وَإِنِّي لأَهواها وَأَهوَى لِقاءَها

وَإِنِّي لأَهواها وَأَهوَى لِقاءَها

كَما يَشتَهي الصادِي الشَّرابَ المُبَرَّدا

كَما يَشتَهي الصادِي الشَّرابَ المُبَرَّدا

And indeed I love her, and I love meeting her,

Indeed I yearn for her and yearn to meet her

as the thirsty long for a chilled drink.

As the thirsty wanderer yearns for chilled water

فَقُلتُ أَلا يا لَيتَ أَسماءَ أصقَبَت

فَقُلتُ أَلا يا لَيتَ أَسماءَ أصقَبَت

وَهَل قَولُ لَيت جامِعٌ مَا تَبَدَّدا

وَهَل قَولُ لَيت جامِعٌ مَا تَبَدَّدا

So I said: Ah, if only Asma had drawn near!

So I said, oh if only Asma were still young!

But can saying 'if only' gather what has scattered?

But does saying “if only” restore what is lost?

كَأَنَّ خَذولاً فِي الكناسِ أَعارَها

كَأَنَّ خَذولاً فِي الكناسِ أَعارَها

غَداة تَبَدَّت عُنقَها وَالمقلدا

غَداة تَبَدَّت عُنقَها وَالمقلدا

As though a solitary doe in its covert had lent her,

It was as if she had lent it to one unworthy

on the morning she appeared, its neck and necklace-bearing throat.

The day her neck was unveiled and bejeweled

عَلاقَةُ حُبٍّ لَجَّ فِي زَمَنِ الصِّبا

عَلاقَةُ حُبٍّ لَجَّ فِي زَمَنِ الصِّبا

فَأَبلَى وَما يَزدادُ إِلا تَجَدُّدا

فَأَبلَى وَما يَزدادُ إِلا تَجَدُّدا

A bond of love took firm hold in the days of youth;

A bond of love forged in the days of youth

it wore me down, yet grows only more renewed.

Now worn, yet ever made new in renewal

سُهُوبٌ وَأَعلامٌ كَأَنَّ سَرابَها

سُهُوبٌ وَأَعلامٌ كَأَنَّ سَرابَها

إِذا استَنَّ فِي القَيظِ المُلاء المُعَضَّدا

إِذا استَنَّ فِي القَيظِ المُلاء المُعَضَّدا

Wide plains and landmark hills: their mirage seems,

Mirages and landmarks as if their images

when it races in the summer heat, like cloaks patterned along the sides.

When the heat haze danced on the sandy horizon

نَظَرتُ رَجاءً بِالمُوَقَّرِ أَن أرَى

نَظَرتُ رَجاءً بِالمُوَقَّرِ أَن أرَى

أَكارِيسَ يَحتَلونَ خَاخاً فَمُنشِدا

أَكارِيسَ يَحتَلونَ خَاخاً فَمُنشِدا

At al-Muwaqqar I looked, hoping to see

I looked with hope to the esteemed one, to see

bands of people encamped at Khakh, then Munshid.

Envoys arriving, their leader one honored

فَأَوفَيتُ مِن نَشزٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ يافِعٍ

فَأَوفَيتُ مِن نَشزٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ يافِعٍ

وَقَد تُسعِفُ الإيفاعُ مَن كانَ مُقصَدا

وَقَد تُسعِفُ الإيفاعُ مَن كانَ مُقصَدا

So I looked out from a lofty rise of ground;

So I came, a young branch springing from the earth

and high places may bring relief to one who is stricken.

When the rhythm aids one of purpose true

كَريمُ قُرَيش حين يُنسَبُ وَالَّذي

كَريمُ قُرَيش حين يُنسَبُ وَالَّذي

أقرَّت لَهُ بِالمُلكِ كَهلاً وَأَمرَدا

أقرَّت لَهُ بِالمُلكِ كَهلاً وَأَمرَدا

Quraysh's nobleman when his lineage is traced, and the one

Noblest of Quraysh, when his lineage told

whose kingship they acknowledged, in maturity and beardless youth.

