أملها بالأزمّةِ والمثاني

أملها بالأزمّةِ والمثاني

إِلى أهلِ المثالثِ والمثاني

إِلى أهلِ المثالثِ والمثاني

Turn her with the reins and doubled cords

Her hopes in crises and tribulations

toward the people of the third and second strings.

To the people of morals and tribulations

وَخُذ مِن لَهوهم ما اِسطعت واِصغي

وَخُذ مِن لَهوهم ما اِسطعت واِصغي

إِلى نعم الأزاكي والقيانِ

إِلى نعم الأزاكي والقيانِ

Take what you can of their diversions, and listen

And take from their joy what shined and listen

to the delights of the pure ones and the singing girls.

To the good company and amusements

وصابِحها معتّقة أقامت

وصابِحها معتّقة أقامت

سنيناً لا تُفضّ من الدنانِ

سنيناً لا تُفضّ من الدنانِ

Drink it at dawn—aged wine that has rested

And its mornings free lived

for years, never drawn from the wine jars.

Years not worn by sorrows

بدا في الكأسِ جوهرُها فكادت

بدا في الكأسِ جوهرُها فكادت

تدقّ إِذا نظرت عن العيانُ

تدقّ إِذا نظرت عن العيانُ

Its essence shone in the cup, and it almost

The essence appeared in the cup, it almost

grew too subtle for the eye to see when you looked.

Beats when looking away from the eyes

وَمخضوب الأكفِّ شدا وغنّى

وَمخضوب الأكفِّ شدا وغنّى

وردّد سجعه حتّى شجاني

وردّد سجعه حتّى شجاني

And one with dye-stained palms warbled and sang,

With dyed palms he sang and delighted

and repeated his cooing until he moved me to sorrow.

And echoed his rhyme until it hurt me

شَدا والريحُ تبعدهُ وطوراً

شَدا والريحُ تبعدهُ وطوراً

يجيء بهِ على أغصانِ بانِ

يجيء بهِ على أغصانِ بانِ

He sang; the wind carried his song away, and at times

He sang while the wind takes him away, and sometimes

brought it over the branches of a bān-tree.

It brings him on the branches of the bending trees

تُذكّرني العذيبَ وساكنيه

تُذكّرني العذيبَ وساكنيه

وَأَهل الرملِ مِن قاصٍ ودانِ

وَأَهل الرملِ مِن قاصٍ ودانِ

It reminds me of al-ʿUdhayb and its inhabitants,

It reminds me of the gentle and its dwellers

and al-Raml's people, far and near.

And the people of sands, both near and far

مَغاني لَم تَزل في وسطِ قلبي

مَغاني لَم تَزل في وسطِ قلبي

لَها ولأهلها أبداً معاني

لَها ولأهلها أبداً معاني

Abodes—deep in my heart there have always been

Melodies that never left the center of my heart

meanings for them and their people, forever.

For it and its people always have meanings

وأيّاماً لها يا طال ما قد

وأيّاماً لها يا طال ما قد

لهوت بخلوةِ البيضِ الحسانِ

لهوت بخلوةِ البيضِ الحسانِ

And days there—oh, how long I

And days it had, oh how long they

made merry in seclusion with fair, beautiful women.

Frolicked in the privacy of beautiful enclosures

ليالي رخصة الأطراف تهوي

ليالي رخصة الأطراف تهوي

وِصالي وهيَ محنية الجنانِ

وِصالي وهيَ محنية الجنانِ

Nights when a soft-limbed woman desired

Nights of loose limbs that swoop

union with me, her heart inclined toward me.

My trysts as it bends its branches

وَلَم يكُ شاغلي عنها إذا ما اِل

وَلَم يكُ شاغلي عنها إذا ما اِل

تَقينا غير نزع الطيلسانِ

تَقينا غير نزع الطيلسانِ

And nothing distracted me from her when we

And my business was not distracted from it when

met, except taking off the mantle.

We met except to remove its ornaments

إِذا ما رمتُ أَلثمُها كأنّي

إِذا ما رمتُ أَلثمُها كأنّي

أحاولُ لثمَ زهر الأقحوانِ

أحاولُ لثمَ زهر الأقحوانِ

Whenever I sought to kiss her, it was as though I

When I tried to kiss its lips, I feel

were trying to kiss chrysanthemum blossoms.

