أَمَّا الكواكِبُ فاحْتَمَوْا بمواكِبِ

أَمَّا الكواكِبُ فاحْتَمَوْا بمواكِبِ

كم من عِرابٍ حَوْلَهُمْ وأَعارِبِ

كم من عِرابٍ حَوْلَهُمْ وأَعارِبِ

As for the stars, they took refuge with retinues.

The stars gathered in their orbits

How many Arabian steeds and Arabs surrounded them!

Surrounded by many nomads and knights

ولقدْ هَوِيتُ طلوعَ نجمٍ ثاقِبٍ

ولقدْ هَوِيتُ طلوعَ نجمٍ ثاقِبٍ

منهم فكان هُوِيَ نَجْمٍ ثاقِبِ

منهم فكان هُوِيَ نَجْمٍ ثاقِبِ

And indeed I longed for the rising of a piercing star

And I fell for the rising of a piercing star among them

among them, but it proved the fall of a piercing star.

It was the falling of a piercing star

تلك النجومُ فَإِنْ تُرِدْ أَنْواءَها

تلك النجومُ فَإِنْ تُرِدْ أَنْواءَها

فَسَلِ الدموعَ تُجِبْ بغَيْث ساكِب

فَسَلِ الدموعَ تُجِبْ بغَيْث ساكِب

Those are the stars; if you seek their rains,

Those stars, if you want their radiance

then ask the tears: they will answer with pouring rain.

Ask the tears, they will bring down pouring rain

جَعَلُوا سماءَهُمُ الرِّكابَ وأًقسموا

جَعَلُوا سماءَهُمُ الرِّكابَ وأًقسموا

أَنْ لا وصول لِطالعٍ في غارِبِ

أَنْ لا وصول لِطالعٍ في غارِبِ

They made the riding camels their sky, and swore

They made the sky their mounts and swore

that no rising star on a camel's withers could be reached.

No rising star can reach a setting one

ساروا وحوْلَ حُدُوجِهِمْ زُرْقُ القَنَا

ساروا وحوْلَ حُدُوجِهِمْ زُرْقُ القَنَا

فكأَنما نُظِمتْ وِشاحَ ترائبِ

فكأَنما نُظِمتْ وِشاحَ ترائبِ

They departed, blue spearheads surrounding their litters,

They strode, their horses clad in armors

as though strung into a sash across breasts.

As if embroidered robes of knights

من أَسمَرٍ يقضي بأَسْمَرَ عاسِلٍ

من أَسمَرٍ يقضي بأَسْمَرَ عاسِلٍ

أَو أَبيضٍ يمضي بأَبْيَضَ قاضِبِ

أَو أَبيضٍ يمضي بأَبْيَضَ قاضِبِ

A dark-skinned man passing judgment with a quivering brown spear,

Of dark ones going with dark stalwarts

or a fair-skinned one pressing on with a bright, cutting sword.

Or white ones with dashing whites

قلْ لَسودِ دَعِي الخُروج فإِنَّها

قلْ لَسودِ دَعِي الخُروج فإِنَّها

قد مَنَّعتْ غِزْلانَها بثعالِبِ

قد مَنَّعتْ غِزْلانَها بثعالِبِ

Tell the lions, 'Do not venture out, for it

Say to the blacks, let the going be easy

has protected its gazelles with foxes.'

For they have prevented their gazelles with leopards

هَزَّوا من الأَعطافِ آلة طاعنٍ

هَزَّوا من الأَعطافِ آلة طاعنٍ

ونَضَوْا من الأَجفانِ آلةَ ضاربِ

ونَضَوْا من الأَجفانِ آلةَ ضاربِ

They brandished a spearman's weapon from their flanks,

They shook from their quivers well-aimed arrows

and unsheathed a swordsman's weapon from their eyelids.

