يُعنِّفُني أنْ أطَلْتُ النَّحيبَا

يُعنِّفُني أنْ أطَلْتُ النَّحيبَا

وأسكُبُ للبَيْنِ دمعاً سَكوبا

وأسكُبُ للبَيْنِ دمعاً سَكوبا

He rebukes me for prolonging my wailing,

Rebuking me that I prolonged the wailing,

as I pour out freely flowing tears for separation.

And poured for separation a copious tear,

وَأَدْنَى المُحبِّين مِنْ نحبِه

وَأَدْنَى المُحبِّين مِنْ نحبِه

مُحِبٌّ بكى يومَ بَيْن حَبيبا

مُحِبٌّ بكى يومَ بَيْن حَبيبا

And the lover nearest to his death

And the nearest of lovers from his love,

is one who wept for a beloved on the day of parting.

A lover who wept when separated from a beloved.

دعا دمعَه ودعَتْ دمعَها

دعا دمعَه ودعَتْ دمعَها

فبَّللَ منها ومنه الجُيوبا

فبَّللَ منها ومنه الجُيوبا

He summoned his tears, and she summoned hers,

His tear invited hers and her tear invited his,

and they soaked the bosoms of her robe and his.

So their garments were drenched from them.

فتاةٌ رمتْه بِسَهْمِ الجفونِ

فتاةٌ رمتْه بِسَهْمِ الجفونِ

ومدَّت إليه بَناناً خَضيبا

ومدَّت إليه بَناناً خَضيبا

A maiden shot him with the arrow of her eyelids,

A maiden who cast him with the arrow of her glances,

and stretched toward him dye-stained fingertips.

And extended to him rosy fingers.

فعاينَ منهم غزالاً رَبيباً

فعاينَ منهم غزالاً رَبيباً

وبَدراً مُنيراً وغُصْناً رَطيبا

وبَدراً مُنيراً وغُصْناً رَطيبا

Then he beheld among them a tame gazelle,

So he saw in them a delicate gazelle,

a radiant full moon, and a supple branch.

And a shining full moon and a delicate branch.

وعَهْدي بها لا تُديمُ الصدودَ

وعَهْدي بها لا تُديمُ الصدودَ

ولا تتجَّنى عليَّ الذُّنوبا

ولا تتجَّنى عليَّ الذُّنوبا

I remember her never prolonging her aloofness,

And my covenant with her is not to prolong estrangement,

nor falsely accusing me of faults,

Nor to commit sins against me.

لياليَ لا وَصلُنا خِلسةً

لياليَ لا وَصلُنا خِلسةً

نراقبُ للخوفِ فيها الرَّقيبا

نراقبُ للخوفِ فيها الرَّقيبا

on nights when our union was no stolen tryst

Nights when we secretly meet,

requiring us to watch the watcher in fear;

In fear we watch for the watcher.

ولا برقُ لذَّاتِنا خُلَّبٌ

ولا برقُ لذَّاتِنا خُلَّبٌ

إذا ما دعَونا لوصلٍ قُلوبا

إذا ما دعَونا لوصلٍ قُلوبا

nor was the lightning of our pleasures a rainless flash

And for our beings no lightning has a crevice,

when we summoned hearts to union.

When we call for union of hearts.

وكم لي وللبَيْنِ من مَوقفٍ

وكم لي وللبَيْنِ من مَوقفٍ

يُميتُ بِلَحْظِ العيونِ القُلوبا

يُميتُ بِلَحْظِ العيونِ القُلوبا

And how many a scene I have shared with parting,

And how much between me and separation are stops

slaying hearts with the glances of eyes!

That kill hearts with a glance of the eyes.

إذا شَهَرَ اللَّحْظُ أسيافَهُ

إذا شَهَرَ اللَّحْظُ أسيافَهُ

تدرَّعْتُ للصِّبرِ بُرداً قَشيبا

تدرَّعْتُ للصِّبرِ بُرداً قَشيبا

When the gaze unsheathed its swords,

When the glance unsheathed its swords,

I armored myself in a fresh mantle of patience,

I armored myself with cool patience.

