شمسٌ منَ البيضِ بالهجران تُؤذيني

شمسٌ منَ البيضِ بالهجران تُؤذيني

يُميتني هجرها والوصلُ يُحييني

يُميتني هجرها والوصلُ يُحييني

A sun among fair beauties wounds me with her estrangement;

A sun among fair-skinned women wounds me with estrangement.

her abandonment kills me, while union with her revives me.

Her estrangement kills me; union with her revives me.

أَهنا الحياة إذا قارنتها ولقد

أَهنا الحياة إذا قارنتها ولقد

أَرى الشقا في حياتي إِذ تُجافيني

أَرى الشقا في حياتي إِذ تُجافيني

Life is sweetest when I am joined to her—indeed,

Life is sweetest when I keep her company, and indeed

I see only misery in my life whenever she shuns me.

I see misery in my life when she shuns me.

فسهمُ أعينها في القلب يُؤلمني

فسهمُ أعينها في القلب يُؤلمني

وَريقُ مَبسمها في الرشف يشفيني

وَريقُ مَبسمها في الرشف يشفيني

For the arrow of her eyes pains me in the heart,

For the arrow of her eyes pains my heart,

while the saliva of her smiling mouth heals me when sipped.

And the saliva of her smiling mouth heals me when sipped.

يا عاذِلي في هَواها لو يصيبك ما

يا عاذِلي في هَواها لو يصيبك ما

لقيت أبكاك ما قد كان يُبكيني

لقيت أبكاك ما قد كان يُبكيني

O you who blame me for loving her, if what

O you who reproach me for loving her, if you suffered what

I have suffered befell you, what made me weep would make you weep.

I have suffered, what made me weep would make you weep.

تَلومني أنتَ جهلاً في الغرام وما

تَلومني أنتَ جهلاً في الغرام وما

سمعي معي فليس قد كنت تلحيني

سمعي معي فليس قد كنت تلحيني

You blame me, yourself ignorant of passion, while

You ignorantly reproach me for my passion, though

my hearing is not with me—as though you had never reproached me.

My hearing is not with me, so your reproach is lost on me.

وَكيفَ أفهم ما صرّحت من عذلٍ

وَكيفَ أفهم ما صرّحت من عذلٍ

وفي ضميري هوى سعدى يُناجيني

وفي ضميري هوى سعدى يُناجيني

How could I understand the reproach you openly declared,

How can I understand the reproach you plainly voiced,

when, deep in my heart, love for Saʿdā whispers to me?

While love for Sa'da whispers to me within my heart?

لَولا الهوى ما غدا المجنونُ يغزل في

لَولا الهوى ما غدا المجنونُ يغزل في

ليلى ولا كان من ليلى بمجنونِ

ليلى ولا كان من ليلى بمجنونِ

Were it not for love, Majnūn would never have gone on composing love verse about

But for love, Majnun would not have composed love verses about

Laylā, nor would he have been driven mad by Laylā.

Layla, nor would Layla have driven him mad.

أَنا العليلُ ولكن لم أجد أبداً

أَنا العليلُ ولكن لم أجد أبداً

لي غيرها من طبيبٍ لي يداويني

لي غيرها من طبيبٍ لي يداويني

I am the lovesick sufferer, yet I have never found

I am the ailing one, yet I have never found

any physician but her to tend me.

Any physician other than her to heal me.

وَلو طور سينا يلقى ما تأوّبني

وَلو طور سينا يلقى ما تأوّبني

لاِندكَّ ممّا أُلاقي طور سينيني

لاِندكَّ ممّا أُلاقي طور سينيني

Were Mount Sinai to encounter what repeatedly assails me,

Were Mount Sinai to encounter what repeatedly besets me,

Mount Sīnīn itself would surely crumble from what I endure.

Mount Sinin would crumble from what I endure.

يا حبّذا أرض يبرين وساكنها

يا حبّذا أرض يبرين وساكنها

وحبّذا ما أتى من أرض يبرينِ

وحبّذا ما أتى من أرض يبرينِ

How dear is the land of Yabrīn, and she who dwells there!

Ah, how lovely the land of Yabrin and its inhabitant,

Dear, too, is whatever comes from the land of Yabrīn:

And how lovely whatever comes from the land of Yabrin!

تهدي أريجّ الخزاما والعرار لنا

تهدي أريجّ الخزاما والعرار لنا

ونحن في ظلِّ عيشٍ غير ممنونِ

ونحن في ظلِّ عيشٍ غير ممنونِ

it wafts us the fragrance of lavender and wild ʿarār blossoms,

It offers us the fragrance of lavender and ox-eye flowers,

as we dwell in the shade of a life never cut short.

While we live beneath the shade of a life never cut short.

والجوُّ صاحَ والعذر طافحة

والجوُّ صاحَ والعذر طافحة

ورائقُ الروضِ مهتزُّ الأفانينِ

ورائقُ الروضِ مهتزُّ الأفانينِ

The air is clear, and the ʿarār blossoms brim luxuriantly;

The sky is clear, and the pools are brimming,

the meadow is lovely, its boughs swaying.

And the lovely meadow's branches sway.

وَالشمسُ ملقيةٌ ثوبَ البهاء على

وَالشمسُ ملقيةٌ ثوبَ البهاء على

نورٍ من الروض غبّ الغيث مدجونِ

نورٍ من الروض غبّ الغيث مدجونِ

The sun casts the robe of splendor over

And the sun casts the garment of splendor upon

the meadow’s blossoms, drenched and dark just after the rain.

The garden's blossoms, cloud-shadowed after the rain.

