سَقى الوَدق ما بَينَ الرِياض لَنا صرحا

سَقى الوَدق ما بَينَ الرِياض لَنا صرحا

سَفحت دُموعي في مَعالمه سَفحا

سَفحت دُموعي في مَعالمه سَفحا

May rain water a palace of ours amid the gardens,

The valleys between meadows were watered for us by Wadaq

I poured out my tears among its traces in torrents.

My tears flowed over its features profusely

وَمِنيَ ما أَبقى فِراق قطينهِ

وَمِنيَ ما أَبقى فِراق قطينهِ

سِوى الكَبد الحَراءِ وَالمُقلة الجَرحا

سِوى الكَبد الحَراءِ وَالمُقلة الجَرحا

And separation from its dwellers left nothing of me

And nothing of my separation from its dwellers remains

but a burning liver and a wounded eye.

Except my inflamed liver and my wounded heart

وَعَهدي بِهِ وَالعَيش تُندي ظِلالَهُ

وَعَهدي بِهِ وَالعَيش تُندي ظِلالَهُ

وَتَنفح ني رَيّا حَدائِقُهُ نَفحا

وَتَنفح ني رَيّا حَدائِقُهُ نَفحا

And I remember it, when life's shade was moist with dew,

My pact with it is that life casts its shadows

and its gardens wafted their fragrance over me.

And its gardens blow a gentle breeze over me

يُطارِحني ذكر الهَوى فيهِ شادِنٌ

يُطارِحني ذكر الهَوى فيهِ شادِنٌ

بِكُل حَشىً عيداهُ قَد تُرِكَت جَرحا

بِكُل حَشىً عيداهُ قَد تُرِكَت جَرحا

There a young gazelle exchanged talk of love with me;

The memory of passion in it makes me collapse

in every breast his eyes had left a wound.

At every celebration, its wounds remain gashed

يَميل عَلى النَدمان عَجَباً كَأَنَّهُ

يَميل عَلى النَدمان عَجَباً كَأَنَّهُ

أَراكة وادي الشَعب أَو يانة البَطحا

أَراكة وادي الشَعب أَو يانة البَطحا

He leans over his drinking companions in self-admiration, as though he were

It leans in wonder over the two hills as if it were

an arak tree of Wadi al-Shi‘b, or a bān tree of al-Batḥā’.

The plain of Al-Sha’b or the plateau of Al-Bat’ha

وَيُرسل مِن ظَلماءِ طرتِهِ الدُجى

وَيُرسل مِن ظَلماءِ طرتِهِ الدُجى

وَيَطلع مِن لَألاءِ غُرَتهِ الصُبحا

وَيَطلع مِن لَألاءِ غُرَتهِ الصُبحا

And from the darkness of his forelock he sends forth night,

It sends from the darkness of its heights, gloom

and from his forehead's brilliance he makes dawn rise.

And from the brightness of its summits, dawn emerges

تَهبُّ عَلى الواشين نَسمة وَدّه

تَهبُّ عَلى الواشين نَسمة وَدّه

وَتَضرب عَني كُلَّما خَطرت صَفحا

وَتَضرب عَني كُلَّما خَطرت صَفحا

The breeze of his affection blows toward the tale-bearers,

A breeze of affection blows over those who camp there

yet turns away from me whenever it passes.

And turns away from me whenever I venture forth

أُراعُ وَلَم أُذنب وَأَجفا وَلَم أَخُن

أُراعُ وَلَم أُذنب وَأَجفا وَلَم أَخُن

وَأَطلُب مِن قَبل المُحاربة الصُلحا

وَأَطلُب مِن قَبل المُحاربة الصُلحا

I am frightened though I have not sinned, and shunned though I have not betrayed,

I cry out though I have done no wrong, and it estranged though I was true

and seek peace before the fighting.

I seek reconciliation through fighting

فَما تَرك الأَيّام مثل مُوَدِعي

فَما تَرك الأَيّام مثل مُوَدِعي

بَخيلاً وَلا مثل الأَعزَ بِها سَمحا

بَخيلاً وَلا مثل الأَعزَ بِها سَمحا

For time has left none like the one who bade me farewell

The days left behind no one like my bidder farewell

in stinginess, nor anyone as generous as the most honored of the age:

Nor anyone as generous to them as my most noble

مُحَمَد النَدب الَّذي لَو فَدينهُ

مُحَمَد النَدب الَّذي لَو فَدينهُ

بِروحِيَ مِن دون الأَنام فَما الحا

بِروحِيَ مِن دون الأَنام فَما الحا

Muhammad, the magnanimous—were I to ransom him

Muhammad whom if my soul could ransom

with my soul rather than anyone else's, I would incur no blame.

I would give it for him without the people's presence

بَليغ أَرانا اللَهُ كُل فَضيلة

بَليغ أَرانا اللَهُ كُل فَضيلة

تَجمَع فيهِ وَالهِداية وَالنُصحا

تَجمَع فيهِ وَالهِداية وَالنُصحا

An eloquent man: God has shown us every virtue

God has shown us every merit in him

gathered in him, along with guidance and sincere counsel.

