أَأَراكَ الحَبيبَ خاطِرُ وَهمِ

أَأَراكَ الحَبيبَ خاطِرُ وَهمِ

أَم أَزارَتكَهُ أَضاليلُ حُلمِ

أَم أَزارَتكَهُ أَضاليلُ حُلمِ

Has a phantom thought of the beloved come upon you,

Did a passing fancy show you the beloved,

or have a dream’s delusions made the beloved visit you?

or did a dream's delusions bring your beloved to visit you?

تِلكَ نُعمٌ لَو أَنعَمت بِوِصالٍ

تِلكَ نُعمٌ لَو أَنعَمت بِوِصالٍ

لَشَكَرنا في الوَصلِ إِنعامَ نُعمِ

لَشَكَرنا في الوَصلِ إِنعامَ نُعمِ

Nuʿm holds sway—if only she would favor us with union,

That is Nuʿm—if she favored us with union,

we would thank Nuʿm for the blessing of union.

we would surely thank Nuʿm for her favor in union.

نَسِيَت مَوقِفَ الجِمارِ وَشَخصا

نَسِيَت مَوقِفَ الجِمارِ وَشَخصا

نا كَشَخصٍ أَرمي الجِمارَ وَتَرمي

نا كَشَخصٍ أَرمي الجِمارَ وَتَرمي

Has she forgotten our station at the Jamrat, the two of

She forgot the pebble-throwing place, and our two figures

us like one person—I pelting the pillars, and she pelting too?

as one: I throw the pebbles, and she throws.

إِذ وَدِدنا الحَجيجَ مِن أَجلِ ما تُف

إِذ وَدِدنا الحَجيجَ مِن أَجلِ ما تُف

تَنُ فيهِ أَرسالُ عُميٍ وَصُمِّ

تَنُ فيهِ أَرسالُ عُميٍ وَصُمِّ

when we cherished the pilgrims because among them were

When we loved the pilgrims for the spell cast

whole companies blind and deaf?

there upon throngs of the blind and deaf.

حَيثُ جاهي في الغانِياتِ وَنَعتي

حَيثُ جاهي في الغانِياتِ وَنَعتي

وَمَكاني مِنَ الشَبيبَةِ كَإِسمي

وَمَكاني مِنَ الشَبيبَةِ كَإِسمي

There stood my rank among the maidens, and my renown,

When my standing among lovely women, and my renown,

and my place among the young was like my very name.

and my place among the young were like my name.

ظَلَمَتني تَجَنُّباً وَصُدوداً

ظَلَمَتني تَجَنُّباً وَصُدوداً

غَيرَ مُرتاعَةِ الجِنانِ لِظُلمي

غَيرَ مُرتاعَةِ الجِنانِ لِظُلمي

She wronged me through avoidance and aversion,

She wronged me through avoidance and aversion,

while her heart felt no alarm at the wrong she did me.

with no fear in her heart at wronging me.

وَيَسيرٌ عِندَ القَتولِ إِذا ما

وَيَسيرٌ عِندَ القَتولِ إِذا ما

أَثِمَت فِيَّ أَن تَبوءَ بِإِثمي

أَثِمَت فِيَّ أَن تَبوءَ بِإِثمي

It comes easily to a deadly beauty, once

And to the slayer it is a small thing, whenever

she has sinned against me, to shoulder my sin as well.

she sins against me, to bear the guilt of wronging me.

أَجِدُ النارَ تَستَعارُ مِنَ النا

أَجِدُ النارَ تَستَعارُ مِنَ النا

رِ وَيَنشو مِن سُقمِ عَينَيكِ سُقمي

رِ وَيَنشو مِن سُقمِ عَينَيكِ سُقمي

The fire I find is borrowed from

I find that fire is borrowed from fire,

fire, and from your ailing eyes my ailment grows.

and my sickness springs from the languor of your eyes.

لَعِب ما أَتَيتِ مِن ذَلِكَ الصَد

لَعِب ما أَتَيتِ مِن ذَلِكَ الصَد

دِ فَنَرضاهُ أَم صَريمَةُ عَزمِ

دِ فَنَرضاهُ أَم صَريمَةُ عَزمِ

Is the rebuff you have dealt me through all this

Is that aversion you have shown a game,

mere play, to be accepted—or a firm resolve?

so we may accept it, or a settled resolve?

