ومَعْذورَةً في هَجْرِها لِجَمالِها

ومَعْذورَةً في هَجْرِها لِجَمالِها

كَبَدْرٍ عَلى خُوطٍ مِنَ البانِ مائِدِ

كَبَدْرٍ عَلى خُوطٍ مِنَ البانِ مائِدِ

And she is excused for shunning me, because of her beauty,

She is excused in her abandonment, for her beauty

like a full moon upon a slender, swaying moringa bough.

Like a full moon hanging on threads of dew

أَرومُ هَواها والمَشيبُ مُحالِفي

أَرومُ هَواها والمَشيبُ مُحالِفي

وقَدْ هَجَرَتْني والشَّبابُ مُساعِدي

وقَدْ هَجَرَتْني والشَّبابُ مُساعِدي

I seek her love while gray hair is my ally,

I yearn for her love though grey hairs betray me

yet she forsook me when youth was my helper.

She left me while youth still aids me

ومَنْ عَرَفَ الدُّنْيا اسْتَقَلَّ سُرورَها

ومَنْ عَرَفَ الدُّنْيا اسْتَقَلَّ سُرورَها

ولَوْ بَرَزَتْ مِنْ حُسْنِها في مَجاسِدِ

ولَوْ بَرَزَتْ مِنْ حُسْنِها في مَجاسِدِ

And whoever knows the world deems its joy meager,

He who knows life holds its joys lightly

even if, in her beauty, she comes forth in saffron-dyed robes.

Even if its beauty paraded in fine robes

صَقيلُ حُسَامِ الفِكْرِ يَلْقاكَ رَأْيُهُ

صَقيلُ حُسَامِ الفِكْرِ يَلْقاكَ رَأْيُهُ

لمّا غابَ عَنْ أَلْحاظِهِ كَالمُشاهِدِ

لمّا غابَ عَنْ أَلْحاظِهِ كَالمُشاهِدِ

His sword of thought is polished; his judgment comes to you

The polished sword of the mind strikes you with its view

on what lies beyond his gaze, like an eyewitness's.

When sights no longer captivate like witnesses

وما شَهِدَ الهَيْجاءَ إِلاّ تَباعَدَتْ

وما شَهِدَ الهَيْجاءَ إِلاّ تَباعَدَتْ

مَسافَةُ ما بَيْنَ الكُلَى والسَّواعِدِ

مَسافَةُ ما بَيْنَ الكُلَى والسَّواعِدِ

And never did he enter battle without widening

Passion aroused only when we drew apart

the distance between kidneys and forearms.

As the ribs keep their distance from the arms

يُؤَازِرُهُ في الرَّوْعِ قَلْبٌ مُشَيَّعٌ

يُؤَازِرُهُ في الرَّوْعِ قَلْبٌ مُشَيَّعٌ

ومُبْتَسِمٌ يُبْكي عُيونَ العَوائِدِ

ومُبْتَسِمٌ يُبْكي عُيونَ العَوائِدِ

In terror, a dauntless heart supports him,

Its ardour supported by a grieving, escorted heart

and a smiling blade that makes the eyes of women visiting the sick weep.

And a smile weeping the tears of farewell

سَهِرْتُ لَها والنَّجْمُ في الأُفُقِ نَائِمٌ

سَهِرْتُ لَها والنَّجْمُ في الأُفُقِ نَائِمٌ

فَهاهِيَ كَالإِبْريزِ في كَفِّ ناقِدِ

فَهاهِيَ كَالإِبْريزِ في كَفِّ ناقِدِ

I kept vigil for it while the star slept on the horizon;

I stayed awake for her while the star slept in the sky

so here it is, like pure gold in an assayer's palm.

There she is like a fleck in the hand of a critic

بَقيتَ كَما تَبْقى مَعاليكَ في الوَرى

بَقيتَ كَما تَبْقى مَعاليكَ في الوَرى

فَهُنَّ عَلى الأَيّامِ غَيْرُ بَوائِدِ

فَهُنَّ عَلى الأَيّامِ غَيْرُ بَوائِدِ

May you endure as your noble deeds endure among mankind,

You remained as your glories remain in the world

for they do not perish with the passing days.

