لِمن مربع بالسفحِ أَقوت ملاعبه

لِمن مربع بالسفحِ أَقوت ملاعبه

وأصبحَ في مغناه ينعبُ ناعبُه

وأصبحَ في مغناه ينعبُ ناعبُه

Whose is the spring encampment on the slope, its playing grounds deserted?

To whom belongs the square at the valley's slope,

And in its dwelling its crow now caws.

Its playgrounds now desolate and lacking hope,

عَفى غير مشجوجِ القذالِ وأَورق

عَفى غير مشجوجِ القذالِ وأَورق

أَقامت كمثلِ الورق منه مناصبُه

أَقامت كمثلِ الورق منه مناصبُه

All has faded, save a split-headed stake and an ash-gray remnant;

Unkempt yet still flourishing and evergreen,

its supports remain there like silver.

Its pillars standing where they have always been,

وَأَضحت به بعدَ الخليط أوانساً

وَأَضحت به بعدَ الخليط أوانساً

رباربه مُذ فارَقته ربارِبُه

رباربه مُذ فارَقته ربارِبُه

And there, after the company left, at home now dwell

Companioned after separation by thoughts rife,

its herds of gazelles, since its gazelle-like maidens forsook it.

Since the day it lost the friend that was its life,

فكم فيه قد جرّرتُ ذيلَ شَبيبتي

فكم فيه قد جرّرتُ ذيلَ شَبيبتي

وكم رامقَتني بالودادِ كَواعِبُه

وكم رامقَتني بالودادِ كَواعِبُه

How often there I trailed the hem of my youth,

How often here my tail of youth I've dragged,

and how often its budding maidens gazed at me with affection.

How often by its love and ardour I've been snagged,

وَأغيد معسول المراشفِ لم يزل

وَأغيد معسول المراشفِ لم يزل

يُعاتِبُني عند اللّقا وَأُعاتبُه

يُعاتِبُني عند اللّقا وَأُعاتبُه

And a supple beloved, honey-sweet of lips, never ceased

That meadow sweet which cups of wine would fill

reproaching me when we met, while I reproached him.

Still chides me when we meet, and I it still,

شرحتُ له حالي وما قد لقيتهُ

شرحتُ له حالي وما قد لقيتهُ

غَداةَ بهِ للبين جدّت ركائبُه

غَداةَ بهِ للبين جدّت ركائبُه

I explained to him my condition and what I had endured

I told it of my state and what I have seen,

on the morning his riding camels hastened away with him for departure.

The day its mounts were parted from its green,

وَخاطبتهُ مستخبراً فَتكشّفت

وَخاطبتهُ مستخبراً فَتكشّفت

سرائرهُ من حيث كنتُ أُخاطِبُه

سرائرهُ من حيث كنتُ أُخاطِبُه

And I addressed him, asking, and there lay bare

I spoke to it, its secrets then revealed,

his secrets, as I spoke to him.

From where I stood, conversing with its field,

حَبيبٌ إِذا حاولتُ تَقبيلَ صدغهِ

حَبيبٌ إِذا حاولتُ تَقبيلَ صدغهِ

قَضت لسعها في القلبِ منه عقارِبُه

قَضت لسعها في القلبِ منه عقارِبُه

A beloved: whenever I tried to kiss his temple,

A lover, when I try to kiss his cheek,

his scorpions delivered their sting into my heart.

Stings my heart with pangs from venoms in his reek,

ثلاثٌ على غصن وَدعص بروده

ثلاثٌ على غصن وَدعص بروده

وتطوى على ليلٍ وصبحٍ جلاببُه

وتطوى على ليلٍ وصبحٍ جلاببُه

His robes are three, upon a bough and a sand dune,

Three on a branch, in leaves their robes entwine,

and over night and dawn his cloaks are folded.

Their wraps enfold the night and morning shine,

أَغار عليه من قلائدهِ إذا

أَغار عليه من قلائدهِ إذا

تحلّت بها لبّاته وترائبُه

تحلّت بها لبّاته وترائبُه

I am jealous over him of his necklaces, when

I envy it its necklaces which grace

the hollows of his throat and his breast wear them as adornments.