كأنِّيَ في هَبْوَتَيْه ابنُ فَهْدٍ

كأنِّيَ في هَبْوَتَيْه ابنُ فَهْدٍ

إذا اليومُ أصبحَ يوماً عَصيبا

إذا اليومُ أصبحَ يوماً عَصيبا

as though, amid its two dust clouds, I were Ibn Fahd,

As if I in its confusion am the son of Fahd,

when the day dawns as a grievous day.

When the day dawned as a difficult day.

فَتىً يَستَقِلُّ جَزيلَ الثَّوابِ

فَتىً يَستَقِلُّ جَزيلَ الثَّوابِ

سَماحاً لمن جاءه مُستَثيبا

سَماحاً لمن جاءه مُستَثيبا

A young man who deems lavish reward slight,

A young man who undertakes abundant rewards,

out of generosity to whoever comes to him seeking reward;

Forgiving to who came to him seeking reward.

ويُربي على سُنَنِ المكرُماتِ

ويُربي على سُنَنِ المكرُماتِ

فيُظْهِرُ فيهنَّ مجداً غَريبا

فيُظْهِرُ فيهنَّ مجداً غَريبا

and surpasses the customary paths of noble deeds,

And raises him on the ways of noble deeds,

thus displaying in them a rare glory.

So he shows through them strange glory.

وتَلقاه مبتسماً واضحاً إذا

وتَلقاه مبتسماً واضحاً إذا

ما الحوادثُ أبدَتْ قُطوبا

ما الحوادثُ أبدَتْ قُطوبا

And you find him smiling and radiant when

And you meet him smiling and joyous, when

calamities display a scowl.

Misfortunes show severity.

كريمٌ إذا خابَ راجي النَّدى

كريمٌ إذا خابَ راجي النَّدى

حَمَتْنا مكارمُه أن نَخيبا

حَمَتْنا مكارمُه أن نَخيبا

A generous man: when a seeker of bounty is disappointed,

A generous man, if the seeker of benevolence is disappointed,

his noble deeds have shielded us from disappointment.

His noble deeds forbid us to disappoint.

رأى لحظُه ما تُجِنُّ الصُّدورُ

رأى لحظُه ما تُجِنُّ الصُّدورُ

فخِلناه يعلمُ منها الغُيوبا

فخِلناه يعلمُ منها الغُيوبا

His gaze saw what breasts conceal,

His glance saw what hardens breasts,

so we thought he knew their unseen secrets.

So we left him knowing the secrets.

بعيدٌ إذا رُمْتَ إدراكَهُ

بعيدٌ إذا رُمْتَ إدراكَهُ

وإن كانَ في الجُودِ سهلاً قريبا

وإن كانَ في الجُودِ سهلاً قريبا

He is far beyond reach when you seek to attain him,

Distant, when you seek to attain him,

though in generosity he is approachable and near.

And yet in generosity near, close.

نَمَتْهُ من الأزدِ صِيدُ المُلوكِ

نَمَتْهُ من الأزدِ صِيدُ المُلوكِ

وما زال يَنْمِي النَّجيب ُالنَّجيبا

وما زال يَنْمِي النَّجيب ُالنَّجيبا

The proud kings of al-Azd begot him,

The hunting of kings raised him from Al-Azd,

and noble stock has always begotten noble stock.

And he continued to raise the noble from the noble.

سَلِمتَ سلامَةُ للمَكْرُماتِ

سَلِمتَ سلامَةُ للمَكْرُماتِ

وما زِلْتَ تَبسُطُ باعاً رَحيبا

وما زِلْتَ تَبسُطُ باعاً رَحيبا

May you be safe, Salama, for noble deeds,

You are safeguarded by the preservation of noble deeds,

and you have always stretched your arms wide.

And you continue to extend a vast palm.

تَزُفُّ إليك تِجارُ المديحِ

تَزُفُّ إليك تِجارُ المديحِ

عَذارى تَروقُكَ حُسْناً وطِيبا

عَذارى تَروقُكَ حُسْناً وطِيبا

The merchants of praise lead to you as brides

The merchants of praise flock to you

maidens who delight you with beauty and fragrance.

Chaste virgins who please you in beauty and fragrance.

فكمْ لك من سُؤدُدٍ كالعبيرِ

فكمْ لك من سُؤدُدٍ كالعبيرِ

أصابَ من المدحِ ريحاً جَنوبا

أصابَ من المدحِ ريحاً جَنوبا

How much eminence is yours, like perfume,

So you have many clouds like perfume

that has caught a south wind of praise!

