قِفْ أن وقفتَ فذاك وادي المُنحى

قِفْ أن وقفتَ فذاك وادي المُنحى

وأنشُدَ غزالَ الحّيِ أغيدَ أعينَا

وأنشُدَ غزالَ الحّيِ أغيدَ أعينَا

Stop, if you stop: that is the valley of al-Munha.

Stop if you stop, for that is the valley of parting,

And seek the tribe’s gazelle, supple and large-eyed.

And sing to the beautiful gazelle of the tribe, she has left my eyes sleepless.

فلقد بكيتُ كما ضحكتُ من النَّوى

فلقد بكيتُ كما ضحكتُ من النَّوى

وأساء لي يومُ الوداع وأحسنا

وأساء لي يومُ الوداع وأحسنا

For I wept as I laughed because of separation,

For I have wept as I have laughed from intimacy,

And the day of farewell did me harm and good.

And the day of farewell was unkind yet kind to me.

عانقتهُ فحييتُ ثم مضى فلو

عانقتهُ فحييتُ ثم مضى فلو

نَشدوا قتيلَ هوًى لقلتُ لهم أنا

نَشدوا قتيلَ هوًى لقلتُ لهم أنا

I embraced him and came alive; then he departed—so if

I bid him farewell and greeted him, then he left, so if

They sought one slain by love, I would tell them, “I.”

They asked who was slain by love, I would say it was I.

لم أَنسهُ يوم الكثيب وقد ثنى

لم أَنسهُ يوم الكثيب وقد ثنى

مِثلَ القضيب بمثله صبري ثنا

مِثلَ القضيب بمثله صبري ثنا

I have not forgotten him that day at the dune, when he bent,

I did not forget him on the sand dune when he bent

Like a bough, and with its like bent my patience double.

Like a stick, my patience bent like it, doubled over.

ألقاه شاهرَ سيفهِ من جَفنهِ

ألقاه شاهرَ سيفهِ من جَفنهِ

لاَ جفنهِ إِما تسمَّى واكتنى

لاَ جفنهِ إِما تسمَّى واكتنى

I meet him brandishing his sword from his eyelid,

He cast his piercing glance from his eyelid,

Not his scabbard, whatever name or byname he assumes.

Nay, not his eyelid, as if it were named and folded over.

كالظَّبي يعطو أو يلاِحظ رانياً

كالظَّبي يعطو أو يلاِحظ رانياً

والبدرِ يبدو والقضيب إذا انثنى

والبدرِ يبدو والقضيب إذا انثنى

Like a gazelle reaching to browse or glancing with an intent gaze,

Like the young gazelle who glances or watches me furtively

And like the full moon appearing, and a bough when it bends.

And the moon appears and the stick when it bends over.

بدرٌ تكامل نورهُ لا يُجتلى

بدرٌ تكامل نورهُ لا يُجتلى

غصنٌ تَضوَّعَ نورُه لا يُجتنى

غصنٌ تَضوَّعَ نورُه لا يُجتنى

A full moon whose light is complete, yet cannot be beheld;

A full moon whose light cannot be obscured,

A branch whose blossom spreads fragrance, yet cannot be plucked.

A blossoming branch whose light cannot be extinguished.

في خدّه ورد الحياءِ فما الحيا

في خدّه ورد الحياءِ فما الحيا

وبجفنهِ وِردُ الميَّةِ والمنى

وبجفنهِ وِردُ الميَّةِ والمنى

On his cheek is modesty’s rose—what, then, is rain?

On his cheek the rose of bashfulness, so there is no shame,

And in his eyelid lies the draught of death and desires.

And on his eyelid the tattoo of separation and intimacy.

لو رُمتُ أعقِد خصرهُ من لِينهِ

لو رُمتُ أعقِد خصرهُ من لِينهِ

وسقامه ِعند العناق لأَمكنا

وسقامه ِعند العناق لأَمكنا

If I sought to knot his waist, such was its softness

If I were to cling to his soft waist out of tenderness

And frailty, it could be done while embracing him.

And he were sick from the embrace, it would allow me to.