Its soft neck, perfumed, from its resting place,

فَيا حسنهُ لمّا مَشى متهزّعاً

فَيا حسنهُ لمّا مَشى متهزّعاً

وَقَد ماس في بردِ الصبا وهو ساحِبُه

وَقَد ماس في بردِ الصبا وهو ساحِبُه

Ah, how beautiful he was when he walked swaying,

Ah, its beauty walking with faltering feet,

strutting in youth's mantle, trailing it behind him.

Shivering in the cold wind which it must greet,

يحاكي نهارُ الوصلِ غرّة وجههِ

يحاكي نهارُ الوصلِ غرّة وجههِ

وَيشبه ليل الهجر منه ذوائبُه

وَيشبه ليل الهجر منه ذوائبُه

The day of union mirrors the radiance of his face,

The day of union is the radiance of its face,

and the night of estrangement resembles his tresses.

The night of separation are its robe's creases,

وَيثقله عند النهوضِ إذا نَوى

وَيثقله عند النهوضِ إذا نَوى

قياماً ركيم الردفِ حين يجاذبُه

قياماً ركيم الردفِ حين يجاذبُه

And when he intends to rise, he is weighed down

Rising, it struggles under its heavy load,

by his piled-up buttocks, as they tug against him.

As its crupper fights against its goad,

أَلا أَيّها الظبيُ الّذي قد أَذاقَني

أَلا أَيّها الظبيُ الّذي قد أَذاقَني

هَوى كأسهِ لا يسأم السقم شارِبُه

هَوى كأسهِ لا يسأم السقم شارِبُه

Ah, gazelle, you who have made me taste

O you, the gazelle, who made me taste the wine,

a love whose cup's drinker never tires of sickness!

Of passion, which does not diminish with each sip of mine,

أَما قبلة لي منك أطفي ببردها

أَما قبلة لي منك أطفي ببردها

من الوجدِ جمراً مُحرقات لواهِبُه

من الوجدِ جمراً مُحرقات لواهِبُه

Is there no kiss for me from you, with whose coolness I might quench

Won't you give me a kiss with which I'll smother

embers of longing whose flames are searing?

The embers your love caused, flames in me to further?

أَرى الناس شتّى في الطباعِ وإنّما

أَرى الناس شتّى في الطباعِ وإنّما

طباعُ الفتى تنقادُ ممّن يصاحبُه

طباعُ الفتى تنقادُ ممّن يصاحبُه

I see people diverse in disposition, but only

I see people differ in nature and soul,

by those he befriends is a youth's nature guided.

But one's nature is shaped by company's role,

فَلا تغترر بِالناس واِختر أبرّهم

فَلا تغترر بِالناس واِختر أبرّهم

فَليس يساوي صادق البرّ كاذبُه

فَليس يساوي صادق البرّ كاذبُه

So do not be deceived by people; choose the most virtuous among them,

Do not be fooled by people, choose the most righteous one,

for one false in kindness cannot equal one sincere in it.

For nothing equals the truthful and honest one,

وَكم ألّ قفر ظنّ ماء جَرى وكم

وَكم ألّ قفر ظنّ ماء جَرى وكم

تَراءت لمقباسِ الظلامِ حباحبُه

تَراءت لمقباسِ الظلامِ حباحبُه

How often a desert mirage was mistaken for running water, and how often

How often has a mirage been mistaken for a stream,

its fireflies appeared to one seeking fire in the dark.

And darkness' lantern for a star's gleam!

وَقَد يعرفُ الأيّامَ مَن كان دائماً

وَقَد يعرفُ الأيّامَ مَن كان دائماً

تُسالمه أيّامهُ وتحارِبُه

تُسالمه أيّامهُ وتحارِبُه

And the days are known by one who has always found

One's days may be known by who is his friend and his foe,

his days making peace with him and waging war against him.

Who greets him each morn and who strikes at him each blow,

وَتفرضُ عذب العيشِ كرهاً مورّعاً

وَتفرضُ عذب العيشِ كرهاً مورّعاً

للذّاته من ودَّعته شبائِبُه

للذّاته من ودَّعته شبائِبُه

And they impose sweet living against his will, leaving him restrained

Pleasure is marred by discontent's vicious strangle,

from its pleasures—the one whose youthful years have bid him farewell.

