تَجَهَّز طالَ في النَصَبِ الثَواءُ

تَجَهَّز طالَ في النَصَبِ الثَواءُ

وَمُنتَظَرُ الثَقيلِ عَلَيَّ داءُ

وَمُنتَظَرُ الثَقيلِ عَلَيَّ داءُ

Make ready; the stay amid hardship has grown long.

Preparations prolonged have wearied me,

And waiting for a bore is an ailment to me.

And waiting for what's hard weighs heavily on me.

تَرَكتُ رِياضَةَ النَوكى قَديماً

تَرَكتُ رِياضَةَ النَوكى قَديماً

فَإِنَّ رِياضَةَ النَوكى عَياءُ

فَإِنَّ رِياضَةَ النَوكى عَياءُ

Long ago I abandoned the training of fools,

Of being a libertine I long ago grew tired,

For training fools is a hopeless task.

For being a libertine is but foolery.

إِذا ما سامَني الخُلَطاءُ خَسفاً

إِذا ما سامَني الخُلَطاءُ خَسفاً

أَبَيتُ وَرُبَّما نَفَعَ الإِباءُ

أَبَيتُ وَرُبَّما نَفَعَ الإِباءُ

Whenever my companions sought to subject me to humiliation,

When ignoble men accuse me of moral corruption,

I refused, and sometimes refusal proved useful.

I refuse, though refusing may sometimes prove vain.

وَإِغضائي عَلى البَزلاءِ وَهنٌ

وَإِغضائي عَلى البَزلاءِ وَهنٌ

وَوَجهُ سَبيلِها رَحبٌ فَضاءُ

وَوَجهُ سَبيلِها رَحبٌ فَضاءُ

My shutting my eyes to a grave calamity is weakness,

My overlooking of loose women is a weakness,

While the way out of it is broad and open.

With them the path of evil lies open and bare.

قَضَيتُ لُبانَةً وَنَسَأتُ أُخرى

قَضَيتُ لُبانَةً وَنَسَأتُ أُخرى

وَلِلحاجاتِ وَردٌ وَاِنقِضاءُ

وَلِلحاجاتِ وَردٌ وَاِنقِضاءُ

I fulfilled one desire and deferred another,

I fulfilled one wish but formed another,

And needs have their coming and their ending.

For desires there is an answering and an end.

عَلى عَينَي أَبي أَيّوبَ مِنّي

عَلى عَينَي أَبي أَيّوبَ مِنّي

غِطاءٌ سَوفَ يَنكَشِفُ الغِطاءُ

غِطاءٌ سَوفَ يَنكَشِفُ الغِطاءُ

Over Abu Ayyub's eyes, as regards me,

For my father Ayyub shall I ever hide

Is a veil; that veil will be lifted.

What, when the veil lifts, will be laid all too bare.

جَفاني إِذ نَزَلتُ عَلَيهِ ضَيفاً

جَفاني إِذ نَزَلتُ عَلَيهِ ضَيفاً

وَلِلضَيفِ الكَرامَةُ وَالحِباءُ

وَلِلضَيفِ الكَرامَةُ وَالحِباءُ

He slighted me when I stayed with him as a guest,

When I came to him as a guest he was cold to me,

And a guest is due honor and gifts.

Yet a guest deserves courtesy, regard and care.

غَداً يَتَعَلَّمُ الفَجفاجُ أَنّي

غَداً يَتَعَلَّمُ الفَجفاجُ أَنّي

أَسودُ إِذا غَضِبتُ وَلا أُساءُ

أَسودُ إِذا غَضِبتُ وَلا أُساءُ

Tomorrow the braggart will learn that I

Tomorrow the presumptuous rabble will learn

Hold sway when I am angry and will not be mistreated.

That I'm fierce when enraged, and suffer no slight.

نَأَت سَلمى وَشَطَّ بِها التَنائي

نَأَت سَلمى وَشَطَّ بِها التَنائي

وَقامَت دونَها حَكَمٌ وَحاءُ

وَقامَت دونَها حَكَمٌ وَحاءُ

Salma has gone far away, and separation carried her farther still,

I came to Salma, though others disputed it,

And Hakam and Ha' stood between me and her.

And she was protected by covenant and oath.

وَأَقعَدَني عَنِ الغُرِّ الغَواني

وَأَقعَدَني عَنِ الغُرِّ الغَواني

وَقَد نادَيتُ لَو سُمِعَ النِداءُ

وَقَد نادَيتُ لَو سُمِعَ النِداءُ

And what kept me from the radiant beauties—

And they kept me from the sweet ecstasy of love,

Though I had called out, if only the call were heard—

Though I cried out, had my call but been heard.

