أَلا غنّيا بالعامرية واِطربِ

أَلا غنّيا بالعامرية واِطربِ

وَهاتِ لنا شرح اللوى والمحصّبِ

وَهاتِ لنا شرح اللوى والمحصّبِ

Come, sing of al-ʿAmiriyya, and rejoice.

Sing joyfully of Al-Aamiriya and be delighted

And bring us an account of al-Liwa and al-Muhassab.

And bring us the explanation of intimacy and celebration

وَجدّد لنا عصرَ الصبا واِرث ما مضى

وَجدّد لنا عصرَ الصبا واِرث ما مضى

وَخُذ في أغاريد النشيد وشبّبِ

وَخُذ في أغاريد النشيد وشبّبِ

Renew for us the age of youth, and mourn what has passed.

And renew for us the era of youth and inherit what is past

Begin the song's melodious strains, and sing of love.

And embark upon singing melodies and make them subtle

أغاريد من شعرِ الوليدِ وجرولٍ

أغاريد من شعرِ الوليدِ وجرولٍ

وَغيلان والمجنون وابن المقرّبِ

وَغيلان والمجنون وابن المقرّبِ

Strains from the verse of al-Walid and Jarwal,

Melodies from the poetry of Al-Waleed and Jarwal

And Ghaylan, al-Majnun, and Ibn al-Muqarrab.

And Ghailan and Majnun and Ibn Al-Muqarrab

فَإنّي رأيتُ اللهوَ عذباً لدى الهوى

فَإنّي رأيتُ اللهوَ عذباً لدى الهوى

وَمَهما يَكُن مِن ديدن الحبّ يعذبِ

وَمَهما يَكُن مِن ديدن الحبّ يعذبِ

For I have found diversion sweet amid love,

For I have seen pleasure to be sweet in passion

And whatever belongs to love's ways becomes sweet.

And whatever the way of love is, it torments

وَيا عاذلاً مهلاً ورفقاً لمدنفٍ

وَيا عاذلاً مهلاً ورفقاً لمدنفٍ

مَتى يلحه اللّاحي يحنّ وينحبِ

مَتى يلحه اللّاحي يحنّ وينحبِ

O reproacher, be gentle and kind to one sick with love;

And O critic, wait and be gentle to one who is blamed

Whenever the scolder rebukes him, he moans and sobs.

When the blamer assails him, he sighs and weeps

فَما حيلَتي في سؤلِ قَلبي أَأَنثَني

فَما حيلَتي في سؤلِ قَلبي أَأَنثَني

أغنّى بِأَسما أَو أغنّى بزينبِ

أغنّى بِأَسما أَو أغنّى بزينبِ

What recourse have I against my heart's desire? Can I turn away

What can I do about the question of my heart, shall I bend it

While sung to of Asma, or sung to of Zaynab?

Sing about Asma or shall I sing about Zainab

أَلا إِنّما كلتاهما صارتا غداً

أَلا إِنّما كلتاهما صارتا غداً

عذاباً لقلب المستهام المعذّبِ

عذاباً لقلب المستهام المعذّبِ

Ah, both have become nothing but tomorrow's

Lo, both of them have become tomorrow

Torment for the heart of the love-stricken, tormented man.

Torment to the swooning, tormented heart

فَهاذي لها نصفٌ ونصف لهذهِ

فَهاذي لها نصفٌ ونصف لهذهِ

أَلا فاِعجبي يا نفسُ كلّ التعجّبِ

أَلا فاِعجبي يا نفسُ كلّ التعجّبِ

So this one has half, and half belongs to this other one;

So this one has a half and that one has a half

Ah, marvel, my soul, with all your wonder!

Lo, O soul, have all the astonishment

فَنصفٌ غدا في ظعن حيٍّ مشرّق

فَنصفٌ غدا في ظعن حيٍّ مشرّق

ونصفٌ غدا في ظعن حيّ مغرّبِ

ونصفٌ غدا في ظعن حيّ مغرّبِ

One half went with the departing caravan of a tribe bound east,

So one half has become tomorrow in the bosom of a living radiant one

And one half went with the departing caravan of a tribe bound west.

And one half has become tomorrow in the bosom of a living veiled one

وَكم ظاعنٍ في الظاعنينَ مقوّض

وَكم ظاعنٍ في الظاعنينَ مقوّض

من الربعِ في سوداءِ قلبي مطنبِ

من الربعِ في سوداءِ قلبي مطنبِ

How many a traveler among the departing strikes his tent,

And how many wounds in the two wounded ones are festering

Leaving the camp, yet pitching it in the dark core of my heart.

