أَلاَ هَلْ تجاوَزْتَ الخِباءَ المحجَّبَا

أَلاَ هَلْ تجاوَزْتَ الخِباءَ المحجَّبَا

بحيثُ ظِبَاءُ الأُنسِ تحجبُها الضُّبا

بحيثُ ظِبَاءُ الأُنسِ تحجبُها الضُّبا

Ah, have you passed the veiled tent,

Has the beloved passed beyond the veiled tents

where human gazelles are screened by sword blades?

Where love's companions are veiled by mountain hyenas?

وجُزْتَ على حَيٍّ بمُنعرِجِ اللِّوَى

وجُزْتَ على حَيٍّ بمُنعرِجِ اللِّوَى

فأَهديتَ مَرْجُوعَ التحيّةِ زَيْنَبا

فأَهديتَ مَرْجُوعَ التحيّةِ زَيْنَبا

And passed a tribal camp at the bend of al-Liwa,

You stopped at a campsite on the winding path of passion

and offered Zaynab a greeting in return?

And sent back the greeting of Zainab in return

فإنْ أَوْجَبَتْ أَن لا تَوَدَّ فَغَالِبٌ

فإنْ أَوْجَبَتْ أَن لا تَوَدَّ فَغَالِبٌ

من الشَّوقِ أن يُصْفَى لها الودُّ أوجبا

من الشَّوقِ أن يُصْفَى لها الودُّ أوجبا

For if she required that you not love, an overpowering

If she insisted you wish her not farewell, the longing

surge of longing required that love be kept pure for her.

To purify affection for her would be more incumbent

أو احتجبتْ خلفَ الخِباءِ فأعينٌ

أو احتجبتْ خلفَ الخِباءِ فأعينٌ

لنا أبداً صُورٌ إلى ذلك الخِبَا

لنا أبداً صُورٌ إلى ذلك الخِبَا

Or if she hides behind the tent, there are eyes

Or if she secluded herself behind the tents, we still have

of ours forever turned toward that tent.

Eyes that will forever picture that seclusion

هوىً مَنَعَ اللُّوَّامَ فَضْلَ قِيَادِهِ

هوىً مَنَعَ اللُّوَّامَ فَضْلَ قِيَادِهِ

وقِيْدَ بألحاظِ الحِسَانِ فَأَصْحَبَا

وقِيْدَ بألحاظِ الحِسَانِ فَأَصْحَبَا

A passion that denied reproachers the loose end of its rein,

A love that prevented the guide from the right path

yet was led by beautiful women's glances and grew docile.

And fettered with the gazes of the beauties, so they accompanied

تَمادَى فأبلَى جِدَّتي وخَبَا له

تَمادَى فأبلَى جِدَّتي وخَبَا له

ضِرَامُ الصِّبَا أو كاد يخبُو وما خبا

ضِرَامُ الصِّبَا أو كاد يخبُو وما خبا

It persisted and wore out my freshness, and under it waned

It persisted so my vigor was extinguished and failed him

the blaze of youth—or nearly waned, though it never did.

The cutting edge of youth or it almost faded but did not

إذا قُلتُ كَفَّ الشَّيْبُ منه تَرَاجَعَتْ

إذا قُلتُ كَفَّ الشَّيْبُ منه تَرَاجَعَتْ

نوازِعُ يستحوِذنَ من غِيَرِ الصِّبَا

نوازِعُ يستحوِذنَ من غِيَرِ الصِّبَا

Whenever I say gray hair has checked some of it, back come

When I said old age had desisted from him, the dissuaders

urges that master me, born of youth's vicissitudes.

Returned to take control, not youth

وهل تُستكَفُّ النارُ ما اشتدَّ وقدُها

وهل تُستكَفُّ النارُ ما اشتدَّ وقدُها

ببلَّةِ مَاءٍ عند عَاصِفَةِ الصَّبَا

ببلَّةِ مَاءٍ عند عَاصِفَةِ الصَّبَا

And can fire, while its blaze rages, be checked

Can a fire be quenched when its flames rage

with a splash of water amid an east-wind gale?

By a handful of water in the gales of youth

أَمُستَجلباً ودَّ الرجالِ بِعُتْبِها

أَمُستَجلباً ودَّ الرجالِ بِعُتْبِها

أظنُّكَ عَلَّمتَ الطَّمَاعةَ أَشْعَبا

أظنُّكَ عَلَّمتَ الطَّمَاعةَ أَشْعَبا

O seeker of men's affection through reproaching them,

Or have you mastered the affection of men with her blame

I think you taught Ash'ab greed.

