ثنت الشّمول من الشمائلْ

ثنت الشّمول من الشمائلْ

كالبان في ورق الغلائلْ

كالبان في ورق الغلائلْ

Wine swayed their graceful bearing,

Her beauty transcends all beauties,

like moringa trees in leafy tunics:

Like fresh milk in leaves of myrtle.

هيفٌ يناط بأعينٍ

هيفٌ يناط بأعينٍ

مثل الأسنَّة في الذوابلْ

مثل الأسنَّة في الذوابلْ

slender forms joined to eyes

A gazelle with eyes,

like spearheads on supple shafts.

Like arrows amidst the blades.

من كلِّ مخشيٍّ الخلا

من كلِّ مخشيٍّ الخلا

ف لأجله جدلُ العواذلْ

ف لأجله جدلُ العواذلْ

Each one's displeasure is feared;

The fright of every cautious one,

for that one's sake the reproaching women wrangle.

For whom the passionate have contended.

عقلت فؤادك ثيوم بر

عقلت فؤادك ثيوم بر

قة عاقلٍ تلك العقائلْ

قة عاقلٍ تلك العقائلْ

Your heart was bound that day at Bur—

She captured your heart for days,

qat ‘Aqil, by those noble beauties.

With the intellect of a reasonable one, those thoughts.

من كل ظامية الوشا

من كل ظامية الوشا

ح كتربها ريَّا الخلاخلْ

ح كتربها ريَّا الخلاخلْ

Each with a thirsty sash,

From every dark night,

and, like her companion, full at the anklets.

Whose darkness is dispelled by the glimmer of anklets.

هنَّ الظباء نواصبٌ

هنَّ الظباء نواصبٌ

هدب الجفون لنا حبائلْ

هدب الجفون لنا حبائلْ

They are gazelles, setting

The gazelles are spying,

their eyelids' lashes as snares for us:

Batting eyelashes at us coquettishly.

سقماً يشاب بصحَّةٍ

سقماً يشاب بصحَّةٍ

فلذاك يحيي وهو قاتلْ

فلذاك يحيي وهو قاتلْ

a sickness mingled with health,

A sickness remedied by health,

so it gives life, though it kills.

Thus it brings life while killing.

وثغورها أحلى وأحسن

وثغورها أحلى وأحسن

في رياض من مناهلْ

في رياض من مناهلْ

And their mouths are sweeter and lovelier

Her mouth is the sweetest and most beautiful,

than watering places in gardens.

In gardens with rivers.

لولاكِ يا دارَ الجميع

لولاكِ يا دارَ الجميع

لما رثيت لكل ناحلْ

لما رثيت لكل ناحلْ

Were it not for you, O dwelling of the whole company,

Without you, oh home of all,

I would not have pitied every wasted one.

I would not have mourned every departed one.

ولما نحرت الدمعَ نحـ

ولما نحرت الدمعَ نحـ

ـرَ قرى على تلك المنازلْ

ـرَ قرى على تلك المنازلْ

Nor would I have slaughtered tears as one slaughters

I would not have shed tears,

a guest-offering at those dwellings.

Abundantly, upon those dwellings.

ولما وقفت وقوف صـ

ولما وقفت وقوف صـ

ـب ناحل يبكي لناحلْ

ـب ناحل يبكي لناحلْ

Nor would I have stood like a love-stricken

I would not have stood like a lovesick man,

wasted lover, weeping for one likewise wasted.

Weeping for his beloved.

لا ألقيتْ إلا عليك أجنـ

لا ألقيتْ إلا عليك أجنـ

ـة السحب الحواملْ

ـة السحب الحواملْ

May there fall on you alone the unborn young

I would not have unloaded upon you,

of the pregnant clouds.

The burdens of rain-bearing clouds.

وسقتكِ ما شئنا وشئـ

وسقتكِ ما شئنا وشئـ

ـتِ ضروع مزنتها الحوافلْ

ـتِ ضروع مزنتها الحوافلْ

And may you be watered as much as we and you wish

I would have not quenched your thirst,

by the brimming udders of their rain cloud.

With cows whose udders overflow.

عهدي بها ويدُ الغما

عهدي بها ويدُ الغما

م تجيد في رقم الخمائلْ

م تجيد في رقم الخمائلْ

I remember it, when the cloud's hand

My covenant with it, the night of destiny records,

excelled at embroidering the groves.

In the books of decrees.

يختال في عصب الوصا

يختال في عصب الوصا

ئل كلُّ شاكي الطرف صائلْ

ئل كلُّ شاكي الطرف صائلْ

In the striped weave of cloaks struts

Every complaining eye allures,

every keen-eyed, fierce assailant.

In the ties of passion, constantly calling.

حرسوا العيون ببيضهم

حرسوا العيون ببيضهم

فحموا المناصلَ بالمناصلْ

فحموا المناصلَ بالمناصلْ

They guarded the eyes with their bright swords,

They guarded their eyes with their white lids,

thus protecting blades with blades.

Thus they protected the swords with swords.

ولطال ما منعت جنا

ولطال ما منعت جنا

عسل اللَّمى تلك العواسلْ

عسل اللَّمى تلك العواسلْ

And long they barred the harvest

For so long they prevented,

of honey from dusky lips—those quivering spears.

The sweet honey of wishes, those chasteners.

ولحبّها كسرتْ فؤا

ولحبّها كسرتْ فؤا

دَ محبّها تلك العواملْ

دَ محبّها تلك العواملْ

And for love of her, they broke the heart

For love of her they broke,

of her lover—those spearheads.

The heart of her lover, those powers.

فغدت أواخر عيشنا

فغدت أواخر عيشنا

في ظلّها تلك الأوائلْ

في ظلّها تلك الأوائلْ

Thus the last days of our life proved to be

Thus the latter parts of our lives,

those first days beneath her shade.

Became in her shade, those beginnings.

يا دهرُ ما لك لست تبـ

يا دهرُ ما لك لست تبـ

ـرح جاهلاً في كلِّ فاضلْ

ـرح جاهلاً في كلِّ فاضلْ

O Time, what ails you? You never cease

Oh fate, what is with you, you do not bid farewell,

being ignorant toward every man of merit.

To an ignorant one, nor reconcile with one virtuous.

لا مجملاً نلقاك في

لا مجملاً نلقاك في

حال تسوء ولا مجاملْ

حال تسوء ولا مجاملْ

We find you neither gracious in

We do not find you just,

a distressing plight, nor courteous.

In an ill state, nor congenial.

فأنا المقيم ولستُ أفـ

فأنا المقيم ولستُ أفـ

ـتأ نادباً في إثر راحلْ

ـتأ نادباً في إثر راحلْ

So I am the one who stays, and never cease

I remain, and I do not hope

lamenting in the wake of one departed,

To elegize, in the wake of one departed,

ما بين ربعٍ مقفرٍ

ما بين ربعٍ مقفرٍ

منه وأحشاءِ أواهلْ

منه وأحشاءِ أواهلْ

between a dwelling empty

Between an abandoned ruin,

of him, and a heart still peopled.

Of it, and the regions of initiations.