وَغَريرٍ يُلقي صُبابَةَ مُزنٍ

وَغَريرٍ يُلقي صُبابَةَ مُزنٍ

آخِرَ اللَيلِ في صُبابَةِ كَرمِ

آخِرَ اللَيلِ في صُبابَةِ كَرمِ

Many a fresh-faced youth poured a cloud’s last shower

And many a guileless youth pours a raincloud's last drops

at night’s end into the final draught of wine—

at night's end into the vine's last drops.

بِتُّ عَن راحَتَيهِ شارِبَ خَمرٍ

بِتُّ عَن راحَتَيهِ شارِبَ خَمرٍ

وَكَأَنّي لِلسُقمُ شارِبُ سِمِّ

وَكَأَنّي لِلسُقمُ شارِبُ سِمِّ

I passed the night drinking wine from his two palms,

I spent the night drinking wine from his two hands,

as though, for my sickness, I were drinking poison.

and in my sickness it was as though I drank poison.

وَبِحَقٍّ إِنَّ السُيوفَ لَتَنبو

وَبِحَقٍّ إِنَّ السُيوفَ لَتَنبو

تارَةً وَالعُيونَ بِاللَحظِ تُدمي

تارَةً وَالعُيونَ بِاللَحظِ تُدمي

Swords, indeed, sometimes recoil,

And truly, swords do glance off

while eyes, with a glance, draw blood.

at times, while eyes draw blood with a glance.

حارَبَتني الأَيّامُ حَتّى لَقَد أَص

حارَبَتني الأَيّامُ حَتّى لَقَد أَص

بَحَ حَربي مَن كُنتُ أَعتَدُّ سِلمي

بَحَ حَربي مَن كُنتُ أَعتَدُّ سِلمي

The days have warred against me until, indeed, I have become

The days waged war on me, until indeed

the enemy of one I once counted my peace.

one I had counted my peace became my war.

غَيرَ أَنّي أُدافِعُ الدَهرَ عَنّي

غَيرَ أَنّي أُدافِعُ الدَهرَ عَنّي

بِإِحتِقاري لِصِرفِهِ المُستَذَمِّ

بِإِحتِقاري لِصِرفِهِ المُستَذَمِّ

Yet I fend Time away from myself

Yet I shield myself from Time

by scorning its blameworthy reversals,

by scorning its blameworthy reversals,

وَحَديثي نِفسي بِأَن سَوفَ أُكفى

وَحَديثي نِفسي بِأَن سَوفَ أُكفى

حَيفَ قاضِيَّ وَاِستِطالَةَ خَصمي

حَيفَ قاضِيَّ وَاِستِطالَةَ خَصمي

and by telling myself that I shall be spared

and telling myself that I shall be spared

my judge’s injustice and my adversary’s overbearing reach.

my judge's injustice and my adversary's overbearing conduct.

إِن أَخَسَّت تِلكَ الحَقائِقُ حَظّي

إِن أَخَسَّت تِلكَ الحَقائِقُ حَظّي

أَجزَلَت هَذِهِ الأَمانِيُّ قِسمي

أَجزَلَت هَذِهِ الأَمانِيُّ قِسمي

If realities have made my fortune meager,

If those realities have diminished my lot,

these hopes have made my share abundant.

these hopes have made my portion bountiful.

وَإِذا ما أَبى الحَبيبُ مُؤاتا

وَإِذا ما أَبى الحَبيبُ مُؤاتا

تي تَبَلَّغتُ بِالخِيالِ المُلِمِّ

تي تَبَلَّغتُ بِالخِيالِ المُلِمِّ

And if the beloved refuses to meet me,

And when the beloved refuses to indulge

I sustain myself with the haunting vision.

me, I make do with the visiting phantom.

مِن عَطاءِ الإِلَهِ بَلَّغتُ نَفسي

مِن عَطاءِ الإِلَهِ بَلَّغتُ نَفسي

صَونَها ثُمَّ مِن عَطاءِ اِبنِ عَمّي

صَونَها ثُمَّ مِن عَطاءِ اِبنِ عَمّي

By God’s bounty I have refreshed my soul,

With God's bounty I secured for my soul

to preserve its honor—and then through my cousin’s bounty.

its dignity, then with my paternal cousin's bounty.

كُلَّما قُلتُ أَيبَسَ المَحلُ أَرضي

كُلَّما قُلتُ أَيبَسَ المَحلُ أَرضي

وَلَيتَني غَمامَةٌ مِنهُ تَهمي

وَلَيتَني غَمامَةٌ مِنهُ تَهمي

Whenever I say, “Drought has parched my land,”

Whenever I said, 'Drought has parched my land,'

I wish I were a cloud from him, pouring rain.

a raincloud from him drew near me, pouring down.