In the chambers of my black heart, bloodied

وَساقية تسقي بكأسٍ وَقولها

وَساقية تسقي بكأسٍ وَقولها

أَلا صل الصهباءَ في الكأسِ واِشربِ

أَلا صل الصهباءَ في الكأسِ واِشربِ

And a cupbearer serves drink in a cup, saying:

And a cupbearer who offers a cup saying

Come, keep the tawny wine flowing in the cup, and drink!

“Drink the pale drink in the cup and enjoy”

تُدير علينا قهوةً ذات نشوةٍ

تُدير علينا قهوةً ذات نشوةٍ

مِنَ الخمرِ لَم تُمزَج بماءٍ فتقطبِ

مِنَ الخمرِ لَم تُمزَج بماءٍ فتقطبِ

She passes round to us wine that brings intoxication,

She makes for us coffee of an intoxicating delight

Wine unmixed with water that would make you scowl.

Not mixed with water, so it is thickened

وَتَحسبها إِن نضّت الكأس كوكباً

وَتَحسبها إِن نضّت الكأس كوكباً

مِنَ التبرِ يَسعى للنديم بكوكبِ

مِنَ التبرِ يَسعى للنديم بكوكبِ

You would take her, when she drains the cup, for a star

And if she shakes the cup you’d think it a planet

Of gold, approaching the drinking companion with a star.

Of amber, racing to the companion as a planet

إِذا ما أَدارت كأسَها الخمر مرّةً

إِذا ما أَدارت كأسَها الخمر مرّةً

ثَنته بِمعسولِ المجاجةِ أشنبِ

ثَنته بِمعسولِ المجاجةِ أشنبِ

Whenever she passes her cup of wine round once,

When she turns her cup of wine once

She follows it with honey-sweet saliva from her cool, white-toothed mouth.

She softens it with the sweetness of fruit syrup

وَتَسمح لي من ظلّها ورضابها

وَتَسمح لي من ظلّها ورضابها

بِأبرد مِن ماء الغمام وأعذبِ

بِأبرد مِن ماء الغمام وأعذبِ

She grants me, from her shade and the moisture of her lips,

And she allows me of her shade and pleasure

Something cooler than cloud-water, and sweeter.

The coolest of cloud water and the sweetest

وَإِن رمت تقبيلاً لِعقرب صدغها

وَإِن رمت تقبيلاً لِعقرب صدغها

حَسبت لها في القلبِ لسعة عقربِ

حَسبت لها في القلبِ لسعة عقربِ

And if I seek to kiss the scorpion-lock at her temple,

And if she throws a kiss to the scorpion of her cheek

I imagine a scorpion's sting from her within my heart.

I reckoned for her in the heart the sting of a scorpion

لَهوتُ بها أيّام لا الدهر عابسٌ

لَهوتُ بها أيّام لا الدهر عابسٌ

وَلا مسرحُ اللذّات فينا بمجذبِ

وَلا مسرحُ اللذّات فينا بمجذبِ

I made merry with her in days when time did not frown,

I sported with her days without gloom

Nor was the pasture of pleasures among us barren.

Nor was the theater of pleasures among us plundered

وَإِذ أنا غربيب الذوايبِ إن رنت

وَإِذ أنا غربيب الذوايبِ إن رنت

إِلى الخرّدِ البيض نادت بمرحبِ

إِلى الخرّدِ البيض نادت بمرحبِ

And when my tresses were raven-black, whenever I gazed

And when I, a stranger to loves, moaned

Toward fair, shy maidens, they cried, 'Welcome!'

To the little white gazelles they called out “welcome!”

بلوتُ وفتّشتُ الأنامَ جميعهم

بلوتُ وفتّشتُ الأنامَ جميعهم

وَجرّبت مِنهم كلّ من لم يجرّبِ

وَجرّبت مِنهم كلّ من لم يجرّبِ

I have tested and searched out all mankind,

I experienced and searched all the people

And tried every one of them who had not been tried.

And tried from them everyone who was not tried

وَأصبحتُ أقرى في قبيلي ومعشري

وَأصبحتُ أقرى في قبيلي ومعشري

منَ الغيبِ ما لم يقر قلبي ويكتبِ

منَ الغيبِ ما لم يقر قلبي ويكتبِ

And among my tribe and my people I now read

And I became more well-versed in my tribe and company

From the unseen what my heart has neither read nor written.

