يا حار إنَّ الركبَ قد حاروا

يا حار إنَّ الركبَ قد حاروا

فاذهَب تحسَّس لمن النارُ

فاذهَب تحسَّس لمن النارُ

O Har, the caravan has indeed lost its way.

O hot night, the caravan has lost its way

So go and find out whose fire it is.

So go and gently feel where is the fire

تَبدو وتَخبو إن خَبت عرّسوا

تَبدو وتَخبو إن خَبت عرّسوا

وإن أَضاءَت لَهُم ساروا

وإن أَضاءَت لَهُم ساروا

It appears and fades; if it fades, they halt for the night,

It appears and disappears if it dims they camp

and if it shines for them, they travel on.

And if it shines they proceed

كأنَّها تجمعُ أوطارَهُم

كأنَّها تجمعُ أوطارَهُم

فكيفَ والأَوطارُ أطوارُ

فكيفَ والأَوطارُ أطوارُ

As though it gathered their desires together;

As if it gathers their belongings for them

but how, when desires take different forms?

How so when their belongings are belongings

قام عليها موقِدٌ مرشِدٌ

قام عليها موقِدٌ مرشِدٌ

له بفضلِ الزادِ إيثارُ

له بفضلِ الزادِ إيثارُ

A fire-lighter and guide tends it,

A guiding fire was lit upon it

favoring others with his surplus provisions.

With the favor of provision it preferred

رحب فناءِ البيت ينتابهُ

رحب فناءِ البيت ينتابهُ

في الليل حُرَّاس وسُمارُ

في الليل حُرَّاس وسُمارُ

His house has a spacious courtyard, frequented

The wide courtyard of the house is permeated

at night by watchmen and evening companions.

At night by guards and drinkers

في جانبٍ من بيتِه قبَّةٌ

في جانبٍ من بيتِه قبَّةٌ

تحفُّها حُجبٌ وأستارُ

تحفُّها حُجبٌ وأستارُ

In one part of his house stands a domed chamber,

In a corner of his house is a dome

surrounded by veils and curtains.

Covered by curtains and drapes

دارَت على بعضِ لباناتِكم

دارَت على بعضِ لباناتِكم

ممَّن نأت عنكم به الدارُ

ممَّن نأت عنكم به الدارُ

It encloses some of those you long for,

It turned upon some of your encampments

whose dwelling has taken them far from you.

From which the house keeps you away

لكن عليها طائفٌ خائفٌ

لكن عليها طائفٌ خائفٌ

في طول هذا الليل سَهَّارُ

في طول هذا الليل سَهَّارُ

But around it prowls a fearful watchman,

But a cautious pilgrim circles it

wakeful throughout this long night.

Awake all this long night

فلا تَلوموني إذا مسَّكم

فلا تَلوموني إذا مسَّكم

من قَربها أو مَسَّها عارُ

من قَربها أو مَسَّها عارُ

So do not blame me if you are touched

So do not blame me if one who came near it

by shame from approaching it or touching it.

Or touched it disgraced me

ومرسلٍ يسألُ عن حالتي

ومرسلٍ يسألُ عن حالتي

قلتُ كما تَهوى وتختارُ

قلتُ كما تَهوى وتختارُ

And to a messenger asking how I fare,

And a messenger asked about my condition

I said: As you desire and choose—

I said as you wish and choose

صبٌّ على ما تَشتَهي مدنَفٌ

صبٌّ على ما تَشتَهي مدنَفٌ

أو تَنتَهي العلَّةُ خوَّارُ

أو تَنتَهي العلَّةُ خوَّارُ

a love-stricken man, gravely ill as you wish,

Pouring over what you desire refusing

enfeebled until the ailment ends.

Or the illness finishes it off

وكيفَ أعتدُّ عليكَ الضَّنى

وكيفَ أعتدُّ عليكَ الضَّنى

أليسَ من جَفنيك أمتارُ

أليسَ من جَفنيك أمتارُ

And how can I hold my wasting sickness against you?

And how can I resent you

Do I not draw my sustenance from your eyelids?

Are not your eyelids a refuge

ما نظرةٌ إلا لَها سَكرةٌ

ما نظرةٌ إلا لَها سَكرةٌ

كأنَّما طرفُكَ خمَّارُ

كأنَّما طرفُكَ خمَّارُ

No glance is without its intoxication,

No glance but has intoxication

as though your gaze were a wine-seller.

