أبى الدَّمع إِلا أن يَسحَّ ويَسجُما

أبى الدَّمع إِلا أن يَسحَّ ويَسجُما

وآلَى الهَوى أن لا أُفيقَ وأقسَما

وآلَى الهَوى أن لا أُفيقَ وأقسَما

Tears refused all but to pour and stream,

The tears would do nothing but pour and stream.

and passion vowed—swearing solemnly—that I would never recover.

And love vowed that I would not regain my senses, and swore an oath.

وغالَبَني طَرفي فأظهرَ دَمعَه

وغالَبَني طَرفي فأظهرَ دَمعَه

مِن السِّرِّ ما قَد كانَ في القَلبِ مُبهما

مِن السِّرِّ ما قَد كانَ في القَلبِ مُبهما

My eye overpowered me and disclosed its tears,

My eye overcame me, and its tears revealed

revealing what the heart had kept obscure of the secret.

what of my secret had lain hidden in my heart.

لقد كانَ في ماءِ الجُفونِ دَلالةٌ

لقد كانَ في ماءِ الجُفونِ دَلالةٌ

عَلى ما أُقاسِيهِ فَلِم سَفَحَت دَما

عَلى ما أُقاسِيهِ فَلِم سَفَحَت دَما

Surely the water of the eyelids held a sign

Surely the water of my eyelids held a sign

of what I suffer—why, then, did it shed blood?

of what I endure—so why did it shed blood?

وعينٌ تخافُ النَّومَ حتَّى كأنَّما

وعينٌ تخافُ النَّومَ حتَّى كأنَّما

تظنُّ بأنَّ النَّومَ ضَربٌ مِنَ العَمَى

تظنُّ بأنَّ النَّومَ ضَربٌ مِنَ العَمَى

An eye fears sleep until it is as though

And an eye fears sleep, so much that it seems

it thinks that sleep is a kind of blindness.

to think that sleep is a kind of blindness.

ألا إنَّ نارَ الشَّوقِ يَزدادُ ضَوؤُها

ألا إنَّ نارَ الشَّوقِ يَزدادُ ضَوؤُها

ضِياءً إذا ما حِندسُ اللَّيلِ أظلَما

ضِياءً إذا ما حِندسُ اللَّيلِ أظلَما

Behold: the radiance of longing’s fire grows

Behold, the light of longing's fire grows

brighter whenever the deep darkness of night turns black.

brighter when the night's deep gloom grows darker.

فكم مِن غَرامٍ سارَ يُهدَى بضَوئِها

فكم مِن غَرامٍ سارَ يُهدَى بضَوئِها

مُجِدّاً إلى قَلبي فَوافاهُ مُغرَما

مُجِدّاً إلى قَلبي فَوافاهُ مُغرَما

How many a passion journeyed, guided by its glow,

And how many a passion has journeyed, guided by its light,

striving toward my heart, then reached it love-struck.

hastening toward my heart, and coming upon it lovesick.

ومِن عَجبِ الأَشياءِ أنِّي مُتيَّمٌ

ومِن عَجبِ الأَشياءِ أنِّي مُتيَّمٌ

بذِي غُنُجٍ خَلَّفتُه بي مُتَيَّما

بذِي غُنُجٍ خَلَّفتُه بي مُتَيَّما

Among all wonders is that I am enthralled

And among wondrous things is that I am enthralled

by a coquettish one whom I left enthralled with me.

by a coquettish beloved whom I left behind, enthralled by me.

يودِّعُني والعَينُ تَنثُرُ دَمعَها

يودِّعُني والعَينُ تَنثُرُ دَمعَها

ويُرشِفُني مِن فِيه دُرّاً مُنظَّما

ويُرشِفُني مِن فِيه دُرّاً مُنظَّما

He bids me farewell while his eye scatters its tears,

He bids me farewell while the eye scatters its tears,

and lets me sip from his mouth pearls strung in a row.

and lets me sip strung pearls from his mouth.

بَكَى جَزَعاً لمَّا ضَحِكتُ تَجلُّداً

بَكَى جَزَعاً لمَّا ضَحِكتُ تَجلُّداً

سَلُوا أيُّنا عِند الهَوى كانَ أحزَما

سَلُوا أيُّنا عِند الهَوى كانَ أحزَما

He wept in anguish when I laughed, feigning fortitude—

He wept in anguish when I laughed to show fortitude.

ask which of us proved more steadfast before love.

Ask which of us was more prudent in love.

ولي هِمَّةٌ أقصَى العِراقِ محلُّها

ولي هِمَّةٌ أقصَى العِراقِ محلُّها

وقَلبٌ بأقصَى الشام أضحى مُخَيِّما

وقَلبٌ بأقصَى الشام أضحى مُخَيِّما

I have an ambition whose abode is at Iraq’s farthest reach,

And I have an ambition whose abode is in farthest Iraq,

and a heart now encamped at Syria’s farthest reach.

and a heart that has pitched its camp in farthest al-Sham.

ولَولا ابنُ بِسطامٍ وُهَيبٌ وجُودُهُ

ولَولا ابنُ بِسطامٍ وُهَيبٌ وجُودُهُ

لأسرَجَ همِّي خَيلَ عَزمي وألجَما

لأسرَجَ همِّي خَيلَ عَزمي وألجَما

Were it not for Ibn Bistam—Wuhayb—and his generosity,

And were it not for Wuhayb ibn Bistam and his generosity,

I would surely saddle, for my purpose, the steeds of my resolve and bridle them:

my worry would have saddled the horses of my resolve and bridled them.