Combined with guidance and good counsel

وَقَد بَلغ الفُرس الثُرَيا وَفاخَرت

وَقَد بَلغ الفُرس الثُرَيا وَفاخَرت

بِهِ العَرب العَرباءُ وَاللغة الفُصحا

بِهِ العَرب العَرباءُ وَاللغة الفُصحا

And the Persians have reached the Pleiades; proudly boasting

He has attained the most noble of steeds and the Arabs

of him are the pure Arabs and the eloquent tongue.

Pure of speech and tongue have prided themselves on him

تُناط بِهِ الآمال وَالخَطب فَاغر

تُناط بِهِ الآمال وَالخَطب فَاغر

وَيَستَمطر الجَدوى إِذا الغَيث ما سَحا

وَيَستَمطر الجَدوى إِذا الغَيث ما سَحا

Hopes are pinned on him while calamity gapes,

Hopes and affairs revolve around him, so welcome

and he is asked to shower bounty when the rain does not pour.

And he brings benefits whenever rain pours

تَبيت عُيون المَجد فيهِ قَريرَةٌ

تَبيت عُيون المَجد فيهِ قَريرَةٌ

وَيُصبح وَجه العز مُبتَهِجاً نَجحا

وَيُصبح وَجه العز مُبتَهِجاً نَجحا

The eyes of glory rest content in him through the night,

The eyes of glory twinkle in him serenely

and the face of honor greets the morning joyful and triumphant.

And the face of honor awakes cheerful with success

وَلَولاهُ ما جادَت يشعر فريحَتي

وَلَولاهُ ما جادَت يشعر فريحَتي

وَلا نظمت مِن درما اقترحت مَدحا

وَلا نظمت مِن درما اقترحت مَدحا

Without him my poetic gift would not have yielded verse,

Had it not been for him, the winds of my poetry would not blow

nor would I have strung the pearls I devised into praise.

Nor would I have composed with my plectrum any eulogy

فَإِن اِمتِداحي غَير مَن هُوَ أَهلَهُ

فَإِن اِمتِداحي غَير مَن هُوَ أَهلَهُ

حَيائِيَ مِن أَعضاي انزحها نَزحا

حَيائِيَ مِن أَعضاي انزحها نَزحا

For my praising anyone other than one worthy of it

For praising other than the most deserving

would leave my modesty the farthest removed of my limbs [wording unclear].

My shyness prevents members from moving away

أَخا المَجد عُذراً فَالليالي خؤونَةٌ

أَخا المَجد عُذراً فَالليالي خؤونَةٌ

تُبدل في عَيني مَحاسنها قُبحا

تُبدل في عَيني مَحاسنها قُبحا

O brother of glory, forgive me: the nights are treacherous,

O brother of glory, forgive me, for nights are sorrowful

turning their beauties into ugliness in my eyes.

Changing in my eyes their beauties into ugliness

أَبادَت بَقايا الصَبر مني صَئولةٌ

أَبادَت بَقايا الصَبر مني صَئولةٌ

فَما صَحبت سَيفاً وَلا اِعتَقَلت رُمحا

فَما صَحبت سَيفاً وَلا اِعتَقَلت رُمحا

A fierce assailant has destroyed the patience left in me,

The remnants of patience in me were destroyed by worries

though it bore no sword and couched no spear.

So I have neither borne a sword nor grasped a lance

أَبيت وَلا أَلفٌ انثُّ شَكيتي

أَبيت وَلا أَلفٌ انثُّ شَكيتي

لَدَيهِ سِوى وَرَقاً تُجاوبني صَدحا

لَدَيهِ سِوى وَرَقاً تُجاوبني صَدحا

I pass the night with no companion to whom I pour out my complaint,

I refused thousands of companions for my complaints

save gray doves that answer me in song.

Except for leaves echoing my sorrows back to me

أَقطر مِن جفنيَّ روحيَ أَدمُعاً

أَقطر مِن جفنيَّ روحيَ أَدمُعاً

وَأَطوي عَلى جَمر أَصعدهُ كَشحا

وَأَطوي عَلى جَمر أَصعدهُ كَشحا

I let my soul drip as tears from my two eyelids,

I shed my soul in tears from my eyelids

and fold my flank over embers that torment it.

And fold over embers, fanning them forcefully

فَدُم مُؤلاً أَرجوك في كُل حادث

فَدُم مُؤلاً أَرجوك في كُل حادث

فَإِن ظلاماتي بِغَيرك لا تَمحا

فَإِن ظلاماتي بِغَيرك لا تَمحا

So remain a refuge I look to in every calamity,

So please sympathize at every misfortune

for the wrongs I suffer cannot be effaced by anyone but you.

For without you, my darkness is not dispelled