لا ترث لي غير العقيقِ عقيقا

لا ترث لي غير العقيقِ عقيقا

وَاِسكُب دموعكَ بالعقيقِ عقيقا

وَاِسكُب دموعكَ بالعقيقِ عقيقا

Mourn for me no valley but al-ʿAqīq,

Inherit from me naught but weeping, weeping evermore

and pour your tears at al-ʿAqīq like agate.

And let fall your tears with the weeping, weeping evermore

عزمَ الفريقُ عَلى الفِراق فهل ترى

عزمَ الفريقُ عَلى الفِراق فهل ترى

فيما تَرى لكَ كالفريقِ فَريقا

فيما تَرى لكَ كالفريقِ فَريقا

The company resolved to part; do you see,

Though the companions determine to part, can you see

among all you see, a company for you like that company?

One like the companions, for you, as a companion, evermore?

يا سائِلي نهجَ الطريقِ تَركتمو

يا سائِلي نهجَ الطريقِ تَركتمو

قَلبي لَكُم دونَ الطريقِ طريقا

قَلبي لَكُم دونَ الطريقِ طريقا

O you who ask me the road's course, you have left

O you who tread the path, you left behind

my heart as your road in place of the road.

My heart for you, beside the path, a path, evermore

غادَرتُموني لا أفيقُ منَ الكرى

غادَرتُموني لا أفيقُ منَ الكرى

في الحبِّ عُذراً أَن أكونَ أفيقا

في الحبِّ عُذراً أَن أكونَ أفيقا

You left me unable to wake from slumber

You left me - I awake not from anguish

in love; pardon me for being a liar.

In love, forgive me, to be so awake, evermore

أمكلّفي ما لا أُطيق فإن تُطق

أمكلّفي ما لا أُطيق فإن تُطق

صبراً فلستُ لما تُطيقُ أطيقا

صبراً فلستُ لما تُطيقُ أطيقا

O you who burden me beyond my power, if you can bear

You task me with what I cannot endure, so if you bear

patience, I am no better able to bear what you bear.

Patience, I cannot bear what you can bear, evermore

أَتلومُني والوجدُ منّي لم يزل

أَتلومُني والوجدُ منّي لم يزل

بينَ الأضالعِ كالحريقِ حريقا

بينَ الأضالعِ كالحريقِ حريقا

Do you blame me, though passion within me has never ceased

You blame me, yet passion in me never ceased

to be a fire between my ribs, like a conflagration?

Between my ribs like an inferno, burning evermore

وَمَدامِعي قَد أغرقت جِسمي فصا

وَمَدامِعي قَد أغرقت جِسمي فصا

ر القلبُ في بحرِ الغرامِ غريقا

ر القلبُ في بحرِ الغرامِ غريقا

My tears have drowned my body, and so

My tears have flooded my body, so my heart

my heart has become submerged in the sea of passion.

In the sea of love became drowned, evermore

وَمُدامَتين لهوتُ مع ظمأ الحشا

وَمُدامَتين لهوتُ مع ظمأ الحشا

بِهما صبوحاً دائماً وغبوقا

بِهما صبوحاً دائماً وغبوقا

And with thirst in my depths, I reveled in two wines,

And two wine-skins - I toy with, thirsting always

taking both in unceasing morning and evening draughts.

With them, mornings and evenings, evermore

فَمدامةٍ راؤوقُها الراؤوقُ وال

فَمدامةٍ راؤوقُها الراؤوقُ وال

أُخرى يكونُ لَها اللمى راؤوقا

أُخرى يكونُ لَها اللمى راؤوقا

One wine's strainer is the wine-strainer, and the

One wine-skin's sipper is the sipper, the other

other has dusky lips as its strainer.

For it shall have the touching of lips, evermore

باتَت تصفّق هذهِ في مبسمي

باتَت تصفّق هذهِ في مبسمي

بمجاجةٍ مِن هذهِ تَصفيقا

بمجاجةٍ مِن هذهِ تَصفيقا

She spent the night mixing this one in my mouth

This one stays clapping in my smile

with a mouthful of that one, blending them thoroughly.