يَجني ويَجني لحظُنا من خدّهِ

يَجني ويَجني لحظُنا من خدّهِ

حُلوَ الجَنى مُرَّ المذاق إذا جنى

حُلوَ الجَنى مُرَّ المذاق إذا جنى

He wrongs, while our gaze gathers from his cheek

Picking and picking, our glances from his cheek

Sweet fruit, bitter to taste when he wrongs.

Sweetly gather the bitter harvest when picked.

غضبانُ امنعُ ما تراهُ مُفرداً

غضبانُ امنعُ ما تراهُ مُفرداً

في الحيِ ابعدُ ما يكون إذا دنا

في الحيِ ابعدُ ما يكون إذا دنا

Angry, he is most unapproachable when you see him alone

Angry, inaccessible, how far he is when seen alone

Among the tribe, and farthest away when he draws near.

In the settlement, the furthest when he draws near.

لو جئتهُ بالعتب تُضمِرهُ له

لو جئتهُ بالعتب تُضمِرهُ له

لقرأتهُ من وجنتَيهِ مُبيَّنا

لقرأتهُ من وجنتَيهِ مُبيَّنا

If you came to him with reproach you concealed for him,

If I were to come to him with reproach, he would pretend deafness,

You would read it plainly from his cheeks.

And I would read it on his two cheeks, clearly expressed.

فالجدُ إلا فيهِ بات مذمَّماً

فالجدُ إلا فيهِ بات مذمَّماً

والصَّبر إلاَّ عنهُ أصبح هيِنّا

والصَّبر إلاَّ عنهُ أصبح هيِنّا

Thus earnest pursuit, except of him, has become blameworthy,

For seriousness, save for him, has become condemned,

And patience, except in doing without him, has become easy.

And patience, save about him, has become effortless.

أعجِبتَ من بَذلي دموعي

أعجِبتَ من بَذلي دموعي

وهي ياقوتٌ وعادةُ مثلها أن ُيخزنا

وهي ياقوتٌ وعادةُ مثلها أن ُيخزنا

Are you amazed at my spending my tears,

Do you wonder that I shed my tears,

Though they are rubies, and such gems are customarily stored away?

Which are pearls, and their nature is to be hoarded?

قد كان دمعي مثلَ عهدك ابيضاً

قد كان دمعي مثلَ عهدك ابيضاً

حتى تلوَّنَ عهدهُ فتلوَّنا

حتى تلوَّنَ عهدهُ فتلوَّنا

Once my tears were white, like your pledge,

My tears were as white as your pact

Until his pledge changed hue, and so did they.

Until his pact changed color, so they changed.

ليس الملامُ من السقام بنافعٍ

ليس الملامُ من السقام بنافعٍ

كيفَ الشِفاءُ وطَرفهُ يُهدي الضَّنا

كيفَ الشِفاءُ وطَرفهُ يُهدي الضَّنا

Reproach is no remedy for sickness.

Blame is no use from a lover,

How can there be healing when his gaze bestows wasting illness?

How can there be healing when his glance causes pining?

رشَأٌ خلتْ منهُ مساكنُ قومهِ

رشَأٌ خلتْ منهُ مساكنُ قومهِ

فالقلبُ أصبح للكآبة مسكنا

فالقلبُ أصبح للكآبة مسكنا

A fawn whose people’s dwellings are empty of him;

Joy whose dwellings his tribe has been deprived of,

So the heart has become a dwelling for sorrow.

So the heart has become a dwelling for gloom.

زالتْ بهِ شمسُ السَّرور وِإنما

زالتْ بهِ شمسُ السَّرور وِإنما

بالصَّاحب ارتُجعت وعاودها السَّنا

بالصَّاحب ارتُجعت وعاودها السَّنا

With him the sun of joy vanished; only

The sun of happiness has departed from him

Through al-Sahib was it restored, and its radiance returned.

And will only return to him with fortune's return.

ذو عزمةٍ أبدا تُناط بفكرةٍ

ذو عزمةٍ أبدا تُناط بفكرةٍ

تقضي على غيب الُأمور تيقُّنا

تقضي على غيب الُأمور تيقُّنا

A man of resolve forever bound to a thought

One whose will is always tied to an idea

That judges unseen affairs with certainty.

