لولا انتهائي لم أُطع نهي النُهى

لولا انتهائي لم أُطع نهي النُهى

أَيَّ مَدىً يطلبُ من جاز المدى

أَيَّ مَدىً يطلبُ من جاز المدى

Had I not reached my limit, I would not have obeyed reason's prohibition.

Had I not been finite, I would not have obeyed the prohibition of prohibitions

What limit does one who has passed the limit seek?

How far does one who has surpassed limits ask to go?

إِن كنتُ اقصرتُ فما اقصرَ قل

إِن كنتُ اقصرتُ فما اقصرَ قل

بُ دامياً تدميه ألحاظُ الدُمى

بُ دامياً تدميه ألحاظُ الدُمى

If I have held back, my heart has not held back,

If I fell short, no heart is as short as my heart

bleeding, wounded by the glances of idol-like beauties.

That bleeds constantly from the glances of the tearful

ومقلة إِن مقلت أهل الغضا

ومقلة إِن مقلت أهل الغضا

أغضت وفي اجفانها جمر الغضى

أغضت وفي اجفانها جمر الغضى

And an eye that, if it gazed upon the people of al-Ghada,

And an eyelid, if I winked, to the people of absence

lowered its gaze, with ghada embers within its lids.

I winked while in its eyelids are the embers of anguish

وكم ظِباء رُعتُها أَلحاظُها

وكم ظِباء رُعتُها أَلحاظُها

أسرعُ في الأنفس من حدِّ الظُبا

أسرعُ في الأنفس من حدِّ الظُبا

And how many gazelles I have startled—their glances

And how many gazelles I shepherded, their glances

swifter through souls than the edge of sword blades.

Quicker in souls than the edge of a sword

وكلَّما ازدَدنَ قُوى أجفانها

وكلَّما ازدَدنَ قُوى أجفانها

ضَعفاً تقوَّينَ على ضَعف القُوى

ضَعفاً تقوَّينَ على ضَعف القُوى

And whenever the powers of their eyelids increased

And the more their eyelids grew in strength

in weakness, they grew stronger against weakened powers.

The weaker they made the strength of powers

أسرع من حرف إلى جر ومن

أسرع من حرف إلى جر ومن

حبّ إلى حبة قلبٍ وحشا

حبّ إلى حبة قلبٍ وحشا

Swifter than a particle to genitive inflection, and than

Quicker than a letter to caesura and from

love to the core of a heart and the entrails.

Love to a grain of a heart-stricken heart

قضاعةُ بن مالكِ بن حمِرٍ

قضاعةُ بن مالكِ بن حمِرٍ

ما بعدَهُ للمرتقين مُرتقى

ما بعدَهُ للمرتقين مُرتقى

Quda'a son of Malik son of Hamir—

The loftiness of Quss ibn Sa`ida ibn `Amir

beyond him there is no height for those who ascend.

After it, no ascent remains for climbers to climb

وطالَ ما طللتُ دمعي في طلو

وطالَ ما طللتُ دمعي في طلو

لٍ خَفِيَت عن البِلى من البِلَى

لٍ خَفِيَت عن البِلى من البِلَى

And long have I shed my tears in vain among ruins

Long has my tear flowed in a night

hidden from decay by decay.

Whose traces the ravages of time have hidden from time’s ravages

تناهبَت أيدي الهواءِ رَسمَها

تناهبَت أيدي الهواءِ رَسمَها

نَهبَ الهوى أنفُسَ أبناءِ الهوى

نَهبَ الهوى أنفُسَ أبناءِ الهوى

The hands of the winds plundered their traces,

The hands of air have snatched its features

as passion plunders the souls of passion's children.

Passion has snatched the souls of the passionate

فاقتَسَمَتها السارياتُ مِثلَ ما

فاقتَسَمَتها السارياتُ مِثلَ ما

تقتسمُ المأسورَ أسبابُ الأَسى

تقتسمُ المأسورَ أسبابُ الأَسى

Then the night-traveling clouds shared them out, just as

So the Pleiades have divided it as

the causes of sorrow divide a captive.

The causes of anguish divide the captive

فهَيَ أثافٍ ما ثلاثٌ لم يزل

فهَيَ أثافٍ ما ثلاثٌ لم يزل

بها الحَيا حتى أَماتَها الحيا

بها الحَيا حتى أَماتَها الحيا

So they are three hearthstones; never did

It is a howdah whose riders have not ceased

the rain cease upon them, until the rain killed them.

