أَوَجه أميم ذاك شفّ به السترُ

أَوَجه أميم ذاك شفّ به السترُ

فَأَوضح منه النور أو ذلك البدرُ

فَأَوضح منه النور أو ذلك البدرُ

Is that Umaym's face, making the veil translucent,

That veil, with which the bashful one was covered,

so that its light shines forth—or is that the full moon?

Made the light brighter than it, or that full moon.

نَعَم ذاكَ وجهٌ من أميم لَنا أضا

نَعَم ذاكَ وجهٌ من أميم لَنا أضا

بِأنوارهِ فاِجتابَ من حذرٍ الفكرُ

بِأنوارهِ فاِجتابَ من حذرٍ الفكرُ

Yes, that is Umaym's face, shining for us

Yes, that is a bashful face of ours, more radiant

with its radiance; thought roamed in apprehension.

With its lights, so thoughts of caution disappeared.

فَيا حبّها في عادةٍ لم تزل على

فَيا حبّها في عادةٍ لم تزل على

صَحيفة قَلبي من مودّتها سطرُ

صَحيفة قَلبي من مودّتها سطرُ

Ah, love for her! As is customary, there remains upon

So oh love of her, in lifelong habit that did not cease,

my heart's page a line of affection for her.

On the page of my heart, of affection for her, a line.

تَشوبُ الرضا بالسخطِ وَالسخط بالرضا

تَشوبُ الرضا بالسخطِ وَالسخط بالرضا

فَلا وَصلها وصلٌ ولا هجرها هجرُ

فَلا وَصلها وصلٌ ولا هجرها هجرُ

She mingles favor with displeasure, and displeasure with favor,

Contentment is marred by anger, and anger by acceptance,

so her union is no union, nor her estrangement estrangement.

So neither her union is union, nor her separation, separation.

خَلاخلُها تَشكو نعومة ساقِها

خَلاخلُها تَشكو نعومة ساقِها

كَما يَشتكي مِن ثقل أردافها الخصرُ

كَما يَشتكي مِن ثقل أردافها الخصرُ

Her anklets complain of her leg's softness,

Her anklets complain of the softness of her legs,

as her waist complains of the weight of her hips.

As her waist complains of the heaviness of her buttocks.

فَلَم أدر إِن رمت اِرتشافَ رُضابها

فَلَم أدر إِن رمت اِرتشافَ رُضابها

أَذاك بريقُ الثغرِ أَم ذلك الخمرُ

أَذاك بريقُ الثغرِ أَم ذلك الخمرُ

So, if I sought to sip her saliva, I could not tell:

So I did not know, if she hinted with a sip of pleasure,

was that her mouth's gleam, or was that wine?

Was that the sparkle of her lips, or was it the wine?

فَفي فَرعها ليلٌ وفي وجهها ضحىً

فَفي فَرعها ليلٌ وفي وجهها ضحىً

وَفي كَشرها درٌّ وفي لحظها سحرُ

وَفي كَشرها درٌّ وفي لحظها سحرُ

For in her hair is night, and in her face the morning's brightness,

So in her hair there is night, and in her face the dawn,

and in her smile are pearls, and in her glance is magic.

And in her cherry lips a pearl, and in her glances, magic.

أَرى العذر إِلى أَن متُّ يوماً بحبّها

أَرى العذر إِلى أَن متُّ يوماً بحبّها

وإِن لم أَمُت بالحبِّ منها فما العذرُ

وإِن لم أَمُت بالحبِّ منها فما العذرُ

I see an excuse until I die one day of love for her;

I see my excuse until I die one day of love for her,

and if I do not die of love for her, what excuse is there?

And if I do not die of love for her, what is my excuse?

وَبكرٌ منَ الشِعرِ الصريحِ عرية

وَبكرٌ منَ الشِعرِ الصريحِ عرية

تَشوق إِلى أَلحاظها الغادة البكرُ

تَشوق إِلى أَلحاظها الغادة البكرُ

And a virgin of pure verse, unclad,

And poetry freshly composed, naked,

for whose glances the virgin maiden yearns:

Yearns for her languid, virginal glances.

قَصدت بها الزاكي عراراً لأنّه

قَصدت بها الزاكي عراراً لأنّه

حقيقٌ بأن يُهدى إِلى وجههِ الشعرُ

حقيقٌ بأن يُهدى إِلى وجههِ الشعرُ

with her I sought out virtuous Arar, for he

I went to the most generous man, for he

deserves to have poetry offered in his presence.

