شَعَفُ الحبائلِ من رُبىً ومَلاعِبِ

شَعَفُ الحبائلِ من رُبىً ومَلاعِبِ

لم تخلُ من شَغَفٍ ودمعٍ ساكبِ

لم تخلُ من شَغَفٍ ودمعٍ ساكبِ

The summits of al-Haba'il—hills and playgrounds—

The boughs of affection from nurturing and play

have not lacked passion or flowing tears.

Never devoid of passion and spilling tears

أَوْحَشْنَ إلا من وُقوفِ متيَّمٍ

أَوْحَشْنَ إلا من وُقوفِ متيَّمٍ

وعَطِلْنَ إلا من حُليِّ سَحائبِ

وعَطِلْنَ إلا من حُليِّ سَحائبِ

They grew desolate, save for a lovelorn man's vigil,

None consoled me except the standing of a desirer

and bare of ornaments, save for the jewels of clouds.

None entertained me except the jewelry of clouds

ولقد صَحِبْتُ العَيشَ مَرْضِيَّ الهَوى

ولقد صَحِبْتُ العَيشَ مَرْضِيَّ الهَوى

في ظِلِّها الأَوفَى خليعَ الصَّاحبِ

في ظِلِّها الأَوفَى خليعَ الصَّاحبِ

I once lived life with my desires fulfilled,

And I lived a life sick with love

in their amplest shade, with a carefree companion,

In its most faithful shade, disloyal companion

أيامَ لا حُكمُ الفِراقِ بجائرٍ

أيامَ لا حُكمُ الفِراقِ بجائرٍ

فيها ولا سَهمُ الزَّمانِ بصائبِ

فيها ولا سَهمُ الزَّمانِ بصائبِ

in days when separation's judgment was not unjust

Days in which the judgment of separation is not unjust

there, nor time's arrow true to its mark.

In them, nor the arrow of time misaimed

ولربَّما حَالت شَوازبُ أُسْدِها

ولربَّما حَالت شَوازبُ أُسْدِها

بين المُحِبِّ وبين سِرْبِ ربائبِ

بين المُحِبِّ وبين سِرْبِ ربائبِ

Often their lean lions stood

And sometimes the bracelets of its lions

between the lover and a herd of young gazelles.

Stood between the lover and the flock of gazelles

وتتبَّعْتهُ ظِباؤُها بقَواضبٍ

وتتبَّعْتهُ ظِباؤُها بقَواضبٍ

من لَحْظِهَا وحُماتُها بقواضب

من لَحْظِهَا وحُماتُها بقواضب

Their gazelles pursued him with cutting blades

And its felines pursued me with leaps

of their glances, and their guardians with cutting blades.

From its glances and its passionate leaps

إذ حيُّها حَيُّ السُّرورِ وظِلُّها

إذ حيُّها حَيُّ السُّرورِ وظِلُّها

رَحْبُ الجِنابِ بِهمْ عَزيزُ الجانِبِ

رَحْبُ الجِنابِ بِهمْ عَزيزُ الجانِبِ

When their encampment was an abode of joy, and their shade

When its neighborhood is the neighborhood of joy and its shade

spacious through them, its flank unassailable:

Is the spacious honor with the dear side

خفَقَانُ ألويَةٍ وغُرُّ صواهلٍ

خفَقَانُ ألويَةٍ وغُرُّ صواهلٍ

وبُدورُ أنديةٍ وجَرْسُ كَتائبِ

وبُدورُ أنديةٍ وجَرْسُ كَتائبِ

fluttering banners and white-blazed neighing steeds,

The fluttering of flags and the neighing of horses

full moons of assemblies and the din of battalions,

And the drums of regiments and the ringing of caravans

وغرائبٌ في الحُسْنِ إلا أنها

وغرائبٌ في الحُسْنِ إلا أنها

تَرمي القلوبَ من الجَوى بغَرائبِ

تَرمي القلوبَ من الجَوى بغَرائبِ

and rare beauties, except that they

And wonders in beauty except that they

assail hearts with strange torments of longing.

Shoot hearts with strangeness from burning passion

أَنْهَبْنَا وردَ الخُدودِ وإنما

أَنْهَبْنَا وردَ الخُدودِ وإنما

أَنْهَبْنَ ذاكَ الوردَ لُبَّ النَّاهبِ

أَنْهَبْنَ ذاكَ الوردَ لُبَّ النَّاهبِ

We plundered the roses of their cheeks, but

They plucked the roses of cheeks but indeed

they let those roses plunder the plunderer's reason.

They plucked that rose, the essence of the plucker

إن كُنتِ عاتبةً عليَّ فما الرِّضا

إن كُنتِ عاتبةً عليَّ فما الرِّضا

عندي ولا العُتبى لأَوَّلِ عاتبِ

عندي ولا العُتبى لأَوَّلِ عاتبِ

If you reproach me, then neither satisfaction

If you blame me, then there is no consent with me

nor appeasement is mine to offer the first reproacher.