With life in it until death ended its life

وعَطفَتا نُؤيٍ كنُونٍ عُرِّقَت

وعَطفَتا نُؤيٍ كنُونٍ عُرِّقَت

أو صُدُغٍ عُقرِبَ أَو أَيمٍ سَعَى

أو صُدُغٍ عُقرِبَ أَو أَيمٍ سَعَى

And two curves of a tent-trench, like a slenderly traced letter nun,

And a flexed Nun, or a Sa`d with a dot under it, or a straight Mim went on

or a temple-lock curled like a scorpion, or a snake in motion.

Or a thigh of a scorpion, or a hand that journeyed

وأَشعَثٍ لم تُبقِ منه المورُ إِلا

وأَشعَثٍ لم تُبقِ منه المورُ إِلا

مثلَ ما أَبقَت من الصَبرِ النَوى

مثلَ ما أَبقَت من الصَبرِ النَوى

And a tattered remnant, of which the swirling dust left only

And disheveled hair that has left of it only

as much as separation left of patience.

As much as patience has left of the kernel

مَنازِلٌ أَنزالُ من يَنزِلُها

مَنازِلٌ أَنزالُ من يَنزِلُها

وَجدٌ ودمعٌ وغَرامٌ وجوى

وَجدٌ ودمعٌ وغَرامٌ وجوى

Dwellings—the hospitality of whoever alights in them:

Abodes where those who camped there found

longing, tears, consuming love, and inward anguish.

Affection, tears, passion and fervor

مَمحُوَّةُ الأَطلالِ كالطِرسِ امَّحى

مَمحُوَّةُ الأَطلالِ كالطِرسِ امَّحى

مُوحشِةٌ كالشَيبِ بالحُورِ سَطا

مُوحشِةٌ كالشَيبِ بالحُورِ سَطا

Their traces erased, like a parchment wiped clean,

Whose ruins have been erased like writing

desolate, like gray hair assailing dark-eyed beauties.

Desolate like white hair in a brunette

كأَنَّها الإِلفُ جَفا أو نَبوَة الدَ

كأَنَّها الإِلفُ جَفا أو نَبوَة الدَ

هرِ نَبا أَو كَبوَةُ الجَدِّ كَبا

هرِ نَبا أَو كَبوَةُ الجَدِّ كَبا

As though they were a beloved grown distant, or a rebuff from

As if it were intimacy that parted or the settlement of fate

Time when it rebuffs, or Fortune's stumble when it stumbles.

That settled, or the bending of ancient times that bent

وكم ليالٍ قد لقيتُ هَولَها

وكم ليالٍ قد لقيتُ هَولَها

بِهِمَّةٍ فوقَ السماءِ كالسَما

بِهِمَّةٍ فوقَ السماءِ كالسَما

And how many nights I have faced in their terror

And how many nights whose terrors I faced

with resolve above the heavens, like the heavens themselves.

With ambition above the sky like the sky

طالَت دَياجيها فَخلنا أنَّها

طالَت دَياجيها فَخلنا أنَّها

تعطِفُ منهنَّ علينا ما مضى

تعطِفُ منهنَّ علينا ما مضى

Their darkness lasted so long that we imagined

Its darkness prolonged so we thought

they were bringing back upon us the nights gone by.

It was relenting to us from them what has passed

وفي يميني صارمٌ غراره

وفي يميني صارمٌ غراره

أقطَعُ من يوم فراقٍ ونوى

أقطَعُ من يوم فراقٍ ونوى

And in my right hand was a keen sword whose edge

And in my right hand a sharp sword

was sharper than a day of parting and separation.

With which I sever a day of parting and resolve

إِن سُلَّ أو شيم فمثل البرق

إِن سُلَّ أو شيم فمثل البرق

في الغيم اذا الغيمُ سَرى

في الغيم اذا الغيمُ سَرى

If drawn or sheathed, it was like lightning

If asked or insulted, like lightning

in clouds, when the clouds traveled by night.

In the cloud when the cloud flowed

شقائقٌ مثل خدودٍ نُقشت

شقائقٌ مثل خدودٍ نُقشت

شواربٌ بالمسك فيها ولحى

شواربٌ بالمسك فيها ولحى

Anemones, like cheeks on which were painted

Daisies like cheeks engraved

moustaches and beards in musk.

