يُرَوِّعُ هَجرُها قلباً مَرُوعا

يُرَوِّعُ هَجرُها قلباً مَرُوعا

صَديعُ الشَّيْبِ يملوُّه صُدُوعا

صَديعُ الشَّيْبِ يملوُّه صُدُوعا

Her desertion terrifies a heart already terrified.

His abandonment terrifies a terrified heart,

The dawning of gray hair fills it with cracks.

The grayness of old age fills it with sorrows.

أَرَتْها الأَبعونَ هَشيمَ رَوْضٍ

أَرَتْها الأَبعونَ هَشيمَ رَوْضٍ

وقبلَ الأربعينَ رَأَتْ رَبيعا

وقبلَ الأربعينَ رَأَتْ رَبيعا

Forty years showed her a garden's dry remains,

The fates showed it the decay of a garden

and before forty she had seen spring.

And before forty it saw the spring.

هَزيعُ شَبيبَةٍ طَلَعَتْ عليه

هَزيعُ شَبيبَةٍ طَلَعَتْ عليه

كواكِبُه فرصَّعَتِ الهَزيعا

كواكِبُه فرصَّعَتِ الهَزيعا

A watch of youth, above which rose

The vigor of a youth that bloomed

its stars, studding that watch with jewels.

With stars that adorned this fading.

ألا فاعجَبْ لِما صَنَعَ الغَواني

ألا فاعجَبْ لِما صَنَعَ الغَواني

فقد أَفسَدْنَ بالغَدْرِ الصَّنيعا

فقد أَفسَدْنَ بالغَدْرِ الصَّنيعا

Ah, marvel at what the beauties have done,

Oh, how strange are the deeds of the passions!

for through treachery they spoiled their handiwork.

They have corrupted the sincere with betrayal.

كَفَرْنَ بذلك الصَّنمِ المُفَدَّى

كَفَرْنَ بذلك الصَّنمِ المُفَدَّى

وكُنَّ له سُجوداً أو رُكوعا

وكُنَّ له سُجوداً أو رُكوعا

They disowned that idol they would ransom,

They disbelieved in that worshipped idol

though they used to prostrate or bow before him.

And had been to it prostrate or kneeling.

يَرَيْنَ بُعادَه قُربَ الأماني

يَرَيْنَ بُعادَه قُربَ الأماني

وضِيقَ عِناقِه العيشَ الوَسِيعا

وضِيقَ عِناقِه العيشَ الوَسِيعا

They saw his distance as their wishes drawing near,

They see in his distance the nearness of wishes

and his tight embrace as life's spacious ease,

And the narrowness of his embrace, a wide life.

لياليَ يُخجِلُ الرَّيحانَ ريحاً

لياليَ يُخجِلُ الرَّيحانَ ريحاً

إذا اتَّشَحَتْهُ غانيةٌ ضَجيعا

إذا اتَّشَحَتْهُ غانيةٌ ضَجيعا

on nights when his scent put sweet basil to shame,

Nights that would shame the basil with a breeze

when a beauty wrapped herself in him as her bedmate.

When a singing damsel lies next to him.

أَأَبناءَ الطَّريقِ دَعُوا طريقاً

أَأَبناءَ الطَّريقِ دَعُوا طريقاً

سبقْتُ ذَوي السِّباقِ به جَميعا

سبقْتُ ذَوي السِّباقِ به جَميعا

O sons of the road, leave alone a path

O people of the path, have you forsaken a path

on which I have outstripped all who race.

That I surpassed all racers upon altogether?

فلستُ مُجاوِراً إلا جَواداً

فلستُ مُجاوِراً إلا جَواداً

ولستُ مُقارِعاً إلا قَريعا

ولستُ مُقارِعاً إلا قَريعا

For I dwell beside none but a generous man,

So I am not a neighbor except to a stallion

and I contend only with a champion.

Nor a partner except to a firm mountain.

أنامُ على قوارصِكُم وعندي

أنامُ على قوارصِكُم وعندي

قوارصُ تسلُبُ المُقَلَ الهُجوعا

قوارصُ تسلُبُ المُقَلَ الهُجوعا

I sleep through your barbs, while I have

I sleep on your loins and with me are

barbs that rob the eyes of sleep.