And drew from their eyelids striking blades

ورَمَوْا بسهمٍ من عيونٍ صائبٍ

ورَمَوْا بسهمٍ من عيونٍ صائبٍ

فقضَى بغَيْثٍ من عيونٍ صائِبِ

فقضَى بغَيْثٍ من عيونٍ صائِبِ

And they shot a true-aimed arrow from their eyes,

And shot with a precise eye's arrow

so it decreed a pouring rain from eyes.

Bringing down a pouring rain with precise eyes

ولقد كسوتُ القلبَ لأْمةَ سَلْوَةٍ

ولقد كسوتُ القلبَ لأْمةَ سَلْوَةٍ

وعلِمْتُ أَنَّ الحُسْنَ أَولُ سالبِ

وعلِمْتُ أَنَّ الحُسْنَ أَولُ سالبِ

And indeed I clothed my heart in the armor of forgetfulness,

And I had clad my heart for a gentle nation

and knew that beauty is the first despoiler.

And learned that beauty is the first conqueror

وجلا عليَّ البدرُ وجه مُواصِلٍ

وجلا عليَّ البدرُ وجه مُواصِلٍ

فأَبِيتُ حيثُ النَّجْمُ طَرْفُ مُراقِبِ

فأَبِيتُ حيثُ النَّجْمُ طَرْفُ مُراقِبِ

And the full moon unveiled to me the face of a lover granting union,

The moon rose to me with a visiting face

so I pass the night where the star is a watcher's eye.

So I stayed where the star's gaze kept guard

وجلَوْتُ للمنصورِ غيدَ قصائدٍ

وجلَوْتُ للمنصورِ غيدَ قصائدٍ

أَنزلَتُهَا منهُ بأَكْملَ خاطِبِ

أَنزلَتُهَا منهُ بأَكْملَ خاطِبِ

And for al-Mansur I unveiled slender maidens of verse,

And I went to al-Mansur with poetry scrolls

lodging them with him, the most accomplished suitor.

Which I let down to him with the perfect suitor

وخُصِصْتُ منه براتبٍ فاعْتَاقَهُ

وخُصِصْتُ منه براتبٍ فاعْتَاقَهُ

عنِّي بَهَائِمُ خُصِّصوا بَمَرَاتِبِ

عنِّي بَهَائِمُ خُصِّصوا بَمَرَاتِبِ

And I was favored by him with a stipend, but it was withheld

And he granted me a stipend he freed

from me by beasts favored with ranks:

For me from taxes given to the stipended

من عامل يغتالَهُ بعوامِلٍ

من عامل يغتالَهُ بعوامِلٍ

أَو كاتبٍ يحْتَازُهُ بِكتائبِ

أَو كاتبٍ يحْتَازُهُ بِكتائبِ

an official who kills it treacherously with spearpoints,

From an agent who deceives him with agents

or a scribe who appropriates it with battalions.

Or a clerk who seizes him with troops

والمالُ يُنْثَرُ في حُجُورِ عبيدِهِمْ

والمالُ يُنْثَرُ في حُجُورِ عبيدِهِمْ

بَيدَي نظامِ الدينِ نَثْر الخاصِبِ

بَيدَي نظامِ الدينِ نَثْر الخاصِبِ

And wealth is scattered into the laps of their slaves

And money is scattered in their slaves' laps

by Nizam al-Din's hands, as a bountiful giver scatters it.

By Nizam al-Din's dispersing hands

يا دهْرُ أَنتَ سَمَحْتَ منه بناظِرٍ

يا دهْرُ أَنتَ سَمَحْتَ منه بناظِرٍ

أعْمى فلا تَبْخَلْ عليه بِحَاجِبِ

أعْمى فلا تَبْخَلْ عليه بِحَاجِبِ

O Time, you have granted in him an overseer,

O time, you allowed him an overseer

blind; so do not begrudge him a chamberlain.