Nor blame for the first blamer

نُبِّئْتُ أنَّ الأغبياءَ تَوثَّبوا

نُبِّئْتُ أنَّ الأغبياءَ تَوثَّبوا

سَفَهاً عليَّ مع الزَّمانِ الواثبِ

سَفَهاً عليَّ مع الزَّمانِ الواثبِ

I was told that fools had sprung

I was told that the foolish attacked

foolishly at me, alongside assailing time.

Foolishly with time, the attacker

دَبَّتْ عقاربُهم إليَّ ولم تكُنْ

دَبَّتْ عقاربُهم إليَّ ولم تكُنْ

لِتَدِبَّ في ليلِ النَّفاقِ عقاربي

لِتَدِبَّ في ليلِ النَّفاقِ عقاربي

Their scorpions crept toward me—though never

Their scorpions crawled toward me, and were not

would my scorpions creep in hypocrisy's night—

Crawling in the night of hypocrisy, my scorpions

مِنْ مُنْكرٍ فضلي عليه ومُدَّعٍ

مِنْ مُنْكرٍ فضلي عليه ومُدَّعٍ

شِعري ولم أسمعْ بأخرسَ خاطب

شِعري ولم أسمعْ بأخرسَ خاطب

from one who denies my merit over him, and one who claims

From the grace upon him I excel, and the pretender

my poetry; I have never heard of a mute orator.

My poetry, and I have not heard of a mute suitor

هيهاتَ ما جَهْلُ الجَهولِ بمُسبلٍ

هيهاتَ ما جَهْلُ الجَهولِ بمُسبلٍ

حُجُباً على نَجْمِ العلومِ الثَّاقبِ

حُجُباً على نَجْمِ العلومِ الثَّاقبِ

Far from it! An ignoramus's ignorance cannot lower

Far from it! The ignorance of the ignorant with a gown

veils over the piercing star of knowledge.

Is not a veil on the star of piercing knowledge

وإذا العدوُّ أثارَ حِقداً لم يزلْ

وإذا العدوُّ أثارَ حِقداً لم يزلْ

يكتَنُّ في رَسَبَي حشاً وترائبِ

يكتَنُّ في رَسَبَي حشاً وترائبِ

And if an enemy rouses hatred that has always

And if an enemy aroused malice that does not cease

lain hidden in the depths of his entrails and breastbones,

To conceal in the lowness of envy and suspicions

فلْيَستَعِدَّ لطعنةٍ من طاعنٍ

فلْيَستَعِدَّ لطعنةٍ من طاعنٍ

شاكي السِّلاحِ وضربةٍ من ضاربِ

شاكي السِّلاحِ وضربةٍ من ضاربِ

let him prepare for a thrust from a spearman

So let him prepare for a stab from a critic

fully armed, and a blow from a striker.

Complaining of the weapon and a strike from the striker

ذنبي إلى الأعداء فضلُ مواقفي

ذنبي إلى الأعداء فضلُ مواقفي

والفضلُ ذنبٌ لستُ منه بتائبِ

والفضلُ ذنبٌ لستُ منه بتائبِ

My crime in my enemies' eyes is the excellence of my deeds;

My sin to the enemies is the surplus of my stands

and excellence is a crime I do not repent of.

And surplus is a sin I do not repent from

اللهُ آثرَني بوهبٍ دونَهم

اللهُ آثرَني بوهبٍ دونَهم

وأَخصَّني من وُدِّهِ بمواهبِ

وأَخصَّني من وُدِّهِ بمواهبِ

God favored me with Wahb over them,

God preferred me with a gift beyond them

and singled me out with gifts of his affection:

And singled me out from His affection with gifts

مِلِكٌ إصاختُه لأوَّلِ صارخٍ

مِلِكٌ إصاختُه لأوَّلِ صارخٍ

وسجالُ أنعُمِه لأوَّلِ طالبِ

وسجالُ أنعُمِه لأوَّلِ طالبِ

a king who listens to the first caller for help,

A King whose screams are to the first screamer

and whose brimming buckets of bounty reach the first petitioner.

And the fighting of His blessings to the first seeker

جَذْلانُ يرغبُ في العُلا فَتِلادُه

جَذْلانُ يرغبُ في العُلا فَتِلادُه

مُصْغٍ لدعوةِ راغبٍ أو راهبِ

مُصْغٍ لدعوةِ راغبٍ أو راهبِ

Joyful, he aspires to the heights; thus his ancestral wealth

The horses yearn for the heights, so their colts

heeds the call of one who hopes or one who fears.