When the locks of youth begin to mottle and tangle,

يُناهبني صرف الزمان فإنّما

يُناهبني صرف الزمان فإنّما

ظفرتُ به من عيشتي وأناهبُه

ظفرتُ به من عيشتي وأناهبُه

Time's vicissitude contends with me for plunder; only

Fortune steals from my life all that I have earned,

while contending with it have I won anything from my life.

Yet I wrest from fortune all that I have learned,

فَليت حياها ساعَفتني وساعَدت

فَليت حياها ساعَفتني وساعَدت

بِما أنا من صعب المطالب طالبُه

بِما أنا من صعب المطالب طالبُه

Would that its life-giving rain had favored me and helped

Would that life could grant me all that I desire,

with what I seek among difficult aims.

For I seek the difficult things I aspire,

أراني أُمنّي النفسَ منّي تعلّلاً

أراني أُمنّي النفسَ منّي تعلّلاً

بِعيش مَضى عنّي وفاتَت أطايبُه

بِعيش مَضى عنّي وفاتَت أطايبُه

I see myself beguiling my own soul, seeking solace,

I find myself wishing for a past now gone,

with a life that has passed me by, whose finest joys are gone.

Its pleasures and joys no longer live on,

وَآملُ فضلاً ليس يدرك كونه

وَآملُ فضلاً ليس يدرك كونه

وَهل ردّ شخب الضرعِ في الضرع حالبُه

وَهل ردّ شخب الضرعِ في الضرع حالبُه

And I hope for a bounty whose realization is beyond reach;

I hope for things impossible to obtain,

and has its milker ever returned the udder's milk-stream into the udder?

Can the teat give back milk once sucked from its vein?

وَمبتسم أَحوى يزيد تبسّماً

وَمبتسم أَحوى يزيد تبسّماً

بهِ كلّ أحوى يسكبُ الدمعَ ساكبُه

بهِ كلّ أحوى يسكبُ الدمعَ ساكبُه

And a dark smiling cloud brings a fuller smile

Smiling he turned, and my smile turned to flowing tears,

to every dark-green growth, as its tears pour forth.

As darkness's wings did their mystery unfurl,

تبسّم مفترّاً وحمحمَ باكياً

تبسّم مفترّاً وحمحمَ باكياً

وَجُنح الدجى مسترخيات غياهِبُه

وَجُنح الدجى مسترخيات غياهِبُه

It smiled with parted lips, and whinnied as it wept,

Sighing, he spurred his steed, as a farmer would race,

while night's wing had its deep darkness hanging loose.

His robes heavy with rain back home to his place,

يسحّ ويهمي مستهلّاً كأنّما

يسحّ ويهمي مستهلّاً كأنّما

أَكفّ فلاح قَد حَوتها سحائِبُه

أَكفّ فلاح قَد حَوتها سحائِبُه

It pours and streams, raining in torrents, as though

Generous, though drought dried the rain from men's wells,

its clouds held the hands of Falah.

His robes still poured rain where people did dwell,

جوادٌ إِذا ما المزنُ أَمسكَ قطره

جوادٌ إِذا ما المزنُ أَمسكَ قطره

عنِ الناسِ أَغنت ممحليه غياهِبُه

عنِ الناسِ أَغنت ممحليه غياهِبُه

A generous man: when the rain clouds withhold their drops

The realm's justice he kept, his rule he made wide,

from the people, his dark clouds enrich his drought-stricken people.

Bringing those distant closer to his side,

أَقام حدودَ العدلِ في الملكِ آنس

أَقام حدودَ العدلِ في الملكِ آنس

أباعدهُ في عدلهِ وأقاربُه

أباعدهُ في عدلهِ وأقاربُه

He established the bounds of justice in the realm, reassuring

He shared all he had, gave money away,

through his justice those far from him and his relatives.

Which no palm had before his benevolent day,

وَفرّق ما يحوى منَ المال واهباً

وَفرّق ما يحوى منَ المال واهباً

وَما مسّت الدينار يوماً رَواحِبُه

وَما مسّت الدينار يوماً رَواحِبُه

And he distributed the wealth he possessed in gifts,

He filled praises with glory and generosity,

and never did his broad palms touch a dinar.

