عَوَّدتَهُ أنه يَجني وأعتذرُ

عَوَّدتَهُ أنه يَجني وأعتذرُ

لحسنه كلُّ ذَنبٍ منه مُغتَفَرُ

لحسنه كلُّ ذَنبٍ منه مُغتَفَرُ

You have accustomed him to do wrong while I apologize;

You made him used to reaping while I apologize,

for his beauty, every fault of his is forgiven.

For his beauty, every fault of his is forgiven.

هُوَ الغنيُّ وإني في هواه إلى

هُوَ الغنيُّ وإني في هواه إلى

أمانه من عذاب الهجر مُقتَقر

أمانه من عذاب الهجر مُقتَقر

He is rich, while I, in my love for him, am

He is rich, and for his love, I am inclined

in need of his protection from the torment of abandonment.

To seek refuge from the torment of estrangement.

يا مالكَ القلب رِفقاً إنَّ نارك في

يا مالكَ القلب رِفقاً إنَّ نارك في

أضالعِ الصَّبِّ لا تُبقى ولا تَذر

أضالعِ الصَّبِّ لا تُبقى ولا تَذر

O master of my heart, be gentle: your fire, within

O owner of my heart, gently, your fire in

the lovesick one's ribs, neither spares nor leaves anything.

The ribs of passion leaves nothing remaining or scattered.

ما أنكر الطَّرفُ أن الشَّعرَ منك دُجىً

ما أنكر الطَّرفُ أن الشَّعرَ منك دُجىً

وإنما غَرَّهُ من وجهك القمرُ

وإنما غَرَّهُ من وجهك القمرُ

The eye did not deny that your hair was darkness;

The gaze did not deny the poetry was from you, radiant,

it was only deceived by the moon of your face.

But what deceived it was your moon-like face.

فَضَحتَ غُصنَ النَّقَا ليناً فظلَّ إذا

فَضَحتَ غُصنَ النَّقَا ليناً فظلَّ إذا

ما ماس قدُّك بالأوراق يَسترُ

ما ماس قدُّك بالأوراق يَسترُ

Your suppleness shamed the sandhill's bough, so whenever

So you made the soft branch of the palm tree lean, so it would shade

your figure swayed, it kept hiding itself behind its leaves.

When your stature touched the leaves they would hide.

يا مُدنَف الخَصرِ قد غادَرتني دَنِفاً

يا مُدنَف الخَصرِ قد غادَرتني دَنِفاً

وناعسَ الطرف قد أودى بي السَّهَرُ

وناعسَ الطرف قد أودى بي السَّهَرُ

O you with a languishing waist, you have left me languishing;

O you of the slender waist, you left me emaciated

and you with drowsy eyes—sleeplessness has undone me.

While the sleepy gaze has led me to insomnia.

إني لأعجبُ من طرف تدبرُ به

إني لأعجبُ من طرف تدبرُ به

على محبّيك خَمراً وهو مُنكَسرُ

على محبّيك خَمراً وهو مُنكَسرُ

Indeed, I marvel at an eye through which you dispense

I am amazed by a gaze which contemplates

wine to your lovers, though it is downcast.

Wine for your lovers while it is broken.

يا عادلي فيه قل مهما أردت فما

يا عادلي فيه قل مهما أردت فما

عندي وعيشك مما قُلتَه خبر

عندي وعيشك مما قُلتَه خبر

O you who reproach me for him, say whatever you wish; for

O my justice in it, say whatever you want, for I have no

by your life, I know nothing of what you have said.

Awareness of what you said or knowledge of it.

قل للذي ظنّ أن الظبي يُشبِهُهُ

قل للذي ظنّ أن الظبي يُشبِهُهُ

من أين للظبي ذاك الجيدُ والحورُ

من أين للظبي ذاك الجيدُ والحورُ

Tell whoever thought the gazelle resembled him:

Tell the one who thought the gazelle resembled him

Where could a gazelle get that neck and those eyes, black against white?

Where would the gazelle get that neck and cheek from?

استودعُ اللَه من ودَّعتُهُم سحراً

استودعُ اللَه من ودَّعتُهُم سحراً

يوم الرحيل وهُم للقلب قد سحرُوا

يوم الرحيل وهُم للقلب قد سحرُوا

I entrust to God those I bade farewell to before dawn

I entrusted those I bid farewell when they departed in the morning

on departure day, when they had already bewitched my heart.

To God, for they had enchanted my heart.

فقال قلبي لطرفي عند فُرقَتِهم

فقال قلبي لطرفي عند فُرقَتِهم

ماذا بدمعك يوم البَينِ تَنتَظرُ

ماذا بدمعك يوم البَينِ تَنتَظرُ

Then my heart said to my eye at their parting:

So my heart said to my eyes when they were separated

What are you waiting for with your tears on the day of separation?

What are you waiting for on the day of separation with your tears?

هناك لَبت جفوني وهي مسرعة

هناك لَبت جفوني وهي مسرعة

إن الجفون بأمرِ القلب تأتَمِرُ

إن الجفون بأمرِ القلب تأتَمِرُ

Then and there my eyelids responded swiftly;

There my eyelids melted while rushing

indeed, eyelids obey the heart's command.

For the eyelids act on the heart’s command.

ماضي العزيمة ما في باعه قِصَرُ

ماضي العزيمة ما في باعه قِصَرُ

يوم الهيَاج ولا في طبعه خَوَرُ

يوم الهيَاج ولا في طبعه خَوَرُ

Unwavering in resolve, his arm's reach never falls short

Determined, with no shortcoming in his courage

on the day of battle, nor is there weakness in his nature.

On the day of commotion, nor any defect in his nature.