As if your eye is veiled

وأين ما أسررتَ في لحظِهِ

وأين ما أسررتَ في لحظِهِ

مما أسرَّ الطينُ والقارُ

مما أسرَّ الطينُ والقارُ

And how can what you hid in its glance compare

And where did you confide in its glance

with what clay and pitch have concealed?

What clay and pebbles confided

هذا هوىً يصدرُ عنه جَوىً

هذا هوىً يصدرُ عنه جَوىً

تَتلوهُ لَوعاتٌ وأفكارُ

تَتلوهُ لَوعاتٌ وأفكارُ

This is a passion from which burning heartache springs,

This is an affection from which flows agony

followed by pangs and thoughts.

Followed by sorrows and thoughts

وهذه أفعالُها هذه

وهذه أفعالُها هذه

ما بعدَ رأي العَينِ إنكارُ

ما بعدَ رأي العَينِ إنكارُ

And these are its deeds—these!

And these are its deeds, this is

After the eye has seen, there is no denial.

After the eye's view no denial

ولم يكن أوَّلَ من غرَّني

ولم يكن أوَّلَ من غرَّني

كلُّ غرير الطرفِ غرارُ

كلُّ غرير الطرفِ غرارُ

And he was not the first to deceive me;

And she was not the first who deceived me

every innocent-eyed one is a deceiver.

The deceit of the eyelid is treacherous

كأنهم لم يَسمعوا عندَما

كأنهم لم يَسمعوا عندَما

جاروا بعوفيٍّ له جارُ

جاروا بعوفيٍّ له جارُ

As though they had not heard, when

As if they never heard, when they

they wronged an Awfi who has a protector:

Pass by a neighbor who has a neighbor

يَمشي الهَوى من خَوفه القَهقَرى

يَمشي الهَوى من خَوفه القَهقَرى

عنه وتُغضي عنه أبصارُ

عنه وتُغضي عنه أبصارُ

Love walks backward in fear of him,

Desire walks away from it in fear of its decline

away from him, and eyes avert themselves from him.

And sights overlook it

هناك ما سقَّيتني دائرٌ

هناك ما سقَّيتني دائرٌ

عندكَ والكاساتُ أدوارُ

عندكَ والكاساتُ أدوارُ

There, what you made me drink comes round

There you quenched my thirst in cycles

to you, and the cups pass in turns.

As the cups went around

ما أثقلَ الغَيرةَ من معشرٍ

ما أثقلَ الغَيرةَ من معشرٍ

إذا أَغاروا كلَّما غاروا

إذا أَغاروا كلَّما غاروا

How formidable the jealous zeal of a people,

How heavy are the jealous company

when they raid whenever they grow jealous!

When they become jealous whenever they become jealous

لا يقبلونَ الضيمَ لكنَّهُ

لا يقبلونَ الضيمَ لكنَّهُ

يُقبلُ منهم أينَما ثاروا

يُقبلُ منهم أينَما ثاروا

They will not endure oppression, though it

They do not accept the injustice but

is endured at their hands wherever they rise.

It is accepted from them wherever they rebel

كلٌّ على كلٍّ له نعمةٌ

كلٌّ على كلٍّ له نعمةٌ

كما لكلٍّ عِنده ثارُ

كما لكلٍّ عِنده ثارُ

Each has a favor to his credit with every other,

Each of them has a blessing upon each

just as each has a blood-debt to settle with him.

As each has at his abode a revenge

إن طالَ ليلي لا الدُّجى مُنجلٍ

إن طالَ ليلي لا الدُّجى مُنجلٍ

عنهم ولا الكَوكَبُ غوَّارُ

عنهم ولا الكَوكَبُ غوَّارُ

If my night is long, neither does the darkness lift

If my night is prolonged, neither darkness nor

from them, nor does the star set.

Celestial body veiled them

فالبيضُ وصلُ البيضِ ما بينَهم

فالبيضُ وصلُ البيضِ ما بينَهم

في طولِه والسمرُ أسمارُ

في طولِه والسمرُ أسمارُ

For among them, white blades are union with fair women,

So the white belonged to the white among them

throughout its length, and brown spears are their evening talk.

