لا أَرى بِالبِراقِ رَسماً يُجيبُ

لا أَرى بِالبِراقِ رَسماً يُجيبُ

سَكَّنَت آيَها الصَبا وَالجَنوبُ

سَكَّنَت آيَها الصَبا وَالجَنوبُ

I see no trace at al-Biraq that answers;

I see no trace left on the mirage's surface which responds,

the east wind and the south wind have silenced its signs.

The gentle breeze and soft winds have calmed.

خَلَفَ الجِدَّةَ البِلى في مَغانيـ

خَلَفَ الجِدَّةَ البِلى في مَغانيـ

ـها كَما يَخلُفُ الشَبابَ المَشيبُ

ـها كَما يَخلُفُ الشَبابَ المَشيبُ

Decay has replaced freshness in its dwellings,

Ruin succeeded the sturdy encampments in their melodies,

as gray hair replaces youth.

Just as old age succeeds youth.

أَيبَسَ العَيشُ بَعدَهُنَّ وَقَد يُعـ

أَيبَسَ العَيشُ بَعدَهُنَّ وَقَد يُعـ

ـهَدُ فيهِنَّ وَهوَ غَضُّ رَطيبُ

ـهَدُ فيهِنَّ وَهوَ غَضُّ رَطيبُ

Life has dried up after them, though once

Life turned bleak after they left, though in them

it was known among them, fresh and moist.

One would pledge while still soft and pliant.

أَسَفٌ غالِبٌ يَحِرُّ جَواهُ

أَسَفٌ غالِبٌ يَحِرُّ جَواهُ

وَعَزاءٌ مَتَعتَعٌ مَعلوبُ

وَعَزاءٌ مَتَعتَعٌ مَعلوبُ

Overpowering grief, its inward anguish burning,

Overcome by sorrow burning my insides,

and consolation, faltering and battered.

And comfort tossed about, aggrieved.

راعَني ما يَروعُ مِن وافِدِ الشَيـ

راعَني ما يَروعُ مِن وافِدِ الشَيـ

ـبِ طُروقاً وَرابَني ما يَريبُ

ـبِ طُروقاً وَرابَني ما يَريبُ

Gray hair, that alarming visitor, alarmed me,

I was startled by what startles about the onset of greying hair,

coming by night; what disquiets disquieted me.

And troubled by what is troubling.

شَعَراتٌ سودٌ إِذا حُلنَ بيضاً

شَعَراتٌ سودٌ إِذا حُلنَ بيضاً

حالَ عَن وُصلَةِ المُحِبِّ الحَبيبُ

حالَ عَن وُصلَةِ المُحِبِّ الحَبيبُ

Black hairs—when they turn white,

Black hair, when it turns white,

the beloved turns away from union with the lover.

Severs the connection of the lover to the loved.

مَرَّ بَعدَ السَوادِ ما كانَ يَحلو

مَرَّ بَعدَ السَوادِ ما كانَ يَحلو

مُجتَناهُ مِن عَيشِنا وَيَطيبُ

مُجتَناهُ مِن عَيشِنا وَيَطيبُ

After the blackness, what once tasted sweet grew bitter—

After the blackness passed what used to be sweet to me

the harvested fruit of our life, once delightful.

Of our life, and pure.

تِلكَ أَسماءُ إِذ أَجدَّت وَداعاً

تِلكَ أَسماءُ إِذ أَجدَّت وَداعاً

جَلَبَ الوَجدَ بَينُها المَجلوبُ

جَلَبَ الوَجدَ بَينُها المَجلوبُ

That was Asma, when she resolved upon farewell;

Those are the names, when bidding farewell intensified,

her parting, brought upon us, brought yearning.

Grief was brought between them.

نَظَرَت خُلسَةً كَما نَظَرَ الريـ

نَظَرَت خُلسَةً كَما نَظَرَ الريـ

ـمُ وَمادَت كَما يَميدُ القَضيبُ

ـمُ وَمادَت كَما يَميدُ القَضيبُ

She glanced furtively, as the gazelle glances,

She glanced furtively, like the gazelle glances,

and swayed as a slender branch sways.

And leaned as the slender branch leans.

وَإِلى أَحمَدَ اِبتَعَثنا المَهارى

وَإِلى أَحمَدَ اِبتَعَثنا المَهارى

لِلُباناتِ طالِبٍ ما يَخيبُ

لِلُباناتِ طالِبٍ ما يَخيبُ

And toward Ahmad we dispatched the Mahri camels,

And to Ahmed we sent the submissive,

for the wishes of a seeker who will not be disappointed.

Seekers unsatisfied.

جُنَّحاً في الظَلامِ يَحدينَ وَهناً

جُنَّحاً في الظَلامِ يَحدينَ وَهناً

وَمَراسيلَ دَأبُهُنَّ الدُؤوبُ

وَمَراسيلَ دَأبُهُنَّ الدُؤوبُ

Leaning forward in the darkness, urged by song late at night,

Wings in the dark emboldened, and those weakened,

and swift-paced, their habit is unceasing toil.

Whose habit is persistence.

قاصِداتٍ مُهَذَّباً لَم يُشَقِّق

قاصِداتٍ مُهَذَّباً لَم يُشَقِّق

في مَعالي فَعالِهِ التَهذيبُ

في مَعالي فَعالِهِ التَهذيبُ

Making for a refined man, with nothing labored

Well-mannered, whom propriety has not

in the refinement of his lofty deeds.

Cracked in his most dignified conduct.

