حَمدَ النَّوَى إذ بَلَّغَتهُ مرامَهُ

حَمدَ النَّوَى إذ بَلَّغَتهُ مرامَهُ

وقَضَا المَسيرُ بأن يَذُمَّ مقامَهُ

وقَضَا المَسيرُ بأن يَذُمَّ مقامَهُ

He praised separation, since it had brought him to his goal,

He praised the determination when it enabled him to achieve his goal

and the journey decreed that he should disparage his stay.

And the journey decreed that he blame his staying

ونهتهُ هِمَّتُهُ عن العَجز الذي

ونهتهُ هِمَّتُهُ عن العَجز الذي

قد كان سَلَّمَ للخمول زِمامَهُ

قد كان سَلَّمَ للخمول زِمامَهُ

His ambition kept him from the weakness that

And his ambition prevented him from the weakness which

had already surrendered its reins to obscurity.

Had handed over the reins to laziness

فالآن لا يرجو النسيمُ إذ سرى

فالآن لا يرجو النسيمُ إذ سرى

سَحَراً يُبَلِّغُ للحبيب سلامَهُ

سَحَراً يُبَلِّغُ للحبيب سلامَهُ

Now he no longer hopes that the breeze, when it wafts

So now the breeze does not hope, when it wanders

before dawn, will carry his greetings to the beloved.

At dawn, to convey greetings to the beloved

كلا ولا يشتاقُ من أوطانه

كلا ولا يشتاقُ من أوطانه

ربعاً يذكِّرُهُ الهَوَى وهُيَامَهُ

ربعاً يذكِّرُهُ الهَوَى وهُيَامَهُ

No, nor does he long, among his native lands,

No longer does he long for a land

for a dwelling that reminds him of love and his love-madness.

That would remind him of passion and infatuation

فقد استراحَ من الغرام وأَسرِهِ

فقد استراحَ من الغرام وأَسرِهِ

وأراحَ من تَعنيفِهِ لُوَّامَهُ

وأراحَ من تَعنيفِهِ لُوَّامَهُ

For he has found rest from passion and its captivity,

For he has rested from love and its captivity

and relieved his reproachers of rebuking him.

And relaxed from the reproach of his blamer

حَسبٌ المحبِّ من الهوى وهَوَانِهِ

حَسبٌ المحبِّ من الهوى وهَوَانِهِ

أن يَستَلذَّ سهادَهُ وسقَامَهُ

أن يَستَلذَّ سهادَهُ وسقَامَهُ

Enough for the lover, of love and its humiliation,

It is enough for the lover of passion and humiliation

is to relish his sleeplessness and his sickness,

To enjoy his pillow and illness

ويرى بأنَّ الطَّيفَ أعظمُ مِنحَةٍ

ويرى بأنَّ الطَّيفَ أعظمُ مِنحَةٍ

إن صادف الجفنُ القريحُ منامَهُ

إن صادف الجفنُ القريحُ منامَهُ

and regard the dream-phantom as the greatest gift,

And to see that a phantom is the greatest gift

if his wounded eyelid should chance upon sleep.

If the eyelid happens upon it in his sleep

وَهمٌ يُسَمِّيهِ الجهولُ صَبَابةً

وَهمٌ يُسَمِّيهِ الجهولُ صَبَابةً

إن الجهولَ لتابعٌ أوهامَهُ

إن الجهولَ لتابعٌ أوهامَهُ

A delusion that the fool calls passionate longing;

And a concern that the ignorant call madness

indeed, the fool follows his delusions.

For the ignorant is a follower of his delusions

كم من محبٍ ذلَّ بعد تَعَزُّزٍ

كم من محبٍ ذلَّ بعد تَعَزُّزٍ

جَهلاً فأقعَدَهُ الهوى وأقامه

جَهلاً فأقعَدَهُ الهوى وأقامه

How many a lover has been humbled after pride,

How many lovers have been humiliated after arrogance

through ignorance—then passion made him sit and stand!

Out of ignorance, so passion seated him and stayed him

لستُ الذي يَهتزُّ وجداً كلما

لستُ الذي يَهتزُّ وجداً كلما

هَزَّ الحبيبُ من الدَّلال قوامَهُ

هَزَّ الحبيبُ من الدَّلال قوامَهُ

I am not one who trembles with passion whenever

I am not one who trembles with fervor whenever

the beloved coquettishly sways his figure,

The beloved sways with coquetry

أو يَغتَدى كَلَفاً بلَثم عذاره

أو يَغتَدى كَلَفاً بلَثم عذاره

يَومَ الوداع وقد أماط لثَامَهُ

يَومَ الوداع وقد أماط لثَامَهُ

or wakes besotted with kissing his downy cheek

Or pretends to be conceited with kissing his cheek

on the day of farewell, when he has drawn aside his veil.

On the day of farewell when he uncovered his veil

ما كان أغنى البين عن رمى امرئٍ

ما كان أغنى البين عن رمى امرئٍ

ما زال يرمى في الفؤاد سهامَهُ

ما زال يرمى في الفؤاد سهامَهُ

How little need parting had to shoot at a man—

The distance was not made bearable for anyone

it never ceased loosing its arrows into his heart.

