أَرى رسمَ سعدى في فؤادي راسما

أَرى رسمَ سعدى في فؤادي راسما

لَها وله رسمٌ ولم يكُ طاسما

لَها وله رسمٌ ولم يكُ طاسما

I see Saʿdā's trace engraved in my heart.

I see the drawing of Sa'diy in my heart drawing

A trace of her and of it remains, never effaced.

For her and for him a drawing, and he was not erasing

وَمُذ أَقفَرت منهُ المعالم غادرت

وَمُذ أَقفَرت منهُ المعالم غادرت

لها بينَ أثناءِ الضلوعِ معالما

لها بينَ أثناءِ الضلوعِ معالما

Since its landmarks grew desolate, she left behind

And since the landmarks were emptied of it, I left

traces of herself amid the folds of my ribs.

For her between the ribs landmarks

وَقفتُ بِها من بعد قطّانه فما

وَقفتُ بِها من بعد قطّانه فما

عرفت بهِ إلّا الثلاث الجواثما

عرفت بهِ إلّا الثلاث الجواثما

I stood there after its dwellers had gone, and could not

And I stood by her after her belt so I did not

recognize anything but the three crouching hearthstones.

Recognize it except the three prominences

رأيتُ وقوفي بالرسوم فريضةً

رأيتُ وقوفي بالرسوم فريضةً

فكنتُ بفرضي مدّة العيشِ قائما

فكنتُ بفرضي مدّة العيشِ قائما

I deemed my standing at the ruins an obligation,

I saw my standing at the drawings as an obligation

and throughout my life I have fulfilled that duty.

So I was in my duty the duration of life established

عشيّة بانَت منه سعدى فأسعرت

عشيّة بانَت منه سعدى فأسعرت

بِسوداء قلبي مِن لظى الوجدِ جاحما

بِسوداء قلبي مِن لظى الوجدِ جاحما

The evening Saʿdā departed from it, she kindled

An evening appeared from him Sa'diy so I kindled

in my heart's dark core a raging fire from longing's flames.

With the blackness of my heart from the blaze of passion flaming

وَقد أوجبَ البينُ المشتّت بيننا

وَقد أوجبَ البينُ المشتّت بيننا

وداعاً بنارِ البينِ للقلبِ واسما

وداعاً بنارِ البينِ للقلبِ واسما

The parting that scattered us had imposed upon us

And separation necessitated scattering between us

a farewell that branded the heart with separation's fire.

Farewell by the fire of separation to the heart and deafening

برهرهة تَشكو الخلاخيلُ ساقها

برهرهة تَشكو الخلاخيلُ ساقها

كَما يَشتكي منها الإزارُ المآكما

كَما يَشتكي منها الإزارُ المآكما

A tender, voluptuous woman: her anklets complain of her calf,

With tinkling anklets complaining of her legs

as her waist-wrap complains of her buttocks.

As her gown complains of constriction enveloping

وَقد ظلمت منها الروادفُ خصرها

وَقد ظلمت منها الروادفُ خصرها

كَما كانَ لي من هجرها الحكم ظالما

كَما كانَ لي من هجرها الحكم ظالما

Her haunches have oppressed her waist,

And she has wronged her buttocks by separation

as the judgment of her estrangement was unjust to me.

As the judgment of her abandonment was to me unjust

تثنّت قضيباً في ضحىً فوقهُ دجىً

تثنّت قضيباً في ضحىً فوقهُ دجىً

ودعصاً وأنبوباً من الساق فاعما

ودعصاً وأنبوباً من الساق فاعما

She swayed like a branch in morning light, with darkness above it,

She bent a slender shape in the morning over which was gloom

and like a sand dune, with a calf like a full, rounded tube.

And a staff and tubes from the leg direct

أَطعت هَواها مُذ كلفتُ بحبّها

أَطعت هَواها مُذ كلفتُ بحبّها

وخالفتُ فيها عذّلي واللوائما

وخالفتُ فيها عذّلي واللوائما

I obeyed my passion for her since her love enthralled me,

I obeyed her desire since I was burdened with her love

and for her defied my censurers and reproachers.

And I opposed in her my blamer and critics

وحكّمته في ذاتِ نَفسي وإن يكن

وحكّمته في ذاتِ نَفسي وإن يكن

عليَّ بحكمِ الجورِ في الحكمِ حاكما

عليَّ بحكمِ الجورِ في الحكمِ حاكما

And I made it arbiter over my very soul, even if

And I made it judge in myself even if it was

it ruled against me unjustly in its judgments.

On me the rule of injustice in the ruling a ruler

أَحومُ إِلى بردِ الرضابِ فأَنثني

أَحومُ إِلى بردِ الرضابِ فأَنثني

بخفّي حنينٍ كلّما جئت حائما

بخفّي حنينٍ كلّما جئت حائما

I hover toward the coolness of her saliva, then turn back

I wander to the coldness of the hill and I incline

with Ḥunayn's two slippers—empty-handed—whenever I come hovering.

With the yearning every time I came confused

سَقى اللّه أطلالَ الأبيرق بارقاً

سَقى اللّه أطلالَ الأبيرق بارقاً

هتوناً وأرجاً للغمومِ غمائما

هتوناً وأرجاً للغمومِ غمائما

May God water the ruins of al-Ubayriq with a lightning-bearing cloud,

Allah watered the ruins of the meadows with a flood

pouring and fragrant, with clouds to soothe sorrows.

Delicate and aromatic for the sorrows clouds

وَألبسها مِن رفرفِ الوشيِ حلّة

وَألبسها مِن رفرفِ الوشيِ حلّة

مكلّلة ًدرّاً تفوحُ لطائما

مكلّلة ًدرّاً تفوحُ لطائما

And clothe them in a robe of fluttering brocade,

And clothed it from the fluttering of splendor a dress

crowned with pearls and wafting perfumes.

