صرّح حَديثكَ في الأحبَّةِ واِنشدِ

صرّح حَديثكَ في الأحبَّةِ واِنشدِ

وَأَعِد لنا ذكرَ الخليطِ وجدّدِ

وَأَعِد لنا ذكرَ الخليطِ وجدّدِ

Make plain your tale of the beloved, and recite,

Speak frankly of the loved ones and recite verse,

and recall for us the companions once more; renew their memory.

And remind us again of the tryst and renew the memory,

وَاِغزل بِخولة والمطيلع جهرةً

وَاِغزل بِخولة والمطيلع جهرةً

لا بِالربابِ ولا ببرقةِ ثهمدِ

لا بِالربابِ ولا ببرقةِ ثهمدِ

and sing love verses openly of Khawla and al-Muṭayliʿ,

And sing of Khawla and dawn's first glow,

not of al-Rabāb, nor of Burqat Thahmad.

Not with the rabab nor the muted strings,

وَاِذكر مُخاطَبَتي لَها يومَ النوى

وَاِذكر مُخاطَبَتي لَها يومَ النوى

يومَ اِنثنَت بِتعطُّفٍ وتودّدِ

يومَ اِنثنَت بِتعطُّفٍ وتودّدِ

And recall my words to her on the day of parting,

And remember my conversing with her the day we parted,

the day she turned with tenderness and affection,

The day she softened towards me with affection and friendship,

يَومَ اِلتَقينا للوداعِ وَقَد بَدت

يَومَ اِلتَقينا للوداعِ وَقَد بَدت

مِنها محاسنُ خدّها المتورّدِ

مِنها محاسنُ خدّها المتورّدِ

the day we met to bid farewell, when there appeared

The day we met for farewell, and the beauties of her cheek appeared,

the beauty of her rosy cheek.

Blushing in the freshness of youth,

أَخَذت بعاتق منكبي وتَمايَلت

أَخَذت بعاتق منكبي وتَمايَلت

بِقَوامِها المتهزّعِ المتأوّدِ

بِقَوامِها المتهزّعِ المتأوّدِ

She clasped the top of my shoulder and swayed

She clasped my shoulders and swayed

with her swaying, gracefully bending figure.

With her slender, delicate form,

وَتَشبّثت فرقاً لأعطافي وقد

وَتَشبّثت فرقاً لأعطافي وقد

أَخَذت أنامل كفّها بمهنّدِ

أَخَذت أنامل كفّها بمهنّدِ

And in fear she clung to my sides, while

And clung to the locks of my hair while

her hand's fingertips clasped a sword of Indian steel.

Her fingers grasped my necklace,

وَتكادُ نارُ الوجدِ تسعر بيننا

وَتكادُ نارُ الوجدِ تسعر بيننا

مِن وَجدنا المتسعّرِ المتوقّدِ

مِن وَجدنا المتسعّرِ المتوقّدِ

And the fire of longing almost blazed between us,

And the fires of passion almost ignited between us

from our blazing, burning passion.

From our fervent, burning desire,

يا حبَّها يا حبَّها إِذ أَقبَلت

يا حبَّها يا حبَّها إِذ أَقبَلت

في بردِ ريعانِ الشبابِ الأغيدِ

في بردِ ريعانِ الشبابِ الأغيدِ

Ah, how dear she was, how dear, as she approached,

Oh, how I loved her when she approached

in the mantle of graceful youth's bloom.

In the chill of budding youth's first bloom,

بَرَزت لَنا مِن خدرها فكأنّما

بَرَزت لَنا مِن خدرها فكأنّما

شمسٌ تجلَّت في بروجِ الأسعدِ

شمسٌ تجلَّت في بروجِ الأسعدِ

She emerged before us from her secluded chamber, as though

She emerged from her tent, and it was as though

a sun shone forth in the most auspicious zodiacal mansions.

A sun dawned in the mansions of good fortune,

دعصٌ وغصنٌ تحت صبحٍ أبيضٍ

دعصٌ وغصنٌ تحت صبحٍ أبيضٍ

مِن تحتِ ليلٍ مدلهمٍّ أسودِ

مِن تحتِ ليلٍ مدلهمٍّ أسودِ

A sand dune and a bough beneath a white dawn,

A branch and bough beneath a white dawn

from beneath a pitch-dark, black night.

From beneath a dark, gloomy night,

خود إِذا قال الشباب لها اِنهضي

خود إِذا قال الشباب لها اِنهضي

قالَت رَوادفُها اِستقرّي واِقعدِ

قالَت رَوادفُها اِستقرّي واِقعدِ

A tender maiden: when youth told her, 'Rise,'

If youth said to her, "Arise!"

her haunches said, 'Stay still and sit.'

Her mounts would say, "Stay still and sit."

غيداء يَغشاها البياضُ بحمرةٍ

غيداء يَغشاها البياضُ بحمرةٍ

مثل اللّجينِ مموَّهاً بالعسجدِ

مثل اللّجينِ مموَّهاً بالعسجدِ

A graceful beauty, her whiteness tinged with red,

A smooth-cheeked beauty veiled in redness

like silver overlaid with gold.

