ورب مر الهجر حلو العتاب

ورب مر الهجر حلو العتاب

معتدل يثنيه سكر الشباب

معتدل يثنيه سكر الشباب

Many a bitter estrangement holds the sweetness of reproach,

And many a one, bitter in estrangement, sweet in reproach,

a graceful figure bent by the intoxication of youth.

Well-proportioned, swayed by the intoxication of youth,

عاطيته صهباء ممزوجة

عاطيته صهباء ممزوجة

بدمعة الصب ودمع السحاب

بدمعة الصب ودمع السحاب

I plied him with tawny wine, well mixed

I shared with him tawny wine, mingled

with the lover’s tear and the cloud’s tear.

With a lover's tear and the tears of the clouds.

فانتقبت وجنته حمرة

فانتقبت وجنته حمرة

يا حسنها من وردة في نقاب

يا حسنها من وردة في نقاب

His cheek then veiled itself in red—

Then his cheek donned a veil of red—

how lovely: a rose behind a veil!

How lovely it was: a rose beneath a veil!

وسمته في سكره قولة

وسمته في سكره قولة

ودونها في الصحو شيب الغراب

ودونها في الصحو شيب الغراب

While he was drunk, I marked him with a kiss,

And in his drunkenness I asked him for a word;

though sober, it is as remote as gray hairs on a raven.

And sober, he would speak it only after a crow turned gray.

فما الذي أعتب من هاجر

فما الذي أعتب من هاجر

أدّبته معتمدا فاستراب

أدّبته معتمدا فاستراب

Why, then, should I appease one who has forsaken me?

What, then, can I reproach in one who shuns me,

I chastened him deliberately, and he grew suspicious.

When I deliberately chastened him, and he grew suspicious?

إن أعرض اليوم فكم دعوة

إن أعرض اليوم فكم دعوة

أجابها في عرضه المستجاب

أجابها في عرضه المستجاب

If he turns away today, how many an invitation

If he turns away today, how many a summons

he once answered while his ardor answered gladly,

He whose calls are heeded has answered on his part,

حيث مغاني اللهو مأهولة

حيث مغاني اللهو مأهولة

منه وأغصان التصابي رطاب

منه وأغصان التصابي رطاب

where pleasure’s haunts were peopled

Where the haunts of pleasure were peopled

by him, and the branches of youthful dalliance were fresh.

By him, and the boughs of dalliance were fresh!

فما الأقاحي خضل نبته

فما الأقاحي خضل نبته

أغب في حاشيتيه الرباتِ

أغب في حاشيتيه الرباتِ

What, then, are daisies, their growth drenched in dew,

So not even the daisies, with dewy growth,

cloudbanks visiting their two borders by turns,

Whose two borders the ladies visited on alternate days,

ينساب في أثنائه جدول

ينساب في أثنائه جدول

منفتل مثل انسياب الحباب

منفتل مثل انسياب الحباب

a stream gliding through their midst,

With a stream gliding through their midst,

winding like the serpent’s glide—

Winding like a serpent's glide,

مفضض طوراً وطورا يرى

مفضض طوراً وطورا يرى

مذهب المتن ببرق الذهاب

مذهب المتن ببرق الذهاب

now silvered, now appearing

At times silvered, and at times seen

gilded along its back by a flash of gold?

With its surface gilded by the showers' lightning,

يحيا بأحلى منه لما بدا

يحيا بأحلى منه لما بدا

يبسم عن تلك الثنايا العذاب

يبسم عن تلك الثنايا العذاب

They come alive through one sweeter still, when he appears,

Are sweeter than he, Yahya, when he appeared,

smiling to reveal those delectable teeth.

Smiling to reveal those sweet front teeth.

تلك لتقبيل فمي صورت

تلك لتقبيل فمي صورت

وكف يحي للندى والضراب

وكف يحي للندى والضراب

Those were fashioned for my mouth to kiss,

Those were fashioned for my mouth to kiss,

and Yaḥyā’s hand for largesse and battle-strokes:

And Yahya's hand for generosity and combat.