Wherever fine traits and virtues could be,

حلائله عزّ المحامدِ وَالثنا

حلائله عزّ المحامدِ وَالثنا

مَتى ما يُحالل والمعاني حبائِبُه

مَتى ما يُحالل والمعاني حبائِبُه

His consorts are the glory of noble deeds and praise,

The nights' turns reveal what is and what will be,

whenever he weds; noble qualities are his beloveds.

As if the nights themselves wrote his decree,

صروفُ الليالي تَقتضي ما يريده

صروفُ الليالي تَقتضي ما يريده

كأنّ الليالي كتبهُ وَكتائبُه

كأنّ الليالي كتبهُ وَكتائبُه

The turns of night fulfill what he desires,

None in heaven could spy on him, no prying thing,

as though the nights were his books and his battalions.

Save the stars which peered out from under its wing,

وَما في سماهُ اِستسرق السمع ماردٌ

وَما في سماهُ اِستسرق السمع ماردٌ

مِن الخلقِ إلّا اِستوعرته كواكبُه

مِن الخلقِ إلّا اِستوعرته كواكبُه

And no rebel steals a hearing in his heaven,

Had he unleashed his might against time, none would remain

among creation, without his stars making the way perilous for him.

To rise up again, all would be made plain,

وَلَو أَنّه أَلقى وأَرسل بطشهُ

وَلَو أَنّه أَلقى وأَرسل بطشهُ

على الدهرِ ما في الناس نابت نوائبُه

على الدهرِ ما في الناس نابت نوائبُه

And if he were to cast forth and unleash his might

A raincloud pouring heavy rain on the just,

against Time, its calamities would never befall the people.

And on the wicked, only bolts to disgust,

سَحابٌ على العافي يصبّ هباته

سَحابٌ على العافي يصبّ هباته

وَتَنصبُّ منه لِلبغاةِ مصائبُه

وَتَنصبُّ منه لِلبغاةِ مصائبُه

A cloud, he pours his gifts upon the supplicant,

With no one drawing sword, it seemed to advance,

and his calamities pour from him upon aggressors.

To smite his foes with its lighting and lance,

وَكادَت على الأعداءِ مِن غيرِ ضاربٍ

وَكادَت على الأعداءِ مِن غيرِ ضاربٍ

تَصول عوالي سمره وقواضبُه

تَصول عوالي سمره وقواضبُه

And almost, against the foes, though no one wields them,

You have courted glory and rightly so,

his dusky spearpoints and keen swords spring to the attack.

Both your beginning and end honour will know,

أساحب ذيلَ المَكرُمات ومَن عَلت

أساحب ذيلَ المَكرُمات ومَن عَلت

مَراتب أربابِ المَعاني مَراتِبُه

مَراتب أربابِ المَعاني مَراتِبُه

O you who trail the hem of noble deeds, whose

Against the enemy, you have boldly set loose,

ranks have surpassed those of the masters of noble qualities.

A sword sharpened with purpose its edge to produce,

سَعيتَ لِكسبِ المجدِ سعياً موفّقاً

سَعيتَ لِكسبِ المجدِ سعياً موفّقاً

أَوائلهُ مَحمودةٌ وَعَواقِبُه

أَوائلهُ مَحمودةٌ وَعَواقِبُه

You strove to gain glory in a successful endeavor,

None but you wears victory's mantle now unfurled,

whose beginnings and outcomes are praiseworthy.

None but you is the winner declared in this world,

وَجردتَ لِلأعداءِ سَيفاً مهنّداً

وَجردتَ لِلأعداءِ سَيفاً مهنّداً

مِنَ العزمِ عضباً ماضيات مضارِبُه

مِنَ العزمِ عضباً ماضيات مضارِبُه

And you unsheathed for the foes a sword of Indian steel,

You have sought glory and succeeded in gaining it,

of resolve, sharp, its cutting edges trenchant.

Both your efforts and results show true merit.

وَلا فخرَ إلّا أَنت لابسُ بردهِ

وَلا فخرَ إلّا أَنت لابسُ بردهِ

وَلا حمدَ إلّا أَنت في الناسِ كاسبُه

وَلا حمدَ إلّا أَنت في الناسِ كاسبُه

And there is no glory whose mantle you do not wear,

and no praise you do not earn among the people.