مقصودُهُ أَعصي الهوى وأُطيعُهُ

مقصودُهُ أَعصي الهوى وأُطيعُهُ

هذا لعمرُ هواكَ لا أستطيعُهُ

هذا لعمرُ هواكَ لا أستطيعُهُ

His aim is that I defy passion and obey him.

His purpose is to disobey passion yet obey it

This, by the life of your love, I cannot do.

By your passion! I cannot do this

سمعي أَصَمُّ عن العذولِ وعذله

سمعي أَصَمُّ عن العذولِ وعذله

فعلامَ يقرعُ مسمعي تقريعُهُ

فعلامَ يقرعُ مسمعي تقريعُهُ

My hearing is deaf to the reprover and his rebuke;

My hearing is deaf to blame and its blamer

so why does his reproach hammer at my ear?

Why then does its rebuke knock at my hearing?

غلبَ النّزاعُ إلى الحسانِ تجلُّدي

غلبَ النّزاعُ إلى الحسانِ تجلُّدي

والقلبُ مغلوبُ العزا منزوعُهُ

والقلبُ مغلوبُ العزا منزوعُهُ

Longing for the fair has conquered my fortitude;

Strife has overcome my patience towards beauty

and the heart is overcome, stripped of its fortitude.

While my heart is an overpowered prisoner stripped of will

لا تنزِعَنَّ إلا ملامِ متيَّمٍ

لا تنزِعَنَّ إلا ملامِ متيَّمٍ

لا يستتبُّ عن النّزاعِ نزوعُهُ

لا يستتبُّ عن النّزاعِ نزوعُهُ

Do not turn [toward?] reproaching a man enslaved by love,

Do not blame except a reproacher who is uncontrollable

who cannot draw himself away from longing.

His inclination to strife cannot be curbed

وملاحةُ الرشأِ المليحِ تروقُهُ

وملاحةُ الرشأِ المليحِ تروقُهُ

وملامةُ اللاحي الملحِّ تروعُهُ

وملامةُ اللاحي الملحِّ تروعُهُ

And the beauty of the lovely fawn delights him;

The saltiness of the fresh saliva makes it delicious

and the persistent censurer's reproach terrifies him.

While the saltiness of the briny makes it repugnant

يا عزَهُ لو لم يعزُّ عزاؤه

يا عزَهُ لو لم يعزُّ عزاؤه

يا ذلّهُ إنْ لم تُعنه دموعُهُ

يا ذلّهُ إنْ لم تُعنه دموعُهُ

How proud he would be, were his solace not so elusive!

Oh his might! If his might did not strengthen him

How abased he would be, if his tears did not aid him!

Oh his humiliation! If his tears did not help him

وبمهجتي حلو الشّمائلِ عذبُها

وبمهجتي حلو الشّمائلِ عذبُها

لكنّه مُرُّ الصُّدودِ شنيعُهُ

لكنّه مُرُّ الصُّدودِ شنيعُهُ

And I would give my lifeblood for one whose ways are sweet and gentle,

In my darling she has a sweet nature and charm

yet who is bitter and cruel in his rejection.

But she has a repulsive aloofness and disdain

نشوانُ من خمرِ الصبا قلبي به

نشوانُ من خمرِ الصبا قلبي به

أَفديهِ مخمورُ الغرامِ صريعُهُ

أَفديهِ مخمورُ الغرامِ صريعُهُ

My heart, through him, is drunk on the wine of youthful passion;

The wine of youth intoxicates my heart with joy

I would ransom him—my heart is drunk with passion, its fallen victim.

Helpless, overcome with passion, drunk

غصن على حقفٍ يميلُ ويستوي

غصن على حقفٍ يميلُ ويستوي

فكأَنّما يعصيهِ حينَ يطيعُهُ

فكأَنّما يعصيهِ حينَ يطيعُهُ

A bough upon a curved dune, he sways and stands straight;

A branch leaning and straightening on an emerald surface

so it is as though he defies it just when he obeys it.

As if it disobeys it when it obeys it

رئمٌ وفي قلبِ المحبِّ كناسُهُ

رئمٌ وفي قلبِ المحبِّ كناسُهُ

قمرٌ وفي ليلِ العذارِ طلوعُه

قمرٌ وفي ليلِ العذارِ طلوعُه

A white gazelle, whose covert lies in the lover's heart;

Bored, yet in the heart of a lover is its equal

a moon whose rising is in the night of his cheek-down.