Is most deserving to be gifted this poetry.

مليك لكسبِ الحمدِ والمجد جامعٌ

مليك لكسبِ الحمدِ والمجد جامعٌ

ولكنّه لَم يَجتمع عنده وفرُ

ولكنّه لَم يَجتمع عنده وفرُ

A king who amasses praise and glory,

A king who earns praise and glory, accomplished,

yet no riches have accumulated in his keeping.

But at him are not gathered abundance and plenty.

إِذا ما جرَت أقلامهُ في كتابهِ

إِذا ما جرَت أقلامهُ في كتابهِ

تولّد مِنها الكسرُ للناس والجبرُ

تولّد مِنها الكسرُ للناس والجبرُ

Whenever his pens run through his writing,

When his pen flows in his book,

from them spring, for people, breaking and mending.

There are born from it subtraction for people, and addition.

تُساعدهُ الأقدارُ فيما يريدهُ

تُساعدهُ الأقدارُ فيما يريدهُ

وَتخدمهُ الدُنيا ويعنو له الدهرُ

وَتخدمهُ الدُنيا ويعنو له الدهرُ

Destinies aid him in whatever he wishes,

Luck assists him in what he desires,

and the world serves him, while Time bows before him.

And the world serves him, and fate is gentle with him.

وَيومَ لوى لمّا قضى اللّه أَنّه

وَيومَ لوى لمّا قضى اللّه أَنّه

بِملقى أَعاديهِ سَيجري له النصرُ

بِملقى أَعاديهِ سَيجري له النصرُ

And on the day of Liwa, when God decreed that

And one day when God decreed that

victory would flow to him upon meeting his enemies,

He would meet his enemies, victory would come to him.

أَتتهُ بنو الأعجامِ تزحفُ بالضحى

أَتتهُ بنو الأعجامِ تزحفُ بالضحى

جيوشاً يضيقُ السهلُ عنهنَّ والوعرُ

جيوشاً يضيقُ السهلُ عنهنَّ والوعرُ

the sons of non-Arabs came upon him, advancing at midmorning,

The non-Arab armies came to him at dawn

in armies too vast for plain and rugged ground to hold.

Hosts that the plains and mountains could not contain.

وَقَد بَرزت من خدرها كلّ غادةٍ

وَقَد بَرزت من خدرها كلّ غادةٍ

وَعادتها أَلّا يُفارقها الخدرُ

وَعادتها أَلّا يُفارقها الخدرُ

And every tender maiden had emerged from her secluded chamber,

And every languid girl came out of her tent,

though she was accustomed never to leave that chamber.

For leaving the tent was their habit.

وَصحن العذارى يا أبا الطيب هل ترى

وَصحن العذارى يا أبا الطيب هل ترى

لنا مِن مفرٍّ حيث ضاق بنا الأمرُ

لنا مِن مفرٍّ حيث ضاق بنا الأمرُ

And the virgins cried, 'O Abu al-Tayyib, do you see

Oh Abu al-Tayyib, do you see for us

any escape for us, now that our plight has hemmed us in?'

Any escape when our situation is so dire?

فَكرّ كما اِنقضّ الشهابُ من السما

فَكرّ كما اِنقضّ الشهابُ من السما

وَلَم يُثنِهِ عَن ذاك خوفٌ ولا ذعرُ

وَلَم يُثنِهِ عَن ذاك خوفٌ ولا ذعرُ

Then he charged as a meteor plunges from the sky,

So think as the shooting star dashed out of the sky,

and neither fear nor terror turned him from it.

And neither fear nor alarm could stop it.

وَأَيقنَ وقتَ الطعنِ أَن ليس نافعٌ

وَأَيقنَ وقتَ الطعنِ أَن ليس نافعٌ

هنالك إلّا الحزمُ والعزمُ والصبرُ

هنالك إلّا الحزمُ والعزمُ والصبرُ

At the hour of spear-thrusting, he knew for certain that nothing availed

And he knew at the time of the attack,

there but prudence, determination, and endurance.

That only resolve, determination and patience would be useful.

فَغادَرهم صَرعى إلى أن سنانه

فَغادَرهم صَرعى إلى أن سنانه

مِنَ الطَعنِ في فرسانهم خانهُ الكسرُ

مِنَ الطَعنِ في فرسانهم خانهُ الكسرُ

He left them slain, until his spearhead

So he left them slain until his blade

was betrayed by breakage from thrusting into their horsemen.