وَالطلّ في أعين الأزهار مجتمعٌ

وَالطلّ في أعين الأزهار مجتمعٌ

كالدمعِ مجتمع في أعين العينِ

كالدمعِ مجتمع في أعين العينِ

Dew is gathered in the flowers’ eyes,

And dew gathers in the eyes of the flowers,

like tears gathered in the eyes of dark-eyed beauties.

Like tears gathered in the eyes of wide-eyed women.

وساجدات قطعنَ المجهلات بنا

وساجدات قطعنَ المجهلات بنا

غرث حقائبها صهب العثانينِ

غرث حقائبها صهب العثانينِ

Bowing she-camels crossed the trackless wastes, bearing us,

And bowing she-camels crossed trackless wastes with us,

their packs gaunt, their chin-beards tawny.

Lean in their hindquarters, tawny in their beards.

يحملنَ درّ قريضٍ جلّ ذلك عن

يحملنَ درّ قريضٍ جلّ ذلك عن

درّ نفيس من الأصداف مكنونِ

درّ نفيس من الأصداف مكنونِ

They carry pearls of verse—pearls far finer than

They carry pearls of poetry, far surpassing

precious pearls concealed within their shells—

Precious pearls hidden within shells.

حتّى قَدمن بنا بعد الكلال على

حتّى قَدمن بنا بعد الكلال على

أعزّ أروع زاكي الوجد ميمونِ

أعزّ أروع زاكي الوجد ميمونِ

until, after weariness, they brought us before

Until, after weariness, they brought us to

the mightiest, most awe-inspiring, pure in affection and blessed of men:

The mightiest, most awe-inspiring, pure-hearted and auspicious;

على المظفّر فاِنهلّت سحائبهُ

على المظفّر فاِنهلّت سحائبهُ

بِالمكرماتِ ولم يظنن بمظنونِ

بِالمكرماتِ ولم يظنن بمظنونِ

ʿAlī al-Muʿaffar; then his clouds poured down

To al-Muzaffar, and his clouds poured down

with noble gifts, and he was not deemed to have lost by giving.

With generous gifts, withholding nothing.

بهِ ينالُ المعالي كلّ ذي شطب

بهِ ينالُ المعالي كلّ ذي شطب

وكلُّ سرد من الماذي وموضونِ

وكلُّ سرد من الماذي وموضونِ

Through him lofty honors are won by every wielder of a striped blade,

Through him, every grooved sword attains high honors,

and every wearer of close-linked, finely tempered, firmly wrought mail.

And every coat of fine-iron mail and close-woven armor.

كَم في الوغى جدّل الأعدا بصارمهِ

كَم في الوغى جدّل الأعدا بصارمهِ

كأنّه حيدر في يوم صفّينِ

كأنّه حيدر في يوم صفّينِ

How many foes in battle has he felled with his sharp sword,

How often in battle he felled his enemies with his keen sword,

as though he were Ḥaydar on the day of Ṣiffīn!

As though he were Haydar on the day of Siffin.

تاج المفاخر طلّاع المنابرِ غف

تاج المفاخر طلّاع المنابرِ غف

فار الحرائرِ سلطان السلاطينِ

فار الحرائرِ سلطان السلاطينِ

Crown of glories, frequent climber of pulpits, the great pro-

Crown of glories, ever ascending pulpits, protec—

tector of freeborn women, sultan of sultans!

—tor of noblewomen, sultan of sultans.

يا مَن شأى وتناهى طلق غايته

يا مَن شأى وتناهى طلق غايته

ميدانه سابق شأو الميادينِ

ميدانه سابق شأو الميادينِ

O you who have outstripped all and reached the utmost bound, unfettered in your aim—

O you who outstripped all, whose run to the goal reached its utmost,

your arena surpasses the furthest reach of every arena.

His course outstrips the reach of every other course.

إِن أنتَ جازَيت أملاك البلاد على

إِن أنتَ جازَيت أملاك البلاد على

كنتَ الجواد وكانوا كالبراذينِ

كنتَ الجواد وكانوا كالبراذينِ

If you raced the kings of the lands for supremacy,

If you rivaled the kings of the lands for high honors,

you would be the thoroughbred, and they mere packhorses.

You would be the thoroughbred, and they like packhorses.

إِن كنت أنفقتَ ما تحويه من سبدٍ

إِن كنت أنفقتَ ما تحويه من سبدٍ

فاِنعَم فما أنت في العليا بمغبونِ

فاِنعَم فما أنت في العليا بمغبونِ

If you have spent everything you possess, down to the last hair,

If you have spent whatever wealth you possess,

then rejoice: in lofty glory you have suffered no loss.

Then rejoice: in lofty honor you have suffered no loss.

كَم منزف ماله يأوي خزائنه

كَم منزف ماله يأوي خزائنه

وأنت مالُك ملقى غير مخزونِ

وأنت مالُك ملقى غير مخزونِ

How many a fair-minded man has wealth that takes refuge in his vaults,

How many a squanderer of his wealth retreats to his treasuries,

while your wealth lies freely cast forth, never hoarded.

While your wealth lies freely out, not hoarded.

وَلا يزين الفتى مالٌ يحوط به

وَلا يزين الفتى مالٌ يحوط به

بخلٌ ولو كان ماله مال قارونِ

بخلٌ ولو كان ماله مال قارونِ

Wealth with which a man walls himself in does not adorn him:

No wealth adorns a young man when around it

that is miserliness, though his wealth were Qārūn’s treasure.

Stinginess keeps guard, even if his wealth were Qarun's.