن أتَعَلَّما

Though I was inexperienced in love's changes,

And if I was foolish with change in passion

I shall soon, after today, learn.

Then soon after today I will learn

فلا تُنكرَن أنَّ الدُّموعَ تَلوَّنَت

فلا تُنكرَن أنَّ الدُّموعَ تَلوَّنَت

وألبَستِ الخَدَّينِ بُرداً مُسَهَّما

وألبَستِ الخَدَّينِ بُرداً مُسَهَّما

So do not deny that the tears have changed color

So do not deny that the tears changed color

and clothed both cheeks in an arrow-patterned cloak.

And clothed the cheeks in a cold, broken complexion

تذَكَّرتُ شَيئاً فاستَهلَّت بِمِثلِه

تذَكَّرتُ شَيئاً فاستَهلَّت بِمِثلِه

دُموعي بَياضَ الثَّغرِ في حُمرةِ اللَّما

دُموعي بَياضَ الثَّغرِ في حُمرةِ اللَّما

I recalled something, and with its likeness streamed forth

I remembered something so my tears poured down

my tears: the whiteness of teeth amid the red of dusky lips.

The whiteness of my mouth in the redness of blushes

وطارِقِ لَيلٍ لا الصِّلاءُ أتى بِه

وطارِقِ لَيلٍ لا الصِّلاءُ أتى بِه

ولا يَبتَغي مِن شِدَّةِ الجوعِ مَطعَما

ولا يَبتَغي مِن شِدَّةِ الجوعِ مَطعَما

And a night visitor, whom no fireside warmth had brought,

A knocker of night, not seeking companionship

nor did he seek food from hunger's severity;

Nor wanting food from intensity of hunger

ولا ضَلَّ فاستَهدى ولا ذَلَّ فالتَجا

ولا ضَلَّ فاستَهدى ولا ذَلَّ فالتَجا

لكَي تَمنَعي مِنهُ الكميَّ المُصَمّما

لكَي تَمنَعي مِنهُ الكميَّ المُصَمّما

nor had he strayed and sought guidance, nor been humbled and sought refuge,

Not lost, so sought direction or humiliated, so insisted

that you might ward from him the resolute, armored warrior;

That you prevent him, the insistent, resolute

ولا دِيَّة عَن قَومهِ تَحمِلينَها

ولا دِيَّة عَن قَومهِ تَحمِلينَها

إِذا الدَّم أَمسى حَملُه يَحقِن الدِّما

إِذا الدَّم أَمسى حَملُه يَحقِن الدِّما

nor was it blood money you would bear for his people,

Nor blood money for his people you carry

when taking on a blood-debt serves to spare blood.

When blood becomes its load, it stops blood

وَلا هُو إِلا أَن تَجودي بِنَظرَةٍ

وَلا هُو إِلا أَن تَجودي بِنَظرَةٍ

يُجَدِّدُ فيها عَهدَهُ المُتَقَدِّما

يُجَدِّدُ فيها عَهدَهُ المُتَقَدِّما

His purpose was only that you bestow a glance

It's just that you be generous with a look

through which he renews his former bond.

In which he renews his old pact

وكَمتاءَ في حانوتِ قَسٍّ بِتاجِها

وكَمتاءَ في حانوتِ قَسٍّ بِتاجِها

ركبتُ إلَيها مِن دُجى اللَّيلِ أدهَما

ركبتُ إلَيها مِن دُجى اللَّيلِ أدهَما

And a dark-red wine, crowned in a priest's tavern—

Like a precious jewel in the shop of a stubborn seller

I rode toward her on a black steed of night's darkness.

I rode to her through the darkness of night, dim

فألفَيتُهُ قَد طافَ بينَ دِنانِها

فألفَيتُهُ قَد طافَ بينَ دِنانِها

وصَلَّى لَها شَطرَ الظَّلامِ وهَوَّما

وصَلَّى لَها شَطرَ الظَّلامِ وهَوَّما

Then I found him, having made his rounds among her wine-jars,

I found him wandering between her treasures

and prayed to her for half the night, and dozed.

And praying for her for half the darkness, bending

تخللتُها حتَّى عَرَفتُ مكانَهُ

تخللتُها حتَّى عَرَفتُ مكانَهُ

ونَبَّهتُه ثمَّ ابتَدأتُ مُسَلِّما

ونَبَّهتُه ثمَّ ابتَدأتُ مُسَلِّما

I threaded my way among them until I knew where he was,

I threaded to her until I knew his place

and woke him, then began by offering a greeting.

And woke him, then I started greeting

فَلم يَرَني حتَّى وَجاها وسامَني

فَلم يَرَني حتَّى وَجاها وسامَني

وسَلَّمها مَختُومَةً وتَسَلَّما

وسَلَّمها مَختُومَةً وتَسَلَّما

No sooner had he seen me than he pierced her vessel and named me a price;

He didn't see me until he faced her and named me

and handed her over sealed, and received his payment.

And bid her goodbye, sealed, and bid farewell

وما أَخَذَتهُ نَفسُه إِذ طَرَقتُه

وما أَخَذَتهُ نَفسُه إِذ طَرَقتُه

بِما تأخذُ النَّفسُ الكَريمَةُ مُكرما

بِما تأخذُ النَّفسُ الكَريمَةُ مُكرما

His soul did not move him, when I visited him by night,

His soul didn't take when I surprised him

as a noble soul moves a generous host.