Loins that rob the drowsy of sleep.

أَهُزُّ بها على قَوْمٍ سُيوفاً

أَهُزُّ بها على قَوْمٍ سُيوفاً

وأجعلُها على قَوْمٍ دُروعا

وأجعلُها على قَوْمٍ دُروعا

With them I brandish swords against some people,

I shake over a people swords

and make them coats of armor for others.

And make them against a people armor.

إذا سارَتْ مُشنِّعَةً عليكم

إذا سارَتْ مُشنِّعَةً عليكم

فرُدُّوا ذلك الخَبَرَ الشَّنيعا

فرُدُّوا ذلك الخَبَرَ الشَّنيعا

If they spread, bringing scandal upon you,

If she travels disgraced over you

then rebut that disgraceful report.

Then repel that vile news.

أَزَفَّاَن المُخرَّمِ إنَّ شِعْري

أَزَفَّاَن المُخرَّمِ إنَّ شِعْري

بحُرِّ الشِّعْرِ أحرَى أن يَشيعا

بحُرِّ الشِّعْرِ أحرَى أن يَشيعا

O dancer of al-Mukharram, my verse

My poetry is more deserving, o you of little wit,

has the better claim to circulate as noble poetry.

To spread in the sea of poetry.

تركْتَ الدُّفَّ تَنقُرُهُ اكتساباً

تركْتَ الدُّفَّ تَنقُرُهُ اكتساباً

ومِلْتَ عليَّ تَنفُرُني وُلوعا

ومِلْتَ عليَّ تَنفُرُني وُلوعا

You left the frame drum you beat for a living,

You left the tambourine being stricken to gain

and turned against me, bent on driving me away.

And became bored of me, repelling me in agony.

إذا الشَّيخُ الخَليعُ هفَا اغترارً

إذا الشَّيخُ الخَليعُ هفَا اغترارً

تَيمَّمَ بالأذى الصِّلَّ الخَليعا

تَيمَّمَ بالأذى الصِّلَّ الخَليعا

When the dissolute old man blunders in delusion,

When the vile shaykh was deluded by harm

he aims his harm at an unbridled viper.

He sought the rope of the vile.

سيَذهَلُ عن فُنونِ الرَّقْصِ هَمّاً

سيَذهَلُ عن فُنونِ الرَّقْصِ هَمّاً

إذا رقَّصْتُ منه حَشَاً مَرُوعا

إذا رقَّصْتُ منه حَشَاً مَرُوعا

Distress will make him forget the arts of dancing

He will be distracted from the art of dancing worry

when I set his terrified innards dancing.

If I dance from him a terrified dance.

ويَفضَحُ نابَه سَجَحاتُ نابي

ويَفضَحُ نابَه سَجَحاتُ نابي

إذا استُودِعْنَ سِرَّ فتىً أُذيعا

إذا استُودِعْنَ سِرَّ فتىً أُذيعا

And my fang's gentle ways will shame his fang:

And the shame of his fangs will be exposed by the cheeks of my fangs

when they are entrusted with a young man's secret, it is divulged.

If the secret of a young man is deposited in trust.

لقد خلَعَتْ بتوبتِكَ المَلاهي

لقد خلَعَتْ بتوبتِكَ المَلاهي

ثيابَ الكِبْرِ واكتسَتِ الخُشوعا

ثيابَ الكِبْرِ واكتسَتِ الخُشوعا

Indeed, at your repentance, the revelries have cast off

You have indeed removed by your repentance the pleasures,

the robes of pride and clothed themselves in humility.

The clothes of arrogance, and dressed in humility.

تركْتَ بها المَعازِفَ ضائِعاتٍ

تركْتَ بها المَعازِفَ ضائِعاتٍ

وعَزَّ على المَعازِفِ أن تَضيعا

وعَزَّ على المَعازِفِ أن تَضيعا

Through it you left the instruments abandoned,

You left by it the instruments lost

and it pained the instruments to be forsaken.

And it was difficult for the instruments to be lost.