إِن تَطَلَّب شَرواهُ فَالغَيثُ دَفقاً

إِن تَطَلَّب شَرواهُ فَالغَيثُ دَفقاً

مَثَلٌ مِن سَماحِهِ مَضروبُ

مَثَلٌ مِن سَماحِهِ مَضروبُ

If you seek his equal, rain pouring in torrents

When he sought drink, rain poured down,

is a likeness drawn from his generosity.

An example of his generosity being struck.

وَإِذا ما الحُظوظُ أَجرى إِلَيها

وَإِذا ما الحُظوظُ أَجرى إِلَيها

مُخطِئٌ مِن بُغاتِهِم أَو مُصيبُ

مُخطِئٌ مِن بُغاتِهِم أَو مُصيبُ

And whenever fortunes are raced toward

And when good fortune brought to them

by one of their seekers, whether missing or hitting the mark,

One missing his mark, or one hitting it.

بَلَدَ العاجِزُ المُزَنَّدُ فيها

بَلَدَ العاجِزُ المُزَنَّدُ فيها

وَمَضى الأَحوَذِيُّ فيها النَجيبُ

وَمَضى الأَحوَذِيُّ فيها النَجيبُ

the helpless, mean-spirited man stalls in their pursuit,

The helpless man excused himself there,

and the resourceful, noble man presses onward.

And the noble man carried on unfazed.

وَأَرى القَومَ حينَ خَلَّوا مَداهُ

وَأَرى القَومَ حينَ خَلَّوا مَداهُ

وَتَناهى جَرِيُّهُم وَالهَيبوبُ

وَتَناهى جَرِيُّهُم وَالهَيبوبُ

And I see that the men, when they left his course clear,

And I see the people when they left his territory

and their runner and fleet racer reached their limit,

And their sprawling came to an end.

حاجَزوا سابِقاً تَمَهَّلَ حَتّى

حاجَزوا سابِقاً تَمَهَّلَ حَتّى

أَحسَرَ الريحَ شَأوُهُ المَطلوبُ

أَحسَرَ الريحَ شَأوُهُ المَطلوبُ

gave up racing a front-runner who slowed his pace until

A front runner slowed down until

his lead, the goal of pursuit, exhausted the wind.

The desired wind calmed its ferocity.

ما لَقينا مِن الحُقوقِ اللَواتي

ما لَقينا مِن الحُقوقِ اللَواتي

تَتَشَكّى أَوجاعَهُنَّ القُلوبُ

تَتَشَكّى أَوجاعَهُنَّ القُلوبُ

How much we have suffered from the claims of duty

We did not encounter from rights that

whose pains the hearts lament!

Whose pains the hearts complain,

كُلَّ يَومٍ حَقٌّ يُلِمُّ فَيَغلو

كُلَّ يَومٍ حَقٌّ يُلِمُّ فَيَغلو

جَزعاً أَو يَشِطُّ بُعداً قَريبُ

جَزعاً أَو يَشِطُّ بُعداً قَريبُ

Each day a duty visits, growing excessive

Each day a right arises causing

in anguish; or someone close goes far away.

Anguish or severs a once close tie.

فَالتَلَقّي لَهُ عَقابيلُ خَطبٍ

فَالتَلَقّي لَهُ عَقابيلُ خَطبٍ

وَلِفَرطِ التَشييعِ أَيضاً خُطوبُ

وَلِفَرطِ التَشييعِ أَيضاً خُطوبُ

Thus a meeting has calamity's lingering pains,

Receiving it has perils of affairs,

and too much bidding farewell brings calamities too.

And from over escorting also misfortunes.

سُقِيَ الرَكبُ عامِدينَ فِلَسطيـ

سُقِيَ الرَكبُ عامِدينَ فِلَسطيـ

ـنَ فَفيهِم شَخصٌ إِلَينا حَبيبُ

ـنَ فَفيهِم شَخصٌ إِلَينا حَبيبُ

May the caravan be watered, bound for Palestine,

The caravan was watered, heading to Palestine,

for among them is someone dear to us.

So among them someone dear approached us.

يَشهَدُ الأُنسُ حينَ يَشهَدُ فينا

يَشهَدُ الأُنسُ حينَ يَشهَدُ فينا

وَيَغيبُ السُرورُ حينَ يَغيبُ

وَيَغيبُ السُرورُ حينَ يَغيبُ

Fellowship is present when he is present among us,

His company is witnessed when he is witnessed among us,

and joy is absent when he is absent.

And joy departs when he departs.

شيمَةٌ مِنكَ حُرَّةٌ يا أَبا العَبّـ

شيمَةٌ مِنكَ حُرَّةٌ يا أَبا العَبّـ

ـاسِ وَفّاكَ نَجرَها أَيّوبُ

ـاسِ وَفّاكَ نَجرَها أَيّوبُ

A noble trait is yours, O Abu al-Abbas—

A praiseworthy trait of yours, O Abu Al-Abbas, may your

Ayyub bestowed its native character on you in full.

Tribulations be relieved by Ayyub.

فَاِبقَ ما طَرَّبَ الحَمامُ وَما نا

فَاِبقَ ما طَرَّبَ الحَمامُ وَما نا

زَعَ شَوقاً إِلى مَحَلٍّ غَريبُ

زَعَ شَوقاً إِلى مَحَلٍّ غَريبُ

So live on as long as the doves sing, and as long as

So compose what the doves have trilled, and what

a stranger longs wistfully for a dwelling-place.

Has provoked yearning for a strange place.