A moon, though in the night of estrangement is its rising

وكأَنَّ قلبَ محبِّه إقطاعُهُ

وكأَنَّ قلبَ محبِّه إقطاعُهُ

وكأَنَّ خطَّ عذارهِ توقيعُهُ

وكأَنَّ خطَّ عذارهِ توقيعُهُ

And as though his lover's heart were his fief,

As if his lover's heart is his fiefdom

and the line of his cheek-down his signature.

As if his darling's handwriting is her signature

مساوبُ سهمِ اللّحظِ منه محبُّه

مساوبُ سهمِ اللّحظِ منه محبُّه

ملسوبُ عقربِ صدغهِ ملسوغُهُ

ملسوبُ عقربِ صدغهِ ملسوغُهُ

His lover is assailed by the arrow of his glance,

His lover is wounded by the arrows of her glances

stung by the scorpion of his temple, wounded by its sting.

The writhing of his cheek excused by her twisting

للهِ عيشٌ بالحمى أَسلفته

للهِ عيشٌ بالحمى أَسلفته

والشّملُ غير مفرَّقٍ مجموعُهُ

والشّملُ غير مفرَّقٍ مجموعُهُ

What a life, by God, I once lived in the protected grounds,

By God, I have a life on credit that I lived

with our company gathered, not scattered!

And my days are not dispersed but gathered

أَيامَ دارتْ للشّبابِ كؤوسُهُ

أَيامَ دارتْ للشّبابِ كؤوسُهُ

فينا ودرَّتْ بالسُّرورِ ضروعُهُ

فينا ودرَّتْ بالسُّرورِ ضروعُهُ

In the days when youth's cups went round

Days have passed in youth and its cups

among us, and its udders streamed with joy.

In us, and its joys oozed with bliss

رويتْ بأَنواءِ العهادِ عهودُهُ

رويتْ بأَنواءِ العهادِ عهودُهُ

وزهتْ بأَنوارِ الرَّبيعِ ربوعُهُ

وزهتْ بأَنوارِ الرَّبيعِ ربوعُهُ

Its days were watered by recurring showers,

I lived its covenants in the bosoms of intimacy

and its abodes shone with spring's blossoms.

And its meadows flourished in the lights of Spring

أَفراجعٌ ما مرَّ من أَيامهِ

أَفراجعٌ ما مرَّ من أَيامهِ

هيهاتَ لا يُرجى إليَّ رجوعُهُ

هيهاتَ لا يُرجى إليَّ رجوعُهُ

Will the bygone days of that life return?

Can I return to days gone by?

Far from it! There is no hope of its return to me.

Alas! I cannot hope for their return

وجدي مقيمٌ ما يزالُ بظاعنٍ

وجدي مقيمٌ ما يزالُ بظاعنٍ

توديعُ قلبي أُنسه توديعُهُ

توديعُ قلبي أُنسه توديعُهُ

My longing abides, ever with one who has departed;

My love remains constant with misfortunes

his farewell is my heart's farewell to its solace.

To bid farewell to my heart's company is to bid it farewell

مُلاَّكُ مهجتهِ عليكم حفظها

مُلاَّكُ مهجتهِ عليكم حفظها

فالملكُ ليس لمالكٍ تضييعُهُ

فالملكُ ليس لمالكٍ تضييعُهُ

Possessors of his lifeblood, its safekeeping is your charge;

I entrust the guarding of my darling's affection

for an owner may not squander his property.

For the angel cannot lose what he possesses

لا تنسبوا قلبي إليَّ فإنّه

لا تنسبوا قلبي إليَّ فإنّه

لكمُ وفيكمْ جرحُهُ وصدوعُهُ

لكمُ وفيكمْ جرحُهُ وصدوعُهُ

Do not attribute my heart to me, for it

Do not ascribe my heart to me, for it

is yours; you are the cause of its wound and fractures.

Is yours, and in you are its wounds and brokenness

وبيوسفِ المستنجدِ بنِ المقتفي

وبيوسفِ المستنجدِ بنِ المقتفي

دينُ الهدى سامي العمادِ رفيعُهُ

دينُ الهدى سامي العمادِ رفيعُهُ

And through Yusuf al-Mustanjid, son of al-Muqtafi,

In Yusuf the Rescuer, son of the Chaser

the faith of guidance has a lofty, exalted pillar.

