وراءَك إن زندَك غيرُ واري

وراءَك إن زندَك غيرُ واري

ولو شقَّ الكواكبَ بالشرارِ

ولو شقَّ الكواكبَ بالشرارِ

Stand back, if your fire-stick will not kindle—

Keep back! Indeed, your fire-striker does not kindle,

Behind you, if my life is not hiding,

even though its sparks could cleave the stars.

even if it cleaves the stars with sparks.

Even if the stars split with sparks,

فما أذكيتَ نارَ اللوم لَّما

فما أذكيتَ نارَ اللوم لَّما

بكرتَ عليَّ بل أذكيتَ ناري

بكرتَ عليَّ بل أذكيتَ ناري

You did not fan the fire of reproach when

For you did not kindle the fire of reproach when

So I did not ignite the fire of blame when

you came to me at dawn; you only fanned my own fire.

you came upon me early; rather, you kindled my own fire.

You rose early against me, rather you ignited my fire,

ولم يحجُب بياضَ العيشِ عَني

ولم يحجُب بياضَ العيشِ عَني

بياضٌ لاح يلمعُ في عِذاري

بياضٌ لاح يلمعُ في عِذاري

The whiteness of life was not veiled from me

Nor was the brightness of life concealed from me

And the whiteness of living was not veiled from me

by a whiteness that appeared, gleaming in my side-lock.

by a whiteness that appeared, gleaming in my cheek-locks.

By a shining whiteness that shines in my honor,

لذاك سرى إليَّ الشيبُ فيه

لذاك سرى إليَّ الشيبُ فيه

فلا سَقَتِ السواري كلَّ سارِ

فلا سَقَتِ السواري كلَّ سارِ

That is why grayness traveled into it toward me—

For that reason gray hair crept upon me there by night;

So old age flowed to me in it

may the rainclouds never water every traveler!

so may the night clouds not water every night traveler!

So the bracelets did not give drink to every hidden,

فأنتَ تلومُني إذ لم أوقِّر

فأنتَ تلومُني إذ لم أوقِّر

من اعتَسفَ الظلامَ إلى وقاري

من اعتَسفَ الظلامَ إلى وقاري

You blame me, then, for showing no reverence

So you reproach me because I did not honor

So you blame me when I did not honor

to one who forced his way through the darkness toward my gray dignity.

one who groped through darkness toward my dignity.

Who was insolent to the darkness to dignity

رأيتُ الآنساتِ أنِسنَ حتى

رأيتُ الآنساتِ أنِسنَ حتى

تبادَرَ فابتَدرنَ إلى النِّفارِ

تبادَرَ فابتَدرنَ إلى النِّفارِ

I saw the companionable maidens grow at ease, until

I saw the young women grow at ease, until

I saw the femmes so intimate until

grayness hastened forth—and they hastened to flee.

it rushed in, so they hastened to flee.

They rushed and took the initiative to flee,

قبائلُ لا تزالُ إذا تنادَت

قبائلُ لا تزالُ إذا تنادَت

سوادُ الشعرِ فيها للشعارِ

سوادُ الشعرِ فيها للشعارِ

They are tribes who, whenever they rally, still take

Tribes that always, whenever they call one another,

Tribes that still when they call each other

the blackness of their hair as their banner.

have black hair among them as their rallying sign.

The blackness of hair in it is for the emblem

كأنَّ الأشمطَ المحذورَ فيها

كأنَّ الأشمطَ المحذورَ فيها

يحطُّ قراهُ من خلفِ الجدارِ

يحطُّ قراهُ من خلفِ الجدارِ

It is as though the dreaded gray-haired guest among them

As though the gray-haired man, shunned among them,

As if the feared crow in it

must take his hospitality behind the wall:

has his guest fare set down from behind the wall.

Drops its villages from behind the wall,

إذا أنزلتُه فعلى بناءٍ

إذا أنزلتُه فعلى بناءٍ

وإن أدنيتُه فعلى حذارِ

وإن أدنيتُه فعلى حذارِ

if I lodge him, it is in a separate dwelling;

When I lodge him, it is atop a building,

If I download it, it is on the building

and if I bring him near, I do so warily.

and if I bring him near, it is with caution.