Than the unseen that my heart did not read and write

ولا غروَ إِن كانت محل محلتي

ولا غروَ إِن كانت محل محلتي

وَقَد صغرت من عظمِ شأني ومذهبِ

وَقَد صغرت من عظمِ شأني ومذهبِ

And no wonder if my dwelling-place was barren,

And no wonder that my abode became my abode

And had grown small beside the greatness of my standing and my course.

When my stature had diminished from the greatness of my purpose and creed

فَإِنّ رسولَ اللّه قد حلّ بعدما

فَإِنّ رسولَ اللّه قد حلّ بعدما

تمنّته أمصارُ البلاد بيثربِ

تمنّته أمصارُ البلاد بيثربِ

For God's Messenger settled—after

For the Messenger of God had settled after

The cities of the lands had longed for him—in Yathrib.

The regions of the lands longed for him in Yathrib

ولمّا رَأيتُ الدهرَ يَقرع سروتي

ولمّا رَأيتُ الدهرَ يَقرع سروتي

وفرّق أَحبابي وكدّر مشربِ

وفرّق أَحبابي وكدّر مشربِ

And when I saw time battering my lofty crest,

And when I saw time hitting my throats

Scattering my loved ones and muddying my drink,

And separating my loved ones and muddying my watering place

رَحلت مَطايا العزمِ في صحصحِ الدجا

رَحلت مَطايا العزمِ في صحصحِ الدجا

إِلى ملكٍ يَنمو إلى آل يشجبِ

إِلى ملكٍ يَنمو إلى آل يشجبِ

I saddled the mounts of resolve on the open plain of darkness,

I mounted the camels of determination into the darkness of night

Toward a king descended from the house of Yashjub,

To a growing kingdom, of the family of Yashjub

إِلى ملكٍ مِن آل نَبهان شكلهُ

إِلى ملكٍ مِن آل نَبهان شكلهُ

مَدى الدهرِ في الأملاكِ عتقا مغرّبِ

مَدى الدهرِ في الأملاكِ عتقا مغرّبِ

Toward a king of the house of Nabhan, whose equal

To a kingdom from the family of Nabhan, whose likeness

Among kings, through all time, is an elusive phoenix.

Throughout the ages among kingdoms, most magnificent

إِلى كوكبِ العليا فلاح بن محسن

إِلى كوكبِ العليا فلاح بن محسن

إِلى بدرِ قحطان إلى شمس يعربِ

إِلى بدرِ قحطان إلى شمس يعربِ

Toward the star of high glory, Falah ibn Muhsin,

To the star of the high, Faisal bin Mohsen

Toward Qahtan's full moon, toward Yaʿrub's sun.

To the full moon of Qahtan, to the sun of Ya'rub

فَأَضحى رَجائي فيه يرعى مسارِحاً

فَأَضحى رَجائي فيه يرعى مسارِحاً

بروق يروض للسماحةِ مخصبِ

بروق يروض للسماحةِ مخصبِ

So my hope in him came to graze in pastures

So my hopes in him came to shepherd meadows

Of lightning, in generosity's fertile meadow.

Lightning taming for munificence, fertile land

وَأطلقت أَبكارَ المدائحِ كلّها

وَأطلقت أَبكارَ المدائحِ كلّها

وَخالعت منّي هبة المتأهّبِ

وَخالعت منّي هبة المتأهّبِ

And I unleashed all my virgin songs of praise,

And I released the first fruits of all praise

And cast off from myself the awe of one bracing himself.

And stripped off from me the gift of the one preparing

وَأَصبحتُ مِن بين البريّة واثقاً

وَأَصبحتُ مِن بين البريّة واثقاً

بِأفصح مِن سحبانَ نطقاً وأخطبِ

بِأفصح مِن سحبانَ نطقاً وأخطبِ

And among all mankind I have come to place my trust

And I became among the wilderness, trusting

In one more eloquent of speech than Sahban, and a finer orator;

In more eloquent than Suhban in speech and sermon

وأسمح من كعب زمانه في الندا

وأسمح من كعب زمانه في الندا

وأفرس من زيد الجياد وأدربِ

وأفرس من زيد الجياد وأدربِ

More generous in bounty than the Kaʿb of his age,

And more generous than Ka'b in his time in help

A finer horseman than Zayd al-Jiyad, and more seasoned;

And finer than Zayd's steeds and most trained

وَأشرق مِن شمسِ البلاد وبدرها

وَأشرق مِن شمسِ البلاد وبدرها

وَأثقل مِن قدس ورضوى وكبكبِ

وَأثقل مِن قدس ورضوى وكبكبِ

More radiant than the land's sun and full moon,

And more brilliant than the sun of the lands and their full moon

And weightier than Quds, Radwa, and Kabkab.

