جَنَحَ المِلحِيُّ للسِّل

جَنَحَ المِلحِيُّ للسِّل

مِ ووافى يَستَقيلُ

مِ ووافى يَستَقيلُ

Al-Milḥī inclined toward peace

The swordsman turned to peace

and came seeking pardon,

And bid the swords farewell

بعد أن جلَّلَهُ خَطْ

بعد أن جلَّلَهُ خَطْ

بٌ من الشِّعْرِ جَليلُ

بٌ من الشِّعْرِ جَليلُ

after he had been enveloped by a calamity

After poetry had crowned him

from poetry, a grave one:

With glory sublime and well

غُرَرٌ يَنتَسِبُ الصُّبْ

غُرَرٌ يَنتَسِبُ الصُّبْ

حُ إليها والحُجُول

حُ إليها والحُجُول

Bright blazes of verse: the dawn traces its lineage

Charms which dawn claims as its own

to them, as do white fetlock markings.

And the shy gazelles as well

نُقِشَتْ نَقْشَ الدَّناني

نُقِشَتْ نَقْشَ الدَّناني

رِ فمرآها جَميلُ

رِ فمرآها جَميلُ

They were engraved as dinars are engraved,

Carved with perfect artistry

and lovely is their appearance.

A sight most fair and swell

ولَها عند ذَوي الأَف

ولَها عند ذَوي الأَف

هامِ بِشْرٌ وقَبُولُ

هامِ بِشْرٌ وقَبُولُ

And among those possessed of understanding,

To those of intellect esteemed

they meet with delight and acceptance.

Welcomed for their fine spell

هي داءٌ في شَراسي

هي داءٌ في شَراسي

فِكَ ثاوٍ وغَليلُ

فِكَ ثاوٍ وغَليلُ

They are a sickness within your ribs,

A malady in haughty souls

abiding there, and a burning torment.

Like venom fierce and fell

وسيوفٌ لكَ مِنْها

وسيوفٌ لكَ مِنْها

حينَ تَهتَزُّ نُكولُ

حينَ تَهتَزُّ نُكولُ

And swords, from which you

Swords for you whenever brandished

recoil when they are brandished.

In wrath are drawn pell-mell

قُلْتُ للشِّعْرِ أَقِلْهُ

قُلْتُ للشِّعْرِ أَقِلْهُ

إنه شَيْخٌ جَهولُ

إنه شَيْخٌ جَهولُ

I said to poetry: Pardon him;

I said to poetry, leave him be

he is an ignorant old man.

He's but an ignorant old bell

قال لي ليسَ إلى ما

قال لي ليسَ إلى ما

رامَه الدَّهرَ سَبيلُ

رامَه الدَّهرَ سَبيلُ

It said to me: There is no way to what

It said, there is no changing what

he sought—ever.

Fate for him does foretell

قد وَهَى سِتْرٌ رَقيقٌ

قد وَهَى سِتْرٌ رَقيقٌ

وقضى وِدٌّ عَليلُ

وقضى وِدٌّ عَليلُ

Already a thin veil has frayed,

A flimsy veil now worn away

and an ailing affection has died.

A tender love lapsed and fell

قَصُرَتْ أيامُنا البِي

قَصُرَتْ أيامُنا البِي

ضُ وفي يَوْمِكَ طُولُ

ضُ وفي يَوْمِكَ طُولُ

Our bright days have grown short,

Our days are few, fading white

while your day stretches long.

While yours are long and swell

دَعوَةٌ يَنتَسِبُ القَحْ

دَعوَةٌ يَنتَسِبُ القَحْ

طُ إليها والمُحولُ

طُ إليها والمُحولُ

A feast: drought traces its lineage

A claim that rabble and rogues

to it, as does barrenness.

And rascals know full well

ليسَ إلا العَطَشُ القا

ليسَ إلا العَطَشُ القا

تِلُ والماءُ الثَّقيلُ

تِلُ والماءُ الثَّقيلُ

Nothing but deadly thirst

Naught but killing thirst remains

and heavy water.

And water heavy as hell

مَجْلِسٌ فيه لأربا

مَجْلِسٌ فيه لأربا

بِ الخَنا قالٌ وقِيلُ

بِ الخَنا قالٌ وقِيلُ

A gathering where the masters

A gathering where the cunning and

of obscenity have their talk and hearsay.

Deceitful prate and yell

وضِراطٌ مثل ما انْشَقْ

وضِراطٌ مثل ما انْشَقْ

قَ الدَّليقيُّ الصَّقيلُ

قَ الدَّليقيُّ الصَّقيلُ

And farting, as though

And blades like what once pierced

the polished Dalīqī had split.

The polished knight Al-Daliq well

وإذا اختالَ خلالَ الشْ

وإذا اختالَ خلالَ الشْ

شَرْبِ عَذْراءٌ شَمولُ

شَرْبِ عَذْراءٌ شَمولُ

And when there struts among the drinkers

When the drinking gets too wild

a virgin wine,

A maiden approaches, her scarf aswell

لَعِبَتْ أيدٍ لها أَقْ

لَعِبَتْ أيدٍ لها أَقْ

فِيَةُ القَوْمِ طُبولُ

فِيَةُ القَوْمِ طُبولُ

hands play, using the napes

Hands play tambourines, driving

of the company as drums.

The people's fancies to swell

لستُ من شَكلِكَ والنا

لستُ من شَكلِكَ والنا

سُ ضُروبٌ وشُكولُ

سُ ضُروبٌ وشُكولُ

I am not of your kind, and people

I'm not of your ilk, and people

are of many sorts and kinds.

Are of various mold and shell

أنتَ للحاكَةِ حتَّى

أنتَ للحاكَةِ حتَّى

يُصْدِرَ الوِرْدَ خَليلُ

يُصْدِرَ الوِرْدَ خَليلُ

You belong to the weavers until

You're suited for weaving, spinning

Khalīl sends the watering party back.

Silk till Warith loves the loom well

فاقطَعِ الرُّسْلَ فقد أَز

فاقطَعِ الرُّسْلَ فقد أَز

رى بنا منك الرَّسولُ

رى بنا منك الرَّسولُ

So stop sending messengers, for already

So break with messengers, for we

your messenger has brought disgrace upon us.

Have had enough, your tales to tell