I think you taught greediness to become more rapacious

لَكَ الخيرُ إن لم تدرِ ما خُلُقُ الورَى

لَكَ الخيرُ إن لم تدرِ ما خُلُقُ الورَى

تعالَ فَسَلْ عمَّا جَهِلْتَ المُجرِّبا

تعالَ فَسَلْ عمَّا جَهِلْتَ المُجرِّبا

Good be yours! If you do not know humankind's nature,

Goodness to you, if you know not the nature of people

come and ask one experienced about what you do not know.

Come, ask about what you do not know, o experienced one

أُنَبِّئْكَ أَنّي ما شَكَوْتُ لِصَاحبٍ

أُنَبِّئْكَ أَنّي ما شَكَوْتُ لِصَاحبٍ

فأشْكى ولا استعتبتُ خِلاًّ فَأَعْتبا

فأشْكى ولا استعتبتُ خِلاًّ فَأَعْتبا

I tell you that never have I complained to a companion

Let me tell you, I have not complained to a friend

and had my grievance relieved, nor sought amends from a friend and received them.

Then complained nor reproached a comrade and then reproached

جَزَى كلُّ فَرْدٍ منهُمُ عَنْ إخائِهِ

جَزَى كلُّ فَرْدٍ منهُمُ عَنْ إخائِهِ

بأسوأَ ما جُوزِيْ مُسِيءٌ وعُوقِبا

بأسوأَ ما جُوزِيْ مُسِيءٌ وعُوقِبا

Each one of them repaid me for befriending him

May each individual among them be rewarded for his brotherhood

with the worst requital and punishment ever given a wrongdoer.

With the worst that a transgressor was rewarded and penalized

سَقَى ورعَى اللهُ الأُلى ما أشدَّهم

سَقَى ورعَى اللهُ الأُلى ما أشدَّهم

وفاءً وأدْنَاهم وِدَاداً وأَقْرَبا

وفاءً وأدْنَاهم وِدَاداً وأَقْرَبا

May God give rain to and guard those—how steadfast they are

God watered and shepherded the intimate ones, how intense was their

in loyalty, how near in affection, how close!

Loyalty, affection, closeness and kinship

هُمُ شَاطَرُونا العَيْشَ وانفردُوا بِهِ

هُمُ شَاطَرُونا العَيْشَ وانفردُوا بِهِ

خبيثاً وأعْطَوْا منه ما كَانَ أَطْيبا

خبيثاً وأعْطَوْا منه ما كَانَ أَطْيبا

They shared life with us, but kept for themselves

They shared life with us but monopolized it

its bitter portion, and gave us whatever was sweetest.

Giving the bad and keeping the best

ولامَ على لَوْمِ السَّجَايا مَعَاشِراً

ولامَ على لَوْمِ السَّجَايا مَعَاشِراً

يَرَوْنَ أَخَا الرَّحْمِ القريبةِ أَجْنَبا

يَرَوْنَ أَخَا الرَّحْمِ القريبةِ أَجْنَبا

And may He censure for their base natures those

Blame upon blaming temperaments, o people

who regard a close kinsman as a stranger.

Who see the brother of maternal lineage as a stranger

ترى كلَّ مولُودٍ على اللومِ لم يكنْ

ترى كلَّ مولُودٍ على اللومِ لم يكنْ

ليعرفَ أُمّاً غَيرَ ذَاكَ ولا أبا

ليعرفَ أُمّاً غَيرَ ذَاكَ ولا أبا

You see each one born to baseness, one who has never

You see every newborn not know

known any mother or father but that.

A mother other than her or father but him

وحيّا فَتىً من هَاشِمٍ لو حملتَهُ

وحيّا فَتىً من هَاشِمٍ لو حملتَهُ

على نَبْوةٍ والحَمْلُ فيها لما نَبَا

على نَبْوةٍ والحَمْلُ فيها لما نَبَا

And may He bless a youth of Hashim: were you to press him

Greetings to the Hashimite young man, if you tasked him

toward estrangement—even forcing him to it—he would not turn away.

