قِف بِالمعاهدِ مِن إضم

قِف بِالمعاهدِ مِن إضم

وَاِلثم سراها واِستلم

وَاِلثم سراها واِستلم

Stand by the old abodes at Iḍam,

Stop at the old haunts of Iḍam.

weep for her journey by night, and touch its traces reverently.

And kiss their heights and touch them reverently.

وَاِستعلم الأطلالَ عن

وَاِستعلم الأطلالَ عن

أَعلام ساكنةِ العَلَم

أَعلام ساكنةِ العَلَم

Ask the ruins about

And ask the ruins about

the landmarks of her who dwelt at al-ʿAlam:

the signs of her who dwells at al-ʿAlam:

غيداء أَحسن مَن مَشى

غيداء أَحسن مَن مَشى

فيما رأيتُ عَلى قَدم

فيما رأيتُ عَلى قَدم

a graceful maiden, fairer than any who has walked—

A graceful maiden, the fairest who walked

in all I have seen—upon two feet;

on foot, of all I have seen.

لَمياء ريقَتها جنا ال

لَمياء ريقَتها جنا ال

مَاذي وأنملها عَنم

مَاذي وأنملها عَنم

dark-lipped, her saliva the gathered nectar of

Dark-lipped, her saliva is gathered

pure honey, her fingertips red ʿanam berries;

white honey, and her fingertips are scarlet ʿanam fruit.

شمسٌ وما أَفلاكُها

شمسٌ وما أَفلاكُها

إلّا الهوادجُ والخيَم

إلّا الهوادجُ والخيَم

a sun whose celestial spheres are nothing

A sun whose orbits are

but camel-litters and tents.

only camel litters and tents.

لَو بعتُها نفسي بلث

لَو بعتُها نفسي بلث

مة ما تغشّته اللثم

مة ما تغشّته اللثم

Had my soul sent her a kiss,

If I sold her my soul for a kiss

no other kisses would ever have covered her;

upon what kisses have covered,

لَرأيتُ ذلكَ لي نجا

لَرأيتُ ذلكَ لي نجا

حاً لا يعارضهُ ندَم

حاً لا يعارضهُ ندَم

you would have deemed that, for me, a success

I would surely deem that a success for me,

opposed by no regret.

unopposed by any regret.

وَإِذا توقّد حرّ وج

وَإِذا توقّد حرّ وج

دي في حشائي واِضطرم

دي في حشائي واِضطرم

Whenever the heat of my longing kindled

And when the heat of my yearning flared

within my breast and fiercely blazed,

within my entrails and blazed,

لَم يطفه إلّا ترش

لَم يطفه إلّا ترش

شف ريقها العذبِ الشبم

شف ريقها العذبِ الشبم

nothing quenched it but sipping

nothing quenched it except sipping

her sweet, cool saliva.

her sweet, cool saliva.

وَلَقد كتمتُ وِدادها

وَلَقد كتمتُ وِدادها

منّي فباحَ وما اِنكتَم

منّي فباحَ وما اِنكتَم

Indeed, I concealed my love for her,

And I indeed concealed my love for her;

but it disclosed itself and would not stay concealed.

yet it spoke out from me and would not stay hidden.

ليلٌ عَلى صبحٍ على

ليلٌ عَلى صبحٍ على

غصنٍ ودعص مرتكم

غصنٍ ودعص مرتكم

Night upon dawn, resting upon

Night upon dawn, upon

a supple bough and a mounded dune.

a bough and a heaped-up sand mound.

صدّت وجادَ بِوصلِها

صدّت وجادَ بِوصلِها

في مَضجعي الطيفُ الملم

في مَضجعي الطيفُ الملم

She turned away—yet the visiting phantom freely granted me

She turned away, but union with her was bestowed

union with her in my bed,

in my bed by the visiting phantom.

والرَكبُ ذلك نائمٌ

والرَكبُ ذلك نائمٌ

مِنهم وَذلكَ لَم ينَم

مِنهم وَذلكَ لَم ينَم

while that caravan slept,

And among the riders, one was asleep,

save one among them who did not sleep,

while another had not slept.

وَأكفّهم ملويّة

وَأكفّهم ملويّة

بينَ المضاجعِ بالخطم

بينَ المضاجعِ بالخطم

their hands all busy

And their hands were wrapped

among bedrolls and camel nose-reins.

around the nose-reins among their sleeping places.

وَالليلُ قَد ولّى وعا

وَالليلُ قَد ولّى وعا

ثَ الشيبُ فيهِ والهرم

ثَ الشيبُ فيهِ والهرم

Night had already turned away; within it

And night had already departed, while

grayness and decrepit age ran riot.

gray hair and old age ravaged it.

فَلثمتُ منها مبسماً

فَلثمتُ منها مبسماً

مثلَ الجمانِ المُنتظم

مثلَ الجمانِ المُنتظم

Then I kissed from her a smiling mouth

So I kissed her smiling mouth,

like a string of ordered pearls.

like pearls strung in order.

قسماً بمبسمها وهل

قسماً بمبسمها وهل

مِن بعدِ ذلكَ لي قَسم

مِن بعدِ ذلكَ لي قَسم

I swear by her smile—and have I

I swear by her smiling mouth—and is there

any lot left after that?

any oath left for me after that?