With a cup from that one, clapping evermore

وَتُديرُ لي في مَجلسي من هذهِ

وَتُديرُ لي في مَجلسي من هذهِ

ومنَ اللمى الإبريقَ والإبريقا

ومنَ اللمى الإبريقَ والإبريقا

And in my gathering she serves me, from this wine

And turns for me in my sitting, from this one

and from her dusky lips, a pitcher of each.

And from the touching of lips, the pitcher and pitcher, evermore

إِن رمت رشفَ مدامةٍ أَو ريقةٍ

إِن رمت رشفَ مدامةٍ أَو ريقةٍ

أَدنت إليَّ مدامَها وَالريقا

أَدنت إليَّ مدامَها وَالريقا

If I wished to sip wine or a drop of saliva,

If you hurl a draft or a sip of wine

she brought her wine and saliva close to me.

She brings her wine-skin close to me, evermore

ولئن سئمت من الرحيق فإن لي

ولئن سئمت من الرحيق فإن لي

من ثغرها مثل الرحيق رحيقا

من ثغرها مثل الرحيق رحيقا

And if I tired of the pure wine, I had

And if I grow tired of the pure wine, still for me

from her mouth a nectar like that wine.

From her lips comes like the pure wine, evermore

وَكأنّما شمس تناولُ راحةً

وَكأنّما شمس تناولُ راحةً

من كفّها المرّيخ والعيّوقا

من كفّها المرّيخ والعيّوقا

And she seemed a sun, placing in a palm

And as though a sun takes respite

from her hand, Mars and Capella.

From its palm the red planet and the moon, evermore

شمسُ إِذا شرقت يكونُ شُروقها

شمسُ إِذا شرقت يكونُ شُروقها

للناسِ مِن قبلِ الشروقِ شُروقا

للناسِ مِن قبلِ الشروقِ شُروقا

A sun whose rising, whenever she rises,

The sun, when it rises, its dawn

is a sunrise for people before sunrise itself.

For people comes before the dawn, evermore

وَظللتُ أرشفُ مِن مَراشِفها جنى

وَظللتُ أرشفُ مِن مَراشِفها جنى

وَكأنّ ريحَ المسكِ باتَ سَحيقا

وَكأنّ ريحَ المسكِ باتَ سَحيقا

And I kept sipping fruit from her lips,

And I stayed sipping from her pillow a paradise

as though musk's fragrance had turned to fine powder.

As though the musk wind spent the night intoxicated, evermore

حتّى إِذا كشرَ الصباحُ بمبسمٍ

حتّى إِذا كشرَ الصباحُ بمبسمٍ

فيما لَدَينا لَم يَكُن موموقا

فيما لَدَينا لَم يَكُن موموقا

Until, when morning bared a smiling mouth

Till when the morn grinned with a smile

that in our company was not beloved,

While with us, no appointment had been made, evermore

صافحَتها فَجَرت مدامعُها أقا

صافحَتها فَجَرت مدامعُها أقا

حاً فوقَ وَجنتها يظلّ شقيقا

حاً فوقَ وَجنتها يظلّ شقيقا

I clasped her hand; her tears streamed like

She greeted him, so her tears flowed freely

daisies upon her cheek, lingering as red anemones.

Above her cheek, remaining pure drops, evermore

يا حُسنها في ذاكَ حينَ اِستَوكَفت

يا حُسنها في ذاكَ حينَ اِستَوكَفت

دَمعاً على الخدِّ الرقيقِ رقيقا

دَمعاً على الخدِّ الرقيقِ رقيقا

How lovely she was then, when she shed

O her beauty in that moment when she sufficed

delicate tears upon her delicate cheek!

With a tear on the delicate cheek, pure drops, evermore

أيّام كان الحوضُ منها صافياً

أيّام كان الحوضُ منها صافياً

لِلوصلِ لا كدراً ولا مطروقا

لِلوصلِ لا كدراً ولا مطروقا

In the days when her pool was clear

Days when the basin from her was pure

for union, neither turbid nor frequented,

For union, no murkiness and no muddying, evermore

إِذ نحنُ كلٌّ كانَ منّا لم يزل

إِذ نحنُ كلٌّ كانَ منّا لم يزل

في ذاكَ إلّا عاشقاً معشوقا

في ذاكَ إلّا عاشقاً معشوقا

when each of us was, and never ceased to be,

When we were, each one from us ceased not

in that, nothing but a lover and a beloved.