With whiskers in which there is musk and beard

كأنّما الناطحُ عينا شاخصٍ

كأنّما الناطحُ عينا شاخصٍ

يضعف عن تغميضها من الضيا

يضعف عن تغميضها من الضيا

Al-Natih is like the two eyes of one staring

As if the buttress were the eyes of one staring intensely

who cannot close them for the brightness.

Too weak to close them from the light

كأنّما البُطين في آثاره

كأنّما البُطين في آثاره

طالبُ ثأرٍ عند عاتٍ قد عتا

طالبُ ثأرٍ عند عاتٍ قد عتا

Al-Butayn, in its wake, is like

As if Al-Butayn in its tracks

one seeking vengeance from an insolent man in his insolence.

Were seeking vengeance from an assailant who had assailed

كأنما النجم الثريا عَلَمٌ

كأنما النجم الثريا عَلَمٌ

أبيض يعلو عَلَماً حين علا

أبيض يعلو عَلَماً حين علا

The star-cluster al-Thurayya is like a banner,

As if an-Najm ath-Thurayya were a white standard

white, rising above a mountain as it ascends.

Rising above a standard when it rose

كأنّما التابع نارٌ شبَّها

كأنّما التابع نارٌ شبَّها

بنو سبيلٍ في طريقٍ تصطلى

بنو سبيلٍ في طريقٍ تصطلى

Al-Tabi' is like a fire kindled

As if at-Tabi` were a fire lit by

by wayfarers on a road, to warm oneself by.

Wayfarers on a path getting light

كأنّما الهقعة راس جواد او أثافٍ

كأنّما الهقعة راس جواد او أثافٍ

وسط ربعٍ قد عفا

وسط ربعٍ قد عفا

Al-Haq'a is like a steed's head, or hearthstones

As if al-Huq`ah were the head of a steed or a howdah

amid a dwelling-site long effaced.

In a quarter that has healed

كأنّما الهنعة لمّا طلعت

كأنّما الهنعة لمّا طلعت

مقلة صبٍّ لم تبن من البكا

مقلة صبٍّ لم تبن من البكا

Al-Han'a, when it rose, was like

As if al-Han`ah when it rose

a lovesick lover's eye, obscured by weeping,

Were an eyelid shedding tears not yet dry from crying

مقبلة على الذراع تشتكي

مقبلة على الذراع تشتكي

شكوى محبٍّ ضاق ذرعاً فاشتكى

شكوى محبٍّ ضاق ذرعاً فاشتكى

turning toward al-Dhira' to complain

Inclining on the arm complaining

with the plaint of a lover whose endurance failed, so he complained.

The complaint of a lover overwhelmed so he complained

كأنّما النثرة أثر نَمَشٍ

كأنّما النثرة أثر نَمَشٍ

أو كَلَفٍ على الخدود قد علا

أو كَلَفٍ على الخدود قد علا

Al-Nathra is like a trace of freckles,

As if an-Nathrah were the trace of an ibex

or dark pigmentation appearing upon the cheeks.

Or a calf that has mounted the cheeks

كأنّما الجبهة في آثاره

كأنّما الجبهة في آثاره

سيل على آثار عقب قد سرى

سيل على آثار عقب قد سرى

Al-Jabha, in its wake, is like

As if al-Jabhah in its markings

a flood coursing over the traces of heels.

Were a torrent over the tracks of a heel that flowed

كأنّما الزُّبرة حبّان فذا

كأنّما الزُّبرة حبّان فذا

من سائر الناس بذا قد اكتفى

من سائر الناس بذا قد اكتفى

Al-Zubra is like two lovers: this one

As if az-Zubrah were two beloveds who

has found that one enough, apart from all other people.

Sufficed with the belovedness of all people

كأنّما الغَفر جناحٌ مائلٌ

كأنّما الغَفر جناحٌ مائلٌ

أو عُنُقٌ نحو حديثٍ قد صغا

أو عُنُقٌ نحو حديثٍ قد صغا

Al-Ghafr is like a leaning wing,

As if al-Ghafr were an inclined wing

or a neck inclined toward some talk.

Or a neck leaning to a hadith that listened

كأنما الاكليل اكليل على

كأنما الاكليل اكليل على

رأس عروسٍ يوم عرسٍ تُجتلى

رأس عروسٍ يوم عرسٍ تُجتلى

Al-Iklil is like a crown upon

As if al-Aakil were a coronet on

a bride's head, unveiled on her wedding day.

The head of a bride on her wedding day adorned

تتبعه نعائم كأنّها

تتبعه نعائم كأنّها

نعائم ترتع في ارض فلا

نعائم ترتع في ارض فلا

The Na'a'im follow it, as though they were

Followed by stars that seem

ostriches grazing in a desert land.