With blind eyes, so do not begrudge him an eyebrow

أَيَتِمُّ أَمْرُكَ يا أَشَلُّ وهذِه ال

أَيَتِمُّ أَمْرُكَ يا أَشَلُّ وهذِه ال

أَمثالُ لم تنطِقْ بشيءٍ كاذبِ

أَمثالُ لم تنطِقْ بشيءٍ كاذبِ

Can your affairs prosper, O palsied one, when these

Is your command complete, O feeble one, while

proverbs have spoken nothing false?

These examples spoke nothing false?

إِن الصناعةَ يا أَشلُّ مُهنَّدٌ

إِن الصناعةَ يا أَشلُّ مُهنَّدٌ

ماضِي الغِرارِ محلُّه لِلضَّاربِ

ماضِي الغِرارِ محلُّه لِلضَّاربِ

Indeed, the craft, O palsied one, is an Indian-steel sword,

O feeble one, craft is a slanted profession

keen-edged, its place with the swordsman.

Its wont is deceit, the place of the fraudulent

شُلَّت يَمِينُكَ عن صِيانَةِ مالِها

شُلَّت يَمِينُكَ عن صِيانَةِ مالِها

قَصْداً وصحَّتْ من بَنِيكَ لِنَاهِبِ

قَصْداً وصحَّتْ من بَنِيكَ لِنَاهِبِ

Your right hand was palsied against safeguarding its wealth,

Your right hand is paralyzed from protecting its wealth

by design, yet was sound for a plunderer among your sons.

Intentionally, while your sons' hands are active in pillage

وأَراكَ قد ملَّكْتَ كفَّكَ عَيْنَ ما

وأَراكَ قد ملَّكْتَ كفَّكَ عَيْنَ ما

جَحَدَتْهُ عيْنُك بالْعَمَى لِلطالبِ

جَحَدَتْهُ عيْنُك بالْعَمَى لِلطالبِ

And I see you have given your hand possession of the very thing

And I see you have empowered your palm with what

your eye denied, through blindness, to the petitioner.

Your blind eye has denied the seeker

لا يأْمْرنِّي منك وجْهُ مُسالمٍ

لا يأْمْرنِّي منك وجْهُ مُسالمٍ

صمْتاً وقد أَخْفَيْتَ قَلْبَ مُحاربِ

صمْتاً وقد أَخْفَيْتَ قَلْبَ مُحاربِ

Let no peaceable face of yours command me

No peaceful face of yours should order me

to silence, when you have concealed a warrior's heart.

Silently, when you hide a warring heart

لو قُمْتُ في الديوانِ أَنظِمُ هَجْوَهُ

لو قُمْتُ في الديوانِ أَنظِمُ هَجْوَهُ

ديوانَ شعرٍ لم أَقُمْ بالواجِبِ

ديوانَ شعرٍ لم أَقُمْ بالواجِبِ

If I stood in the bureau composing a satire on it,

If I stood in the diwan composing satire of it

a whole volume of verse, I would still fall short of my duty.

A book of poetry, I would not have done my duty

دَسْتٌ بياذِقُهُ سطَتْ بشِياهِهِ

دَسْتٌ بياذِقُهُ سطَتْ بشِياهِهِ

وتَحكَّمتْ فيهِ بحكْمٍ غالِب

وتَحكَّمتْ فيهِ بحكْمٍ غالِب

A chessboard whose pawns have overpowered its kings

Flattering hands have controlled it with their palms

and held sway over it with overwhelming power.

And dominated it with overwhelming rule

يُزْهَى أَبو البدرِ اللعينُ كأَنَّهُ

يُزْهَى أَبو البدرِ اللعينُ كأَنَّهُ

لم يَدْرِ أَن البَدْرَ نَجْلُ غياهِبِ

لم يَدْرِ أَن البَدْرَ نَجْلُ غياهِبِ

The accursed Abu al-Badr swells with pride, as though he

Abu al-Budur, the damned, is adorned as if

did not know that the full moon is the child of deep darkness.

