مِنَ أَبي هِشامٍ يا رِجالُ قَصيدَةٌ

مِنَ أَبي هِشامٍ يا رِجالُ قَصيدَةٌ

تَبكي لَها الفِتيانُ وَالفَتَياتُ

تَبكي لَها الفِتيانُ وَالفَتَياتُ

From Abu Hisham, O men, comes a poem

A poem by Abi Hisham, O men

for which young men and young women weep.

At which the youths and maidens weep

كُتِبَت بِما جَرَتِ الدُموعُ فَصُلِّيَت

كُتِبَت بِما جَرَتِ الدُموعُ فَصُلِّيَت

أَبَداً عَلى مَن قالَها الصَلَواتُ

أَبَداً عَلى مَن قالَها الصَلَواتُ

It was written with flowing tears; so blessings were invoked

Written with what tears have flowed, so pray

forever upon the one who uttered it.

Forever for he who spoke it, blessings be

مِن داخِلِ الشَوقِ الدَخيلِ إِلى الَّتي

مِن داخِلِ الشَوقِ الدَخيلِ إِلى الَّتي

فيها تَروحُ لِعَينِهِ العَبَراتُ

فيها تَروحُ لِعَينِهِ العَبَراتُ

From the depths of deep-seated longing, to her

From deep within yearning interloper

for whose sake tears come to his eye.

To she in whom his eyes weep their tears

فَفُؤادُهُ طُرّاً يَعيشُ بِذِكرِها

فَفُؤادُهُ طُرّاً يَعيشُ بِذِكرِها

وَيَموتُ حينَ تُطِلُّهُ الزَفَراتُ

وَيَموتُ حينَ تُطِلُّهُ الزَفَراتُ

So his whole heart lives by remembering her,

So his heart is a bird living by her memory

and dies when sighs slay him.

And dying when sights of her are long denied

شَوقاً إِلى صَنَمِ العِراقِ فَعَينُهُ

شَوقاً إِلى صَنَمِ العِراقِ فَعَينُهُ

قَد وُكِّلَت بِمَنامِها اليَقَظاتُ

قَد وُكِّلَت بِمَنامِها اليَقَظاتُ

Yearning for the idol of Iraq, his eye

Yearning for the idol of Iraq, so his eyes

has had wakeful hours appointed to guard its sleep.

Are appointed to keep vigil for her dreams

ما مِن جَميلَةِ مَعشَرٍ إِلّا لَها

ما مِن جَميلَةِ مَعشَرٍ إِلّا لَها

أُختٌ تُعَدُّ وَما لَها أَخَواتُ

أُختٌ تُعَدُّ وَما لَها أَخَواتُ

Every beauty among a people has

No beautiful one of a group but for her

a sister reckoned her equal; but she has no sisters.

A sister who counts, though she has no sisters

لا الشَمسُ تَقشِرُها وَلا قَمَرُ الدُجى

لا الشَمسُ تَقشِرُها وَلا قَمَرُ الدُجى

وَهُما اللَذانِ إِلَيهِما المَثُلاتُ

وَهُما اللَذانِ إِلَيهِما المَثُلاتُ

Neither the sun strips her of beauty, nor the moon of darkness,

Not peeled by the sun, nor night's crescent moon

and they are the two that serve as standards of comparison.

And these two are what examples are made of

قُل لِلغَواني إِن قُتِلتُ مِنَ الهَوى

قُل لِلغَواني إِن قُتِلتُ مِنَ الهَوى

فَلَكُنَّ مِن عَدوى دَمي بَرَآتُ

فَلَكُنَّ مِن عَدوى دَمي بَرَآتُ

Tell the beauties: if I am slain by love,

Tell the love smitten, if I'm killed by passion

you are absolved of any claim for my blood.

Then let my blood be the cure for my love's woe

سُقمي عُبَيدَةُ إِن سَقُمتُ وَصِحَّتي

سُقمي عُبَيدَةُ إِن سَقُمتُ وَصِحَّتي

وَلَها تَطيبُ لِنَفسي الخَلَواتُ

وَلَها تَطيبُ لِنَفسي الخَلَواتُ

Ubayda is my sickness, if I sicken, and my health;

My sickness is Ubaydah, if I fall ill, and my health

and for her sake, solitude is sweet to my soul.

Hers are the solitudes that comfort my soul

يا عَبدَ أَقسِمُ بِالَّذي أَنا عَبدُهُ

يا عَبدَ أَقسِمُ بِالَّذي أَنا عَبدُهُ

وَلَهُ المَقامُ وَما حَوَت عَرَفاتُ

وَلَهُ المَقامُ وَما حَوَت عَرَفاتُ

O Abd, I swear by Him whose servant I am,

O Abd I swear by whom I worship

and His are the Station and all that Arafat holds:

And His is the station and all Arafat contains

لا أَصطَفي أَبَداً سِواكِ خَليلَةً

لا أَصطَفي أَبَداً سِواكِ خَليلَةً

فَثِقي بِذَلِكَ وَالكِرامُ ثِقاتُ

فَثِقي بِذَلِكَ وَالكِرامُ ثِقاتُ

I shall never choose a beloved other than you;

Never will I choose but you as the intimate

so trust in that; the noble are trustworthy.

So trust in that, and nobles are trustworthy

وَلَوَ اَنَّني في التُربِ ثُمَّ دَعَوتِني

وَلَوَ اَنَّني في التُربِ ثُمَّ دَعَوتِني

لَبَّيتُ صَوتَكِ وَالعِظامُ رُفاتُ

لَبَّيتُ صَوتَكِ وَالعِظامُ رُفاتُ

And even if I were in the dust, and you then called me,

And if in soil I lie, then you call me

I would answer your voice, though my bones had crumbled.

I'd answer your voice, though bones be all that remains

فَإِذا ذَكَرتُكِ يا عُبَيدَ تَقَطَّعَت

فَإِذا ذَكَرتُكِ يا عُبَيدَ تَقَطَّعَت

نَفسي عَلَيكِ وَعادَني حَسَراتُ

نَفسي عَلَيكِ وَعادَني حَسَراتُ

So when I remember you, O Ubayd, torn apart

When I recall you, O Ubaydah, my soul is torn

is my soul over you, and sorrows revisit me.

And longing for you returns in waves

طوبى لِمَن يُمسي وَأَنتِ ضَجيعُهُ

طوبى لِمَن يُمسي وَأَنتِ ضَجيعُهُ

قَد عُجِّلَت لِضَجيعِكِ الحَسَناتُ

قَد عُجِّلَت لِضَجيعِكِ الحَسَناتُ

Blessed is he who spends the evening with you as his bedfellow;

Happy is he who sleeps with you in the night

blessings have already been hastened to your bedfellow.

Accelerated for your bedmate are good deeds