And weightier than holiness, satisfaction, and solidity

تُناط العلا منه بأروع ماجدٍ

تُناط العلا منه بأروع ماجدٍ

كريمِ الأيادي حول القلب قلّبِ

كريمِ الأيادي حول القلب قلّبِ

In him, high glory hangs upon a splendid, noble man,

High ambitions are entrusted in him in the finest conquests

Generous in benefactions, astute of heart and resourceful.

Bountiful, turning hearts over and over

إِذا نحنُ آسنّا سنا برق جودهِ

إِذا نحنُ آسنّا سنا برق جودهِ

وَشمناه شِمنا صادقاً غير خلّبِ

وَشمناه شِمنا صادقاً غير خلّبِ

Whenever we perceive the gleam of his bounty's lightning,

When we seek help, we seek the lightning of his munificence

And watch it for rain, we find it true, not rainless.

And smell him, sincerely smelling, not perfidious

هِزبر ولا غابات غير عواسلٍ

هِزبر ولا غابات غير عواسلٍ

مراكبهُ فيها أَسنّة قعضبِ

مراكبهُ فيها أَسنّة قعضبِ

A lion, with no thickets but swaying spears;

Swords but not forests other than lions

His mounts within them are the spearheads of Qaʿdab.

His ships among them fangs of carnivores

أَلا أيّها الشعر الّذي أَنا قائلٌ

أَلا أيّها الشعر الّذي أَنا قائلٌ

وَمبتدعٌ في نظمهِ المتركّبِ

وَمبتدعٌ في نظمهِ المتركّبِ

Ah, O poem that I utter,

Lo, O poetry I am the one saying

And fashion anew in its interwoven composition:

And innovating in its intricate composition

هَنيئاً لك الكفؤ الّذي أنت لايق

هَنيئاً لك الكفؤ الّذي أنت لايق

بِه فأجزن في كلّ شرق ومغربِ

بِه فأجزن في كلّ شرق ومغربِ

Blessed are you with the worthy match you are suited

Congratulations to you for the accomplice fitting for you

To; now range through every east and west!

So reward me in every east and west

وَطالَ بهِ في كلّ دستٍ ومحفلٍ

وَطالَ بهِ في كلّ دستٍ ومحفلٍ

وجرّر ذيولَ التيهِ والعجب واِسحبِ

وجرّر ذيولَ التيهِ والعجب واِسحبِ

And through him it rose high at every dais and gathering;

And continue through every land and gathering

And drag the trains of pride and self-admiration; let them trail.

And drag the trains of bewilderment and wonder and pull

إِليكَ أَبا سلطان كم هجرت وكم

إِليكَ أَبا سلطان كم هجرت وكم

سَرت بي أمون السير في كلّ سبسبِ

سَرت بي أمون السير في كلّ سبسبِ

Toward you, Abu Sultan—how often I traveled at midday, and how often

To you, Abu Sultan, how much I have abandoned and how much

A dependable she-camel carried me across every open waste!

The sawing of travel has moved me in every Sabsab

وَهاكَ منَ الشعرِ الغريبِ غريبه

وَهاكَ منَ الشعرِ الغريبِ غريبه

أتَت من غريبٍ ليس هو بيغرّبِ

أتَت من غريبٍ ليس هو بيغرّبِ

And take this rare piece of rare poetry:

And here is from poetry its strangest strangeness

It came from a stranger who is not estranged.

That came from a stranger who is not becoming estranged

أتاكَ وصرف الدهرِ يعرف عضوه

أتاكَ وصرف الدهرِ يعرف عضوه

ويلبسه من خطبه ثوب غيهبِ

ويلبسه من خطبه ثوب غيهبِ

He came to you, while time's vicissitudes knew his limbs

It came to you though the era knows its member

And clothed him, from their calamities, in a garment of deep darkness.

And dresses it from its situations in the garb of perplexity

وَلم ير بعد اللّه إلّاك ناقداً

وَلم ير بعد اللّه إلّاك ناقداً

لَه مِن شبا ظفر وناب ومخلبِ

لَه مِن شبا ظفر وناب ومخلبِ

And after God, he saw none but you to rescue

And it saw none other than you as critic

Him from the sharp points of nail, fang, and claw.

For it among the youths, fingers, canines, and claws