خُذها يُرِنُّ لَها الجَوادُ صَهيلا

خُذها يُرِنُّ لَها الجَوادُ صَهيلا

وَتَسيلُ ماءً في الحُسامِ صَقيلا

وَتَسيلُ ماءً في الحُسامِ صَقيلا

Take it: the steed rings out a neigh for it,

Take her, the steed neighs for her a whinny,

and it flows as gleaming water within the keen blade.

And water flows in the sword, polished.

بَسّامَةً تُصبي الأَريبَ وَسامَةً

بَسّامَةً تُصبي الأَريبَ وَسامَةً

لَولا المَشيبُ لَسِمتُها تَقبيلا

لَولا المَشيبُ لَسِمتُها تَقبيلا

Smiling, it beguiles the discerning with its beauty;

With a smile that captivates the watcher, and a flawlessness,

but for my gray hair, I would have marked it with kisses.

If not for the gray hair, I would have kissed it.

حَمَّلتُها شَوقاً إِلَيكَ تَحِيَّةً

حَمَّلتُها شَوقاً إِلَيكَ تَحِيَّةً

حَمَّلتُها عَتباً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا

حَمَّلتُها عَتباً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا

I have laden it with longing for you, as a greeting;

I carried longing for you as a greeting,

I have laden it with heavy reproach against you.

And carried reproach upon you, heavy.

مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ لَو تَدَفَّقَ طَبعُهُ

مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ لَو تَدَفَّقَ طَبعُهُ

ماءً لَغَصَّ بِهِ الفَضاءُ مَسيلا

ماءً لَغَصَّ بِهِ الفَضاءُ مَسيلا

Made of verses whose native force, were it to gush forth

If the essence of every house poured forth water,

as water, would choke the open expanse with its torrent.

The space would be flooded with a torrent.

إيهٍ وَما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ غُلَّةٌ

إيهٍ وَما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ غُلَّةٌ

لَو كُنتُ أَنقَعُ بِالعِتابِ غَليلا

لَو كُنتُ أَنقَعُ بِالعِتابِ غَليلا

Say on! There would be no burning thirst between my ribs,

Alas! There is no rancor between the bosoms,

if I could quench a burning thirst with reproach.

If only I could quench my thirst with reproach.

ما لِلصَديقِ وُقيتَ تَأكُلُ لَحمَهُ

ما لِلصَديقِ وُقيتَ تَأكُلُ لَحمَهُ

حَيّاً وَتَجعَلُ عِرضَهُ مِنديلا

حَيّاً وَتَجعَلُ عِرضَهُ مِنديلا

Why—may you be protected—do you eat your friend's flesh

What is with a friend whose flesh you eat alive

alive, and make his honor a napkin?

And make his honor a handkerchief?

أَقبَلتَهُ صَدرَ الحُسامِ وَطالَما

أَقبَلتَهُ صَدرَ الحُسامِ وَطالَما

أَضفَيتَهُ دِرعاً عَلَيهِ طَويلا

أَضفَيتَهُ دِرعاً عَلَيهِ طَويلا

You have faced him with the keen sword's point, though often

You met him with an exposed chest and long ago

you draped a long coat of mail over him.

Draped him in an extended coat of mail.

ماذا ثَناكَ عَنِ الثَناءِ وَنَشرِهِ

ماذا ثَناكَ عَنِ الثَناءِ وَنَشرِهِ

بُرداً عَلى الرَسمِ الجَميلِ جَميلا

بُرداً عَلى الرَسمِ الجَميلِ جَميلا

What turned you from praise and from spreading it

What has turned you from praise and spreading it

as a lovely mantle upon a lovely form—

As a cover on beautiful decor, beautiful?

أَرِجاً كَما عَثَرَ النَسيمُ بِرَوضَةٍ

أَرِجاً كَما عَثَرَ النَسيمُ بِرَوضَةٍ

لَدناً كَما نَضَحَ الغَمامُ مَقيلا

لَدناً كَما نَضَحَ الغَمامُ مَقيلا

fragrant, as when the breeze stumbles upon a garden,

Slow down, as the breeze stumbled upon a meadow,

supple, as when clouds sprinkle a noonday resting place?

Gently, as the clouds drizzled at evening.

أَعِدِ اِلتِفاتَكَ وَاِدَّكِرها خِلَّةً

أَعِدِ اِلتِفاتَكَ وَاِدَّكِرها خِلَّةً

لاتَستَقِلُّ بِها عُلاكَ مُميلا

لاتَستَقِلُّ بِها عُلاكَ مُميلا

Renew your regard, and remember it as a friendship

Resume your attention, and remember her as a confidante,

your lofty station cannot uphold while you turn aside.

Do not consider your supremacy leaning on her.

وَأَصِخ إِلى سَجعِ القَريضِ فَرُبَّما

وَأَصِخ إِلى سَجعِ القَريضِ فَرُبَّما

نَدبَ القَريضُ مِنَ الوَفاءِ هَديلا

نَدبَ القَريضُ مِنَ الوَفاءِ هَديلا

And listen to the rhymed cooing of verse; for often

And incline towards the rhyming of verse, perhaps

verse has lamented out of loyalty with a dove's coo.

The verse will wail the loss of loyalty.