To whom kingship was granted, sage and gnarled

وَأَعطَيتَنِي يَومَ التَقَينا عطِيَّةً

وَأَعطَيتَنِي يَومَ التَقَينا عطِيَّةً

مِنَ المالِ أَمست يَسَّرَت مَا تَشَدَّدا

مِنَ المالِ أَمست يَسَّرَت مَا تَشَدَّدا

And on the day we met, you gave me a gift

The gift you gave me the day we met

of wealth that, by evening, had eased what had grown difficult.

Of wealth has eased whatever was difficult

وَلَيسَ عَطاءٌ كَانَ مِنهُ بِمَانِعٍ

وَلَيسَ عَطاءٌ كَانَ مِنهُ بِمَانِعٍ

وَإِن جَلَّ عَن أَضعافِ أَضعافِهِ غَدا

وَإِن جَلَّ عَن أَضعافِ أَضعافِهِ غَدا

And no gift that has come from him can hold him back,

No gift of yours was hampered by thrift

however great, from giving many, many times as much tomorrow.

Though it surpassed gifts of gifts manifold

وَأَصبَحَتِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي نلتَنِي بِها

وَأَصبَحَتِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي نلتَنِي بِها

وَقَد رَجَعَت أَهلَ الشَّماتِة حُسَّدا

وَقَد رَجَعَت أَهلَ الشَّماتِة حُسَّدا

And by morning, the favor you bestowed on me

And the blessings you granted me

had turned those who gloated into enviers.

As the envious were turned back thwarted

وَلَم أَكُ لِلإِحسانِ لما اصطَفَيتني

وَلَم أَكُ لِلإِحسانِ لما اصطَفَيتني

كَفوراً وَلا لاعاً مِن المصر معددا

كَفوراً وَلا لاعاً مِن المصر معددا

And for your kindness, when you chose me, I was not

Nor for your kindness, choosing me apart

ungrateful, nor fretful over scant giving, counting it up.

Ungrateful was I, or shrinking from effort renewed

فَلَما فَرجتَ الهَمَّ عَنِّي وَكُربَتي

فَلَما فَرجتَ الهَمَّ عَنِّي وَكُربَتي

حَبَوتكَ مِنِّي طائِعاً مُتَعَمّدا

حَبَوتكَ مِنِّي طائِعاً مُتَعَمّدا

So when you lifted my worry and anguish from me,

So when you relieved my grief and sorrow

I offered you a gift of my own, willingly and deliberately.

With love I embraced you, deliberate, resolved

لَعَمرِي لَقَد لا قَيتُ يَومَ مُوَقَّرٍ

لَعَمرِي لَقَد لا قَيتُ يَومَ مُوَقَّرٍ

أَبَا خَالِدٍ فِي الحَيِّ يَحمِلُ أَسعدا

أَبَا خَالِدٍ فِي الحَيِّ يَحمِلُ أَسعدا

By my life, on the day at Muwaqqar I indeed met

By my life, a day of great fortune it was

Abu Khalid among the clan, carrying As'ad.

When Abu Khalid in the throng I saw leading the best

وَقَد قُلتُ لَما سِيلَ عَمَّا أَنَلتَنِي

وَقَد قُلتُ لَما سِيلَ عَمَّا أَنَلتَنِي

لِيَزدادَ رغماً مَن يُحبُّ لِيَ الرَّدَى

لِيَزدادَ رغماً مَن يُحبُّ لِيَ الرَّدَى

And I said, when it was asked what you had granted me,

And I said, when asked what you granted me

to deepen the humiliation of whoever wishes me death:

To redouble spite in those who wish me ill

عَطاءُ يَزيدٍ كُل شَيءٍ أَحوزه

عَطاءُ يَزيدٍ كُل شَيءٍ أَحوزه

من ابيضَ من مالٍ يُعدُّ واسوَدا

من ابيضَ من مالٍ يُعدُّ واسوَدا

Everything I possess is a gift from Yazid,

The gifts of Yazid, all I gained

of counted wealth, white and black alike.

Be they white wealth, counted and heaped