And if I approached him, it was with caution,

وأهيفَ بينَ مقلته وقلبي

وأهيفَ بينَ مقلته وقلبي

خَصائمُ ما خرجنَ عن السرارِ

خَصائمُ ما خرجنَ عن السرارِ

And many a slender beauty—between his eye and my heart

And a slender youth—between his eye and my heart

And I blew between its eyelid and my heart

lie disputants who have never emerged from secrecy.

lie disputes that have never emerged from secrecy.

Disputes that did not come out of the hidden,

وما يَجري على المكتومِ حكمٌ

وما يَجري على المكتومِ حكمٌ

لو ارتَفعا بحيثُ الحكم جارِ

لو ارتَفعا بحيثُ الحكم جارِ

No judgment can be passed upon what is concealed,

And no judgment applies to what is concealed,

And the rule does not apply to the hidden

unless the two appear where judgment holds sway.

even were the two to appeal where judgment holds sway.

If both rose to where the rule flows,

وليسَ إلى صلاحِهما سبيلٌ

وليسَ إلى صلاحِهما سبيلٌ

كذلك لا سبيلَ إلى اصطِباري

كذلك لا سبيلَ إلى اصطِباري

Yet there is no path to reconciling them—

And there is no way to reconcile them;

And there is no way to reconcile them

just as there is no path to my patience.

likewise, no way for me to endure patiently.

So there is no way to be patient with me

ونائبةٍ دنَت فدنوتُ منها

ونائبةٍ دنَت فدنوتُ منها

وكانَت ليسَ يعجبُها فِراري

وكانَت ليسَ يعجبُها فِراري

And many a calamity drew near, so I drew near to it;

And a calamity drew near, so I drew near to it;

And an imminent drew near, so I drew near it

it was one that took no pleasure in my flight.

and my flight was not to its liking.

And it was not pleasing to flee from it

سمعتُ اليومَ وقعَ الغيب خَلفي

سمعتُ اليومَ وقعَ الغيب خَلفي

وجودَ أبي محمد البِشاري

وجودَ أبي محمد البِشاري

Today I heard behind me the tread of the unseen

Today I heard behind me the tread of the unseen,

I heard today the impact of the unseen behind me

and the largesse of Abu Muhammad al-Bishari.

and the bounty of Abu Muhammad al-Bishari.

And the existence of my father Muhammad Al-Bishari

وقد لحِقا فهذا عن يَميني

وقد لحِقا فهذا عن يَميني

يطاردُها وهذا عن يَساري

يطاردُها وهذا عن يَساري

Both have caught up: this one, on my right,

And the two have caught up: this one on my right

And they have joined, so this is on my right

pursues it, and this one on my left.

drives it away, and this one on my left

Chasing it and this is on my left

يساجلُ سحبَه جوداً بجودٍ

يساجلُ سحبَه جوداً بجودٍ

ويطلعُ مثلهنَّ من الغُبارِ

ويطلعُ مثلهنَّ من الغُبارِ

He rivals his clouds, generosity for generosity,

vies with his clouds, bounty for bounty,

He fights its clouds with generosity

while clouds like them rise out of the dust.

and rises like them from the dust.

And dawns like them from the dust,

ولا ينفكُّ يخرِقُهنَّ خِرقٌ

ولا ينفكُّ يخرِقُهنَّ خِرقٌ

أغرُّ الوَجهِ مَخضوبُ الغرارِ

أغرُّ الوَجهِ مَخضوبُ الغرارِ

And through them there ceaselessly charges a bold noble,

And a generous champion never ceases to pierce them,

And he does not stop tearing them apart

bright of face, his sword-edge dyed with blood.

radiant of face, his sword-edges bloodstained.

The most radiant, reddish, reddish face

خليقَتُه وراحَتهُ سواءٌ

خليقَتُه وراحَتهُ سواءٌ

فما تَدري الرياحُ لمن تُباري

فما تَدري الرياحُ لمن تُباري

His nature and his open hand are equally generous,

His character and his palm are alike;

His nature and comfort are the same

so the winds cannot tell which of them they are racing.

so the winds do not know which one to rival.

So the winds do not know whom to compete with

فإن يكن استعارَ المجدَ قومٌ

فإن يكن استعارَ المجدَ قومٌ

وهمُّوا باحتِباسِ المستَعارِ

وهمُّوا باحتِباسِ المستَعارِ

If some men have borrowed glory

So if some people should have borrowed glory

If some people borrowed glory

and thought to keep what they borrowed,

and sought to retain what they borrowed,

And intended to retain the borrower

فإن سُيوفه في كل أرضٍ

فإن سُيوفه في كل أرضٍ

عَوارٍ أو تردّ بها العَواري

عَوارٍ أو تردّ بها العَواري

then his swords, throughout every land,

then his swords in every land

Then his swords in every land

are loans—or by them borrowed glories are returned.

are unsheathed until the borrowed things are restored through them.