In its length, and the brown to the brown

ما شاجروا إلا أظلَّتهُم

ما شاجروا إلا أظلَّتهُم

من قَصب المُرَّان أشجارُ

من قَصب المُرَّان أشجارُ

Whenever they clash, they are shaded

They only contended and were shaded

by trees of ash-wood spear-shafts.

By the palm fronds trees

وأظهَروا نَوراً لهُ أرزقاً

وأظهَروا نَوراً لهُ أرزقاً

له من الأنفسِ أثمارُ

له من الأنفسِ أثمارُ

And they bring forth for it a more bountiful blossom,

And they produced a light for it, sustenance

with human souls as its fruits.

For it from the selves fruits

وحامدٌ منهم عَلى ما تَرى

وحامدٌ منهم عَلى ما تَرى

ومُلهمٌ كانَ ودينارُ

ومُلهمٌ كانَ ودينارُ

And Hamid is among them, as you see,

While among them is a praiser over what you see

and so were Mulhim and Dinar.

And an inspirer who was a treasure

ربَّ عِتاقٍ ضمَّرٍ قادَها

ربَّ عِتاقٍ ضمَّرٍ قادَها

حقدٌ له في النَّفس إضمارُ

حقدٌ له في النَّفس إضمارُ

Many a lean, highbred steed was led

How many a veiled grudging freedman

by rancor concealed within the soul,

Led by rancor inside with concealment

إذ يَقصِم الطعنُ القَنا فالقَنا

إذ يَقصِم الطعنُ القَنا فالقَنا

كأنَّها الأشطانُ أشطارُ

كأنَّها الأشطانُ أشطارُ

as thrusting shatters the lances, and the lances,

As vilification breaks the branch so the branch

like well-ropes, lie in pieces.

Is as if it is the devils ripped apart

مصطَبحاً غراءَ مَكدورةً

مصطَبحاً غراءَ مَكدورةً

يحثُّها أبيضُ بتَّارُ

يحثُّها أبيضُ بتَّارُ

He takes at dawn a radiant yet turbid draught,

Dawn found her sickly and gloomy

urged on by a white, keen-cutting sword,

Driven by the white torrent

ويَنثَني من سُكرها سالِماً

ويَنثَني من سُكرها سالِماً

حيثُ عقولُ الشربِ أغمارُ

حيثُ عقولُ الشربِ أغمارُ

and returns unharmed from its intoxication,

And he bends intoxicated and in good health

where the drinkers' wits are unseasoned.

Where the minds of drinking are immersed

مغتبقاً أُخرى كأخلاقِه

مغتبقاً أُخرى كأخلاقِه

يحثُّها نايٌ وأَوتارُ

يحثُّها نايٌ وأَوتارُ

At evening he drinks another, like his own character,

And clasps another matching his morals

urged on by a flute and strings.

Driven by a flute and strings

عَجبتُ كيفَ استعبدَتكَ العُلى

عَجبتُ كيفَ استعبدَتكَ العُلى

والناسُ من ذلكَ أحرارُ

والناسُ من ذلكَ أحرارُ

I marvel at how glory has enslaved you,

I wondered how the sublime enslaved you

while other people are free of it,

While people in that are free

وكيفَ ساجلَت الغمام الذي

وكيفَ ساجلَت الغمام الذي

ليس له في الصيفِ أمطارُ

ليس له في الصيفِ أمطارُ

and how you vied with the cloud that

And how you contended with the clouds that

has no rain in summer.

Have no rain in summer

ولَّى ولِلأرضِ على أنَّها

ولَّى ولِلأرضِ على أنَّها

لم يحتَملها قطُّ مِقدارُ

لم يحتَملها قطُّ مِقدارُ

It withdrew; and as for the earth, although

It turned away as if the earth could not

no measure has ever encompassed it,

Bear its destined amount

أدنيتُ في مَدحِكَ أقطارها

أدنيتُ في مَدحِكَ أقطارها

منِّي فما للأرضِ أقطارُ

منِّي فما للأرضِ أقطارُ

in praising you, I brought its far reaches close

I diminished in your praise the regions of earth

to me; so the earth has no far reaches.

From me for earth has no regions