شَوقٌ يُعَرِّضُ لا إِلى الآرامِ

شَوقٌ يُعَرِّضُ لا إِلى الآرامِ

وَجَوىً يُخادِعُني عَنِ الأَحلامِ

وَجَوىً يُخادِعُني عَنِ الأَحلامِ

A longing makes its overtures—not to the white gazelles;

Longing exposes me neither to tranquility

and burning grief beguiles me out of sound judgment;

Nor a whisper that deceives me about dreams

وَمُقيلُ صَبرٍ شَذَّبَتهُ يَدُ الهَوى

وَمُقيلُ صَبرٍ شَذَّبَتهُ يَدُ الهَوى

في غَيرِ ما طَرَبٍ وَلا اِستِغرامِ

في غَيرِ ما طَرَبٍ وَلا اِستِغرامِ

and a resting-place of patience, pruned by desire's hand,

And the eve of patience whose hand desire has mutilated

not in any rapture or amorous infatuation,

Neither in a passion nor in admiration

بَل في اِنتِزاعِ المَجدِ مِن سَكَناتِهِ

بَل في اِنتِزاعِ المَجدِ مِن سَكَناتِهِ

بِمَطالِبٍ تَسطو عَلى الأَيّامِ

بِمَطالِبٍ تَسطو عَلى الأَيّامِ

but in wresting glory from its resting places,

But in wresting glory from its dwellings

through pursuits that assail the days,

With demands that prevail over days

وَمَناقِبٍ تَبقى وَيَفنى أَهلُها

وَمَناقِبٍ تَبقى وَيَفنى أَهلُها

إِذ كُلُّ عَيشٍ فُرصَةٌ لِحِمامِ

إِذ كُلُّ عَيشٍ فُرصَةٌ لِحِمامِ

and noble deeds that endure while their doers perish,

And virtues that remain while their people perish

since every life is an opportunity for death.

For all life is an opportunity for doves

لَعَذَرتُ مَن في المَجدِ يَمرَضُ فِكرُهُ

لَعَذَرتُ مَن في المَجدِ يَمرَضُ فِكرُهُ

وَتَكُنُّ فيهِ بَواطِنُ الآلامِ

وَتَكُنُّ فيهِ بَواطِنُ الآلامِ

I would surely excuse one whose thought grows sick in pursuit of glory,

I would pardon one whose intellect sickens with glory

and within whom the deepest pains lie hidden.

And sorrows nestle within him

يا راكِباً تَخدي بِهِ عَيرانَةٌ

يا راكِباً تَخدي بِهِ عَيرانَةٌ

سُرُحٌ تَشُقُّ جَلابِبَ الآكامِ

سُرُحٌ تَشُقُّ جَلابِبَ الآكامِ

O rider, borne at a swift trot by a hardy she-camel,

O rider whom a she-camel carries

fleet-footed, cleaving the robes of the hills,

Whose saddlebags cleave through thickets

خَوصاءُ تَحسَبُ عَينَها ماوِيَّةً

خَوصاءُ تَحسَبُ عَينَها ماوِيَّةً

نَظَرَت بِها الفَلَواتُ شَخصَ غَمامِ

نَظَرَت بِها الفَلَواتُ شَخصَ غَمامِ

narrow-eyed—you would take her eye for a mirror

A brown she-camel who thinks her eye is clouded

through which the wastes gazed at the form of a cloud,

When the wilderness looked upon her like a raincloud

جارٍ كَأَنَّ رَبابَهُ مُتَعَلِّمٌ

جارٍ كَأَنَّ رَبابَهُ مُتَعَلِّمٌ

شِيَمَ الرِياحِ الهوجِ في الإِقدامِ

شِيَمَ الرِياحِ الهوجِ في الإِقدامِ

drifting, as though its cloudbanks were learning

Traveling as though her mount were an apprentice

the ways of raging winds in bold advance.

Who learned the disposition of violent winds in attacking

أَقرِ السَلامَ فَتىً تَخاوَصُ هَيبَةً

أَقرِ السَلامَ فَتىً تَخاوَصُ هَيبَةً

عَنهُ عُيونُ تَحِيَّتي وَسَلامي

عَنهُ عُيونُ تَحِيَّتي وَسَلامي

Convey greetings to a youth; they half close in awe—

Greet in peace, O youth from whom

the eyes of my salutation and my greeting, turning from him.

My eyes conceal awe with their glance and greeting

سَيفٌ صَقيلٌ أَغمَدَتهُ عُداتُهُ

سَيفٌ صَقيلٌ أَغمَدَتهُ عُداتُهُ

فَاِستُلَّ وَهوَ مِنَ الأَعادي دامِ

فَاِستُلَّ وَهوَ مِنَ الأَعادي دامِ

A polished sword, sheathed by its enemies,

A polished sword its scabbard has sheathed

then drawn forth, stained with its foes' blood.

Unsheathe it, it remains wet from foes

ما ضَرَّهُ مِن أَن يُشامَ وَما اِقتَنى

ما ضَرَّهُ مِن أَن يُشامَ وَما اِقتَنى

صَدَأً يُشَبَّهُ نَصلُهُ بِكَهامِ

صَدَأً يُشَبَّهُ نَصلُهُ بِكَهامِ

Being sheathed did it no harm, and it acquired no

It harms him not to be drawn, nor has it gained

rust whereby its blade could be likened to a blunt sword.