In that to be a lover, beloved, evermore

أَشواقُنا ما بَيننا مقسومة

أَشواقُنا ما بَيننا مقسومة

فَالكلُّ يصبحُ شائقاٌ ومشوقا

فَالكلُّ يصبحُ شائقاٌ ومشوقا

Our longings were shared between us,

Our passions between us divided

so each became yearning and yearned for.

So all become desiring and desired, evermore

ثِق بالحجا دونَ الشقيقِ فربّما

ثِق بالحجا دونَ الشقيقِ فربّما

كانَ الحجا دونَ الشقيقَ شقيقا

كانَ الحجا دونَ الشقيقَ شقيقا

Trust good sense rather than a brother, for sometimes

Trust in one you know, not the companion, so perhaps

good sense, in a brother's place, has been a brother.

The one you know, not the companion, is a companion, evermore

وَاِسمح أَخاكَ فأنتَ إِن كلّفته

وَاِسمح أَخاكَ فأنتَ إِن كلّفته

شططاً جنيتَ البرّ منه عقوقا

شططاً جنيتَ البرّ منه عقوقا

Be lenient with your brother: if you burden him

And forgive your brother, for you - if you task him

beyond measure, you reap disloyalty from his devotion.

With excess - gain but ingratitude from him, evermore

كَم بالحجا ضيقٌ غدا سعةً وكم

كَم بالحجا ضيقٌ غدا سعةً وكم

سعةٌ غَدَت عندَ الجهالةِ ضيقا

سعةٌ غَدَت عندَ الجهالةِ ضيقا

How often, through good sense, straits have become ease, and how often

How by one you know, straits become spacious and how

has ease, amid ignorance, become straits!

Spaciousness for the ignorant becomes constricted, evermore

يا للرجالِ لحكمِ دهرٍ مسّني

يا للرجالِ لحكمِ دهرٍ مسّني

ظنّ اللئيم بهِ غَدا تَحقيقا

ظنّ اللئيم بهِ غَدا تَحقيقا

O men, help against the decree of a time that afflicted me,

O for the men! For the judgment of an age that tried me

in which a base man's conjecture has become confirmed truth.

The vile's assumption of it became truth, evermore

هَذا زَمانٌ صارَ فيه حليمهُ

هَذا زَمانٌ صارَ فيه حليمهُ

عيّاً وصارَ سفيههُ منطقيا

عيّاً وصارَ سفيههُ منطقيا

This is an age in which its wise man has become

This is an age in which its wise one

tongue-tied, while its fool has become a logician.

Became blind and its fool became logical, evermore

والحرّ عَن نيلِ المطالبِ موثقٌ

والحرّ عَن نيلِ المطالبِ موثقٌ

وَالنذلُ يَسعى في هواهُ طليقا

وَالنذلُ يَسعى في هواهُ طليقا

The noble man is fettered from attaining his aims,

And the free from attaining hopes is fettered

while the wretch pursues his desires unfettered.

While the base seeks his passions unfettered, evermore

لولا أَبو الطيب المليك عرار ما

لولا أَبو الطيب المليك عرار ما

لِلجودِ شمت مخايلاً وبروقا

لِلجودِ شمت مخايلاً وبروقا

Were it not for Abū al-Ṭayyib, King ʿArār, I would not

Were it not for Abu al-Tayyib the King - Glory

have seen generosity's promising rain-clouds and lightning.

Arrogance would not have tasted geniality and lightning, evermore

ملكٌ يرى أنّ الهباتِ فريضةٌ

ملكٌ يرى أنّ الهباتِ فريضةٌ

وَيَرى عليهِ المكرُمات حقوقا

وَيَرى عليهِ المكرُمات حقوقا

A king who deems gifts an obligation,

A king who sees largesse as a duty

and regards noble deeds as duties incumbent upon him.

And sees graciousness upon him as rights, evermore

رزقُ العبادِ على يديهِ ورزقهُ

رزقُ العبادِ على يديهِ ورزقهُ

يَجري فَيُدعى رازقاً مَرزوقا

يَجري فَيُدعى رازقاً مَرزوقا

The people's sustenance comes through his hands, and his own

The people's sustenance is by his hands, and his sustenance

flows to him; thus he is called provider and provided for.