فقد نُتِفَتْ لِحاكَ بها ولاقَت

فقد نُتِفَتْ لِحاكَ بها ولاقَت

صُنوجُكَ بعدَها خَطْباً فَظيعا

صُنوجُكَ بعدَها خَطْباً فَظيعا

For your beards were plucked through it, and there befell

So they were picked for your sermons and found

your cymbals afterward a dreadful calamity.

Your pulpits after it a grave matter.

وكيفَ نَسَكْتَ بعدَ مَقالِ قَوْمٍ

وكيفَ نَسَكْتَ بعدَ مَقالِ قَوْمٍ

إذا نَسَكَ المُخَّنثُ ماتَ جُوعا

إذا نَسَكَ المُخَّنثُ ماتَ جُوعا

And how did you turn devout after people said:

How did you abandon after the words of a people

‘When the effeminate man turns devout, he dies of hunger’?

When the effeminate man abandons, he dies of hunger?

وكنتَ إذا الزِّقاقُ رَأَتْكَ تَشدُو

وكنتَ إذا الزِّقاقُ رَأَتْكَ تَشدُو

بألحانِ الغَرِيضِ بَكَتْ نَجيعا

بألحانِ الغَرِيضِ بَكَتْ نَجيعا

And whenever the wineskins saw you singing,

You were, when the alleys saw you singing

in al-Gharid's melodies, they wept fresh blood.

The tunes of passion, crying in unison.

أما تشتاقُ من عَرَصاتِ غُمَّى

أما تشتاقُ من عَرَصاتِ غُمَّى

مَغاني الجاشريَّةِ والرُّبُوعا

مَغاني الجاشريَّةِ والرُّبُوعا

Do you not long, among the open grounds of Ghumma,

Do you not long for the meadows of worries

for the haunts of al-Jashariyya and the dwellings?

The songs of the taverns and the pleasant places?

فقد نَبَشَتْ شآبيبُ الغَوادي

فقد نَبَشَتْ شآبيبُ الغَوادي

عليهِنَّ النمارِقَ والقُطوعا

عليهِنَّ النمارِقَ والقُطوعا

For the downpours of the morning rains have unearthed

For the mountain cats have excavated upon them

the cushions and rugs upon them.

The carpets and the cushions.

هَجَرْتَ الهُجْرَ إلا نَظْمَ شِعْرٍ

هَجَرْتَ الهُجْرَ إلا نَظْمَ شِعْرٍ

بَهَرْتَ بسِحْرِهِ السِّحْرَ البَديعا

بَهَرْتَ بسِحْرِهِ السِّحْرَ البَديعا

You abandoned obscenity, save for composing verse

You abandoned abandoning except composing poetry

with whose magic you outshone wondrous sorcery.

You dazzled magic with its wondrous magic.

وَعِفْتَ العارَ إلا عَيْرَ أُنْسٍ

وَعِفْتَ العارَ إلا عَيْرَ أُنْسٍ

تَخُرُّ له إذا أَدلى صَريعا

تَخُرُّ له إذا أَدلى صَريعا

And you shunned disgrace, except for a tame ass,

You shunned dishonor except the shame of intimacy

before whom you fall stricken when he lets his member hang.

That humiliates you when he comes intoxicated.

يَزورَكَ والدُّجى سِتْرٌ عليه

يَزورَكَ والدُّجى سِتْرٌ عليه

فيرقَعُ منكَ مأبوناً رَقيعا

فيرقَعُ منكَ مأبوناً رَقيعا

He visits you, with darkness as a veil over him,

He visits you while the darkness is a cover over him

then patches up the foolish passive sodomite in you.

So he patches from you a despised gain.

أَفارسُ هل تَكونُ غداً شَفيعي

أَفارسُ هل تَكونُ غداً شَفيعي

إذا أنا فيكَ عادَيْتُ الشَّفيعا

إذا أنا فيكَ عادَيْتُ الشَّفيعا

O Faris, will you be my intercessor tomorrow,

O knight, will you be my intercessor tomorrow

if I oppose the intercessor for your sake?

If today I make you my adversary?

