لمن العيسُ أصبَحَت مُستَقِلَّه

لمن العيسُ أصبَحَت مُستَقِلَّه

بشُموسٍ مِن مثلِها مُستَظِلَّه

بشُموسٍ مِن مثلِها مُستَظِلَّه

Whose pale camels have set out this morning,

For whom has dawn become independent

bearing suns that seek shade from their like?

With suns the like of which are shaded

فأحسُّ الفؤادَ طارَ وما كا

فأحسُّ الفؤادَ طارَ وما كا

نَ يَطيرُ الفُؤادُ إِلا لِعِلَّه

نَ يَطيرُ الفُؤادُ إِلا لِعِلَّه

So I feel my heart has flown; never

So I feel my heart has flown though it was not

did the heart fly except for a cause.

A heart that flies except perhaps

حينَ أبدَينَ كالأَهِلَّةِ لكِن

حينَ أبدَينَ كالأَهِلَّةِ لكِن

نَ مَواعيدَهُنَّ تُغني الأَهِلَّه

نَ مَواعيدَهُنَّ تُغني الأَهِلَّه

When they appeared like crescent moons—but

When they appeared like crescents but

their promises make the crescent moons needless.

Their trysts entertain the crescents

وَرِعاتٌ عَن الخِيانَةِ إِلا

وَرِعاتٌ عَن الخِيانَةِ إِلا

نَظَراتٍ رأَينَها مُستَحَلَّه

نَظَراتٍ رأَينَها مُستَحَلَّه

Scrupulous in shunning betrayal, save

And shepherdesses free from betrayal except

for glances they deemed permissible.

Glances I saw her welcome

بِأبي كلُّ ذاتِ لَحظٍ مِن النُّس

بِأبي كلُّ ذاتِ لَحظٍ مِن النُّس

كِ وأَجفانُها علَى غَيرِ مِلَّه

كِ وأَجفانُها علَى غَيرِ مِلَّه

May my father ransom every woman with a devout gaze,

By He who every glance of dawn from forgetfulness

yet whose eyelids follow no creed.

And their eyelids not inclined to blink

نكِّبا بي عَن مَسلكِ الحَمدِ والذ

نكِّبا بي عَن مَسلكِ الحَمدِ والذ

ذَمِّ فإنِّي أَرى الطَّريقَ مَضَلَّه

ذَمِّ فإنِّي أَرى الطَّريقَ مَضَلَّه

You two, turn me aside from the path of praise and

Turn me from the path of praise and censure for I see the path gone astray

blame, for I see that road leads astray.

And I see poverty when coupled with honor

وأرَى الفَقرَ حينَ يُقرَنُ بالعِز

وأرَى الفَقرَ حينَ يُقرَنُ بالعِز

زَةِ خَيراً مِن الغِنى بِمَذلَّه

زَةِ خَيراً مِن الغِنى بِمَذلَّه

And I see poverty, when joined with dignity,

Better than wealth in disgrace

as better than wealth with humiliation.

And though the knockers of nights

وعلَى أنَّ طارِقاتِ اللَّيالي

وعلَى أنَّ طارِقاتِ اللَّيالي

طارِقاتٌ لَولا أبو عَبد اللَّه

طارِقاتٌ لَولا أبو عَبد اللَّه

Yet the visitations of the nights

Are knockers, were it not for Abu Abd Allah

would come knocking, but for Abu Abd Allah,

Who came between me and them and halted

حَال بَيني وبَينها وأقامَت

حَال بَيني وبَينها وأقامَت

فأَطالَت وخِفتُها أن تَمَلَّه

فأَطالَت وخِفتُها أن تَمَلَّه

who stood between me and them; they remained

So they lengthened and I feared their boredom

and lingered long, and I feared they might tire of him.

Ever does the youth rise like a

دائِماً يَنهضُ الفَتى وهوَ كالس

دائِماً يَنهضُ الفَتى وهوَ كالس

سَيفِ فَيشفي صَدراً ويُبردُ غُلَّه

سَيفِ فَيشفي صَدراً ويُبردُ غُلَّه

Always the young man rises, like a

Sword and heals a breast and cools an inflammation

sword, healing a breast and cooling a burning thirst.

He spends all the money on

يُنفِقُ المالَ كلَّه في مُهِمَّا

يُنفِقُ المالَ كلَّه في مُهِمَّا

تِ المَعالي فيُحرِزُ المَجدَ كلَّه

تِ المَعالي فيُحرِزُ المَجدَ كلَّه

He spends all his wealth on the undertakings

Sublime endeavors thus attaining all glory

of lofty deeds, thus winning all glory.

Where the lowlifes cannot hope

حيثُ لا يَطمعُ العَواذِلُ مِنهُ

حيثُ لا يَطمعُ العَواذِلُ مِنهُ

في عَساهُ أن يَنثَني أَو لعَلَّه

في عَساهُ أن يَنثَني أَو لعَلَّه

Where reproaching women have no hope that he

For his spear that it might bend or maybe

might relent—no 'perhaps' or 'maybe.'

And long ago I advised him but that

وقَديماً نَصحتُه فَأبَت ذا

وقَديماً نَصحتُه فَأبَت ذا

لِكَ نَفسٌ عَلى النُّفوسِ مُطِلَّه

لِكَ نَفسٌ عَلى النُّفوسِ مُطِلَّه

Long ago I counseled him, but that was refused

Soul of souls refused

by a soul towering above other souls.

Like the perfect one in generosity and

كمُلَ الكامِليُّ في الجودِ والمَج

كمُلَ الكامِليُّ في الجودِ والمَج

دِ خِصالاً قامَت عَلَيها الأَدِلَّه

دِ خِصالاً قامَت عَلَيها الأَدِلَّه

Al-Kamili has attained perfection in generosity and

Glory traits on which evidence stood

glory, with virtues borne out by the proofs.

And dew and loftiness qualities of a folk

والنّدى والعُلى خَلائِقُ قَومٍ

والنّدى والعُلى خَلائِقُ قَومٍ

جُبلَت في طِباعِهم والجِبِلَّه

جُبلَت في طِباعِهم والجِبِلَّه

And generosity and eminence are traits of a people,

Ingrained in their nature and temperament

molded into their dispositions and inborn nature.