فَلَهُ مِن مَدائِحي حوكمُهُ الأَو

فَلَهُ مِن مَدائِحي حوكمُهُ الأَو

فى وَلي مِن نَوالِهِ الغَمرِ حُكمي

فى وَلي مِن نَوالِهِ الغَمرِ حُكمي

To him belongs the fullest due of all my praises,

So he has the fullest say in my praises,

and to me, from his brimming largesse, my rightful share.

and I my say in his overflowing bounty.

كُلُّ مَشهورَةٍ يُؤلَفُ مِنها

كُلُّ مَشهورَةٍ يُؤلَفُ مِنها

بَينَ دُرِّيَّةِ الكَواكِبِ نَظمي

بَينَ دُرِّيَّةِ الكَواكِبِ نَظمي

Every celebrated poem in which

From each celebrated ode is strung

my verse is strung among the radiant stars—

my verse among the pearl-bright stars.

أَينَما قامَ مُنشِدٌ لاحَ نَجمٌ

أَينَما قامَ مُنشِدٌ لاحَ نَجمٌ

مُتَلالٍ مِنها عَلى إِثرِ نَجمِ

مُتَلالٍ مِنها عَلى إِثرِ نَجمِ

wherever a reciter rises, a star appears,

Wherever a reciter rises, a star appears,

gleaming among them, one star after another.

glittering from it, in the wake of another star.

وَجَهولٍ رَمى لَدَيهِ مَكاني

وَجَهولٍ رَمى لَدَيهِ مَكاني

قُلتُ أَقصِر ما كُلُّ رامٍ بِمُصمِ

قُلتُ أَقصِر ما كُلُّ رامٍ بِمُصمِ

Many an ignorant man belittled my standing before him—

And to a fool who shot at my standing in his presence,

I said, “Desist: not every archer deals a mortal wound.”

I said, 'Desist—not every archer lands a deadly shot.'

وَإِذا ما العَريضُ والى أَذاتي

وَإِذا ما العَريضُ والى أَذاتي

كانَ خُرطومُهُ خَليقاً بِوَسمي

كانَ خُرطومُهُ خَليقاً بِوَسمي

And when the bulky boor persists in harming me,

And if the broad-built fellow keeps on harming me,

his snout is fit to bear my brand.

his snout deserves my brand.

في بَني الحارِثِ بنِ كَعبِ بنِ عَمرٍ

في بَني الحارِثِ بنِ كَعبِ بنِ عَمرٍ

سَيِّدُ الناسِ بَينَ عُربٍ وَعُجمِ

سَيِّدُ الناسِ بَينَ عُربٍ وَعُجمِ

Among the sons of al-Ḥārith ibn Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr is

Among the sons of al-Harith ibn Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr

the lord of men, Arab and non-Arab alike.

is the lord of people, Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

بِأَبي أَنتَ عاتِباً وَقَليلٌ

بِأَبي أَنتَ عاتِباً وَقَليلٌ

لَكَ مِنّي أَبي فِداءً وَأُمّي

لَكَ مِنّي أَبي فِداءً وَأُمّي

May my father ransom you, though you reproach me—and how little

May my father ransom you, though you reproach me; a small thing

would my father be as ransom for you, and my mother too.

is my offering to you of father and mother as ransom.

لُمتَني أَن رَمَيتُ في غَيرِ مَرمىً

لُمتَني أَن رَمَيتُ في غَيرِ مَرمىً

وَعَزيزٌ عَلَيَّ تَضِيّعُ سَهمي

وَعَزيزٌ عَلَيَّ تَضِيّعُ سَهمي

You blamed me for shooting where there was no target,

You blamed me for shooting where no target lay,

though wasting my arrow is grievous to me.

and wasting my arrow is grievous to me.

إِن أَكُن حُبتُ في سُؤالِ بَخيلٍ

إِن أَكُن حُبتُ في سُؤالِ بَخيلٍ

فَبِكَرهي ذاكَ السُؤالُ وَرَغمي

فَبِكَرهي ذاكَ السُؤالُ وَرَغمي

If I was disappointed in asking a miser,

If I have sinned by asking a miser,

I made that request against my will and despite myself.

then that asking was against my will and under compulsion.