As if I'm trying to kiss sweet flowers

مفتّرةُ النواظرِ ليس تمضي

مفتّرةُ النواظرِ ليس تمضي

كسيف لحظها السيف اليماني

كسيف لحظها السيف اليماني

Languid-eyed; never does

The one with roving eyes does not pass

the Yemeni sword cut like the sword of her glance.

Like the slash of her amorous glance

إِذا ماسَت تخطّر أو تثنّت

إِذا ماسَت تخطّر أو تثنّت

تثنّت مثل عود الخيزرانِ

تثنّت مثل عود الخيزرانِ

When she sways, walks gracefully, or bends,

When she moves coquettishly or sways

she bends like a bamboo stalk.

She sways like a slender branch

أَقولُ لِعاذلي في الحبّ مهلاً

أَقولُ لِعاذلي في الحبّ مهلاً

فَشأنكُ في الصبابة غير شاني

فَشأنكُ في الصبابة غير شاني

I say to my reproacher in love: take it gently;

I say to the one blaming me in love, wait

for your state in passionate longing is not mine.

For your ways in youth are not like mine

أأصرف بالملام عنان لهوي

أأصرف بالملام عنان لهوي

وقلبي مستقادٌ بالعنانِ

وقلبي مستقادٌ بالعنانِ

Should I turn the reins of my dalliance at reproach,

Should I refrain my passion with blame

while my heart is led along by the reins?

While my heart is controlled with its reigns

وأَخفي ترجمات الحبّ منّي

وأَخفي ترجمات الحبّ منّي

وَسقمي نائبٌ عن ترجمانِ

وَسقمي نائبٌ عن ترجمانِ

And hide the expressions of love that come from me,

And hide the interpretations of love from me

while my sickness serves as an interpreter?

While my illness is a substitute for an interpreter

أَرى زمني وأهليهِ أراه

أَرى زمني وأهليهِ أراه

أراه ما رآهم ما أراني

أراه ما رآهم ما أراني

I see my age and its people; I see it.

I see my time and its people, I see it

I see it; it did not see them, nor did it show me.

I see what it saw of them what saw me

عرفتُ بهِ إلى أن كدت أدري

عرفتُ بهِ إلى أن كدت أدري

بِما يقضيه من قبل البيانِ

بِما يقضيه من قبل البيانِ

I came to know it until I could almost tell

I knew it until I almost realized

what it would decree before it was disclosed.

What it decides before the explanation

يعزّ بهِ الذليلُ إذاً ويضحي ال

يعزّ بهِ الذليلُ إذاً ويضحي ال

فحول به أذلّ من السوانِ

فحول به أذلّ من السوانِ

Through it, then, the lowly gain honor, and the

It honors the disgraced with it then

stallions become, through it, lowlier than water-drawing beasts.

The brave become with it more disgraced than lowness

وَيشتهر السُها في الشهب نورا

وَيشتهر السُها في الشهب نورا

ويخفى في النجوم النيّرانِ

ويخفى في النجوم النيّرانِ

And Suhā is famed for its light among the bright stars,

And the wicked shine in the shooting stars, light

while the two luminaries are hidden among the stars.

And the fires hide amongst the stars

كأنّ نهارهُ ورجاه فيما

كأنّ نهارهُ ورجاه فيما

قَضى في أهله فرسي رهانِ

قَضى في أهله فرسي رهانِ

As though its day and its hope, in what

As if its day and openness is in what

it decreed for its people, were two racing horses.

It ruled amongst its people, a wager of my mare

يُواصلُهم بأخلاق عجافٍ

يُواصلُهم بأخلاق عجافٍ

ويمددهم بآمالٍ سمانِ

ويمددهم بآمالٍ سمانِ

It keeps company with them with lean manners,

It keeps their company with rude manners

and supplies them with fat hopes.

And flatters them with hopes like venom

أبَت لي همّتي في طبعها أن

أبَت لي همّتي في طبعها أن

أقيمَ على المذلّة والهوانِ

أقيمَ على المذلّة والهوانِ

My ambition, by its nature, refused to let me

My determination in its nature refused

remain in abasement and disgrace.