لأجدّ في طلبِ العلا

لأجدّ في طلبِ العلا

إِن شاءَ لي الفردُ الحكَم

إِن شاءَ لي الفردُ الحكَم

I shall strive in pursuit of glory,

I shall surely strive in pursuit of glory,

if the One, the sovereign Judge, wills it for me.

if the One, the Judge, so wills for me.

وَالمرءُ نعمَ المرء من

وَالمرءُ نعمَ المرء من

ركبَ المهالكَ واِقتَحم

ركبَ المهالكَ واِقتَحم

Excellent indeed is the man

And a man—what a fine man is he who

who rides into deadly perils and storms them.

braves deadly perils and plunges in!

تَأبى لِنفسي شيمة

تَأبى لِنفسي شيمة

مِن أَن تسفَّ بيَ الهمَم

مِن أَن تسفَّ بيَ الهمَم

A trait within my soul refuses

A trait within my soul refuses

to stoop low among lofty aims.

to let my aspirations sink low with me.

ما كلُّ نارٍ نارُ مو

ما كلُّ نارٍ نارُ مو

سى حينَ تخفق بِالضرم

سى حينَ تخفق بِالضرم

Not every fire is the fire of Moses

Not every fire is the fire of Moses

when it flickers with blazing flame;

when it flickers ablaze.

كلّا وَلا كلّ البلا

كلّا وَلا كلّ البلا

دِ وإِن عَجبت بِها إرم

دِ وإِن عَجبت بِها إرم

certainly not—nor is every land,

No indeed, nor is every land

though you marvel at it, an Iram.

Iram, however much you marvel at it.

ما أليقَ الشرفَ الرفي

ما أليقَ الشرفَ الرفي

عَ بحميرٍ دونَ الأُمم

عَ بحميرٍ دونَ الأُمم

How fitting is lofty honor

How well lofty honor befits

for Himyar, above all other nations!

Himyar rather than the other nations!

ملكٌ سما أَعلى سما

ملكٌ سما أَعلى سما

وات المفاخرِ والكرَم

وات المفاخرِ والكرَم

A king who rose above the highest heavens

A king who rose to the highest heavens

of glory and generosity;

of glorious deeds and generosity.

شادَ بسمكِ علاه أم

شادَ بسمكِ علاه أم

لاك الأعاربِ والعجَم

لاك الأعاربِ والعجَم

the kings raised his eminence to the heights—

The height of his grandeur was extolled

kings of Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

by the kings of Arabs and non-Arabs.

ماء الحياةِ بِوَجنتي

ماء الحياةِ بِوَجنتي

هِ يجولُ في ماء الشبم

هِ يجولُ في ماء الشبم

The water of life is in his cheeks;

The water of life upon his cheeks

he ranges through the waters of noble qualities.

flows within cool water.

أَزكى ملوكِ الأرضِ أخ

أَزكى ملوكِ الأرضِ أخ

لاقاً وَأَوفاهم ذمَم

لاقاً وَأَوفاهم ذمَم

The purest of earth’s kings in character,

The noblest of earth's kings in character,

the most faithful of them to covenants;

and the most faithful of them to covenants.

بحرُ الفراتِ إذا عطى

بحرُ الفراتِ إذا عطى

ليثُ العرينِ إِذا اِنتَقم

ليثُ العرينِ إِذا اِنتَقم

an Euphrates-sea when he gives,

A sea of the Euphrates when he gives,

a lion of the lair when he takes vengeance.

a lion of the lair when he takes vengeance.

فَالجارُ في أمنٍ وفي

فَالجارُ في أمنٍ وفي

عزٍّ لديهِ وَفي حرم

عزٍّ لديهِ وَفي حرم

His neighbor dwells in safety and

Thus the neighbor is in safety and in

in honor beside him, within a sanctuary.

honor with him, and in sanctuary.

صمدٌ تسودد في عشي

صمدٌ تسودد في عشي

رتهِ وَما بلغَ الحلُم

رتهِ وَما بلغَ الحلُم

A lord who became chief among his kin

A lord sought for aid, he became chief of his clan

before he had reached manhood.

before he had reached manhood.

يا معقلَ المَلهوف إن

يا معقلَ المَلهوف إن

جمحَ الزمانُ أوِ اِغتَشم

جمحَ الزمانُ أوِ اِغتَشم

O refuge of the distressed, should

O refuge of the distressed, if

fortune bolt wildly or turn tyrannical!

time runs wild or deals unjustly!

هذي فضولٌ قد حبَا

هذي فضولٌ قد حبَا

كَ بِكَسبها باري النسم

كَ بِكَسبها باري النسم

These are stanzas: the Creator of souls

These are excellences whose attainment was bestowed

has favored you with the gift of composing them;

upon you by the Maker of souls.

وَإِليكها كالبردِ مط

وَإِليكها كالبردِ مط

طرزَ الحواشي وَالعلم

طرزَ الحواشي وَالعلم

here they are for you, like striped robes with

And here it is for you, like a cloak,

embroidered hems and distinctive markings.

embroidered along its borders and ornamental stripe.

ضَمِنت مَعاني لفظها

ضَمِنت مَعاني لفظها

حكماً تُضاف إِلى حِكَم

حكماً تُضاف إِلى حِكَم

Their wording encompasses meanings—

The meanings of its wording contain

maxims to be added to other maxims.

wise sayings added to wise sayings.