تُثنى على جوده أخلاقُهُ وكَذا

تُثنى على جوده أخلاقُهُ وكَذا

يُثنى على حسن أفعال الحيَا الزّهرُ

يُثنى على حسن أفعال الحيَا الزّهرُ

His virtues praise his generosity, just as

His morals and actions are praised

flowers praise the rain's kindly deeds.

And so are the good deeds of the virtuous life.

فغير بدعٍ إذا ما خِلتُهُ مَلَكاً

فغير بدعٍ إذا ما خِلتُهُ مَلَكاً

لأنه حاز ما لا حازَهُ البَشَرُ

لأنه حاز ما لا حازَهُ البَشَرُ

So it is no wonder if I take him for an angel,

So it is no wonder if I imagine him an angel

for he has attained what no mortal has attained.

For he attained what no human attained.

تجمَّع الحسنُ والإحسان فيه معاً

تجمَّع الحسنُ والإحسان فيه معاً

وإنما بالمعاني تُعشَقُ الصورُ

وإنما بالمعاني تُعشَقُ الصورُ

Beauty and beneficence have gathered together in him;

Beauty and benevolence gathered in him together

and outward forms are loved only for their inner qualities.

For it is with meaning that forms are loved.

كم للنَّدا من معانٍ كلها طُرِقَت

كم للنَّدا من معانٍ كلها طُرِقَت

وكلُّ معنى له في الجود مُبتَكَرُ

وكلُّ معنى له في الجود مُبتَكَرُ

Many are generosity's themes, all already explored;

How much subtlety the Nada has, all of which are composed,

yet every expression of his generosity is original.

And every meaning has in his generosity something new.

سَمحٌ إذا حلَّ في مغناه ذو أدب

سَمحٌ إذا حلَّ في مغناه ذو أدب

فالمدح يُنظَمُ والأموال تنتَثرُ

فالمدح يُنظَمُ والأموال تنتَثرُ

Openhanded, whenever a man of letters enters his abode:

Generous, when endowed with manners in his singing,

praise is strung into verse, and riches are scattered.

So poetry is composed and money is scattered about.

يرتاحُ للمدح علماً أنه سببٌ

يرتاحُ للمدح علماً أنه سببٌ

للجود لا كالذي بالمدح يَفتَخرُ

للجود لا كالذي بالمدح يَفتَخرُ

He delights in praise, knowing it is an occasion

He is relaxed with praise, knowing it is a reason

for generosity—not like one who boasts of praise.

For generosity, not like one who boasts with praise.

عوِّل على قصده بعد الإِله تَجد

عوِّل على قصده بعد الإِله تَجد

عَوناً وغَوثاً لديه العزُّ والظَّفَّرُ

عَوناً وغَوثاً لديه العزُّ والظَّفَّرُ

After God, rely on seeking him; you will find

Rely on his intention, after God you will find

help and succor: with him are honor and victory.

Help and salvation, for might and victory are with him.

واستَجل من وجهه شَمساً إذا بزغت

واستَجل من وجهه شَمساً إذا بزغت

يكاد يَعجزُ عن إدراكها البصرُ

يكاد يَعجزُ عن إدراكها البصرُ

And behold a sun in his face which, when it rises,

And seek from his face a sun when it rises,

the eye can scarcely manage to perceive.

The eyesight almost falls short of perceiving it.

وشنِّف السمعَ من ألفاظ مِقوله

وشنِّف السمعَ من ألفاظ مِقوله

فإِنه بَحرُ علمٍ كُلُّهُ دُرَرُ

فإِنه بَحرُ علمٍ كُلُّهُ دُرَرُ

And adorn your ears with the words of his tongue,

And treat your hearing gently with his words spoken

for he is a sea of knowledge, all of it pearls.

For it is an ocean of knowledge, all of it pearls.

به انتَصرتُ على جَورِ الزمانِ وهل

به انتَصرتُ على جَورِ الزمانِ وهل

يزِلُّ من بات بالأَنصار ينتَصرُ

يزِلُّ من بات بالأَنصار ينتَصرُ

Through him I overcame the injustice of time; and can

With it I gained victory over the tyranny of time, does one

one who spends the night seeking the Ansar's aid stumble?

Who spent the night with supporters cease to be victorious?

حسبي اعتمادي على بيت مكارِمُه

حسبي اعتمادي على بيت مكارِمُه

في الدهر يُخبرُ عنها البدوُ والحضَرُ

في الدهر يُخبرُ عنها البدوُ والحضَرُ

It is enough that I rely on a house whose noble deeds

It suffices me to rely on the house of his virtues

are recounted through the ages by nomads and townsfolk.

In life, about which the Bedouin and the settled speak.

قومٌ بقولِ رسول اللَه فَضلَهُمُ

قومٌ بقولِ رسول اللَه فَضلَهُمُ

في الجاهلية والإسلام مُشتَهِرُ

في الجاهلية والإسلام مُشتَهِرُ

A people whose distinction, in the words of God's Messenger,

A people made superior by the Messenger of God’s words

is renowned in pre-Islamic times and in Islam.

Well known for nobility in pre-Islamic and Islamic times.

قَيسُ بن سَعدٍ وما أدراك جَدُّهُم

قَيسُ بن سَعدٍ وما أدراك جَدُّهُم

إن الأصول عليها تَنبتُ الشَّجرُ

إن الأصول عليها تَنبتُ الشَّجرُ

Qays ibn Saʿd—what could convey his worth to you?—is their grandfather;

Qais ibn Sa`d ‐ and what do you know of their grandfather?

indeed, trees grow from their roots.

For trees grow on the roots they originate from.