That rules over the unknown of matters with certainty.

من خوفها أبدا تعاين رعدةً

من خوفها أبدا تعاين رعدةً

في المرهفات وفرطَ سُقمٍ في القنا

في المرهفات وفرطَ سُقمٍ في القنا

For fear of it, you always behold trembling

Whom from fear of it you always sense shivering

In keen blades, and extreme frailty in the spears.

In the sensitive ones and intense sickness in the viscera.

يقظانَ ساس الملك بعد إِذالةٍ

يقظانَ ساس الملك بعد إِذالةٍ

منهُ فحسَّن منهُ ما قد حصّنا

منهُ فحسَّن منهُ ما قد حصّنا

Wakeful, he governed the realm after humbling it;

The resolute advisor to the king after humbling himself before him,

Then improved, by his hand, what he had fortified within it.

So he improved what had been made secure.

لَينٌ يلاقي حاسديهِ وداعاً

لَينٌ يلاقي حاسديهِ وداعاً

بأَحدَّ من ظُبة الحسام وأَخشنا

بأَحدَّ من ظُبة الحسام وأَخشنا

Gentle, he meets his enviers in peace,

Gentleness that meets his enviers farewell

With something sharper than a sword’s edge and harsher.

With sharper than the blades of swords and more barbed.

وإذا تجلَّى في ظلام كريهةٍ

وإذا تجلَّى في ظلام كريهةٍ

مرهوبة ردَّ الصباح الموهِنا

مرهوبة ردَّ الصباح الموهِنا

And when he shines in the darkness of a battle—

And if he appeared in the darkness of a hateful trial,

A dreaded one—he restores dawn at midnight.

Frightening and fearful, he brought back the vanquishing dawn.

مَن فعلُهُ مثل أسمِه كالسيفِ

مَن فعلُهُ مثل أسمِه كالسيفِ

مستغنٍ عن الَألقاب جَمعا والكُنى

مستغنٍ عن الَألقاب جَمعا والكُنى

One whose deed matches his name, like the sword,

He whose actions are like his name, like the sword,

Dispensing with all titles and bynames.

Independent of titles, plural or singular.

تُجنى جواهرُ لفظهِ وسماحهِ

تُجنى جواهرُ لفظهِ وسماحهِ

مذ بات غيثاً للعُفاة ومعدِنا

مذ بات غيثاً للعُفاة ومعدِنا

The jewels of his speech and generosity are gathered,

The pearls of his eloquence and generosity are picked,

Since he became rain for petitioners and a mine.

For he has spent the night a rain for the destitute and a source.

مَن جودهْ فينا يصوب ورأيهُ

مَن جودهْ فينا يصوب ورأيهُ

أبداً يُصيب ومجدهُ عالي البنا

أبداً يُصيب ومجدهُ عالي البنا

One whose bounty rains down among us, whose judgment

Whose generosity corrects us and whose opinion

Always strikes true, and whose glory is lofty in structure.

Always hits the target and his glory is of lofty construction.

إن هبَّ خطبٌ فالغناءَ بكفّهِ

إن هبَّ خطبٌ فالغناءَ بكفّهِ

وبكفّهِ إن أجحف العُدم الغِنا

وبكفّهِ إن أجحف العُدم الغِنا

If calamity rises, help is in his hand;

If events become grave, his palms are song,

And in his hand, if poverty bears heavily, is wealth.

And his palms, if events are unjust, are wealth.

ذو الجود بحرُ هباتهِ لا يُمتطى

ذو الجود بحرُ هباتهِ لا يُمتطى

والحلم طَودُ ثباتهِ لن يوزنا

والحلم طَودُ ثباتهِ لن يوزنا

A man of bounty—the sea of his gifts cannot be traversed;

The sea of his gifts cannot be crossed,

And of forbearance—the mountain of his steadfastness will never be weighed;

And the mountain of his steadfastness cannot be weighed.