As the noble soul takes the noble, honoring

إِذا جادَ أخفَى جودَه مُتَسَتِّراً

إِذا جادَ أخفَى جودَه مُتَسَتِّراً

كَما يَقتلُ النّدبُ الشُّجاعُ مُلَثَّما

كَما يَقتلُ النّدبُ الشُّجاعُ مُلَثَّما

When he gives, he hides his generosity, keeping himself concealed,

When he is generous, he hides his generosity, veiled

as a gallant, brave man kills with his face veiled.

As the brave kills the moaner, masked

وليسَت عَطاياهُ عَلى قَدرِ نَفسِه

وليسَت عَطاياهُ عَلى قَدرِ نَفسِه

وإِن عَظُمَت فالسُّحبُ أَدنى مِن السَّما

وإِن عَظُمَت فالسُّحبُ أَدنى مِن السَّما

His gifts do not match the measure of his soul,

His gifts aren't to the extent of his soul

great though they are—for clouds are lower than the sky.

Though great, the clouds are lower than the sky

وبَيتِ نَدىً أَدناهُ مِن بَيتِ مالِه

وبَيتِ نَدىً أَدناهُ مِن بَيتِ مالِه

فيَا لكَ جاراً ما أعَقَّ وأَظلَما

فيَا لكَ جاراً ما أعَقَّ وأَظلَما

And a house of bounty he brought close to his treasury—

And he brought me closer than the house of his money

what a neighbor you have: how undutiful and unjust!

What a neighbor! He didn't refuse or get gloomy

وَطَوراً تَراهُ سائِراً مُتَسَوِّراً

وَطَوراً تَراهُ سائِراً مُتَسَوِّراً

علَيهِ وطَوراً والِجاً مُتَجَهِّما

علَيهِ وطَوراً والِجاً مُتَجَهِّما

At times you see him advancing, scaling

I see him one time traveling, self-concealed

its walls; at times entering, grim-faced.

Over it, another time, approaching, frowning

ودَلَّ علَيهِ القاصِدينَ يَدلُّهُم

ودَلَّ علَيهِ القاصِدينَ يَدلُّهُم

عَلى رَأيِهِ ألا يَرى فيهِ دِرهَما

عَلى رَأيِهِ ألا يَرى فيهِ دِرهَما

And he showed seekers the way to it, guiding them

And he points the visitors, points them

in keeping with his wish to see no dirham within.

To his opinion, not to see in it a dirham

ومَغموسَةٍ في مِثلِ لَونِ لُعابِها

ومَغموسَةٍ في مِثلِ لَونِ لُعابِها

يَضُمُّ حَشاها صامِتاً مُتَكلِّما

يَضُمُّ حَشاها صامِتاً مُتَكلِّما

And an inkwell dipped in a hue like that of its saliva—

Submerged in the color of her saliva

its hollow encloses one silent, yet speaking,

He mutely speaks, gathering her gums

عَلى مِثل قيدِ الشِّبرِ لكنَّ باسَه

عَلى مِثل قيدِ الشِّبرِ لكنَّ باسَه

إِذا طالَ طالَ السَّمهَريَّ المُقَوَّما

إِذا طالَ طالَ السَّمهَريَّ المُقَوَّما

about a handspan in length, yet its might,

Like the span of a hand, but his affliction

when it reaches far, out-reaches the straight, sturdy lance.

If prolonged, prolonged the evenly proportioned poison

قَرنتَ بِه هَمَّاً بَعيداً وهِمَّةً

قَرنتَ بِه هَمَّاً بَعيداً وهِمَّةً

شَروداً وفَضلاً كامِلاً وتَقَدُّما

شَروداً وفَضلاً كامِلاً وتَقَدُّما

You joined to it far-reaching purpose and an ambition

You combined with it a distant worry and ambition

unbounded, and perfect excellence and preeminence.

Digression, complete merit and progress

أبا البِشرِ لَو كانَ النَّدى غيرَ ناطِقٍ

أبا البِشرِ لَو كانَ النَّدى غيرَ ناطِقٍ

لأصبَحَ هَذا البِشرُ عَنه مُتَرجِما

لأصبَحَ هَذا البِشرُ عَنه مُتَرجِما

O Abu al-Bishr, if generosity had no voice,

O people, if dew were not eloquent

this cheerfulness would be its interpreter.

This dew would be translating him

أَرى كلَّ يَومٍ عارِضاً مُتَعرِّضاً

أَرى كلَّ يَومٍ عارِضاً مُتَعرِّضاً

مُقيماً إِذا همَّ العُفاةُ بِه هَما

مُقيماً إِذا همَّ العُفاةُ بِه هَما

Every day I see a raincloud offering itself,

I see every day an opponent, opponent facing

abiding; when petitioners turn toward it, it pours.

Staying when the rabble think of it

تُضيءُ لَه الآفاقُ عندَ طُلوعِهِ

تُضيءُ لَه الآفاقُ عندَ طُلوعِهِ

إِذا عارضُ الجودِ استَقلَّ وأَظلَما

إِذا عارضُ الجودِ استَقلَّ وأَظلَما

The horizons shine for it at its rising,

The horizons shine for him at his emergence

when generosity's raincloud lifts and darkens.

When the gift of generosity scorned and darkened

سَقاني وَروَّاني فَما أَستَعيدُه

سَقاني وَروَّاني فَما أَستَعيدُه

وأفرَقُ إِن فارَقتُهُ عَودَةَ الظَّما

وأفرَقُ إِن فارَقتُهُ عَودَةَ الظَّما

It gave me drink and quenched my thirst, so I do not ask it again;

He quenched and satisfied me, I can't regain it

yet, if I leave it, I fear thirst's return.

I separate if I part from it, the return of darkness