أَقِم عَلَّها أَن تَرجَعَ القَولَ أَو عَلّي

أَقِم عَلَّها أَن تَرجَعَ القَولَ أَو عَلّي

أُخَلِّفُ فيها بَعضَ ما بي مِنَ الخَبلِ

أُخَلِّفُ فيها بَعضَ ما بي مِنَ الخَبلِ

Halt: perhaps it will answer what is said, or perhaps I

Insist that she return my words, or blame me,

will leave in it some of the madness within me.

Leaving behind some of my nonsense.

هِيَ الدارُ إِلّا ما تَخَوَّنَةَ البِلى

هِيَ الدارُ إِلّا ما تَخَوَّنَةَ البِلى

وَعَفّى لَجاجُ الريحِ وَالرائِحِ الوَبلِ

وَعَفّى لَجاجُ الريحِ وَالرائِحِ الوَبلِ

It is the dwelling, save what decay has worn away

This is the house, but for what decay has marred,

and the ceaseless wind and heavy evening rain have effaced.

And the rubbing of harsh winds and pouring rains.

فَإِن لَم تَقِف مِن أَجلِ نَفسِكَ ساعَةً

فَإِن لَم تَقِف مِن أَجلِ نَفسِكَ ساعَةً

فَقِفها عَلى تِلكَ المَعالِمِ مِن أَجلي

فَقِفها عَلى تِلكَ المَعالِمِ مِن أَجلي

So if you do not pause a while for your own sake,

If you do not stop for a moment for yourself,

then spend it standing at those traces for my sake.

Then stop for those ruins, for my sake.

وَإِن شِئتَ فَاِعذُلني فَإِنَّ صَبابَتي

وَإِن شِئتَ فَاِعذُلني فَإِنَّ صَبابَتي

إِذا نَفِدَت بِالدَمعِ عادَت عَلى العَذلِ

إِذا نَفِدَت بِالدَمعِ عادَت عَلى العَذلِ

And if you wish, rebuke me, for my yearning,

And if you wish, then blame me, for my passion,

when exhausted by tears, revives at reproach.

When tears run out, returns to blame.

رَمَيتُ العُيونَ النُجلَ أَمسِ فَلَم أُصِب

رَمَيتُ العُيونَ النُجلَ أَمسِ فَلَم أُصِب

وَأَقصَدَني الرامونَ بِالأَعيُنِ النُجلِ

وَأَقصَدَني الرامونَ بِالأَعيُنِ النُجلِ

I shot at the wide eyes yesterday, but missed,

I shot my eyes at the gazelles yesterday, but missed,

and those who shoot with wide eyes struck me down.

And the archers struck me with the gazelle eyes.

فَما قَدرُ ما أَبقى إِذا كانَ مَوضِعي

فَما قَدرُ ما أَبقى إِذا كانَ مَوضِعي

مِنَ الحُبِّ أَن أَبلى عَلَيهِ وَلا أُبلي

مِنَ الحُبِّ أَن أَبلى عَلَيهِ وَلا أُبلي

How long, then, can I survive, if my lot

I care not what remains when my place is

in love is to be worn down by it, yet never wear it down?

To be worn down by love, and not to wear down.

وَلَو كُنتُ مِن قَبلِ الهَوى لَم أَقُم لَهُ

وَلَو كُنتُ مِن قَبلِ الهَوى لَم أَقُم لَهُ

فَكَيفَ اِنتِصافي وَالهَوى كانَ مِن قَبلي

فَكَيفَ اِنتِصافي وَالهَوى كانَ مِن قَبلي

Even had I existed before love, I could not have withstood it;

Had I been first in love, I'd not have stood for it,

so how can I gain redress, when love existed before me?

So how can I get even when love came first?

عَذيرِيَ مِن داءٍ قَديمٍ تَغَوَّلَت

عَذيرِيَ مِن داءٍ قَديمٍ تَغَوَّلَت

غَوائِلُهُ في الدَهرِ أَلفَ فَتىً مِثلي

غَوائِلُهُ في الدَهرِ أَلفَ فَتىً مِثلي

Who will defend me from an ancient sickness that has devoured

My excuse is an old sickness that has twisted

a thousand youths like me through its ravages across the ages?

Its coils through time around a thousand like me.