والسعيِ خلَّف كلّ ساعٍ بعدهُ

والسعيِ خلَّف كلّ ساعٍ بعدهُ

لماَّ نأَى عن أن يقال لهُ وَنى

لماَّ نأَى عن أن يقال لهُ وَنى

And of striving—he left every striver behind him,

He left every effort behind him, after the striving,

Since he was far beyond having it said of him, “He flagged.”

Because he avoided it being said of him, "He wearied."

الواهب الِمنن الحسام ومن رمى

الواهب الِمنن الحسام ومن رمى

مُنن القوافي بالسماح فأوهنا

مُنن القوافي بالسماح فأوهنا

The giver of favors, the keen sword, and the one who assailed

The giver of generous gifts, the sword, and he who casts

The powers of rhymes with generosity and weakened them.

The gifts of meter with generosity has subdued them.

والوازع الَأحداث عنّي بعدما

والوازع الَأحداث عنّي بعدما

هتفت بذكري من هناك ومن هنا

هتفت بذكري من هناك ومن هنا

And he who wards calamities away from me, after

The restrainer of events, protect me after

They cried out about me from there and from here.

Voices called out my name, from here and from there.

كم جئت مادَحهُ فأَحسن صنعَهُ

كم جئت مادَحهُ فأَحسن صنعَهُ

رفدي كعادته وُعدْتُ فأَحسنا

رفدي كعادته وُعدْتُ فأَحسنا

How often I came as his praiser, and he did his deed well—

How often have I come praising him, and he graciously rewarded me,

Rewarding me as always; I was promised, and he did well.

As is his habit, and I returned, and again was gracious.

أُهدي مدائحهُ فرادى كلَّما

أُهدي مدائحهُ فرادى كلَّما

أهدت أنامله مواهبَهُ ثُنى

أهدت أنامله مواهبَهُ ثُنى

I offer praises of him one by one whenever

I bestow his praises individually, whenever

His fingers offer his gifts two by two.

His fingers bestowed his gifts in pairs.

مالت بنا الآمالُ نحو فِناء مَنْ

مالت بنا الآمالُ نحو فِناء مَنْ

أَفنى النُّضار فما انثنى عنهُ الثنا

أَفنى النُّضار فما انثنى عنهُ الثنا

Hopes inclined us toward the courtyard of one

Our hopes inclined toward the demise of one

Who exhausted pure gold; praise never turned away from him.

Who caused youth to expire, yet did not incline from it at all.

عاف الدنايا منذ كان وإنما

عاف الدنايا منذ كان وإنما

عاف الديانا حين فاقَ بَني الدُّنى

عاف الديانا حين فاقَ بَني الدُّنى

He has shunned baseness since he came to be, but only

He disdained the world since he existed, and only

Shunned [unclear word] when he surpassed the sons of this world.

Disdained the religion when he surpassed the people of lowliness.

أضحى العناءُ حليفَ مادح غيرهِ

أضحى العناءُ حليفَ مادح غيرهِ

أن لم يكن إياه أَضمر أو عنى

أن لم يكن إياه أَضمر أو عنى

Toil has become the companion of whoever praises someone else,

Toil has become the comrade of one who praises another

Unless it is he whom the praiser secretly intended or meant.

Unless he intends or implies praising him.

فاكفف بَنايك إنها عمَّت كما

فاكفف بَنايك إنها عمَّت كما

عمَّت سحائبها العدى والأَزمُنا

عمَّت سحائبها العدى والأَزمُنا

So hold back your [unclear noun]; it has spread everywhere, just as

So curb your compositions, for they have become comprehensive

Its clouds have covered enemies and the ages.

As the clouds have become comprehensive of enemies and times.

واسلم صفيَّ الدين أَلمٍ حرى

واسلم صفيَّ الدين أَلمٍ حرى

شرفاً بان تخِذ الزيارة ديدنا

شرفاً بان تخِذ الزيارة ديدنا

And be safe, Safi al-Din, from an ache worthy

And surrender the elite of the religion to the pain that is deserved

Of honor for having made visiting its habit.

So that visiting may become your habit.

