أَبو عَلِيٍّ وَسمِيُّ مُنتَجِعِه

أَبو عَلِيٍّ وَسمِيُّ مُنتَجِعِه

فَاِحلِل بِأَعلى واديهِ أَو جَرَعِه

فَاِحلِل بِأَعلى واديهِ أَو جَرَعِه

Abu Ali is the autumn rain of the one who seeks his bounty.

Abu Ali, pride restored to his refuge,

So settle in the upper reaches of his valley, or on its sandy flats.

So pitch a tent on the heights of his valley and portion.

وَاِغدُ قَريبَ الخَيالِ وَالحِسِّ مِن

وَاِغدُ قَريبَ الخَيالِ وَالحِسِّ مِن

مَنظَرِهِ تارَةً وَمُستَمَعِه

مَنظَرِهِ تارَةً وَمُستَمَعِه

And go forth at dawn, with imagination and sense close to

And tomorrow come close in thought and feeling

the sight of him at times, and to the sound of him.

To the scene at times, and to the listener.

وَحاسِدٍ لا يُفيقُ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَحاسِدٍ لا يُفيقُ قُلتُ لَهُ

مِن صابِ قَولٍ يُدمي وَمِن سَلَعِه

مِن صابِ قَولٍ يُدمي وَمِن سَلَعِه

And to an envier who never comes to his senses, I said,

And to the envious, witless, I said,

with the bitter sap and bitter herbs of words that draw blood:

Of effective words that make bleed, and his wares,

لا تُجزِرَن عِرضَكَ الأَساوِدَ وَاِس

لا تُجزِرَن عِرضَكَ الأَساوِدَ وَاِس

تَخفِ بِأَنفِ بادٍ لِمُجتَدِعِه

تَخفِ بِأَنفِ بادٍ لِمُجتَدِعِه

"Do not offer your honor as prey to black serpents, and make light

Do not cheapen your honor, O noble one, and

of a nose exposed to the one who would cut it off.

Travel light with the nostrils of one bound for his deputation.

لا يَأمَنَن أَخدَعاكَ بادِرَةً

لا يَأمَنَن أَخدَعاكَ بادِرَةً

مِن قَدعِهِ إِن أَمِنتَ مِن قَذعِه

مِن قَدعِهِ إِن أَمِنتَ مِن قَذعِه

Let neither vein of your neck feel safe from a sudden stroke

Do not feel safe from his duplicity and fraud—

of his chastisement, even if you are safe from his insults.

A blow from his club, if you trust his arrow.

إِيّاكَ وَالغيلَ أَن تُطيفَ بِهِ

إِيّاكَ وَالغيلَ أَن تُطيفَ بِهِ

إِنّي أَخشى عَلَيكَ مِن سَبُعِه

إِنّي أَخشى عَلَيكَ مِن سَبُعِه

Beware of roaming around the thicket;

Beware playing the spy, that would tempt you,

I fear its lion for you."

For I fear for you from his claws.

تَرى الهُمامَ المَحجوبَ حاشِيَةً

تَرى الهُمامَ المَحجوبَ حاشِيَةً

لَهُ وَتَلقى المَتبوعَ مِن تَبَعِه

لَهُ وَتَلقى المَتبوعَ مِن تَبَعِه

You see the secluded great lord as an attendant

You see the honorable screened around him

of his, and find the leader among his followers.

As his retinue, and you meet his followers from his faction,

يَنزِلُ في الكاهِلِ المُنيفِ مِنَ الأَم

يَنزِلُ في الكاهِلِ المُنيفِ مِنَ الأَم

رِ وَهُم تَحتَ ذاكَ مِن زَمَعِه

رِ وَهُم تَحتَ ذاكَ مِن زَمَعِه

He dwells at the lofty withers of

Alighting in the protected highlands

affairs, while they below that are but its dewclaws.

While they are below that in their multitude.

يا رُبَّ يَومٍ تَلوحُ غُرَّتُهُ

يا رُبَّ يَومٍ تَلوحُ غُرَّتُهُ

ساطِعِ صُبحِ المَعروفِ مُنصَدِعِه

ساطِعِ صُبحِ المَعروفِ مُنصَدِعِه

Ah, many a day whose bright brow shines,

O Lord of a day whose radiance shows forth

radiant with the breaking dawn of bounty,

At the dawn of good repute bursting its bud!

قَد ذابَ لي في يَدَيكَ ذَوبَ النا

قَد ذابَ لي في يَدَيكَ ذَوبَ النا

مِ الجَعدِ حَكَّمتَ الرَضفَ في قَمَعِه

مِ الجَعدِ حَكَّمتَ الرَضفَ في قَمَعِه

has melted for me in your hands, like

For me in your hands the soft hair melted,

compact beeswax when you let heated stones rule within its core.

You decreed the combing in his woolen robe.

وَلَم تُغَيِّر وَجهي عَنِ الصِبغَةِ ال

وَلَم تُغَيِّر وَجهي عَنِ الصِبغَةِ ال

أولى بِمَسفوعِ اللَونِ مُلتَمِعِه

أولى بِمَسفوعِ اللَونِ مُلتَمِعِه

And you did not change my face from its

You did not change my face from the original dye

original hue to a darkened, glistening color.