وَالَّذي حَطَّني إِلى أَن بَلَغتُ ال

وَالَّذي حَطَّني إِلى أَن بَلَغتُ ال

ماءَ ما كانَ مِن تَرَفُّعِ هَمّي

ماءَ ما كانَ مِن تَرَفُّعِ هَمّي

What brought me so low that I reached the

And what brought me down, until I reached the

water was no lofty ambition of mine;

water, was the loftiness of my ambition,

وَإِبائي عَلى مُمَلَّكِ أَرضي

وَإِبائي عَلى مُمَلَّكِ أَرضي

ما طَوَلّاهُ مِن عَطائي وَشَكمي

ما طَوَلّاهُ مِن عَطائي وَشَكمي

nor was it my proud refusal before the sovereign of my land,

and my refusal, in defiance of my land's ruler,

whom neither my giving nor my proud spirit could rival.

of what he offered me in gifts and recompense.

ثُمَّ حالَت حالٌ تُكَلِّفُني قِس

ثُمَّ حالَت حالٌ تُكَلِّفُني قِس

مَةَ حَمدي بَينَ الرِجالِ وَذَمّي

مَةَ حَمدي بَينَ الرِجالِ وَذَمّي

Then circumstances changed, forcing upon me a division

Then circumstances changed, obliging me to divide

of my praise and blame among men,

my praise and blame among men.

فَأَرى أَينَ مَوضِعُ الجودِ في القَو

فَأَرى أَينَ مَوضِعُ الجودِ في القَو

مِ مَكاني وَمَيَّزَ الناسَ عُدمي

مِ مَكاني وَمَيَّزَ الناسَ عُدمي

so I might see where generosity lies among the people,

Thus where generosity lies among the people was revealed

where my place is, and how my need distinguishes men.

by my situation, and my poverty told men apart.

فَعَلامَ التَشريبُ وَاللَومُ إِذ عِل

فَعَلامَ التَشريبُ وَاللَومُ إِذ عِل

مَك فيما أَقولُهُ وَمِثلُ عِلمي

مَك فيما أَقولُهُ وَمِثلُ عِلمي

Why all this reproach and blame, when your knowledge

Why then the disparagement and reproach, when your knowledge

of what I say is equal to my own?

of what I say is like my own?

وَكَأَنَّ الإِعراضَ عَنّي قَضاءٌ

وَكَأَنَّ الإِعراضَ عَنّي قَضاءٌ

فاصِلٌ عَن أَلِيَّةٍ مِنكَ حَتمِ

فاصِلٌ عَن أَلِيَّةٍ مِنكَ حَتمِ

It is as though your turning away from me were a judgment,

And your turning away from me seems a decree,

a final decree, sealed by a binding oath from you.

decisive, arising from a binding oath of yours.

حينَ لا مَلجَأَ سِواكَ أُرَجّي

حينَ لا مَلجَأَ سِواكَ أُرَجّي

هِ تَجَهَّمتَني وَلَستَ بِجَهمِ

هِ تَجَهَّمتَني وَلَستَ بِجَهمِ

When I have no refuge but you on whom to set my

When I had no refuge but you in which to place my hope,

hope, you frown upon me—though you are not grim.

you scowled at me, though you are not surly.

وَإِذا ما سَخِطتَ وَالمُخُّ رارٌ

وَإِذا ما سَخِطتَ وَالمُخُّ رارٌ

رَقَّ عَن أَن يُطيقَ سُخطَكَ عَظمي

رَقَّ عَن أَن يُطيقَ سُخطَكَ عَظمي

And if you grow angry while the marrow is soft,

And when you are angry, while my marrow is thin,

my bone grows too frail to bear your anger.

my bones grow too frail to endure your anger.

لا تُجاوِز مِقدارَ سَطوِكَ إِن لَم

لا تُجاوِز مِقدارَ سَطوِكَ إِن لَم

تَتَطَوَّل بِالصَفحِ مِقدارَ جُرمي

تَتَطَوَّل بِالصَفحِ مِقدارَ جُرمي

Do not go to the full extent of your power, if you will not

Do not let the measure of your onslaught exceed—if you do not

surpass the measure of my offense through pardon.

graciously pardon me—the measure of my offense.

وَاِحتَرِس مِن ضَياعِ حِلمِكَ في الجَف

وَاِحتَرِس مِن ضَياعِ حِلمِكَ في الجَف

وَةِ وَالاِنقِباضِ إِن ضاعَ حِلمي

وَةِ وَالاِنقِباضِ إِن ضاعَ حِلمي

Guard against squandering your forbearance in estrangement

And guard against losing your forbearance in coldness

and withdrawal, if my own patience is lost.

and withdrawal, even if my own forbearance is lost.