Was broken from stabbing their horsemen.

وَسلّ حسامَ العضبِ حتّى برى بهِ

وَسلّ حسامَ العضبِ حتّى برى بهِ

أَكابرَ قومٍ لا يُبارحها الكسرُ

أَكابرَ قومٍ لا يُبارحها الكسرُ

And he drew the keen-edged sword, until with it he hewed down

And he unsheathed the sword of punishment until with it

the chieftains of a people whom defeat never leaves.

He showed the elders of a people to whom only breaking remained.

وَيا عجباً منهُ يكرّ ودرعهُ

وَيا عجباً منهُ يكرّ ودرعهُ

مكسّرة فيها المثقّفةُ السمرُ

مكسّرة فيها المثقّفةُ السمرُ

And how wondrous he is, charging while his armor

And how strange that he attacked though his shield

has straightened brown spears shattered within it!

Was broken, its panels shattered and fragmented.

وَللنبلِ فيه والبنادق موقفٌ

وَللنبلِ فيه والبنادق موقفٌ

وَقَد أثّرت فيه المهنّدةُ البترُ

وَقَد أثّرت فيه المهنّدةُ البترُ

And arrows and bullets have their lodging in him,

And for the arrows and guns there was a standstill,

and cleaving Indian blades have left their marks on him.

For the polished blade had left its mark on them.

فَولّوا ولا كفٌّ يجرّد ضارباً

فَولّوا ولا كفٌّ يجرّد ضارباً

لَديهم ولا سهمٌ يزعزعه وترُ

لَديهم ولا سهمٌ يزعزعه وترُ

So they fled, with no hand drawing a blade to strike

So they fled, with no hands to unsheathe striking,

among them, nor any arrow stirred by a bowstring.

Nor arrows to shake or strings to sever.

وَقَد قتلوا منهم أُلوفاً وما سوى

وَقَد قتلوا منهم أُلوفاً وما سوى

حواصل طيرِ البرِّ كان لهم قبرُ

حواصل طيرِ البرِّ كان لهم قبرُ

And they had slain thousands of them; nothing but

And they killed thousands of them, and none remained

the crops of land birds served as their grave.

Except carrion for desert birds, who had their graves.

وَآتٍ ونصلُ السيفِ يخضب بالدما

وَآتٍ ونصلُ السيفِ يخضب بالدما

كَما خضبت خود المخدرة العطرُ

كَما خضبت خود المخدرة العطرُ

And he comes, the sword's blade dyed with blood,

And he came with the blade of the sword reddened with blood

as perfume dyes a tender, secluded maiden.

As the perfume holder scented with aroma was reddened.

وَفرّج عَن أصحابهِ كلّ كربةٍ

وَفرّج عَن أصحابهِ كلّ كربةٍ

فكانَ لَهُ في ذلك المجدُ والفخرُ

فكانَ لَهُ في ذلك المجدُ والفخرُ

And he relieved his companions of every distress,

And he relieved his companions of every worry,

so in that were glory and pride for him.

So for that he gained glory and pride.

وَنادَت لهُ الأقوامُ بالشكرِ والثنا

وَنادَت لهُ الأقوامُ بالشكرِ والثنا

وَلاحت لَهُ العليا وشاع له الذكرُ

وَلاحت لَهُ العليا وشاع له الذكرُ

The peoples called out their thanks and praise to him,

And the people called out to him with thanks and praise,

and eminence shone for him, and his renown spread.

And good fortune shone on him, and fame spread wide for him.

أَبا الطيب طابَ الملكُ منكَ وأشرقت

أَبا الطيب طابَ الملكُ منكَ وأشرقت

بِطلعتكَ الدنيا وزانَ لك العصرُ

بِطلعتكَ الدنيا وزانَ لك العصرُ

O Abu al-Tayyib, through you kingship grew fair, and light dawned

Oh Abu al-Tayyib, the kingdom was sweetened by you,

on the world at your appearance; the age was adorned for you.

And with your rising the world shone radiant, and the time was adorned by you.

لَقد كانَتِ الناسُ على كلِّ ليلةٍ

لَقد كانَتِ الناسُ على كلِّ ليلةٍ

مُسرمدةٍ فالآن أنتَ لها الفخرُ

مُسرمدةٍ فالآن أنتَ لها الفخرُ

Indeed, the people had lived through night after night,

Indeed, people were in endless darkness every night,

unending; now you are their pride.

But now you are their pride.