More suited to one of blended hues in its braid.

لا بَل هَنيءُ النَدى هَنيءُ السَدى

لا بَل هَنيءُ النَدى هَنيءُ السَدى

لَم يَتَلَوَّث راجيكَ في طَمَعِه

لَم يَتَلَوَّث راجيكَ في طَمَعِه

No—your bounty is wholesome, your beneficence wholesome;

No! Bright the dew, vain the wasteland,

the one who hopes in you was not sullied by his desire.

Your suitor did not obsess in his longing.

وَقَد أَتاني الرَسولُ بِالمَلبَسِ الفَخ

وَقَد أَتاني الرَسولُ بِالمَلبَسِ الفَخ

مِ لِصَيفِ اِمرِئٍ وَمُرتَبَعِه

مِ لِصَيفِ اِمرِئٍ وَمُرتَبَعِه

And the messenger brought me a magnificent garment

The messenger brought me luxurious clothes

for a man's summer quarters and spring abode.

For the summer of a lord in his keep.

مِن شُنُعِ الخِلعَةِ الغَريبَةِ إِنَّ

مِن شُنُعِ الخِلعَةِ الغَريبَةِ إِنَّ

المَجدَ مَجدُ الرِياشِ في شُنُعِه

المَجدَ مَجدُ الرِياشِ في شُنُعِه

One of the marvels of rare robes of honor; indeed,

From the horrid quality of the strange garment—

glory—the glory of finery—lies in its marvels.

Glory is the glory of the windswept in its horridness!

لَو أَنَّها جُلِّلَت أُوَيساً لَقَد

لَو أَنَّها جُلِّلَت أُوَيساً لَقَد

اَسرَعَتِ الكِبرِياءُ في وَرَعِه

اَسرَعَتِ الكِبرِياءُ في وَرَعِه

Had it been draped over Uways, then

Had it been clad in simple cloth, pride

pride would quickly have invaded his piety.

Would have galloped in discretion.

رائِقُ خَزٍّ يُلتَذُّ مَلمَسُهُ

رائِقُ خَزٍّ يُلتَذُّ مَلمَسُهُ

سَكبٌ يَدينُ الصِبا لِمُدَّرِعِه

سَكبٌ يَدينُ الصِبا لِمُدَّرِعِه

Fine silk-and-wool cloth, delightful to the touch,

Fine silk whose touch is enjoyed,

light and flowing: youth submits to its wearer.

Pouring that makes youth subject to its mail.

وَسِرُّ وَشيٍ كَأَنَّ شِعرِيَ أَح

وَسِرُّ وَشيٍ كَأَنَّ شِعرِيَ أَح

ياناً نَسيبُ العُيونِ مِن بِدَعِه

ياناً نَسيبُ العُيونِ مِن بِدَعِه

And choicest embroidery, as though my poetry at

And the mystery of perfume as though my hair

times were a love-song for the eyes among its marvels.

Were, at times, the kinsman of eyes in its innovation.

كَأَنَّ نَبتَ النُعمانِ وَالدَمَ مِن

كَأَنَّ نَبتَ النُعمانِ وَالدَمَ مِن

حُمرَتِهِ آخِذٌ وَمِن لُمَعِه

حُمرَتِهِ آخِذٌ وَمِن لُمَعِه

As though anemones and blood were taking from

As if the bloom of nacre and blood in its redness

its redness, and from its flashes.

Captured, and in its flash.

وَالنَورَ نَورَ العَرارِ أُجرِيَ في

وَالنَورَ نَورَ العَرارِ أُجرِيَ في

تَسهيمِهِ المُجتَلى عَلى يَنَعِه

تَسهيمِهِ المُجتَلى عَلى يَنَعِه

And the flowers—arar flowers—were worked into

And light, the light of the nude, was poured in its

its admired arrow-patterns, in their full bloom.

Shooting through the darkness to its branches.

لا في رِيامٍ وَلا قُراهُ وَلا

لا في رِيامٍ وَلا قُراهُ وَلا

زَبيدِهِ مِثلُهُ وَلا رِمَعِه

زَبيدِهِ مِثلُهُ وَلا رِمَعِه

Neither in Riyam nor its villages, nor

None in the towns of Rayy and Qura and

in its Zabid or its Rimaʿ, is there its equal.

Zabid like it, neither in its herd nor flock.

لا يَتَخَطّاهُ الطَرفُ مِن أَحَدٍ

لا يَتَخَطّاهُ الطَرفُ مِن أَحَدٍ

يُنصِفُ إِلّا صَلّى عَلى صَنَعِه

يُنصِفُ إِلّا صَلّى عَلى صَنَعِه

No one's eye passes over it,

No eye overlooks it from any

if he is fair-minded, without blessing its maker.

Who would do it justice, but ask for its workmanship.