Bejeweled with pearls diffusing fragrance

إِذا ما سَرى ساري النسيم رأيتهُ

إِذا ما سَرى ساري النسيم رأيتهُ

يُصافح منها زهرها والكمائما

يُصافح منها زهرها والكمائما

Whenever the night-wandering breeze passes, I see it

When the banner of the breeze goes I see it

shaking hands with their blossoms and buds.

Greeting its flowers and buds

وَدرٌّ نفيسٌ جوهريٌّ منَ الثنا

وَدرٌّ نفيسٌ جوهريٌّ منَ الثنا

لهُ كنت في سلك البديهةِ ناظما

لهُ كنت في سلك البديهةِ ناظما

And precious, gemlike pearls of praise

And precious refined pearls of splendor

I strung for him on the thread of improvisation.

For which I was in the realm of creation a poet

ضَننتُ بهِ عن كلّ لحز ولم أكن

ضَننتُ بهِ عن كلّ لحز ولم أكن

أقلّده في الناس إلّا الأكارما

أقلّده في الناس إلّا الأكارما

I withheld them from every miser, and would not

I was stingy to share it with anyone abject and I was not

adorn anyone with them but the noblest of men.

Imitating it among the people except the generous

سَآنف نَفسي أينَما كنت زارني

سَآنف نَفسي أينَما كنت زارني

على طمعٍ للأرذلين منادِما

على طمعٍ للأرذلين منادِما

I shall scorn myself wherever I am [“he visited me” is unclear here],

I blame myself wherever I was, I was visited

a boon companion to the basest out of greed.

Hoping for the despicable to be a drinking companion

لَعمري إنّي لست أَخشى خصاصة

لَعمري إنّي لست أَخشى خصاصة

وَلا قوصة ما دامَ سالمُ سالما

وَلا قوصة ما دامَ سالمُ سالما

By my life, I do not fear poverty,

By my life, I do not fear scarcity

nor want, as long as Sālim remains safe.

Or lack as long as peace is safe

فتىً أخصَبت كفّاه أنواء مربعي

فتىً أخصَبت كفّاه أنواء مربعي

فَأضحت بهِ الآمالُ منّي شوايما

فَأضحت بهِ الآمالُ منّي شوايما

A youth whose two hands made the rains of my spring abode abundant,

A youth whose palm blossomed clouds of favor

so that through him my hopes became watchers of lightning.

So that hopes from me for him became aspirations

جَرى في ميادينِ المحامد يانعاً

جَرى في ميادينِ المحامد يانعاً

فعقّب أهليها علا ومكارما

فعقّب أهليها علا ومكارما

He ran, flourishing, through the arenas of praiseworthy deeds,

He flowed in the battlefields of praise thriving

succeeding their masters in eminence and generosity.

So his people followed him high and with generosity

أَناملهُ تَحكي إذا ما تبعّقت

أَناملهُ تَحكي إذا ما تبعّقت

سحائبها وطف السحاب السواجما

سحائبها وطف السحاب السواجما

His fingertips, when their clouds gush forth, resemble

His fingers tell when they move

the dense, drooping clouds that pour their rain.

Its clouds and the fine rain poured forth

برقت فويق القلب همّة قلبهِ

برقت فويق القلب همّة قلبهِ

وَعفّت بسمكِ المجد منه النعايما

وَعفّت بسمكِ المجد منه النعايما

His heart's aspiration flashed just above al-Qalb, the Heart-star,

The heart was struck by the splendor of his heart

and with his towering glory eclipsed al-Naʿāʾim, the Ostriches.

And the banners of glory hung from him

أَلا أيّها الغيثُ الّذي شمته نداً

أَلا أيّها الغيثُ الّذي شمته نداً

خلب أضحى لمن جاء شايما

خلب أضحى لمن جاء شايما

O raincloud whose bounty I watched for,

Behold O clouds whose origin I smelled an aroma

now deceptive to anyone who comes watching for rain.

That stole the morning and to the one who came a defamer

وَمَن جعلَ المعروف في كلّ قبلةٍ

وَمَن جعلَ المعروف في كلّ قبلةٍ

على نفسهِ فرضاً منَ اللّه لازما

على نفسهِ فرضاً منَ اللّه لازما

And you who made good deeds, in every direction,

And who made benevolence in every meeting

a binding obligation upon yourself from God,

On himself an obligation from Allah binding

أَقمتَ بسمكِ المجدِ منك قواعداً

أَقمتَ بسمكِ المجدِ منك قواعداً

وَأَسمكتَ منه في السماءِ الدعائما

وَأَسمكتَ منه في السماءِ الدعائما

you have laid foundations for your towering glory,

You established with the glory of splendor from you pillars

and raised its pillars into the sky.

And you made it fast in the sky tent pegs

وَعقّبت قعقاع بن شور بن خالد

وَعقّبت قعقاع بن شور بن خالد

وَمَن قَد حمى رجلَ الجرادِ وحاتما

وَمَن قَد حمى رجلَ الجرادِ وحاتما

And you have followed Qaʿqāʿ ibn Shawr ibn Khālid,

And you followed Qa'qaa bin Shur bin Khalid

and him who protected the locust swarm, and Ḥātim.

And the one who protected the foot of locusts and a ring

وَقد كادَ وجهُ البدرِ من أفق السما

وَقد كادَ وجهُ البدرِ من أفق السما

يخرُّ إِلى تقبيلِ نعليك لاثِما

يخرُّ إِلى تقبيلِ نعليك لاثِما

The full moon's face, from heaven's horizon, almost

The full moon from the horizon of the sky almost

falls down to kiss your sandals, pressing its lips to them.

Bowing down to kiss your slipper smooth