That obtained from praise a southern wind.

ورأيٍ يُكشِّفُ ليلَ الخٌطوبِ

ورأيٍ يُكشِّفُ ليلَ الخٌطوبِ

ضياءً إذا الخَطْبُ أعيا اللَّبيبا

ضياءً إذا الخَطْبُ أعيا اللَّبيبا

And many a judgment that dispels calamities' night

And an opinion that reveals for the darkness of calamities

with radiance when calamity baffles the wise.

A light when calamities exhaust the perceptive.

ومُشتمِلٍ بنِجادِ الحُسامِ

ومُشتمِلٍ بنِجادِ الحُسامِ

يَفُلُّ شبا الحربِ بأساً مَهيبا

يَفُلُّ شبا الحربِ بأساً مَهيبا

And many a man girded with a sword's baldric,

And a defender with the swords of resolve

who blunts war's edges with fearsome might,

Who defeated the youth of war with awesome might.

ملأتَ جوانِحَه رَهبةً

ملأتَ جوانِحَه رَهبةً

فأطرقَ والقلبُ يُبدي وَجيبا

فأطرقَ والقلبُ يُبدي وَجيبا

you have filled his breast with terror,

You filled his essence with awe,

so he bowed his head, his heart revealing its pounding.

So he bowed while the heart showed its folds.

كسوْتَ المكارمَ ثوبَ الشَّبابِ

كسوْتَ المكارمَ ثوبَ الشَّبابِ

وقد كُنَّ ألبِسْنَ فينا المَشيبا

وقد كُنَّ ألبِسْنَ فينا المَشيبا

You clothed noble deeds in the garment of youth,

You clothed noble deeds in the garb of youth,

though among us they had already been clothed in gray old age.

When they were dressed in old age among us.

ضرائبُ أبدَعْتَها في السَّماحٍ

ضرائبُ أبدَعْتَها في السَّماحٍ

فَلسْنا نرى لك فيها ضَريبا

فَلسْنا نرى لك فيها ضَريبا

Traits you have originated in generosity,

Taxes you originated in generosity,

so we see no equal of yours in them.

So we do not see for you in them an opponent.

تَخلَّصْتَني من يَدِ النَّائباتِ

تَخلَّصْتَني من يَدِ النَّائباتِ

وأحلَلْتَني منك رَبعاً خَصيبا

وأحلَلْتَني منك رَبعاً خَصيبا

You rescued me from the hand of calamities,

You delivered me from the hand of disasters,

and lodged me in a fertile abode of yours.

And settled me in a fertile quarter from you.

ومُلِّكْتَ مَدحي كما مُلِّكَتْ

ومُلِّكْتَ مَدحي كما مُلِّكَتْ

بنو هاشمٍ بُرْدَها والقَضيبا

بنو هاشمٍ بُرْدَها والقَضيبا

You were made master of my praise, just as

And you empowered my praise as you empowered

the sons of Hashim were granted their mantle and the staff.

The Hashemites with their sharp swords.

وأنَّي لواردِ بحرِ القريضِ

وأنَّي لواردِ بحرِ القريضِ

إذا وردَ المادحون القَليبا

إذا وردَ المادحون القَليبا

And I indeed draw from the sea of poetry,

And how can I, frequenter of the sea of poetry,

while poets of praise draw from a well.

When praisers frequent arid terrain.

ولسْتُ كمَنْ يَستردُّ المديحَ

ولسْتُ كمَنْ يَستردُّ المديحَ

إذا ما كساه الكريمَ المُثِيبا

إذا ما كساه الكريمَ المُثِيبا

And I am not like one who takes his praise back

I am not like one who takes back praise

once he has clothed the generous reward-giver in it,

When the generous man rewards the rewarding one.

يُحلِّي بمَدْحَتِه غيرَه

يُحلِّي بمَدْحَتِه غيرَه

فيُمْسي محلّىً ويُضحي سَليبا

فيُمْسي محلّىً ويُضحي سَليبا

adorning another with his praise,

Adorning another with his praise,

so one is adorned at evening and stripped by morning.

So he sleeps adorned and wakes plundered.