Like polished swords gilded with gold,

وَلَها قوامٌ إِن مَشت تهتزّ في

وَلَها قوامٌ إِن مَشت تهتزّ في

بردِ الصِبا مثلَ القضيب الأملدِ

بردِ الصِبا مثلَ القضيب الأملدِ

And she has a figure—when she walks, she sways in

When she walked, her figure would sway

the mantle of youth, like a supple branch.

In the north wind like a pliant spear,

تَلك الّتي خالفتُ فيها ناصحي

تَلك الّتي خالفتُ فيها ناصحي

وَعصيتُ فيها عاذلي ومفنّدِ

وَعصيتُ فيها عاذلي ومفنّدِ

She is the one for whose sake I defied my adviser,

She whom I disobeyed my advisors for

and disobeyed my reproacher and my faultfinder.

And defied those who would forbid me from her,

وَغرائب يَحتال فيها خاطري

وَغرائب يَحتال فيها خاطري

وَيُذيعها بينَ المحافل مذودِ

وَيُذيعها بينَ المحافل مذودِ

And wondrous verses in which my mind works its craft,

Marvels which preoccupy my thoughts

and which my tongue proclaims among the gatherings,

And which I broadcast in the thronged assemblies,

أَهديتهنَّ بضائعاً منّي إِلى الز

أَهديتهنَّ بضائعاً منّي إِلى الز

زاكي عديّ التبّعيِّ المحتدِ

زاكي عديّ التبّعيِّ المحتدِ

I offered as wares from me to the

I sent her gifts from me to the most

virtuous ʿAdiyy, of Tubbaʿī lineage,

Virtuous, highborn, and refined,

عالي المَعالي أمجدٌ وَرِث العلا

عالي المَعالي أمجدٌ وَرِث العلا

عَن أمجدٍ عن أمجدٍ عن أمجدِ

عَن أمجدٍ عن أمجدٍ عن أمجدِ

lofty in honors, most illustrious, inheriting eminence

Most noble and illustrious Amjad inherited nobility

from one most illustrious, from one most illustrious, from one most illustrious.

From the exalted line of Amjad, from Amjad, from Amjad,

ملكٌ لهُ شرفٌ علَت وتصعّدت

ملكٌ لهُ شرفٌ علَت وتصعّدت

دَرَجاتهُ مِن فوقِ نجم الفرقدِ

دَرَجاتهُ مِن فوقِ نجم الفرقدِ

A king whose honor has risen and soared,

A king whose precedence ascended

its ranks above the star al-Farqad.

Beyond the star Canopus in eminence,

قابلتهُ في دستهِ فكأنّهُ

قابلتهُ في دستهِ فكأنّهُ

قَمرٌ منيرٌ في النوادي منتدِ

قَمرٌ منيرٌ في النوادي منتدِ

I met him on his throne, and he was like

I met him, and in his hand he was like

a radiant moon, seated among the assemblies.

A shining moon amidst the gatherings,

وَشهدتُ هالتهُ وقد حفّت بهِ ال

وَشهدتُ هالتهُ وقد حفّت بهِ ال

أنوارُ من إجلالهِ في المشهدِ

أنوارُ من إجلالهِ في المشهدِ

And I beheld his halo, while around him clustered the

And I witnessed his aura, encircled by

lights of reverence for him in the assembly.

The lights of reverence in his court,

وَسَأَلتهُ فسألتُ بحراً مزبداً

وَسَأَلتهُ فسألتُ بحراً مزبداً

يطمى على البحر الخضمِّ المزبدِ

يطمى على البحر الخضمِّ المزبدِ

And I petitioned him, thus petitioning a foaming sea,

And I asked him, and I asked a frothing sea

that swells above the vast, foaming sea.

That foams over the vast, swelling main,

أَهدى إليكَ منَ الثناء بضائعاً

أَهدى إليكَ منَ الثناء بضائعاً

أبداً مدى أوقاتِها لم تكسدِ

أبداً مدى أوقاتِها لم تكسدِ

He offered you wares of praise,

He gifted you praiseworthy gifts

never left unsold throughout all their days.

Whose value will never diminish through time,

لَم يطمئنَّ القلبُ إلّا إن رأت

لَم يطمئنَّ القلبُ إلّا إن رأت

عيناهُ غرّة وجهك الطلق الندِ

عيناهُ غرّة وجهك الطلق الندِ

His heart found no peace unless it beheld

My heart is not content unless my eyes see

with his eyes the radiance of your smiling, dewy face.

The radiance of your bright, genial face,

وافا جَنابك وَالزمانُ يروعهُ

وافا جَنابك وَالزمانُ يروعهُ

مِن صرفهِ بتهدُّدٍ وتوعُّدِ

مِن صرفهِ بتهدُّدٍ وتوعُّدِ

He came to your presence while Time terrified him,

Come near, while time menaces you

through its reversals, with threats and menaces.

With fickleness and threats,

أَنتَ الوحيدُ وحيدُ عصركَ في العلا

أَنتَ الوحيدُ وحيدُ عصركَ في العلا

أبداً ومثلك في العلا لم يوجدِ

أبداً ومثلك في العلا لم يوجدِ

You are peerless, alone in your age in eminence,

You are the only unique one, the unique one of your time in eminence,

forever—and your like in eminence has never been found.

None like you was ever found in eminence before.