وَعُجِ المَطِيَّ عَلى الوَدادِ وَحَيِّهِ

وَعُجِ المَطِيَّ عَلى الوَدادِ وَحَيِّهِ

طَلَلاً عَلى حُكمِ الزَمانِ مُحيلا

طَلَلاً عَلى حُكمِ الزَمانِ مُحيلا

And turn the riding camels toward affection, and salute it:

Urge ahead the steed of affection, and motivate it

a ruined dwelling, weathered by time's decree.

As ruins upon the ruling of time, ruined.

وَاِبعَث بِطَيفِكَ وَاِعتَقِدها زَورَةً

وَاِبعَث بِطَيفِكَ وَاِعتَقِدها زَورَةً

وَصِلِ السَلامَ عَلى النَوى تَعليلا

وَصِلِ السَلامَ عَلى النَوى تَعليلا

And send your dream-phantom, and count it as a visit;

Send forth your specter, and believe it an illusion,

and keep greetings coming despite separation, as solace.

And convey greetings to the intention, justifying.

وَلَئِن سَأَلتُ بِكَ الغَمامَةَ وابِلاً

وَلَئِن سَأَلتُ بِكَ الغَمامَةَ وابِلاً

يَسِمُ الجَديبَ لَما سَأَلتُ بَخيلا

يَسِمُ الجَديبَ لَما سَأَلتُ بَخيلا

And if I asked the rain cloud, through you, for a downpour

If I asked the clouds for rain through you,

that marks the parched land, I would surely not have asked a miser.

The torrents would water the valley if I asked the miserly.

وَإِذا دَعَبتُ وَلا دُعابَةَ غَيبَةٍ

وَإِذا دَعَبتُ وَلا دُعابَةَ غَيبَةٍ

فَاِغضُض هُناكَ مِنَ العَنانِ قَليلا

فَاِغضُض هُناكَ مِنَ العَنانِ قَليلا

And when I jest—no jest behind your back—

And if I jested without jesting absence,

then slacken the reins a little there.

Then restrain yourself there a little from the reins.

وَاِصحَب وَذِهنُكَ مِن هَجيرٍ لافِحٍ

وَاِصحَب وَذِهنُكَ مِن هَجيرٍ لافِحٍ

ذِكراً كَما سَرَتِ القَبولُ بَليلا

ذِكراً كَما سَرَتِ القَبولُ بَليلا

And take as your companion, while your mind burns with scorching noonday heat,

And accompany your mind with the scent of burgeoning love,

a remembrance, moist and cool as the east wind's night passage.

A memory, as acceptance gently crept.

فَلَقَد حَلَلتَ مَعَ الشَبابِ بِمَنزِلٍ

فَلَقَد حَلَلتَ مَعَ الشَبابِ بِمَنزِلٍ

يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ النَجمُ عَنهُ كَليلا

يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ النَجمُ عَنهُ كَليلا

For indeed, while still young, you have settled at a station

For you have dwelt with youth in an abode,

from which the star's gaze turns back, exhausted.

Where the gaze of stars turns from it timidly.

وَبَدَهتَ لا نَزرَ المَحاسِنِ مُجبَلاً

وَبَدَهتَ لا نَزرَ المَحاسِنِ مُجبَلاً

وَمَضَيتَ لاقَضمَ الغَرارِ فَليلا

وَمَضَيتَ لاقَضمَ الغَرارِ فَليلا

And you improvised, neither scant in beauties nor barren of inspiration,

You have appeared, no select beauty veiled,

and advanced, your cutting edge neither chipped nor blunted.

And you passed, no coy glance askance.

مُتَدَفِّقاً أَعيا العُقولَ طَريقُهُ

مُتَدَفِّقاً أَعيا العُقولَ طَريقُهُ

فَكَأَنَّما رَكِبَ المَجَرَّ سَبيلا

فَكَأَنَّما رَكِبَ المَجَرَّ سَبيلا

Surging forth, his course has baffled minds,

Overflowing, its path perplexes minds,

so it is as though he rode the Milky Way as his road.

As if it rode the orbit effortlessly.

يَستَوقِفُ العَليا جَلالاً كُلَّما

يَستَوقِفُ العَليا جَلالاً كُلَّما

سَجَدَ اليَراعُ بِكَفِّهِ تَبجيلا

سَجَدَ اليَراعُ بِكَفِّهِ تَبجيلا

He makes the heights stand still in awe whenever

It pauses at the sublime, majestically, whenever

the reed pen prostrates in his palm in reverence.

The commoners prostrate to it reverently.

لا تَستَنيرُ بِكَ السِيادَةُ غُرَّةً

لا تَستَنيرُ بِكَ السِيادَةُ غُرَّةً

حَتّى يَسيلَ بِكَ النَدى تَحجيلا

حَتّى يَسيلَ بِكَ النَدى تَحجيلا

Nobility does not shine through you as a white forehead blaze

Supremacy is not illuminated through you impetuously,

until generosity flows through you as white markings on the legs.

Until dew flows through you profusely.

وَسِوايَ يُنشِدُ في سِواكَ نَدامَةً

وَسِوايَ يُنشِدُ في سِواكَ نَدامَةً

يا لَيتَني لَم أَتَّخِذكَ خَليلا

يا لَيتَني لَم أَتَّخِذكَ خَليلا

And another, not I, recites of another, not you, in regret:

And the like recites remorsefully about your like,

Oh, if only I had not taken you as a close friend!

“Would that I had not taken you as a friend.”