المانح المانع عن جاره

المانح المانع عن جاره

والماجد الثبت اللبيب اللباب

والماجد الثبت اللبيب اللباب

the giver, the defender of his neighbor,

The giver, the defender of his neighbor,

the noble, steadfast, discerning, quintessential man;

And the noble, steadfast, discerning, the choicest;

أغر مصقول حواشي الندى

أغر مصقول حواشي الندى

وأرى زناد المجد رحب الجناب

وأرى زناد المجد رحب الجناب

illustrious, with the borders of his bounty burnished,

Radiant, with bounty's edges burnished,

keenest to strike glory’s firesteel, his court thrown wide;

And I see glory's flints; spacious is his welcome.

لدن إذا هز لمسترفد

لدن إذا هز لمسترفد

صعب على الحساد سهل الحجاب

صعب على الحساد سهل الحجاب

supple when shaken by a seeker of bounty,

Supple when shaken for one seeking aid,

hard upon enviers, yet easy of approach;

Hard on the envious, yet easily approached;

أشم سامي تلعات العلى

أشم سامي تلعات العلى

موطا العز فسيح القباب

موطا العز فسيح القباب

proud, towering over the highlands of glory,

Proud, soaring above the heights of eminence,

his glory’s ground secure, his pavilions spacious;

A foothold for honor, with spacious domes;

ذو عزة قعساء عادية

ذو عزة قعساء عادية

وغرة لائحةٍ كالشهاب

وغرة لائحةٍ كالشهاب

possessed of lofty, unyielding, ancestral pride

Possessed of unassailable, primeval might,

and a radiant brow like a shooting star.

And a radiant brow gleaming like a meteor.

إن صال أبصرت غمود الظبي

إن صال أبصرت غمود الظبي

عداه أو قال سمعت الصواب

عداه أو قال سمعت الصواب

If he charges, you see the sheaths of the blades—

If he charges, you see the blades sheathed

his enemies; or, if he speaks, you hear the truth.

In his foes; or if he speaks, you hear what is right.

محارب تغنيه أراؤه

محارب تغنيه أراؤه

عن المواضي والفنا والحراب

عن المواضي والفنا والحراب

A warrior whose own counsels spare him

A warrior whose judgments suffice him

the sharp swords, lances, and spears.

Instead of sharp swords, destruction, and spears.

إذا سما طالب شأو شأى

إذا سما طالب شأو شأى

وإن رمى مفصل غاو أصاب

وإن رمى مفصل غاو أصاب

When he aspires, he seeks the farthest mark and outstrips it;

If a contender strives toward a far reach, he outstrips him,

and if he aims at a wayward foe’s joint, he strikes it.

And if he aims at a wayward man's joint, he hits it.

سماحة في طرفيها حجى

سماحة في طرفيها حجى

ورحمة في طرفيها عقاب

ورحمة في طرفيها عقاب

Generosity bounded at either end by wisdom,

Generosity with wisdom at either end,

and mercy bounded at either end by punishment.

And mercy with punishment at either end.

إن سئل المعروف أسنى وإن

إن سئل المعروف أسنى وإن

جاد على العافي ابتداء أطاب

جاد على العافي ابتداء أطاب

If asked for kindness, he gives splendidly; and if

If asked for a kindness, he gives richly; and if

he gives the petitioner unasked, he makes the gift choice.

He gives a suppliant unasked, he gives graciously.

يا راكبا في كل ملومة

يا راكبا في كل ملومة

جرد المذاكي وظهور العصاب

جرد المذاكي وظهور العصاب

O rider, into every peril men condemn,

O rider, on every occasion of reproach,

of sleek, seasoned steeds and firmly girt mounts,

Of sleek, full-grown steeds and the backs of bands;

وطود حلم لي من كفه

وطود حلم لي من كفه

بحر سفيه الموج طامي العباب

بحر سفيه الموج طامي العباب

a mountain of forbearance—and from his palm,

And mountain of forbearance—from his palm I have

a sea, its waves unruly, its flood surging;

A sea of reckless waves, its flood surging high;

وواهب الأبكار مثل الدمى

وواهب الأبكار مثل الدمى

والهجمة الرتع مثل الهضاب

والهجمة الرتع مثل الهضاب

giver of virgin maidens, doll-like,

And giver of maidens like carved figures,

and grazing herds like hills.