To stay in humiliation and lowness

وَكَم لي في البسيطةِ من مكانٍ

وَكَم لي في البسيطةِ من مكانٍ

إِذا ما ضاق لي ذرعاً مكاني

إِذا ما ضاق لي ذرعاً مكاني

And how many places I have upon the earth,

And how many places I have in the desert

if my own place becomes too cramped for me!

When my place is too narrow for me

ولستُ وإن عدمت المال يوماً

ولستُ وإن عدمت المال يوماً

أمدُّ بما يدنّسني بناني

أمدُّ بما يدنّسني بناني

And even if one day I lack wealth, I will not

And even if I miss wealth one day

stretch out my fingers for what would sully me.

I will not extend with what stains my building

وَما إن قدّر الرحمنُ رزقاً

وَما إن قدّر الرحمنُ رزقاً

منَ الأرزاقِ رزقي قد أتاني

منَ الأرزاقِ رزقي قد أتاني

And no sooner had the Merciful ordained sustenance

And whatever the Merciful destined as sustenance

among all provisions than my own sustenance came to me.

Of sustenances, my sustenance has come to me

أَلا يا أيّها المعدومُ وفراً

أَلا يا أيّها المعدومُ وفراً

ترفّع في مطالبة الأذانِ

ترفّع في مطالبة الأذانِ

O you who lack abundance,

Oh you who asks excessively while being penniless

aim high when appealing to listening ears.

Be dignified in asking for help

وَلُذ بالندبِ حمير إنّه في

وَلُذ بالندبِ حمير إنّه في

مبالغة العلا فرد الزمانِ

مبالغة العلا فرد الزمانِ

And seek refuge with magnanimous Ḥimyar, for in

And persist in calling the donkeys, it is in

reaching the utmost heights he is peerless in his age.

Exaggerating the high, unique of time

وَحيدُ العصرِ سامي المجد ما في

وَحيدُ العصرِ سامي المجد ما في

بنى حوّاله في المجدِ ثاني

بنى حوّاله في المجدِ ثاني

Peerless in his era, lofty in glory; among

Unique of the time, sublime in glory, none in

the sons of Ḥawwālah, he has no equal in glory.

The children of Hawwal has glory like him

بهِ اِفتخَرت عمان فأيّ مصرٍ

بهِ اِفتخَرت عمان فأيّ مصرٍ

يطولُ لدى الفخارِ على عمانِ

يطولُ لدى الفخارِ على عمانِ

Oman takes pride in him; what city

Through it Oman prides, so which civilization

can tower over Oman in pride?

Can compete with Oman in pride

فتىً تقضي بسطوته المنايا

فتىً تقضي بسطوته المنايا

وتنجح من مكارمه الأمانِ

وتنجح من مكارمه الأمانِ

A youth through whose might the fates of death decree,

A lad whose might makes death submit

and through whose generosity wishes are fulfilled.

And his virtues make safety succeed

شأى أوس بن حارثه بن لأم

شأى أوس بن حارثه بن لأم

وعنتر في الطعام وفي الطعانِ

وعنتر في الطعام وفي الطعانِ

He outstripped Aws ibn Ḥārithah ibn Laʾm

Like Aus son of Haritha son of Lam

and ʿAntar in hospitality and in spear-thrusting.

And Antara in food and in spears

أَلا يا أيّها الملك الذي قد

أَلا يا أيّها الملك الذي قد

دَنى من مرتقاه الفرقدانِ

دَنى من مرتقاه الفرقدانِ

O king, whose

Oh you, O king, who has come close

summit the two Farqad stars have already approached!

To its high platform, the pulpit

حنانك فاِغفر الزلّات واِسمح

حنانك فاِغفر الزلّات واِسمح

بعفوك لي ألا يا ذا الحنانِ

بعفوك لي ألا يا ذا الحنانِ

Have mercy: forgive my missteps and grant

Your affection, so forgive the mistakes and pardon

me your pardon, O compassionate one!

With your forgiveness, oh you of affection

وَما شأنُ الوسيلةِ منك إلّا

وَما شأنُ الوسيلةِ منك إلّا

لتسمح منك خوفي بالأمانِ

لتسمح منك خوفي بالأمانِ

And the purpose of seeking favor from you is only

The purpose of my appeal is only

that you generously allay my fear of you with safety.

So your forgiveness relieves my fears