Are defiant, or they repel defiance in it,

ويُعجِبُه العلوُّ بلا تعالٍ

ويُعجِبُه العلوُّ بلا تعالٍ

ويطربُ للفَخار بلا افتِخارِ

ويطربُ للفَخار بلا افتِخارِ

Loftiness delights him, without arrogance;

And he delights in eminence without arrogance,

And he likes the ascension without elevation

glory thrills him, without boasting.

and rejoices in glory without boasting.

And he is delighted with pride without pride

فيَفعلُ ما ادَّعَوهُ ولا تَراه

فيَفعلُ ما ادَّعَوهُ ولا تَراه

يجادلُهم عليه ولا يُماري

يجادلُهم عليه ولا يُماري

He does what they merely claim, and you never see him

So he does what they have claimed, yet you do not see him

So he does what they claimed and does not see him Disputing them and not contending,

disputing with them over it or wrangling.

arguing with them about it or quibbling.

Those who drew near you have been fortunate

لقد سَعُدَت بقُربك مُقرباتٌ

لقد سَعُدَت بقُربك مُقرباتٌ

إليك مقرباتٌ كلَّ جارِ

إليك مقرباتٌ كلَّ جارِ

Swift mares have prospered by drawing near to you—

Indeed, cherished steeds have prospered through your nearness,

Every neighbor who drew near you

mares that bring every runner near to you.

bringing every runner close to you.

The next morning when it joined you, so you refrained from it

غداة لَحقتَها فقلعتَ عنها

غداة لَحقتَها فقلعتَ عنها

هناك قَلعتَ عنها كلَّ عارِ

هناك قَلعتَ عنها كلَّ عارِ

On the morning you caught up with them, you stripped from them

The morning you caught up with them and withdrew from them,

There you refrained from every dishonor,

then and there every trace of shame.

there you stripped them of every disgrace.

And accustomed to joining

وصارَت لِلِّحاقِ مُعوَّداتٍ

وصارَت لِلِّحاقِ مُعوَّداتٍ

وكانت قبل ذلكَ للفرارِ

وكانت قبل ذلكَ للفرارِ

They became accustomed to pursuit,

And they became accustomed to pursuit,

And it was before that for fleeing

though before that they had been accustomed to flight.

whereas before that they had been accustomed to flight.

I will compose of your thick in you a necklace

سأنظمُ من سميك فيك عقداً

سأنظمُ من سميك فيك عقداً

وأنزِلُ ما تبَقَّى للنثارِ

وأنزِلُ ما تبَقَّى للنثارِ

From your namesake I shall string, concerning you, a necklace,

I shall string from your namesake a necklace in your praise,

And download what remains for scattering

and let whatever remains fall as scattered gems.

and cast the remainder down as scattered gifts.

So the two of us made people prolong a saying

فربَّتما أطالَ الناسُ قَولاً

فربَّتما أطالَ الناسُ قَولاً

فطاوَل ذلكَ الطول اختِصاري

فطاوَل ذلكَ الطول اختِصاري

How often people have spoken at length,

For often people have drawn out their speech,

So that length prolonged my shortening,

yet my brevity has rivaled all that length.

and my brevity has rivaled that length.

And if they associated numbering with it one day

وإن قَرنوا به التعديد يوماً

وإن قَرنوا به التعديد يوماً

على أحدٍ قَرنتُ به اعتِذاري

على أحدٍ قَرنتُ به اعتِذاري

And if one day they join to their words a tally of merits

And if one day they join to it a recital of favors

I associated with it my apology,

against anyone, I shall join my apology to it.

bestowed on someone, I join to it my apology.

For your glory, the saying in it did not suffice you

لمجدكَ ما كفاك القول فيه

لمجدكَ ما كفاك القول فيه

ولي خبرٌ كفى الناسَ اختِباري

ولي خبرٌ كفى الناسَ اختِباري

As for your glory, words about it have not sufficed you;

For your glory, what is said of it suffices you;

And I have news enough for people to test me

but I have knowledge whose testing has spared all others.

and I have a reputation that spares people from testing me.