دَعَوْتَ إلى الضَّلالِ دُعاءَ غاوٍ

دَعَوْتَ إلى الضَّلالِ دُعاءَ غاوٍ

فلم يكنِ السَّميعُ له سَميعا

فلم يكنِ السَّميعُ له سَميعا

You called to error with a misguided man's call,

You invited to misguidance the invitation of the misguided

but the hearer would not listen to it.

So the Hearer was not hearing to him.

أَأَرغَبُ عن وَدادِ أبي تُرابٍ

أَأَرغَبُ عن وَدادِ أبي تُرابٍ

وقد شحَنَ التَّرائبَ والضُّلوعا

وقد شحَنَ التَّرائبَ والضُّلوعا

Should I turn away from love for Abu Turab,

Shall I turn away from the love of my father dust

when it has filled my breastbones and ribs?

Who has burdened the chests and ribs?

وأُعْرِضُ بعدَ وَخْطِ الشَّيْبِ عنه

وأُعْرِضُ بعدَ وَخْطِ الشَّيْبِ عنه

وقد أحببْتُه طِفْلاً رَضيعا

وقد أحببْتُه طِفْلاً رَضيعا

And turn away from him after gray hair has flecked me,

Shall I turn away after the inscription of old age

though I loved him as a suckling child?

When I loved him as a suckling infant?

أَقِلُّوا قَبلَ غِشْيانِ القَوافي

أَقِلُّوا قَبلَ غِشْيانِ القَوافي

بذكرِكُمُ المحافلَ والجُموعا

بذكرِكُمُ المحافلَ والجُموعا

Desist, before the rhymes sweep through

Make less, before the overwhelming of rhymes

the assemblies and crowds with mention of you.

In your gatherings and crowds my mention.

نصَحْتُ لكم فلا تَرِدوا المَنايا

نصَحْتُ لكم فلا تَرِدوا المَنايا

ولا تَستَمْطِروا السَّمَّ النَّقيعا

ولا تَستَمْطِروا السَّمَّ النَّقيعا

I have counseled you: do not make for death,

I advised you so do not reject the fate

nor call down deadly poison like rain.

Nor call upon yourselves evil rain.

إذا لم تَتْبَعوا أبداً رَشادي

إذا لم تَتْبَعوا أبداً رَشادي

فلستُ لغيِّكُم أبداً تَبيعا

فلستُ لغيِّكُم أبداً تَبيعا

If you never follow my right guidance,

If you never follow my guidance

then I will never be a follower of your error.

Then I am not ever for you buying.

ألا مُتَجَرِّدٌ للهِ نَدْبٌ

ألا مُتَجَرِّدٌ للهِ نَدْبٌ

يُقَرِّبُ منكُمُ الحَيْنَ الشَّنيعا

يُقَرِّبُ منكُمُ الحَيْنَ الشَّنيعا

Is there no gallant man wholly devoted to God,

Oh how the devoted to God reproach

to bring dreadful death close to you,

Brings near to you the vile time.

فَيَخْضِبُ من دمائِكُمُ العوالي

فَيَخْضِبُ من دمائِكُمُ العوالي

ويَنقَعُ من صديدِكُمُ الجُزوعا

ويَنقَعُ من صديدِكُمُ الجُزوعا

and stain the spearheads with your blood,

He will dye from your blood the highlands

and soak the onyx stones in your pus?

And gore from your decay the tree trunks.

أُحاكِمُكُمْ إلى السَّبعِ المَثاني

أُحاكِمُكُمْ إلى السَّبعِ المَثاني

وتلكَ الشَّمسُ أَغشَتكُمْ طُلوعا

وتلكَ الشَّمسُ أَغشَتكُمْ طُلوعا

I bring you to judgment before the seven oft-repeated verses,

I will judge you by the seven oft repeated

and that sun has blinded you as it rose.

And that sun has covered you rising.

فقَدْ حَفِظَتْ صَحائِفُهُنَّ حقّاً

فقَدْ حَفِظَتْ صَحائِفُهُنَّ حقّاً

ولستُ لما احتفَظْنَ به مُضِيعا

ولستُ لما احتفَظْنَ به مُضِيعا

For their pages have preserved a rightful claim,

For their scriptures have preserved truth

and I will not squander what they have safeguarded.

And I am not for what they have preserved wasting.