He knows not the moon is born of passing nights

ويُرَى أَبو الفَرجِ الخسيسُ مجازِفاً

ويُرَى أَبو الفَرجِ الخسيسُ مجازِفاً

يُقْضَى له بمناصِبٍ ومناسِبِ

يُقْضَى له بمناصِبٍ ومناسِبِ

And the base Abu al-Faraj is seen acting recklessly,

And Abu al-Faraj, the lowly, is seen conferred

with offices and pedigrees decreed for him.

Ranks and positions suitable to him

ويَمِيلُ فيه الزَّعْلَمشُّ لِطَبْعِهِ

ويَمِيلُ فيه الزَّعْلَمشُّ لِطَبْعِهِ

فَيهُزُّ منه التِّيهُ مَعْطِفَ شارب

فَيهُزُّ منه التِّيهُ مَعْطِفَ شارب

And al-Za'lamsh sways there according to his nature,

And in it al-Za'lamsh inclines by his nature

so conceit makes his side sway like a drunkard's.

So confusion sheds its cloak's lapels

قومٌ كأَنَّ اللَّه صَبَّ شُخوصَهُمْ

قومٌ كأَنَّ اللَّه صَبَّ شُخوصَهُمْ

واللُّؤْمَ لما صُوِّروا في قالَبِ

واللُّؤْمَ لما صُوِّروا في قالَبِ

A people as though God had cast their figures

A people as if God poured their forms

and baseness, when they were fashioned, in one mold.

And the ignominy when they were molded in a mold

يا كاتِباً أَدَى إِلَي الكُتَّاب ما

يا كاتِباً أَدَى إِلَي الكُتَّاب ما

عادُوا أَحَقَّ لأَجلِهِ بمُكاتِبِ

عادُوا أَحَقَّ لأَجلِهِ بمُكاتِبِ

O scribe, the scribes have conveyed to me that which

O writer who brought the writers what

has made them more deserving of a correspondent.

Made them most deserving of writers

لَقَطَتْ أَنَامِلُك السَّحابَ فخِلْتُها

لَقَطَتْ أَنَامِلُك السَّحابَ فخِلْتُها

بَرْقاً وكَفَّكَ هاطِلاتِ سَحَائِبِ

بَرْقاً وكَفَّكَ هاطِلاتِ سَحَائِبِ

Your fingertips gathered the clouds, so I thought them

Your fingers grasped the clouds and I found them

lightning, and your palm rain-pouring clouds.

Lightning, and your palm a pouring rain

حاشاكَ أَ تَثْنِي اهْتِمامَكَ جانباً

حاشاكَ أَ تَثْنِي اهْتِمامَكَ جانباً

وتنامَ عن ذَهبٍ لِخِلِّكَ ذاهِبِ

وتنامَ عن ذَهبٍ لِخِلِّكَ ذاهِبِ

Far be it from you! Would you turn your concern aside

Far from you to turn your care aside

and sleep while your friend's gold slips away?

And sleep from gold leaving to your uncle

هُو راتِبٌ قد كُنْتُ أَرْقُبُ نَجْمَهُ

هُو راتِبٌ قد كُنْتُ أَرْقُبُ نَجْمَهُ

فَهَوَى وقد جَعَلَ التُّقلُّقَ راتِبي

فَهَوَى وقد جَعَلَ التُّقلُّقَ راتِبي

It is a stipend whose star I had been watching,

It is a stipend I used to await its star

but it fell, and has made restlessness my stipend.

But it fell and made my anxiety my stipend

والليلُ إِنْ لَمْ يأْتِ لَيْسَ بمُنْقَضٍ

والليلُ إِنْ لَمْ يأْتِ لَيْسَ بمُنْقَضٍ

أَبدًا ولا راعِي النُّجُومِ بآيِب

أَبدًا ولا راعِي النُّجُومِ بآيِب

And the night, if it does not come, will not end,

And the night, if it does not come, is not ending

ever; nor will the shepherd of the stars return.

Ever, nor is the watcher of stars bringing news