Stars grazing in a land of neither hills nor dales

ولاحت البلدة كالبلدة قد

ولاحت البلدة كالبلدة قد

بادت اذا الربع خلا

بادت اذا الربع خلا

And al-Balda appeared like a town that

And the land shone like a land that

had perished when its dwelling-place stood empty.

Perished when the quarter became empty

كأنّما الأسعُدُ حين اتَّسَقَت

كأنّما الأسعُدُ حين اتَّسَقَت

روض ثغور بالعيون ترتوي

روض ثغور بالعيون ترتوي

Al-As'ud, when set in order, are like

As if as-Sa`d, when the Pleiades rose

a garden of mouths drinking their fill from eyes.

Were a meadow of thorns watered by eyes

يقدمها ذابحها كهاربٍ

يقدمها ذابحها كهاربٍ

أو طالبٍ يحذر فوت ما ابتغى

أو طالبٍ يحذر فوت ما ابتغى

Their Dhabih—the Slaughterer—leads them like a fugitive,

He brings them forward like a slaughterer

or a seeker fearing the loss of what he seeks.

Or a seeker fearing to miss what he sought

ولاح سَعدُ بُلَعٍ كضاحكٍ

ولاح سَعدُ بُلَعٍ كضاحكٍ

أو كارعٍ يكرع في كأس لمى

أو كارعٍ يكرع في كأس لمى

And Sa'd Bula' appeared like one laughing,

And Sa`d Bul` appeared laughing

or a drinker drinking deeply from a cup of dusky lips.

Or drinking from a cup of wine

مسابقٌ في سيره السعدَ الذي

مسابقٌ في سيره السعدَ الذي

سعوده مستحسنٌ حين يرى

سعوده مستحسنٌ حين يرى

Racing in its course with the Sa'd whose

Racing in its course the Sa`d which

good fortunes are pleasing to behold,

Its rising, pleasing to behold when seen

كظبية ما بين خشفين لها

كظبية ما بين خشفين لها

أو كحبيبٍ في رقيبين اغتدى

أو كحبيبٍ في رقيبين اغتدى

like a doe between her two fawns,

Like a gazelle between two sinuous dunes for it

or a lover who went forth at dawn between two watchers.

Or a lover between two censors bold

وذو الخبا

وذو الخبا

من غريمٍ قد توارى واختفى

من غريمٍ قد توارى واختفى

And Dhu al-Khiba—

And Thurayya

from a debtor who has slipped from sight and hidden himself.

From an enemy that hid and disappeared

واقبل الفرغ إلى الفرغ كما

واقبل الفرغ إلى الفرغ كما

أقبل عطشان إلى عذب روى

أقبل عطشان إلى عذب روى

And al-Fargh approached al-Fargh, just as

And the Empty Quarter came to the Empty Quarter as

a thirsty person approaches sweet, thirst-quenching water.

A thirsty man comes to fresh water that sated

كأنّما الحوت اذا ما طلعت

كأنّما الحوت اذا ما طلعت

حوت على لجة بحرٍ قد طفا

حوت على لجة بحرٍ قد طفا

Al-Hut, when it rose, was like

As if al-Hut when it rose

a fish floating upon the deep waters of a sea.

Were a whale in a turbulent sea that churned

كأنّ صوت الرعد فيها قارئ

كأنّ صوت الرعد فيها قارئ

عارضه تتعتع فيما قرا

عارضه تتعتع فيما قرا

As though the sound of thunder within it were a reciter

As if the sound of thunder in it were a reader

beset by stammering in what he recited.

Whose echo murmurs in what he recited

ونرجسٍ كأنَّه نواظرٌ

ونرجسٍ كأنَّه نواظرٌ

يَقطُرنَ عذباً بارداً على الظما

يَقطُرنَ عذباً بارداً على الظما

And narcissus, as though it were gazing eyes,

And a narcissus as if it were glances

dripping sweet, cold water upon thirst.

Sprinkling gently cool on eyelids

إذا بدا الطلُّ عليه خِلتَه

إذا بدا الطلُّ عليه خِلتَه

غرقى عيونٍ في بحورٍ من بُكا

غرقى عيونٍ في بحورٍ من بُكا

When dew appeared upon it, you thought it

When the rise of the crescent showed its deficiency

eyes drowned in seas of weeping.

Eyes drowned in seas of tears