And grazing camel-herds like hills.

عندك للأعداء يا حتفهم

عندك للأعداء يا حتفهم

عقبان فوقها أسد غاب

عقبان فوقها أسد غاب

At your command for enemies, O their doom,

With you, for the enemies—O their doom—

are eagles with lions of the forest astride them.

Are eagles, with forest lions atop them.

وليس يحلو غمرات الردى

وليس يحلو غمرات الردى

غير عراب في متون العِراب

غير عراب في متون العِراب

The overwhelming throes of death are sweet

And none delights in the depths of death

only to purebred Arabs on the backs of Arab steeds.

But Arab riders on the backs of Arab steeds.

في كل يوم للغدا منهم

في كل يوم للغدا منهم

وقعة ذي قار ويوم الكلاب

وقعة ذي قار ويوم الكلاب

Each new day brings from them

Each day, from them, the morrow receives

another battle of Dhū Qār, another Day of al-Kulāb.

A battle of Dhu Qar and a Day of al-Kilab.

عتادهم في الروع مسرودة

عتادهم في الروع مسرودة

زغف وجرد عمل كالذئاب

زغف وجرد عمل كالذئاب

Their gear amid battle’s terror is woven armor:

Their gear in battle's terror is interlinked

fine-linked mail and lean, tireless steeds like wolves,

Fine mail and sleek, hardy steeds like wolves,

وكل رجاف الأعالي حكى

وكل رجاف الأعالي حكى

لون سليمي ووام الرباب

لون سليمي ووام الرباب

and every high-tipped, quivering lance, mirroring

And every spear with trembling upper shaft, reflecting

Sulaymī’s hue and the cloudbank’s cast.

Sulayma's color and al-Rabab's [unclear attribute].

فداء عون الدين من عرضه

فداء عون الدين من عرضه

عند التسامي عرضة للنباب

عند التسامي عرضة للنباب

A ransom for ‘Awn al-Dīn be whoever’s honor,

A ransom for Awn al-Din be those whose honor,

when men vie in glory, lies a target for arrows.

When striving for eminence, is a target for [unclear word].

تخوضه العين ولكنها

تخوضه العين ولكنها

تخوض منه معمعان السراب

تخوض منه معمعان السراب

The eye wades into him, yet all it wades

The eye plunges into it, yet

of him is the mirage’s blazing shimmer.

It plunges only into the mirage's seething heart.

رفقا بما توليه رفقا فقد

رفقا بما توليه رفقا فقد

سارت بشعري ونداك الركاب

سارت بشعري ونداك الركاب

Be gentle with what you lavish—be gentle! For

Gently with what you bestow—gently! For

caravans have carried abroad my verse and your largesse.

The caravans have traveled with my verse and your bounty.

فاجتل من لفظي مشمولة

فاجتل من لفظي مشمولة

ترقص بالألباب رقص الحبابِ

ترقص بالألباب رقص الحبابِ

So unveil from my words a wine cooled by the north wind,

So unveil from my words a north-wind-cooled wine,

making minds dance as wine-bubbles dance.

That makes minds dance as bubbles dance.

حرمتها عمداً على باخل

حرمتها عمداً على باخل

بمهرها وهي حلال الشراب

بمهرها وهي حلال الشراب

I have deliberately forbidden her to every miser

I deliberately forbade it to one stingy

by the price of her dowry, though her wine is lawful.

With its bridal-price, though it is lawful to drink.

واستقبل السعد فقد أقبلت

واستقبل السعد فقد أقبلت

أنجمه تطلع من كل باك

أنجمه تطلع من كل باك

And welcome good fortune, for now approach

And welcome good fortune, for there have come

its stars, rising from every gate.

Its stars, rising from every weeper.