Flows, so he is called Sustainer and Sustained, evermore

ما همَّ مخلوٌ له بمكيدةٍ

ما همَّ مخلوٌ له بمكيدةٍ

إلّا كفاهُ الخالقُ المخلوقا

إلّا كفاهُ الخالقُ المخلوقا

No creature has planned a stratagem against him

No schemer schemes against him

without the Creator shielding him from that creature.

But the Creator protects the created from him, evermore

إنّ الرياسةَ بايَعته لأخذها

إنّ الرياسةَ بايَعته لأخذها

عهداً وميثاقاً لديهِ وثيقا

عهداً وميثاقاً لديهِ وثيقا

Sovereignty has pledged him allegiance, having secured

Indeed leadership pledged allegiance to him to take it

a pledge and a firm covenant with him.

As a covenant and pact with him, binding, evermore

هل يُستطاعُ له لحوقٌ بعدما

هل يُستطاعُ له لحوقٌ بعدما

قَد كانَ فاتَ النيّرين لُحوقا

قَد كانَ فاتَ النيّرين لُحوقا

Can anyone catch up with him, after

Can one reach him, after he had passed

he has already outstripped the two luminaries in pursuit?

The swift, outpacing them in swiftness? Evermore

لَو بعدَ أحمد في الأنام نبوّةٌ

لَو بعدَ أحمد في الأنام نبوّةٌ

أَضحى بِها دونَ الأنامِ حقيقا

أَضحى بِها دونَ الأنامِ حقيقا

If there were prophethood among mankind after Aḥmad,

If after Ahmad there was prophethood among people

he alone among mankind would be worthy of it.

He would have it above people, truly evermore

يا من أهانَ بعدلهِ المتهوّد ال

يا من أهانَ بعدلهِ المتهوّد ال

مُنتصّر المتمجّس الزندِيقا

مُنتصّر المتمجّس الزندِيقا

O you whose justice has humbled the Jewish convert, the

O you who disgraced the Jewish apostate

Christian convert, the Magian convert, and the heretic,

The victorious Christian infidel, evermore

ضلّت عقولُ عداكَ لمّا كافحوا

ضلّت عقولُ عداكَ لمّا كافحوا

بَحراً لجيشكِ لا يُخاض عميقا

بَحراً لجيشكِ لا يُخاض عميقا

your enemies' minds were confounded when they faced

The minds but yours went astray when they battled

a deep sea of your army, which none could wade through.

A sea your army crosses unfathomed, evermore

وصدَمتهم لمّا أتوكَ بجحفلٍ

وصدَمتهم لمّا أتوكَ بجحفلٍ

لجبٍ فمزّق جَمعهم تَمزيقا

لجبٍ فمزّق جَمعهم تَمزيقا

And when they came against you, you struck them with a vast host,

And they met you with hordes like mountains

clamorous, which tore their assembled force utterly apart.

So you shredded their throngs shred by shred, evermore

نَكّحتهم منكَ السيوفَ فطلّقت

نَكّحتهم منكَ السيوفَ فطلّقت

أَرواحُهم أجسادَهم تَطليقا

أَرواحُهم أجسادَهم تَطليقا

You wedded them to your swords; then

Their swords divorced from you

their souls divorced their bodies in utter divorce.

Their souls their bodies unambiguously, evermore

يعتاضُ خيلك بالتراب ترائباً

يعتاضُ خيلك بالتراب ترائباً

مِنهم وهاماً بالسيوفِ فليقا

مِنهم وهاماً بالسيوفِ فليقا

Your horses exchange the earth for breastbones

Your horses churn the dust into waves

of theirs, and skulls split open by swords.

Of them, terrified by the swords, scattered, evermore

أَدركت غاياتَ الثناءِ وسلكتَ من

أَدركت غاياتَ الثناءِ وسلكتَ من

طرقِ الرئاسةِ مسلكاً إزليقا

طرقِ الرئاسةِ مسلكاً إزليقا

You have reached the utmost bounds of praise, and followed, among

You attained the limits of praise and tread from

the paths of leadership, a slippery course.

The paths of leadership a path smoothly paved, evermore