هيَ وعكةٌ زالت أمامَ سلامةٍ

هيَ وعكةٌ زالت أمامَ سلامةٍ

زانت مُنًى أَمت على الشاني مَنى

زانت مُنًى أَمت على الشاني مَنى

It is an indisposition that vanished before a recovery

It is an affliction that disappeared before integrity

That adorned hopes and aimed death at the spiteful one.

That adorned the refuge and brought disappointment to the fault finder.

كم انطلقتْ من مادحيك وأَخرستْ

كم انطلقتْ من مادحيك وأَخرستْ

من حاسديك على المعالي أَلسنا

من حاسديك على المعالي أَلسنا

How many spoke freely among your praisers, while it silenced

How your praises of your praiser spoke

Tongues among your enviers concerning lofty achievements.

And silenced those envious of you regarding the heights!

كما أزعجت مستوسناً منهم وكم

كما أزعجت مستوسناً منهم وكم

أصفت لدنيا منهلاً مستأسِنا

أصفت لدنيا منهلاً مستأسِنا

Just as it roused a drowsy one among them, and how often

How you disturbed one hostile among them and how

It purified a stagnant watering-place for the world.

You characterized for the world a slanderous watering hole!

فالصبحُ فينا ما خبا حتى بدا

فالصبحُ فينا ما خبا حتى بدا

والغُمض عنا ما نأى حتى دنا

والغُمض عنا ما نأى حتى دنا

Dawn among us had scarcely faded before it appeared,

For the dawn among us did not gloom until it shone

And slumber had scarcely left us before it drew near.

And blindness did not depart until it drew near.

فبروقُ وعدك ما اصحَّ لشائمٍ

فبروقُ وعدك ما اصحَّ لشائمٍ

وسحابُ جودك ما أسحَّ وأَهتنا

وسحابُ جودك ما أسحَّ وأَهتنا

So how true are the lightning-flashes of your promise to their watcher!

For the flashes of your promise did not clear for one who defames

And how freely and steadily the clouds of your bounty pour!

And the clouds of your generosity did not travel or confuse us.

لو يستطيع البدرُ جادَك عائداً

لو يستطيع البدرُ جادَك عائداً

واليمَّ أمك بالسماحة مُذعنا

واليمَّ أمك بالسماحة مُذعنا

If the full moon could, it would favor you with a visit in your illness,

If the full moon could emulate your generosity, returning,

And the sea would seek you, yielding before your generosity.

And the days emulate your generosity, submitting!

بسمت بك الأَيام بعد قطوبها

بسمت بك الأَيام بعد قطوبها

واخضرَّت الغبراءُ وابتهج الهنا

واخضرَّت الغبراءُ وابتهج الهنا

The days smiled through you after their frowning,

You brought smiles to the days after their gloom

And the dusty earth grew green, and bliss rejoiced.

And the barren land became green and the grief was gladdened.

أَسِواك للعلياءِ غابة همّهِ

أَسِواك للعلياءِ غابة همّهِ

ولمعتفيهِ ومادحيهِ ما اقتنى

ولمعتفيهِ ومادحيهِ ما اقتنى

Who but you has a thicket of ambition devoted to high glory,

Make its heights a forest for your worries

And all he has acquired for his petitioners and praisers?

And for your refugees and praisers what it has gained.

يلقون منك هِجان مجدٍ سعيهُ

يلقون منك هِجان مجدٍ سعيهُ

بذَّ القرونَ السابقين وهجّنا

بذَّ القرونَ السابقين وهجّنا

They find in you pure-bred glory whose striving

They obtain from you the passions of glory, his effort

Outstripped the leading rivals and made them seem ill-bred.

Has surpassed the prior centuries and stirred them.

كأن الأَنام صحيفةً وزمانُهُ

كأن الأَنام صحيفةً وزمانُهُ

بوجودهِ ختمَ الكتاب وعَنونا

بوجودهِ ختمَ الكتاب وعَنونا

As though humankind were a page, and his age,

As if people are a parchment and his time

By his presence, sealed the book and gave it its title.

With his existence sealed the book and entitled it!