Who still casts arrows into the heart

ما ملَّني وطني لطول إقامتي

ما ملَّني وطني لطول إقامتي

قل لي متى مَلَّ القِرابُ حُسامَهُ

قل لي متى مَلَّ القِرابُ حُسامَهُ

My homeland did not tire of me for my long stay;

My homeland did not bore me from my long stay

tell me, when has a scabbard tired of its sword?

Tell me, when did kinship bore its sword?

لكنني جَرَّدتُ مني عَزمَةً

لكنني جَرَّدتُ مني عَزمَةً

قطعت من الزمن البخيل لِثامَهُ

قطعت من الزمن البخيل لِثامَهُ

But I unsheathed from within myself a resolve

But I stripped myself of determination

that cut the veil from miserly Time.

And cut off the stingy times' garment

ورحَلتُ رِحلَةَ من يُعَلِّلُ بالمُنى

ورحَلتُ رِحلَةَ من يُعَلِّلُ بالمُنى

قَلباً وينقعُ بالرجاء أُوَامَهُ

قَلباً وينقعُ بالرجاء أُوَامَهُ

And I journeyed as one who soothes with wishes

And travelled a journey of one who excuses

a heart, and quenches its burning thirst with hope.

A heart with wishing and softens its afflictions

وعَلِمت أنَّ الجَدبَ ليس يروعُ مَن

وعَلِمت أنَّ الجَدبَ ليس يروعُ مَن

أَضحت يمينُ ابنِ الزُّبيرِ غمامَهُ

أَضحت يمينُ ابنِ الزُّبيرِ غمامَهُ

And I knew that drought cannot frighten one

And I knew that drought does not frighten one

for whom Ibn al-Zubayr's right hand has become a raincloud.

Whose right hand has become Ibn Al-Zubayr's cloud

تتفاخر الكتَّابُ منه بسيدٍ

تتفاخر الكتَّابُ منه بسيدٍ

لا يَرتضي عَبدَ الحميد غلامَه

لا يَرتضي عَبدَ الحميد غلامَه

The scribes vie in boasting of him as a master

The writers boast of a master from him

who would not accept Abd al-Hamid as his servant.

Whose servant Abdul Hamid does not accept

خَطّ كوشي الروض حَيَّاهُ الحَيَّا

خَطّ كوشي الروض حَيَّاهُ الحَيَّا

فأدَارَ بالمعنى عليكَ مُدامَه

فأدَارَ بالمعنى عليكَ مُدامَه

Handwriting like the embroidery of a meadow brought to life by rain;

Koushi lined the garden, so greet it with life

so through its meaning it passes you its wine.

And make its meaning revolve around you

فتكاد تَدهش إن رَأيتَ بَنانَهُ

فتكاد تَدهش إن رَأيتَ بَنانَهُ

وتكاد تَسكرُ إن سَمعت كَلامَهُ

وتكاد تَسكرُ إن سَمعت كَلامَهُ

So you are almost dazzled if you see his fingertips,

You are almost astonished when you see its structure

and you almost grow drunk if you hear his words.

And you almost get drunk when you hear its speech

السَّطرُ يَحكى الغُصنَ إذ هو مُثمِرٌ

السَّطرُ يَحكى الغُصنَ إذ هو مُثمِرٌ

وإذا سَجَعتَ به حَكَّيت حَمَامَهُ

وإذا سَجَعتَ به حَكَّيت حَمَامَهُ

The line of script resembles a branch when it bears fruit,

The line tells of the branch when it is fruitful

and when you recite it in rhyme, you imitate its doves.

And when you recite it, you tell of its doves

وافاكَ في شَهرِ الصِّيام وما أَتى

وافاكَ في شَهرِ الصِّيام وما أَتى

أو مَلَّ من شُحِّ النفوس صيامَهُ

أو مَلَّ من شُحِّ النفوس صيامَهُ

He came to you in the month of fasting, and did not come

He brought it to you in the month of fasting, and nothing

until people's stinginess had made him weary of his fast.

Came or tired of the souls' stinginess and their fasting

وأبيك لولا ذاك لم يَرحَل ولم

وأبيك لولا ذاك لم يَرحَل ولم

يُظهر لحادثة النَّوى أقدامَهُ

يُظهر لحادثة النَّوى أقدامَهُ

And by your father, but for that, he would not have traveled, nor

And were it not for that, your father would not have travelled or

put his feet forward to face the ordeal of separation.

Revealed to the determination of An-Nawa his feet

أَيُقيمُ في أوطانه مُتَأَدِّبٌ

أَيُقيمُ في أوطانه مُتَأَدِّبٌ

ما خلفَهُ مالٌ ولا قُدَّامهُ

ما خلفَهُ مالٌ ولا قُدَّامهُ

Can a man of letters remain in his native lands,

Does the well-mannered remain in his homelands

with no wealth behind him or before him?

When no money remains for him present or future?