The religion of guidance, sublime pillar, lofty is its aspiration

ضافي رداء الفخرِ صافٍ روحه

ضافي رداء الفخرِ صافٍ روحه

نامي ضياءِ البشرِ زاكٍ رُوعُهُ

نامي ضياءِ البشرِ زاكٍ رُوعُهُ

His mantle of glory is ample, his spirit pure;

Covered in the gown of pride, pure of soul

the radiance of his cheer grows, and his heart is pure.

Towering the light of humanity, fertile are its meadows

حالي الضَّمائر بالعَفافِ وبالتُقى

حالي الضَّمائر بالعَفافِ وبالتُقى

للهِ ما تحنو عليه ضلوعُهُ

للهِ ما تحنو عليه ضلوعُهُ

His inward thoughts are adorned with chastity and piety;

My state with hearts is chaste and pious

by God, how wondrous is what his ribs enfold!

To God yearns what my ribs contain

محمرُّ نصلِ النّصرِ في يومِ الوغى ال

محمرُّ نصلِ النّصرِ في يومِ الوغى ال

مغبرِّ مبيضُّ العطاءِ نصوعُهُ

مغبرِّ مبيضُّ العطاءِ نصوعُهُ

His blade of victory is red on the day of battle—

Red is the blade of victory on the day of battle

dust-clouded—while his bounty is dazzling white.

Dusted white is the giver of gifts, abundant are its gifts

في الأَمن إلا ماله وعدوّه

في الأَمن إلا ماله وعدوّه

فكلاهما في الحالتينِ مروعُهُ

فكلاهما في الحالتينِ مروعُهُ

All are safe except his wealth and his enemy;

In peace but what belongs to him and his enemy

for both, in either state, are terrified by him.

Both are fearful in either case

للّهِ أَصلٌ هاشميٌّ طاهرٌ

للّهِ أَصلٌ هاشميٌّ طاهرٌ

طابتْ وطالتْ في العلاءِ فروعُهُ

طابتْ وطالتْ في العلاءِ فروعُهُ

By God, what a pure Hashimite root,

To God belongs a Hashimite core, pure

whose branches have flourished and risen high in eminence!

Its branches have flourished and towered in nobility

لكَ نائلٌ محيٍ وبأسٌ مهلكٌ

لكَ نائلٌ محيٍ وبأسٌ مهلكٌ

فلأَنت ضرّار الزَّمان نضوعه

فلأَنت ضرّار الزَّمان نضوعه

Yours is life-giving bounty and deadly might;

To you belongs attainment, protection, and formidable might

so you are indeed time's scourge and its [benefactor?].

For you are the bane of the times, fertile its meadows

يا أَفضلَ الخلفاءِ دعوةَ قانعٍ

يا أَفضلَ الخلفاءِ دعوةَ قانعٍ

برضاكَ ما كشف القناع قنوعُهُ

برضاكَ ما كشف القناع قنوعُهُ

O best of caliphs, hear the plea of one content

O best of caliphs, the request of a content man

with your approval; his pleading has not lifted the veil.

With your approval, though modesty does not reveal his contentment

أَيكونُ مثلي في زمانكَ ضائعاً

أَيكونُ مثلي في زمانكَ ضائعاً

هيهاتَ يا مولايَ لستَ تضيعُهُ

هيهاتَ يا مولايَ لستَ تضيعُهُ

Could one like me be neglected in your time?

Can one like me in your time be lost?

Never, my lord! You would not neglect him.

Never my master, you will not forsake him

أَودعْ جميلاً لي أُذعْهُ فخيرُ مَنْ

أَودعْ جميلاً لي أُذعْهُ فخيرُ مَنْ

أَوْدَعْتَهُ منكَ الجميلَ مذيعُهُ

أَوْدَعْتَهُ منكَ الجميلَ مذيعُهُ

Entrust a kindness to me: I shall proclaim it; for the best of those

Entrust me with a favor that I may spread

you entrust with your kindness is the one who proclaims it.

For the best one to entrust is you, its spreader

حسبُ المؤمِّل منجحاً في قصدهِ

حسبُ المؤمِّل منجحاً في قصدهِ

أَن الرَّجاءَ إلى نداكَ شفيعُهُ

أَن الرَّجاءَ إلى نداكَ شفيعُهُ

For the hopeful man, it suffices for success in his quest

The hopeful considers his purpose accomplished

that hope in your bounty is his intercessor.

If to you is his hope an intercessor