أخُو كَرم الطَّبعِ الَّذي قَبلَ أهلِهِ

أخُو كَرم الطَّبعِ الَّذي قَبلَ أهلِهِ

إِذا ما كِرامُ النَّاسِ جادُوا تَكرُّما

إِذا ما كِرامُ النَّاسِ جادُوا تَكرُّما

a man of innate generosity, who surpasses his kin

A man of innate generosity, ahead of those who practice it,

whenever the noble among mankind give out of magnanimity.

when the generous among men give to show generosity.

تحكَّمَ في أموالِهِ كلُّ قاصِدٍ

تحكَّمَ في أموالِهِ كلُّ قاصِدٍ

وحكَّمهُ في شُكرِه فَتَحكَّما

وحكَّمهُ في شُكرِه فَتَحكَّما

Every petitioner holds sway over his wealth,

Every petitioner takes command of his wealth,

and he makes him master of praising him, so he rules freely.

and grants him command over his gratitude, so he commands.

يخُوضُ الرَّدَى إمَّا حُساماً مُجرَّداً

يخُوضُ الرَّدَى إمَّا حُساماً مُجرَّداً

تَراهُ وإلا سَمهرِيّاً مُقَوَّما

تَراهُ وإلا سَمهرِيّاً مُقَوَّما

He plunges into death: either you see him

He wades into death: either as an unsheathed sword

as a drawn sword, or else as a straight Samharian spear.

you see him, or else as a stout, straightened spear.

فَيَلقاهُ وَفدٌ للنَّدى وفد ماله

فَيَلقاهُ وَفدٌ للنَّدى وفد ماله

خَصِيماً وتَلقاهُ الكَتِيبةُ ضَيغَما

خَصِيماً وتَلقاهُ الكَتِيبةُ ضَيغَما

A delegation seeking bounty meets him, having come upon his wealth

A deputation seeking bounty, come for his wealth, meets him

as adversaries, while a battalion meets him as a lion.

as a foe to his riches, while the battalion meets him as a lion.

رَماني زَماني وهوَ لو كنتُ رُعتُه

رَماني زَماني وهوَ لو كنتُ رُعتُه

بقَصدكَ قَولاً قبلَ قَصدِكَ ما رَمَى

بقَصدكَ قَولاً قبلَ قَصدِكَ ما رَمَى

Time struck me; yet, had I frightened it

My fortune struck me; yet had I frightened it

merely by saying I would seek you, before truly seeking you, it would not have struck.

by speaking of seeking you before seeking you, it would not have struck.

وَإنَّي لَذُو خُلقٍ ذَلُولٍ معَ الغِنَى

وَإنَّي لَذُو خُلقٍ ذَلُولٍ معَ الغِنَى

ولكنَّهُ صَعبٌ إذا كنتُ مُعدَما

ولكنَّهُ صَعبٌ إذا كنتُ مُعدَما

Indeed, my nature is gentle and tractable when wealth is with me,

And indeed, I have a docile temper when I am wealthy,

but it turns hard and unruly when I am destitute.

but it is unruly when I am destitute.

زَفَفتُ عَرُوساً صُغتُ مَجدَك حليَها

زَفَفتُ عَرُوساً صُغتُ مَجدَك حليَها

كسَتها العُلى ثَوباً بذِكرِكَ مُعلَما

كسَتها العُلى ثَوباً بذِكرِكَ مُعلَما

I have led forth a bride, fashioning your glory into her ornaments;

I led forth a bride, fashioning your glory into her jewels;

lofty virtues clothed her in a robe embroidered with your name.

high honor clothed her in a robe emblazoned with your praise.

إذا ما جَلاها عَفوُ فِكري تَبَسَّمَت

إذا ما جَلاها عَفوُ فِكري تَبَسَّمَت

فَقابَلَها منكَ النَّدى مُتَبَسِّما

فَقابَلَها منكَ النَّدى مُتَبَسِّما

Whenever my thought’s spontaneous flow unveiled her, she smiled,

Whenever the spontaneous flow of my thought unveils her, she smiles,

and your bounty met her, smiling.

and your bounty greets her, smiling.

أطَلتُ مَعانِيها وقَصَّرتُ نَظمَها

أطَلتُ مَعانِيها وقَصَّرتُ نَظمَها

وأورَدتُها بكراً وتَصدُرُ أيّما

وأورَدتُها بكراً وتَصدُرُ أيّما

I made her meanings ample and her verse concise;

I expanded her meanings and shortened her verse,

I presented her a virgin, and she departs unwed.

and I brought her in a virgin, and she departs unwed.

ومَن طاوَلَ العَلياءَ بالشِّعرِ إنَّما

ومَن طاوَلَ العَلياءَ بالشِّعرِ إنَّما

يَرومُ بِما يَأتي مُطاولَةَ السَّما

يَرومُ بِما يَأتي مُطاولَةَ السَّما

Whoever strives through poetry to rival the heights

And whoever vies with the heights of glory through poetry is only

seeks, through what he composes, to vie with heaven.

seeking, through what he brings, to rival the sky in height.