عَلَى ما حلَّ بي وهُمُ حلولُ

عَلَى ما حلَّ بي وهُمُ حلولُ

إِذا قالوا الرَّحيلَ فَما تَقولُ

إِذا قالوا الرَّحيلَ فَما تَقولُ

Given what has befallen me while they remain encamped,

For what has befallen me and their worries are concerns

if they announce departure, what will you say?

When they say farewell, what can you say

فَلا تُطِل الملامَ فلستُ أصغي

فَلا تُطِل الملامَ فلستُ أصغي

فَأدري كيفَ تُقصِرُ أَو تُطيلُ

فَأدري كيفَ تُقصِرُ أَو تُطيلُ

So do not prolong your reproach: I do not listen,

So do not blame me long for I do not listen

so I cannot tell whether you cut it short or draw it out.

I know whether you shorten or lengthen

ألَم تَغضَب لنُصحِكَ حينَ يَمضي

ألَم تَغضَب لنُصحِكَ حينَ يَمضي

هَباءً لا يُقابِلُهُ قَبولُ

هَباءً لا يُقابِلُهُ قَبولُ

Have you not been angered when your counsel goes

Are you not angered when your advice passes

to waste, finding no acceptance?

Like mere dust receiving no acceptance

وفي القُطر الَّتي بَكرتَ فُؤادٌ

وفي القُطر الَّتي بَكرتَ فُؤادٌ

تَغَلغَلَ بَينَ قُطرَيهِ الغَليلُ

تَغَلغَلَ بَينَ قُطرَيهِ الغَليلُ

And in the caravans you visited at dawn lies a heart,

In the rain you early wept, a heart

between whose two sides burning yearning has seeped.

Permeated between its drops sorrow

وأَقمارٌ هَوادِجُها أفولٌ

وأَقمارٌ هَوادِجُها أفولٌ

وأَغصانٌ تَميلُ فَتَستَميلُ

وأَغصانٌ تَميلُ فَتَستَميلُ

And moons whose howdahs are their setting,

Moons whose lights set

and branches that sway and so entice,

Branches lean and so entice

وأَردافٌ تُجاذِبُها خُصورٌ

وأَردافٌ تُجاذِبُها خُصورٌ

وكَيفَ يُجاذِبُ السَّمِنَ النُّحولُ

وكَيفَ يُجاذِبُ السَّمِنَ النُّحولُ

and hips with which waists contend—

Hips charm waists

and how can slenderness contend with plumpness?

And how can the fat allure the lean

وأَنتَ تَقولُ لَو حمِّلتَ صَبراً

وأَنتَ تَقولُ لَو حمِّلتَ صَبراً

وبِالصَّبرِ الجَميلِ هَوىً جَميلُ

وبِالصَّبرِ الجَميلِ هَوىً جَميلُ

And you say, 'If only you were laden with patience!

You say: "Had you borne patience

And with beautiful patience, love is beautiful.'

With fine patience, fine passion"

فَدَع عَزمي وَما يُدعَى إِلَيهِ

فَدَع عَزمي وَما يُدعَى إِلَيهِ

فَلَيسَ يَهونُ إِلا ما يَهولُ

فَلَيسَ يَهونُ إِلا ما يَهولُ

So leave my resolve and what it is called to;

Leave my resolve and what it's called to

for only what terrifies becomes easy.

For only what appalls grows mild

وأَكثرُ ما تُخوِّفُني المَنايا

وأَكثرُ ما تُخوِّفُني المَنايا

وكَم قَد جاءَني مِنها رَسولُ

وكَم قَد جاءَني مِنها رَسولُ

And the worst you threaten me with is death;

Most frightening me is death

and many a messenger from it has already come to me.

And how often has its messenger come to me

تحاولُ ما بخِلتَ عَلَيهِ مِني

تحاولُ ما بخِلتَ عَلَيهِ مِني

وما أَنا بِالَّذي التَمَسَت بَخيلُ

وما أَنا بِالَّذي التَمَسَت بَخيلُ

It seeks from me what you were loath to surrender,

It tries what you haven't stinted me

and I am not stingy with what it sought.