Listen to the prayer of the desirer or the monk

كالغيثِ يلقَى الطالبين بوابلٍ

كالغيثِ يلقَى الطالبين بوابلٍ

سحٍّ ويلقى الحاسدين بحاصبِ

سحٍّ ويلقى الحاسدين بحاصبِ

Like rain, he meets petitioners with a downpour,

Like rain pouring seekers with floods

torrential, and meets the envious with a hail of stones.

Of ease, and pouring enviers with dryness

فصَّلتُ عِقْدَ مدائحي بخِلالِه

فصَّلتُ عِقْدَ مدائحي بخِلالِه

فكأنَّما فصَّلتُه بكواكبِ

فكأنَّما فصَّلتُه بكواكبِ

I studded the necklace of my praises with his virtues,

So I strung my poem with its beads

as though I had studded it with stars.

As if I had strung it with stars

وإذا انتضَتْ يُمناه نِضْوَ سيوفِه

وإذا انتضَتْ يُمناه نِضْوَ سيوفِه

أَذْكَى ضِرامَ الحربِ غيرَ مُحاربِ

أَذْكَى ضِرامَ الحربِ غيرَ مُحاربِ

When his right hand unsheathes a slender blade among his swords,

And when the flourishing of His right hand swords awoke

it kindles war's blaze, though no warrior.

It inspired the resolve of war without a warrior

أكرِمْ بسيفكَ من صَموتٍ راجلٍ

أكرِمْ بسيفكَ من صَموتٍ راجلٍ

في النائباتِ ومن فصيحٍ راكبِ

في النائباتِ ومن فصيحٍ راكبِ

How noble is your sword: silent on foot

Honor with Your sword one who is silent on foot

amid calamities, and eloquent when mounted!

In adversities, and one who is eloquent riding

تهتزُّ أعضاءُ الشُّجاعِ مخافةً

تهتزُّ أعضاءُ الشُّجاعِ مخافةً

ما اهتزَّ بين أشاجعٍ ورَواجبِ

ما اهتزَّ بين أشاجعٍ ورَواجبِ

The brave man's limbs tremble with fear

The limbs of the brave shake in fear

whenever it trembles between knuckles and finger joints.

As the coward’s never shook between courageous and riding

ما إن رأيتُ سِواه عَضْباً غِمْدُه

ما إن رأيتُ سِواه عَضْباً غِمْدُه

أحشاءُ حاليةِ المقلَّدِ كاعبِ

أحشاءُ حاليةِ المقلَّدِ كاعبِ

Never have I seen another keen blade whose sheath

I did not see its scabbard as wrath except

is the belly of a budding-breasted maiden with an adorned neck.

The innards of the attached scabbard as a drawer

لم تَعْرَ من صِبْغِ الذَّوائبِ إذ غدَتْ

لم تَعْرَ من صِبْغِ الذَّوائبِ إذ غدَتْ

مَطمومةً ليسَت بذاتِ ذوائبِ

مَطمومةً ليسَت بذاتِ ذوائبِ

She was not without the tint of tresses, though she became

It did not know dye from sheaths when it became

close-shorn, possessing no tresses.

Silent, not possessing sheaths

وكأنما طلَعَتْ مشارقُ حَلَّها

وكأنما طلَعَتْ مشارقُ حَلَّها

من حِليةِ الجنَّانِ فوقَ مغاربِ

من حِليةِ الجنَّانِ فوقَ مغاربِ

And it was as though the dawns of her adornment rose

As if the easts of its solutions rose

from the jewelry of gardens, above sunsets.

From the jewelry of Heavens above the wests

ما حاربَ الصُّبحُ المُضئُ غياهباً

ما حاربَ الصُّبحُ المُضئُ غياهباً

إلا أرتنا الصبحَ سِلْمُ غياهبِ

إلا أرتنا الصبحَ سِلْمُ غياهبِ

Never has the shining dawn battled darkness

The shining dawn did not battle its darkness

but darkness at peace has shown us dawn.

Except it showed us the dawn as the peace of darkness

قد قلتُ إذ عاينتُ فضلَ بيانِه

قد قلتُ إذ عاينتُ فضلَ بيانِه

وبيانَه كَمُلَتْ أداةُ الكاتبِ

وبيانَه كَمُلَتْ أداةُ الكاتبِ

I said, when I beheld the excellence of his expression

I said when I witnessed the merit of His expression

and his eloquence: "The writer's equipment is complete."

And His expression, the tools of the writer were complete

لله درُّكَ يا ابنَ هارونَ الذي

لله درُّكَ يا ابنَ هارونَ الذي

أدنى العُفاةَ من السَّماحِ العازبِ

أدنى العُفاةَ من السَّماحِ العازبِ

How splendid you are, O son of Harun, who

Bravo! O son of Aaron who

brought petitioners close to generosity once far removed!