أَماتَ عَلى عَفراءَ عُروَةَ مِن هَوىً

أَماتَ عَلى عَفراءَ عُروَةَ مِن هَوىً

وَبَدَّدَ نَفساً مِن جَميلٍ عَلى جُملِ

وَبَدَّدَ نَفساً مِن جَميلٍ عَلى جُملِ

It killed Urwa through love for Afra,

It killed a cheek mole on a blushing red camel,

and scattered Jamil's soul for Juml.

And wasted away a beautiful soul on a camel.

رَأى بَعضُهُم بَعضاً عَلى الحُبِّ أَسوَةً

رَأى بَعضُهُم بَعضاً عَلى الحُبِّ أَسوَةً

فَماتوا وَمَوتُ الحُبِّ ضَربٌ مِنَ القَتلِ

فَماتوا وَمَوتُ الحُبِّ ضَربٌ مِنَ القَتلِ

They saw one another as examples in love,

Some saw the other in love as an example,

so they died; death from love is a kind of killing.

So they died - and death from love is a kind of murder.

وَلَيسَ لِساني لِلَّئيمِ وَلا يَدي

وَلَيسَ لِساني لِلَّئيمِ وَلا يَدي

وَلا ناقَتي عِندَ البَخيلِ وَلا رَحلي

وَلا ناقَتي عِندَ البَخيلِ وَلا رَحلي

And my tongue is not for the ignoble, nor my hand,

My tongue is not for the mean, nor my hand,

nor is my she-camel with the miser, nor my saddle.

Nor my camel for the stingy, nor my saddlebags.

أَمُبلِغَتي أَيدي الرَواسِمِ جَعفَراً

أَمُبلِغَتي أَيدي الرَواسِمِ جَعفَراً

فَأَحمَدَ في قَولٍ وَيُحمَدَ في فِعلِ

فَأَحمَدَ في قَولٍ وَيُحمَدَ في فِعلِ

Will the forelegs of swift-trotting camels bring me to Ja'far,

My hands delivered me to the graceful writers,

so I may praise in words, and he be praised for deeds,

So Ja'far was praised in word and deed.

وَأَعهَدَ كَفّاً غَيرَ مَعقودَةِ النَدى

وَأَعهَدَ كَفّاً غَيرَ مَعقودَةِ النَدى

وَعِقدَ وِدادٍ ثَمَّ لَيسَ بِمُنحَلِّ

وَعِقدَ وِدادٍ ثَمَّ لَيسَ بِمُنحَلِّ

and find a hand unbound in generosity,

He pledged an open palm, with no dew gathered,

and a bond of affection there that never comes undone?

And a loyalty never to be undone.

وَما كُلُّ مَن يُدعى كَريماً لَدَيهِمِ

وَما كُلُّ مَن يُدعى كَريماً لَدَيهِمِ

بِنِدٍّ لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ وَلا مِثلِ

بِنِدٍّ لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ وَلا مِثلِ

And not everyone called generous among them

Not all called generous with them have parity

is his peer in noble deeds, or his equal.

In noble deeds, or anything like.

وَتِلكَ سَحاباتٌ مَرَرنَ وَقَد تَرى

وَتِلكَ سَحاباتٌ مَرَرنَ وَقَد تَرى

تَفاوُتَ ما بَينَ الرَذاذِ إِلى الهَطلِ

تَفاوُتَ ما بَينَ الرَذاذِ إِلى الهَطلِ

And those are clouds that passed; you can see

Those were clouds that passed by, and you can see

the difference between drizzle and downpour.

The range between sprinkling and downpour.

فَإِن تَنفَرِد عَنّا قُشَيرٌ بِمَجدِهِ

فَإِن تَنفَرِد عَنّا قُشَيرٌ بِمَجدِهِ

فَلَم تَنفَرِد عَنّا بِنائِلِهِ الجَزلِ

فَلَم تَنفَرِد عَنّا بِنائِلِهِ الجَزلِ

So if Qushayr has his glory to itself, apart from us,

If some separate from us in their glory,

it has not had his abundant bounty to itself, apart from us.

They do not separate in their copious bounty.