I'm no miser it has sought

ولَكِن أبعدَت لَمَّا رَأَتني

ولَكِن أبعدَت لَمَّا رَأَتني

قَريباً مِن أَبي الحَسَن بنِ لُولُو

قَريباً مِن أَبي الحَسَن بنِ لُولُو

But it withdrew when it saw me

But it kept away when it saw me

near Abu al-Hasan ibn Lulu.

Close to my father Hasan son of Lulu

وَكَم حَلَّت صُروفُ الدَّهرِ حَولِي

وَكَم حَلَّت صُروفُ الدَّهرِ حَولِي

فَحَوَّلَهُنَّ عَهدٌ لا يَحولُ

فَحَوَّلَهُنَّ عَهدٌ لا يَحولُ

And how often time's vicissitudes have encamped around me,

And how many turns of fate went around me

and a pledge that never changes turned them away.

Made timeless by an era that doesn't change

وَجودٌ يُهمِلُ السُّحبَ احتِقاراً

وَجودٌ يُهمِلُ السُّحبَ احتِقاراً

إِذا ما اشتَدَّ بَينَهُما الهُمولُ

إِذا ما اشتَدَّ بَينَهُما الهُمولُ

And generosity that dismisses the clouds with contempt

Generosity neglects the clouds disdainfully

when the downpour between the two grows fierce;

When intensity flows between them

وأَخلاقٌ كَأبكارِ الغَوانِي

وأَخلاقٌ كَأبكارِ الغَوانِي

إِذا اشتَملَت عَلَيهنَّ الشَّمولُ

إِذا اشتَملَت عَلَيهنَّ الشَّمولُ

and virtues like virgin beauties

Morals like virgins of singing girls

when wine enfolds them;

When they don veils of modesty

وَآراءٌ مُعَلَّقةُ النَّواحِي

وَآراءٌ مُعَلَّقةُ النَّواحِي

وَإِن ثَبتَت بِأَفكارٍ تَجولُ

وَإِن ثَبتَت بِأَفكارٍ تَجولُ

and judgments whose edges hang suspended,

Views hanging undecided

though made firm by thoughts that roam.

Though fixed in roving thoughts

وَقَد تَأتِي العُقولُ إِذا اطمَأَنَّت

وَقَد تَأتِي العُقولُ إِذا اطمَأَنَّت

بِما لَيسَت تَقومُ لَه العُقولُ

بِما لَيسَت تَقومُ لَه العُقولُ

And minds, when at ease, may produce

Minds may bring when settled

what minds cannot withstand.

What minds cannot sustain

لَئِن باتَت تُسابِقُني المَعاني

لَئِن باتَت تُسابِقُني المَعاني

إِلَيكَ كَأنَّ مُختَرعاً مَقولُ

إِلَيكَ كَأنَّ مُختَرعاً مَقولُ

Even if meanings spend the night racing me

Were meanings to race me to you at night

toward you, as though the newly devised were already spoken,

As if an invented saying

فَما أَنا مُدرِكٌ بِالقَولِ فَضلاً

فَما أَنا مُدرِكٌ بِالقَولِ فَضلاً

فَكَيفَ وأَنتَ قَوَّالٌ فَعولُ

فَكَيفَ وأَنتَ قَوَّالٌ فَعولُ

yet I can attain no superiority through speech;

I cannot attain excellence in speech

so how could I, when you excel in word and deed?

So how when you are a skilled speaker

تَكاثَرَ عِندكَ الشُّعراءُ فَانظُر

تَكاثَرَ عِندكَ الشُّعراءُ فَانظُر

فإِنَّهُم وإِن كَثُروا قَليلُ

فإِنَّهُم وإِن كَثُروا قَليلُ

Poets have grown numerous in your presence; look:

Many poets throng you, so see

for though they are many, they are few.

Though numerous, they are few

وأَبناءُ السَّبيلِ فَما عَلَيهِم

وأَبناءُ السَّبيلِ فَما عَلَيهِم

إِذا سأَلوكَ مَعروفاً سَبيلُ

إِذا سأَلوكَ مَعروفاً سَبيلُ

And wayfarers incur no

As for wayfarers, it is not for them

blame if they ask you for a kindness.

When asking you a boon, a way