أَتَرحَلُ يا رَبيع وَلا رَبيعٌ

أَتَرحَلُ يا رَبيع وَلا رَبيعٌ

لَدَينا مِن نَداكَ وَلا غَديرُ

لَدَينا مِن نَداكَ وَلا غَديرُ

Will you depart, O Rabīʿ, leaving no spring

Does spring depart, my Lord, and yet no spring

here from your dew, nor any pool?

To us has come, or gentle rain from you?

يَقِلّ نَوال أَبناء القَوافي

يَقِلّ نَوال أَبناء القَوافي

وَعندَ ابنِ السَبيل نَدىً كَثيرُ

وَعندَ ابنِ السَبيل نَدىً كَثيرُ

The bounty for the sons of rhyme is scant,

The showers of poetry are growing rare;

while the wayfarer has abundant bounty.

The beggar's bowls run over with your dew.

فان تَسمَع لِشعر أَو لِفَقر

فان تَسمَع لِشعر أَو لِفَقر

فانّي شاعِرٌ رَجُلٌ فَقيرُ

فانّي شاعِرٌ رَجُلٌ فَقيرُ

So if you listen to poetry or poverty,

If you should hear the verse or hear the want,

then I am a poet, a poor man.

Then know, I am the poet poor but true.

إِذا ما قيلَ ما أَعطى وَأَغنى

إِذا ما قيلَ ما أَعطى وَأَغنى

فَلا عُرفٌ لَديَّ وَلا نَكيرُ

فَلا عُرفٌ لَديَّ وَلا نَكيرُ

When it is said, 'How much he gave and enriched!'

When men shall say, 'What has he spent? How much

I can neither affirm nor deny it.

Enriched?' no gold is mine, no gifts from you.

أَكذبٌ في المَديحِ وَفي العَطايا

أَكذبٌ في المَديحِ وَفي العَطايا

لَعمرِكَ ذاكَ خُسرانٌ كَبيرُ

لَعمرِكَ ذاكَ خُسرانٌ كَبيرُ

Falsehood in both praise and gifts?

I lie in praising men of little worth,

By your life, that is a great loss.

And great the sin. This penance shall be due.

وَلَيتَكَ لَم تَجِد فَعَقلتُ شِعري

وَلَيتَكَ لَم تَجِد فَعَقلتُ شِعري

إِلى مَن عِندَهُ الخَيرُ الكَثيرُ

إِلى مَن عِندَهُ الخَيرُ الكَثيرُ

Would that you had not given; I would have tethered my verse

Would that you ne'er had found me fit to scan

to one who has abundant wealth.

My verse at all, but sent me to a few

أَهَذا كَيفَ لا آتي بَخيلٍ

أَهَذا كَيفَ لا آتي بَخيلٍ

وَغِلمان وَلا يُغنى الأَميرُ

وَغِلمان وَلا يُغنى الأَميرُ

Is this it? How can I come away without horses

Who know that gifts are great, and givers kind.

or boys, while the emir is not enriched?

Can churls enrich the life of prince like you?

وَأَعطيتَ الدَراهِمَ زائِفاتٍ

وَأَعطيتَ الدَراهِمَ زائِفاتٍ

أَجَدّك هَكَذا تُعطى المُهور

أَجَدّك هَكَذا تُعطى المُهور

And you gave counterfeit dirhams!

You paid false coins for poems. Can it be?

Seriously—is this how dowers are paid?

Is this your custom when you authors woo?

فَطَلِّقها لأُنكحَها سَحاباً

فَطَلِّقها لأُنكحَها سَحاباً

يَجودُ عَليَّ عارِضُهُ المَطيرُ

يَجودُ عَليَّ عارِضُهُ المَطيرُ

Then divorce her, so I may wed her to a cloud

Then send me back rejected to the clouds

whose rain-laden cloudbank pours generously upon me.

Which drop their rain, and hide their tears in dew.

وَإِذ أَعطَيتَها المهرَ المُوفّى

وَإِذ أَعطَيتَها المهرَ المُوفّى

فَأَنتَ بِكُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ جَديرُ

فَأَنتَ بِكُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ جَديرُ

And since you paid her dower in full,

Since the full bridal gift was yours to give,

then you are worthy of every honor.

Yours is all grace and bounty ever new.