تَرَكتَني سامِيَ الجُفونِ عَلى

تَرَكتَني سامِيَ الجُفونِ عَلى

أَزلَمِ دَهرٍ بِحُسنِها جَذَعِه

أَزلَمِ دَهرٍ بِحُسنِها جَذَعِه

You have left me raising my eyelids proudly above

You left me lofty-lidded in the gloom of fate and time

relentless, ever-young Time, through the robe's beauty,

In its beauty, slenderness, stem and trunk.

مُعاوِدَ الكِبرِ وَالسُمُوِّ عَلى

مُعاوِدَ الكِبرِ وَالسُمُوِّ عَلى

أَعيادِهِ باذِخاً عَلى جُمَعِه

أَعيادِهِ باذِخاً عَلى جُمَعِه

returning to pride and rising above

Renewing glory and ascent in its seasons and days

its feast days, towering above its Fridays.

Announcing it loudly to all its assembly.

وَغابِطٍ في نَداكَ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَغابِطٍ في نَداكَ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَرُبَّ قَولٍ قَوَّمتُ مِن ضَلَعِه

وَرُبَّ قَولٍ قَوَّمتُ مِن ضَلَعِه

And to one who envied me your bounty, I said—

And to one jealous in your presence, I said

and many a saying have I set straight from its crookedness—

Many effective words I built up from his side.

نَعَتُّ سَيفاً أَغفَلتُ قائِمَهُ

نَعَتُّ سَيفاً أَغفَلتُ قائِمَهُ

وَظَبيَ قُفٍّ سَهَوتُ عَن تَلَعِه

وَظَبيَ قُفٍّ سَهَوتُ عَن تَلَعِه

"I described a sword, overlooking its hilt,

I described a sword but forgot its upright one,

and a gazelle of rocky heights, forgetting its long neck."

And a roebuck’s pointed chin I neglected in its leap.

أَنتَ أَخونا وَسَيِّدٌ مَلِكٌ

أَنتَ أَخونا وَسَيِّدٌ مَلِكٌ

نَخلَعُ ما نَستَزيدُ مِن خَلَعِه

نَخلَعُ ما نَستَزيدُ مِن خَلَعِه

You are our brother and a lord, a king

You are our brother and a kingly lord

whom we robe whenever we ask more of his robes.

From whose gown we exceed what we remove.

فَاِلبَس بِهِ مِثلَها لِمِثلِكَ مِن

فَاِلبَس بِهِ مِثلَها لِمِثلِكَ مِن

فَضفاضِ ثَوبِ القَريضِ مُتَّسَعِه

فَضفاضِ ثَوبِ القَريضِ مُتَّسَعِه

So wear in return its like, for one like you, from

So wear the like of it, the like of you

the loose, capacious garment of poetry,

Of the ample robe of thin fabric in its wideness,

صَعبِ القَوافي إِلّا لِفارِسِهِ

صَعبِ القَوافي إِلّا لِفارِسِهِ

أَبِيَّ نَسجِ العَروضِ مُمتَنَعِه

أَبِيَّ نَسجِ العَروضِ مُمتَنَعِه

with rhymes difficult for all but its horseman,

Demanding rhymes but for its rider,

its metrical weave defiant and unassailable,

My father, designer of the impregnable verse form.

ساحِرِ نَظمٍ سِحرَ البَياضِ مِنَ ال

ساحِرِ نَظمٍ سِحرَ البَياضِ مِنَ ال

أَلوانِ سائِبِهِ خَبِّهِ خَدِعِه

أَلوانِ سائِبِهِ خَبِّهِ خَدِعِه

enchanting in composition, as white enchants among

Sorcerer of poetry who bewitched pure white

colors—free-flowing, cunning, beguiling.

From the motley colors, admirable, jesting in his sorcery.

كِسوَةُ وُدٍّ أَصبَحتَ دونَ الوَرى

كِسوَةُ وُدٍّ أَصبَحتَ دونَ الوَرى

نُجعَتَهُ لا نَقولُ مِن نَجَعِه

نُجعَتَهُ لا نَقولُ مِن نَجَعِه

A robe of affection: you, apart from all mankind, have become

Raiment of love, you surpassed below the horizon,

its resort—we do not say, one of its resorts.

Its settlement, we do not say, of its settlement.

سَبَقتَ حَتّى اِقتَطَعتَ قَبلَهُمُ

سَبَقتَ حَتّى اِقتَطَعتَ قَبلَهُمُ

ما شِئتَ مِن تِمِّهِ وَمِن قِطَعِه

ما شِئتَ مِن تِمِّهِ وَمِن قِطَعِه

You outpaced them, until you claimed before them

You went before till you took away before them

whatever you wished of its full poems and its shorter pieces.

What you wished of its perfection and pieces.

وَالشِعرُ فَرجٌ لَيسَت خَصيصَتُهُ

وَالشِعرُ فَرجٌ لَيسَت خَصيصَتُهُ

طولَ اللَيالي إِلّا لِمُفتَرِعِه

طولَ اللَيالي إِلّا لِمُفتَرِعِه

And poetry is a woman's sex; its exclusive privilege,

Poetry is relief whose trait is not

through all the nights, belongs only to its deflowerer.

Long nights but for its sleepless maker.