وَكُنّا نَرى بَعضَ النَدى بَعدَ بَعضِهِ

وَكُنّا نَرى بَعضَ النَدى بَعدَ بَعضِهِ

فَلَمّا اِنتَجَعناهُ دُفِعنا إِلى الكُلِّ

فَلَمّا اِنتَجَعناهُ دُفِعنا إِلى الكُلِّ

And we used to see bounty portion after portion,

We used to see some drops after the others,

but when we sought him out, we were brought to all of it.

But when we gathered them we passed them to the whole.

وَجَدناهُ في ظِلِّ السَماحَةِ مُشرِقاً

وَجَدناهُ في ظِلِّ السَماحَةِ مُشرِقاً

بِوَجهٍ أَرانا الشَمسَ في ذَلِكَ الظِلِّ

بِوَجهٍ أَرانا الشَمسَ في ذَلِكَ الظِلِّ

We found him radiant in the shade of generosity,

We found it in the shade of generosity shining,

with a face that showed us the sun in that shade.

A face that showed us the sun in that shade.

عُلاً حُزتَها بِالجودِ وَالبَذلِ لِلُّهى

عُلاً حُزتَها بِالجودِ وَالبَذلِ لِلُّهى

نَأَيتَ بِها عَن هِمَّةِ الحاسِدِ الوَغلِ

نَأَيتَ بِها عَن هِمَّةِ الحاسِدِ الوَغلِ

Heights you won through generosity and the bestowal of rich gifts—

Nobility whose party you joined in generosity and giving freely

you carried them far beyond the ambition of the envious interloper.

You avoided the aim of the envious backbiter.

تَبيتُ عَلى شُغلٍ وَلَيسَ بِضائِرٍ

تَبيتُ عَلى شُغلٍ وَلَيسَ بِضائِرٍ

لِمَجدِكَ يَوماً أَن تَبيتَ عَلى شُغلِ

لِمَجدِكَ يَوماً أَن تَبيتَ عَلى شُغلِ

You spend the night preoccupied, yet it does no harm

You stay up working but nothing damages

to your glory, ever, that you spend the night preoccupied,

Your glory if you stay up working.

كَما لَم يَنَل إِبليسُ آدَمَ إِذ سَعى

كَما لَم يَنَل إِبليسُ آدَمَ إِذ سَعى

وَلَم يَمحُ مِن نورِ النَبِيِّ أَبو جَهلِ

وَلَم يَمحُ مِن نورِ النَبِيِّ أَبو جَهلِ

just as Iblis did not harm Adam when he strove,

Just as Satan never touched Adam though he tried,

nor did Abu Jahl efface any of the Prophet's light.

Nor did Abu Jahl blot out the Prophet's light.

وَكَم لَكَ مِن وَسمِيِّ عُرفٍ تُعَرِّفَت

وَكَم لَكَ مِن وَسمِيِّ عُرفٍ تُعَرِّفَت

لَهُ سِمَةٌ زَهراءُ في طالِبٍ غُفلِ

لَهُ سِمَةٌ زَهراءُ في طالِبٍ غُفلِ

And how many an autumn shower of kindness from you has become known

How many distinguishing marks of honor you have been given,

by its radiant mark upon an unmarked supplicant!

A radiant mole on a Talib who was heedless.

وَمِن نِعمَةٍ في مَعشَرٍ لَو دَفَعتَها

وَمِن نِعمَةٍ في مَعشَرٍ لَو دَفَعتَها

عَلى جَبَلٍ لَاِنهَدَّ مِن فادِحِ الثِقلِ

عَلى جَبَلٍ لَاِنهَدَّ مِن فادِحِ الثِقلِ

And how many a blessing among a people—had you laid it

And how much blessing in a tribe - if you had cast it

upon a mountain, it would have collapsed beneath its crushing weight!

On a mountain, it would have collapsed from the tremendous weight.

شَكَرتُكَ شُكري لِامرِئٍ جادَ ساحَتي

شَكَرتُكَ شُكري لِامرِئٍ جادَ ساحَتي

بِأَنوائِهِ طُرّاً وَلَمّا أَقُل جُد لي

بِأَنوائِهِ طُرّاً وَلَمّا أَقُل جُد لي

I thanked you as I would a man who drenched my courtyard

I thank you with my thanks, to one who opened my field

with all his rains, though I had not yet said, 'Be generous to me.'

With his gifts, and I have not given nearly enough.