Rust to liken its blade to gravel

إِن غِبتَ عَنّا فَالقُلوبُ حَواضِرٌ

إِن غِبتَ عَنّا فَالقُلوبُ حَواضِرٌ

في حَيثُ أَنتَ نَوازِعُ الأَوهامِ

في حَيثُ أَنتَ نَوازِعُ الأَوهامِ

If you are absent from us, our hearts are present

If you are absent from us then hearts are present

where you are, yearning in imagination.

Wherever you are, the caprices of illusions

وَنُفوسُنا مَرضى تَشَبَّثُ مِنكُمُ

وَنُفوسُنا مَرضى تَشَبَّثُ مِنكُمُ

بِثناً يُطَهِّرُها مِنَ الأَسقامِ

بِثناً يُطَهِّرُها مِنَ الأَسقامِ

And our souls are sick, clinging to something from you:

And our souls are sick clinging through you

praise that cleanses them of their ailments.

To a means to purify them of illnesses

يا أَيُّها ذا النَدبُ دِعوَةَ مُدنِفٍ

يا أَيُّها ذا النَدبُ دِعوَةَ مُدنِفٍ

عَلِقَت ضَمائِرُهُ بِكُلِّ غَرامِ

عَلِقَت ضَمائِرُهُ بِكُلِّ غَرامِ

O noble one, hear the plea of a man gravely ill,

O you who possess the attribute of one offering consolation

whose innermost thoughts cling to every consuming passion.

Whose conscience is attached to every passion

لَمّا ذَكَرتُكَ عادَ قَلبي شَوقُهُ

لَمّا ذَكَرتُكَ عادَ قَلبي شَوقُهُ

فَبَكَينَ عَنهُ مَدامِعَ الأَقلامِ

فَبَكَينَ عَنهُ مَدامِعَ الأَقلامِ

When I remembered you, longing revisited my heart,

When I remembered you, my heart returned to its longing

and the tear ducts of pens wept on its behalf.

So I wept about it with the tears of pens

خَلَّفتَني زَرعاً فَطُلتُ وَإِنَّما

خَلَّفتَني زَرعاً فَطُلتُ وَإِنَّما

ذاكَ الغِرارُ نُمِي إِلى الصَمصامِ

ذاكَ الغِرارُ نُمِي إِلى الصَمصامِ

You left me a crop, and I grew tall; yet

You left me a crop so I looked but

that cutting edge was credited only to the keen sword.

That deceit grew to the sky

كَم مَدحَةٍ لي في عُلاكَ كَأَنَّما

كَم مَدحَةٍ لي في عُلاكَ كَأَنَّما

تَفتَرُّ عَن خُلقِ الغَمامِ الهامي

تَفتَرُّ عَن خُلقِ الغَمامِ الهامي

How many a praise-poem of mine for your high station seems

How much praise is mine in your exaltation as though

to smile, revealing the nature of the pouring raincloud!

It invents from the nature of the gathering cloud

أَكدَت عَلَيَّ الأَرضُ مِن أَطرافِها

أَكدَت عَلَيَّ الأَرضُ مِن أَطرافِها

وَتَدَرَّعَت بِمَدارِعِ الإِظلامِ

وَتَدَرَّعَت بِمَدارِعِ الإِظلامِ

The earth has turned barren for me on every side,

The land has insisted to me from its edges

and clothed itself in the tunics of darkness.

And adorned itself with the garments of darkness

وَعَهِدتُها خَضراءَ كَيفَ لَقيتُها

وَعَهِدتُها خَضراءَ كَيفَ لَقيتُها

أَبصَرتُ فيها مَسرَحاً لِسَوامي

أَبصَرتُ فيها مَسرَحاً لِسَوامي

Yet I once knew it green; however I found it,

And I knew it as green, how did I find it

I saw in it pasture for my grazing herds.

I saw in it a theater for thorn-bushes

أَشكو وَأَكتُمُ بَعضَ ما أَنا واجِدٌ

أَشكو وَأَكتُمُ بَعضَ ما أَنا واجِدٌ

فَأَعافُ أَن أَشكو مِنَ الإِعدامِ

فَأَعافُ أَن أَشكو مِنَ الإِعدامِ

I complain, and conceal some of what I suffer,

I complain and conceal some of what I possess

for I disdain to complain of destitution.

So I refrain from complaining about annihilation

وَإِذا ظَفِرتُ مِنَ المَناقِبِ بِالمُنى

وَإِذا ظَفِرتُ مِنَ المَناقِبِ بِالمُنى

أَهوَنتُ بِالأَرزاقِ وَالأَقسامِ

أَهوَنتُ بِالأَرزاقِ وَالأَقسامِ

And when I attain my desires in noble deeds,

And if I obtain the wished-for virtues

I make light of livelihoods and allotted shares.

I consider sustenance and allotments trivial

جاءَتكَ تَحدوها يَدا ذي فاقَةٍ

جاءَتكَ تَحدوها يَدا ذي فاقَةٍ

وَهيَ السَفينُ لَهُ إِلى الإِنعامِ

وَهيَ السَفينُ لَهُ إِلى الإِنعامِ

It has come to you, urged on by a needy man's two hands,

To you came a hand of one in need reciting poetry

and it is his fleet, bound for bounty.

And it is the ship to him for benefaction

فَاِعرِف لَهُ ما مَتَّ مِن شِعري بِهِ

فَاِعرِف لَهُ ما مَتَّ مِن شِعري بِهِ

فَلَقَد أَتاكَ بِحُرمَةٍ وَذِمامِ

فَلَقَد أَتاكَ بِحُرمَةٍ وَذِمامِ

So acknowledge the bond he claims through my verse,

So recognize for him what of my poetry has died by it

for he has come to you with a claim to honor and protection.

For he has come to you with sanctity and resolve