With prophethood though the role would not suit him

تَتبَّعَ عِرْقَ الوَفْرِ مُسْتأصِلاً لَهُ

تَتبَّعَ عِرْقَ الوَفْرِ مُسْتأصِلاً لَهُ

فَرَوَّضَ ما شَاءَ الثناءُ وأَعْشَبا

فَرَوَّضَ ما شَاءَ الثناءُ وأَعْشَبا

He traced wealth to its root, uprooting it,

He tracked the plentiful vein, uprooting it

so praise grew verdant and sprouted grass as freely as it wished.

So praise flowed as it willed and irrigated

وآثَرَ أبكارَ المَعَاني فلم يكنْ

وآثَرَ أبكارَ المَعَاني فلم يكنْ

ليرغبَ فيما كَانَ منهنَّ ثيِّبا

ليرغبَ فيما كَانَ منهنَّ ثيِّبا

And he preferred virgin meanings, never

And he preferred the prime of meanings, he would not

desiring those among them that had been wed before.

Incline to what among them was previously enjoyed

عَجِبْتُ لَهُ لم يبلغِ الحِلمَ والذي

عَجِبْتُ لَهُ لم يبلغِ الحِلمَ والذي

تُعاينُهُ من فِعْلِهِ فِعْلَ أَشْيَبَا

تُعاينُهُ من فِعْلِهِ فِعْلَ أَشْيَبَا

I marvel at him: he has not reached maturity, yet what

I am amazed by him, he did not attain maturity yet that

you behold in his deeds is the work of a gray-haired man.

Which you witness of his deeds is the deed of one grown old

بَني هاشمٍ مَاذَا لكم عندَ حاتمٍ

بَني هاشمٍ مَاذَا لكم عندَ حاتمٍ

دَعُوهُ فقد غَادَرْتُمُ جُودَه هَبَا

دَعُوهُ فقد غَادَرْتُمُ جُودَه هَبَا

Sons of Hashim, what have you to do with Hatim?

O clan of Hashim, what do you have with Hatim

Leave him be—you have reduced his generosity to dust.

Leave him be, for you have left his generosity neglected

متى ما يُطَاولْهُ حِباءُ وليدِكُمْ

متى ما يُطَاولْهُ حِباءُ وليدِكُمْ

يطُلْهُ وما دَانَى النهوضَ وما حَبَا

يطُلْهُ وما دَانَى النهوضَ وما حَبَا

Whenever your infant's bounty vies with him in stature,

Whenever the love of your son Waleed extends to him

it overtops him, though the child has not neared standing, nor even crawled.

It hangs over him but does not approach or yearn

تأَخّرْ قليلاً عن أبيكَ تَأدُّباً

تأَخّرْ قليلاً عن أبيكَ تَأدُّباً

فمثِلُكَ من رَاعَى أَبَاهُ تأدُّباً

فمثِلُكَ من رَاعَى أَبَاهُ تأدُّباً

Hold back a little behind your father, out of courtesy;

Delay a little from your father out of reverence

for one like you treats his father with courtesy.

For one like you who revered his father showed reverence

فلستَ بمسبوقٍ على الفضلِ إنّهُ

فلستَ بمسبوقٍ على الفضلِ إنّهُ

لكم دونَ مَنْ في الأرضِ شَرْقاً ومَغْرِبا

لكم دونَ مَنْ في الأرضِ شَرْقاً ومَغْرِبا

For you are not outstripped in excellence; it

You have not been preceded in merit, it belongs

belongs to you all, not to anyone else on earth, east or west.

To you alone, not others in east and west

متى طَلبُوهُ مُوجِفِينَ فإنَّما

متى طَلبُوهُ مُوجِفِينَ فإنَّما

يُوافونَه سَاعٍ لكم مُتَطَلِّبا

يُوافونَه سَاعٍ لكم مُتَطَلِّبا

Whenever they seek it, racing, they only

When they seek it aggressively, they will only

meet it hurrying in search of you.

Find one hastening to you and seeking

لَكَ الخيرُ دَعْ للناسِ شيئاً من العُلا

لَكَ الخيرُ دَعْ للناسِ شيئاً من العُلا

تطِبْ أنفسٌ حَرَّى عليكَ تَغضُّبا

تطِبْ أنفسٌ حَرَّى عليكَ تَغضُّبا

Good be yours! Leave people some share of eminence,

Goodness to you, leave the people some high status

so souls burning in anger at you may find ease.