Brought the distant closer to the inaccessible generosity

أغرَبْتَ في شِيَمٍ تلوحُ سِماتُها

أغرَبْتَ في شِيَمٍ تلوحُ سِماتُها

في كاهلٍ للمجدِ أو في غاربِ

في كاهلٍ للمجدِ أو في غاربِ

You excelled in traits whose marks shine

You were strange in traits whose features appear

on glory's shoulders or upon its withers,

On the shoulder of glory or the stranger

وشمائلٍ سارَتْ بهنَّ مدائحي

وشمائلٍ سارَتْ بهنَّ مدائحي

في الأرضِ سَيْرَ شمائلٍ وجَنائبِ

في الأرضِ سَيْرَ شمائلٍ وجَنائبِ

and in virtues with which my praises have traveled

And traits my praises walked with them

through the earth like north winds and led steeds.

In the land, the walk of traits and caravans

نضَّرْنَ وجهَ المكرُماتِ وطالما

نضَّرْنَ وجهَ المكرُماتِ وطالما

سفرَتْ لنا عن حُرِّ وجهٍ شاحبِ

سفرَتْ لنا عن حُرِّ وجهٍ شاحبِ

They made the face of noble deeds bloom; so often

They blossomed the face of honors and often

it had unveiled to us a noble, pallid face.

Traveled to us from the heat of a pale face

مالي أرى أوصابَ جسمِك غادَرتْ

مالي أرى أوصابَ جسمِك غادَرتْ

قلبَ المكارمِ في عَذابٍ واصبِ

قلبَ المكارمِ في عَذابٍ واصبِ

Why do I see that your body's ailments have left

What is wrong with me I see the places of your body left

the heart of noble deeds in unceasing torment?

The heart of generosity in torment and pain

عُدْنا الغَمامَ الجَوْدَ منك ولم نَعُدْ

عُدْنا الغَمامَ الجَوْدَ منك ولم نَعُدْ

من قبلِها صوبَ الغَمامِ الصائبِ

من قبلِها صوبَ الغَمامِ الصائبِ

We visited the bounteous cloud in you, yet never had we visited

We came back with clouds of generosity from you, and did not go back

before this the raincloud's unerring shower.

From before it towards the striking clouds

لسنا نَذُمُّ أوائلَ النُّوبِ التي

لسنا نَذُمُّ أوائلَ النُّوبِ التي

جاءت أواخرُها بحَمْدِ عواقبِ

جاءت أواخرُها بحَمْدِ عواقبِ

We do not condemn the beginnings of misfortunes whose

We do not regret the first sins which

endings have brought praiseworthy outcomes.

Their endings came with praiseworthy consequences

فاسعَدْ بعافيةِ الإلهِ فإنها

فاسعَدْ بعافيةِ الإلهِ فإنها

هِبَةٌ مُقابَلَةٌ بشُكْرٍ واجبِ

هِبَةٌ مُقابَلَةٌ بشُكْرٍ واجبِ

So rejoice in God's gift of health, for it

So be happy with the wellness from God, for it is

is a gift to be repaid with gratitude that is owed.

A gift reciprocated with necessary gratitude

وتَمَلَّ سائرةً عليك مقيمةً

وتَمَلَّ سائرةً عليك مقيمةً

مَلكتْ وَدادَ أباعدٍ وأقاربِ

مَلكتْ وَدادَ أباعدٍ وأقاربِ

And long enjoy a poem that travels yet stays with you,

And it continued residing upon you, possessed

one that has won the love of strangers and kin.

The love of distances and relatives

شَرِقَتْ بماءِ الطَّبْعِ حتَّى خِلتُها

شَرِقَتْ بماءِ الطَّبْعِ حتَّى خِلتُها

شَرِقَتْ لِريِّقِها ببردٍ ذائبِ

شَرِقَتْ لِريِّقِها ببردٍ ذائبِ

It choked on the water of natural talent, until I imagined it

It shone with the water of nature until I deemed it

choking, in its freshness, on melting hail.

Shone to its benefactor with melting coolness

يَشتاقُ طلعَتها الكريمُ إذا نَأتْ

يَشتاقُ طلعَتها الكريمُ إذا نَأتْ

شوقَ المحبِّ إلى لقاءِ حبائبِ

شوقَ المحبِّ إلى لقاءِ حبائبِ

The noble man longs for its appearance when it is far away,

The generous longs for its rise when it is distant

with a lover's longing to meet beloved ones.

With the longing of the lover to the meeting of loved ones

ويقولُ سامعُها إذا ما أُنْشِدَتْ

ويقولُ سامعُها إذا ما أُنْشِدَتْ

أعقودُ حَمْدٍ أم عُقودُ كَواكبِ

أعقودُ حَمْدٍ أم عُقودُ كَواكبِ

And its listener says, whenever it is recited:

And the listener says when it is recited

"Are these necklaces of praise, or necklaces of stars?"

Are they knots of praise or knots of stars?