Above the days, never to fade

سَعِدَتْ صُحْبَتي بِدَيْرِ سَعيدِ

سَعِدَتْ صُحْبَتي بِدَيْرِ سَعيدِ

يَوْمَ عيدٍ في حُسْنِهِ أَلْفُ عيدِ

يَوْمَ عيدٍ في حُسْنِهِ أَلْفُ عيدِ

My company found joy at the Monastery of Sa'id,

My company was blessed in Saint Sa'id's monastery

on a feast day whose beauty held a thousand feasts.

One feast day, its beauty a thousand feasts

كَمْ فَتاةٍ مِثْلَ المَهاةِ سَلَبْنا

كَمْ فَتاةٍ مِثْلَ المَهاةِ سَلَبْنا

ها صَليباً مِنْ بَيْنِ نَحْرٍ وَجيدِ

ها صَليباً مِنْ بَيْنِ نَحْرٍ وَجيدِ

How many a maiden, like an oryx, we stripped

How many maidens, soft like the gazelle's throat, we plundered

of a cross from between her bosom and neck!

Tearing their crucifixes from breast and neck

وغَريرٍ مِثْلَ الغَزَالِ حَلَلْنا

وغَريرٍ مِثْلَ الغَزَالِ حَلَلْنا

عَقْدَ زُنّارِ خَصْرِهِ المَعْقودِ

عَقْدَ زُنّارِ خَصْرِهِ المَعْقودِ

And for many a guileless youth, like a gazelle, we untied

How many tender, doe-eyed girls we stripped

the knot of the girdle fastened about his waist.

Of sashes binding their slender waists

وحَطَطْنا رِحالَنا بِفِناءِ ال

وحَطَطْنا رِحالَنا بِفِناءِ ال

هَيْكَلِ المُوَنَّقِ البَعيدِ المَشِيدِ

هَيْكَلِ المُوَنَّقِ البَعيدِ المَشِيدِ

And we set down our baggage in the courtyard of the

We pitched our tents in the courtyard of the ancient

ornate, far-off, lofty sanctuary.

Far-flung, exalted, embellished temple

والرَّوابي مُشَهَّراتٌ كَغُلْما

والرَّوابي مُشَهَّراتٌ كَغُلْما

نٍ لَنا في مُحَبَّراتِ البُرودِ

نٍ لَنا في مُحَبَّراتِ البُرودِ

And the hillocks stood decked out like boys

The terraces were blossoming like youths

of ours in richly patterned cloaks.

Robed for us in embroidered silk

فَخُدودٌ مِثْلَ الشَّقائِقِ في اللو

فَخُدودٌ مِثْلَ الشَّقائِقِ في اللو

ن تَليها شَقائِقٌ كَالخُدودِ

ن تَليها شَقائِقٌ كَالخُدودِ

And there were cheeks like anemones in color,

Cheeks were like anemones in complexion

beside them anemones like cheeks.

Succeeded by cheeks like anemones in form

وإِذا مَا الهَزارُ غَرَّدَ في الغُصْ

وإِذا مَا الهَزارُ غَرَّدَ في الغُصْ

نِ حَكَتْهُ الأَوْتارُ في التَّغْريدِ

نِ حَكَتْهُ الأَوْتارُ في التَّغْريدِ

And whenever the nightingale trilled on the branch,

Whenever playful wit trilled through the branches

the strings mimicked its trilling.

The strings accompanied it in melody

مَنْ رَآنا ونَحْنُ في الأَرْضِ صَرْعَى

مَنْ رَآنا ونَحْنُ في الأَرْضِ صَرْعَى

قَالَ قَوْمٌ مَوْتى بِغَيْرِ لُحُودِ

قَالَ قَوْمٌ مَوْتى بِغَيْرِ لُحُودِ

Whoever saw us lying prostrate on the ground

Whoever saw us lying dead on the ground

said, 'Dead folk, without graves.'

Said, "A people without graves."