أَيا بَدرُ قَد أَسهَرتَ عَينَيَّ فَاِرقُدِ

أَيا بَدرُ قَد أَسهَرتَ عَينَيَّ فَاِرقُدِ

وَشاهَدتَ ما جاهَدتُ يا نَجمُ فَاِشهَدِ

وَشاهَدتَ ما جاهَدتُ يا نَجمُ فَاِشهَدِ

O full moon, you have kept both my eyes awake—now sleep.

O full moon, you have kept both my eyes awake—so sleep.

You have witnessed all I have struggled through, O star; then bear witness.

And you have witnessed what I struggled through, O star—so bear witness.

إِذا لَم تُعايِن في الصَباحِ مَسَرَّةً

إِذا لَم تُعايِن في الصَباحِ مَسَرَّةً

فَلا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَيلَ لَيسَ بِسَرمَدِ

فَلا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَيلَ لَيسَ بِسَرمَدِ

If, in the morning, you do not behold my joy,

If you see no joy in the morning,

do not suppose the night is anything but everlasting.

then never suppose the night is not eternal.

وَيا عاذِلي رِفقاً كَفاني صُدودُهُ

وَيا عاذِلي رِفقاً كَفاني صُدودُهُ

فَإِن شِئتَ فَاِنقُص مِن مَلامِكَ أَو زِدِ

فَإِن شِئتَ فَاِنقُص مِن مَلامِكَ أَو زِدِ

O you who blame me, be gentle; his rejection is enough for me.

And you who reproach me, be gentle: his turning away is enough for me.

If you wish, lessen your reproach—or add to it.

So, if you wish, lessen your reproach—or increase it.

تَمازَجَ في خَدَّيهِ ماءٌ وَجَمرَةٌ

تَمازَجَ في خَدَّيهِ ماءٌ وَجَمرَةٌ

تَمازُجَ دَمعي في الهَوى وَتَوَقُّدي

تَمازُجَ دَمعي في الهَوى وَتَوَقُّدي

In his cheeks, water and a glowing coal mingle,

Water and an ember mingled in his cheeks,

while my tears mingle, in love, with my burning.

as my tears and my burning mingle in love.

فَقَد قَعَدتَ لِلهَمِّ وَالفَقرِ وَالدُجى

فَقَد قَعَدتَ لِلهَمِّ وَالفَقرِ وَالدُجى

وَأَموالِها وَالناكِثينَ بِمَرصَدِ

وَأَموالِها وَالناكِثينَ بِمَرصَدِ

For you have lain in wait for care, poverty, and darkness,

For you have indeed taken your post against sorrow, poverty, and darkness,

for its terrors and for oath-breakers, keeping watch.

and its riches and oath-breakers, lying in wait.

وَلَولا قُدودُ الغيدِ لَم يُبقِ حُكمُها

وَلَولا قُدودُ الغيدِ لَم يُبقِ حُكمُها

لِذي أَودٍ في دَهرِنا مِن تَأَوُّدِ

لِذي أَودٍ في دَهرِنا مِن تَأَوُّدِ

Were it not for the supple forms of graceful maidens, their sway would have left

And were it not for the figures of graceful beauties, its rule would not have left

no further swaying, in our age, to anyone already bent.

the slightest bend in anything crooked in our age.

وَفَوا غَيرَ أَنَّ السَمهَرِيَّ وَأَنَّهُ

وَفَوا غَيرَ أَنَّ السَمهَرِيَّ وَأَنَّهُ

يُحازُ بِأَيديهِم شَكا لِلمُهَنَّدِ

يُحازُ بِأَيديهِم شَكا لِلمُهَنَّدِ

They kept faith; only the Samharī spear, whenever it

They kept faith; yet the Samhari spear—and it

was held in their hands, complained to the Indian blade.

is held in their hands—complained to the Indian blade.

فَما فَلَّلوا إِلّا بِسَيفٍ مُفَلَّلٍ

فَما فَلَّلوا إِلّا بِسَيفٍ مُفَلَّلٍ

وَلا أَقصَدوا إِلّا بِرُمحٍ مُقَصَّدٍ

وَلا أَقصَدوا إِلّا بِرُمحٍ مُقَصَّدٍ

They broke no foe except with a notched sword,

For they shattered foes only with a notched sword,

and felled no foe except with a shattered spear.

and killed outright only with a splintered lance.

لَهُم في الوَغى أَغصانُ سُمرٍ كَأَنَّما

لَهُم في الوَغى أَغصانُ سُمرٍ كَأَنَّما

تُحَفُّ إِذا أَجروا الدِماءَ بِمَورِدِ

تُحَفُّ إِذا أَجروا الدِماءَ بِمَورِدِ

In battle they have tawny branches, as though

In battle they have boughs of brown lances, as though

they clustered at a watering place whenever they set blood flowing.

ringed by a watering place when they set blood flowing.

تَأَمَّل فَيا حُسنَ الَّذي أَنتَ تَجتَلي

تَأَمَّل فَيا حُسنَ الَّذي أَنتَ تَجتَلي

وَأَمِّل فَيا صِدقَ الَّذي أَنتَ تَجتَدي

وَأَمِّل فَيا صِدقَ الَّذي أَنتَ تَجتَدي

Look closely—how beautiful is that which you behold!

Look closely—how beautiful is the one you behold!

And set your hope—how true is the one from whom you seek bounty!

And hope—how true is the one whose bounty you seek!

إِذا جَدَّ قُلتَ المَرءُ فيها مُخَلَّدٌ

إِذا جَدَّ قُلتَ المَرءُ فيها مُخَلَّدٌ

وَإِن جادَ قُلتَ المَرءُ غَيرُ مُخَلَّدِ

وَإِن جادَ قُلتَ المَرءُ غَيرُ مُخَلَّدِ

When he shows resolve, you say, “Man is immortal here”;

When he acts in earnest, you say, 'The man is immortal here';

and when he gives freely, you say, “Man is not immortal.”

and if he gives generously, you say, 'The man is not immortal.'

جَمَعتَ الَّذي فيهِم وَزِدتَ عَلَيهِمُ

جَمَعتَ الَّذي فيهِم وَزِدتَ عَلَيهِمُ

فَأَنتَ كَمَعنى ناظِمٍ مُتَوَلِّدِ

فَأَنتَ كَمَعنى ناظِمٍ مُتَوَلِّدِ

You have gathered all that was in them and added beyond them;

You have gathered what is in them and surpassed them,

you are like a new meaning born to a poet.

so you are like a poet's newly born conceit.

وَما فَوقَ ما قَد نِلتَهُ مِن زِيادَةٍ

وَما فَوقَ ما قَد نِلتَهُ مِن زِيادَةٍ

بَلِ اللَهُ أَولى بِالزِيادَةِ فَاِزدَدِ

بَلِ اللَهُ أَولى بِالزِيادَةِ فَاِزدَدِ

Beyond what you have attained, there is no increase—

And there is no increase beyond what you have attained;

yes: God is worthier to grant increase; so increase.

rather, God is worthier to bestow increase—so gain still more.