So souls feel honored by you and rage subsides

مَلَكْتَ أَقَاصِيها عليِهمْ فلم تَدَعْ

مَلَكْتَ أَقَاصِيها عليِهمْ فلم تَدَعْ

لطالِبِها أَنَّى تَوجَّهَ مَذْهَبا

لطالِبِها أَنَّى تَوجَّهَ مَذْهَبا

You have seized its furthest heights, outdoing them, and left

You possessed its horizons from them but did not leave

no path for its seeker, whichever way he turns.

A seeker therein any place to turn

وَلَسْتَ بِمُرضِيهمْ فما كانتِ العُلا

وَلَسْتَ بِمُرضِيهمْ فما كانتِ العُلا

لتُعطَى ولا كَانَ الفَخَارُ ليُوهَبَا

لتُعطَى ولا كَانَ الفَخَارُ ليُوهَبَا

And you will not satisfy them, for eminence was never

You do not please them, for supremacy was not

to be given away, nor glory to be bestowed.

To be granted, nor was pottery to be gifted

أبَتْ لَكَ نفسٌ بالمكارِمِ صَبَّةٌ

أبَتْ لَكَ نفسٌ بالمكارِمِ صَبَّةٌ

تعُدُّ أخا الإيثارِ بالفَضلِ مُذْنِبا

تعُدُّ أخا الإيثارِ بالفَضلِ مُذْنِبا

Your soul, enamored of noble deeds, refuses this,

A soul devoted to virtues has refused for you

deeming one who yields excellence to others guilty.

To consider the brother of altruism blameworthy

حَلَفْتُ بأَعلامِ المُحصَّبِ من مِنىً

حَلَفْتُ بأَعلامِ المُحصَّبِ من مِنىً

وأُكرمُ عن حِنْثِ اليمينِ المُحصَّبا

وأُكرمُ عن حِنْثِ اليمينِ المُحصَّبا

I have sworn by the landmarks of al-Muhassab in Mina—

I swear by the flags of Mina and I

and I honor al-Muhassab too much to break that oath—

Will avoid breaching this sworn oath

لأَعْوزَ أنْ يأتي أَبٌ بشبيهِهِ

لأَعْوزَ أنْ يأتي أَبٌ بشبيهِهِ

وإنْ كَثُرَ الأبناءُ يوماً وأنجَبا

وإنْ كَثُرَ الأبناءُ يوماً وأنجَبا

surely no father could produce his equal,

I fear a father will fail to beget his equal

even if sons grew numerous one day and he begot noble ones.

Though sons may multiply one day and be begotten

فَيَا خَيْرَ مَنْ لفَّتْهُ في الخِرَقِ امُّهُ

فَيَا خَيْرَ مَنْ لفَّتْهُ في الخِرَقِ امُّهُ

كما استُودِعَ الغِمْدُ الحسامَ المجرَّبا

كما استُودِعَ الغِمْدُ الحسامَ المجرَّبا

So, best of those whom their mothers wrapped in swaddling rags,

So O finest one his mother wrapped in the loincloth

as a scabbard is entrusted with a keen, proven sword,

As the tested sword is sheathed in its scabbard

لأَلبَسْتَنيْ ما ليسَ للدهْرِ قوّةٌ

لأَلبَسْتَنيْ ما ليسَ للدهْرِ قوّةٌ

بِسَلبيهِ أو لا يلبسُ الأفقُ كوكبا

بِسَلبيهِ أو لا يلبسُ الأفقُ كوكبا

you have surely clothed me in what time has no power

You will clothe me in what the days have no power

to strip from me—unless the horizon wears no star.

To strip me of, or the horizon robe a planet

وأتعبتَني في شُكْرِ مَنْ راحتي بِهِ

وأتعبتَني في شُكْرِ مَنْ راحتي بِهِ

فديتُكَ من مَوْلًى أَرَاحَ وأَتْعَبا

فديتُكَ من مَوْلًى أَرَاحَ وأَتْعَبا

And you have wearied me in thanking him through whom my ease comes.

And you burdened me with thanking one whose rest I have

May I be your ransom, patron who brings ease and toil!

I sacrifice you from a master who brings ease and burden

فَهَا أَنَا ما لي غيرُ مَدْحِكَ حِرْفةً

فَهَا أَنَا ما لي غيرُ مَدْحِكَ حِرْفةً

وما هو إلاّ أن أَقُولَ وأكْتُبَا

وما هو إلاّ أن أَقُولَ وأكْتُبَا

So here I am, with no craft but praising you,

So here I am, I have no craft but your praise

and it is nothing but speaking and writing.

And it is only to say and to write