وَصِيَّةُ مَن أَراهُ عَلَيَّ رَبّاً

وَصِيَّةُ مَن أَراهُ عَلَيَّ رَبّاً

وَعَهدٌ لا يَنامُ بِهِ الوَفاءُ

وَعَهدٌ لا يَنامُ بِهِ الوَفاءُ

Was the injunction of one I regard as lord over me,

My allegiance is to Him I see as my Lord,

And a pledge in which fidelity never sleeps.

A pact not forgotten though time take its toll.

هَجَرتُ الآنِساتِ وَهُنَّ عِندي

هَجَرتُ الآنِساتِ وَهُنَّ عِندي

كَماءِ العَينِ فَقدُهُما سَواءُ

كَماءِ العَينِ فَقدُهُما سَواءُ

I forsook the charming women, though to me they are

I've shunned intimates, to me they're now as

Like the eye's water: the loss of either is the same.

The water of the eye - when gone, the loss is the same.

وَقَد عَرَّضنَ لي وَاللَهُ دوني

وَقَد عَرَّضنَ لي وَاللَهُ دوني

أَعوذُ بِهِ إِذا عَرَضَ البَلاءُ

أَعوذُ بِهِ إِذا عَرَضَ البَلاءُ

They have indeed made advances to me, but God stands guard over me;

Yet God was my protection from all they exposed me to,

I seek refuge in Him whenever affliction arises.

I seek refuge in Him when tribulations appear.

وَلَولا القائِمُ المَهديُّ فينا

وَلَولا القائِمُ المَهديُّ فينا

حَلَبتُ لَهُنَّ ما وَسِعَ الإِناءُ

حَلَبتُ لَهُنَّ ما وَسِعَ الإِناءُ

Were it not for al-Mahdi, who holds authority among us,

Were it not for the Righteous Leader among us,

I would have milked for them as much as the vessel could hold.

For them I'd have poured all that my vessel could hold.

وَيَوماً بِالجُدَيدِ وَفَيتُ عَهداً

وَيَوماً بِالجُدَيدِ وَفَيتُ عَهداً

وَلَيسَ لِعَهدِ جارِيَةٍ بَقاءُ

وَلَيسَ لِعَهدِ جارِيَةٍ بَقاءُ

And one day at al-Judayd I fulfilled a pledge,

And one day in Judayyid I broke a promise,

But a young woman's pledge does not endure.

For the word of a serving girl permanence has not.

فَقُل لِلغانِياتِ يَقِرنَ إِنّي

فَقُل لِلغانِياتِ يَقِرنَ إِنّي

وَقَرتُ وَحانَ مِن غَزَلي اِنتِهاءُ

وَقَرتُ وَحانَ مِن غَزَلي اِنتِهاءُ

So tell the beauties to be still: I

So say to the singers, enough, I have settled,

Have grown sedate, and the time has come to end my wooing.

The time for my love songs has passed and is gone.

نَهاني مالِكُ الأَملاكِ عَنها

نَهاني مالِكُ الأَملاكِ عَنها

فَثابَ الحِلمُ وَاِنقَطَعَ العَناءُ

فَثابَ الحِلمُ وَاِنقَطَعَ العَناءُ

The lord of kings forbade me to pursue them,

The Lord of Creation has barred me from them,

So good sense returned, and the suffering ended.

Patience triumphed and torment is no more.

وَكَم مِن هاجِرٍ لِفَتاةِ قَومٍ

وَكَم مِن هاجِرٍ لِفَتاةِ قَومٍ

وَبَينَهُما إِذا اِلتَقَيا صَفاءُ

وَبَينَهُما إِذا اِلتَقَيا صَفاءُ

And many a man forsakes a clan's maiden,

How many a lover for a girl of some tribe

Yet when they meet, pure affection lies between them.

When with her, only purity between them is found.

وَغَضّات الشَبابِ مِنَ العَذارى

وَغَضّات الشَبابِ مِنَ العَذارى

عَلَيهنَّ السُموطُ لَها إِباءُ

عَلَيهنَّ السُموطُ لَها إِباءُ

And virgins in the freshness of youth,

And the bloom of youth in maidens is aversion

Upon them are necklaces, proudly unyielding.

To looseness; on them let veils be gracefully drawn.

إِذا نَبَحَ العِدى فَلَهُنَّ وُدّي

إِذا نَبَحَ العِدى فَلَهُنَّ وُدّي

وَتَربِيتي وَلِلكَلبِ العُواءُ

وَتَربِيتي وَلِلكَلبِ العُواءُ

When enemies bark, the women have my love,

When enemies bark, my devotion to them grows,

And my care; for the dog there is howling.

As I was raised, but for dogs only censure.

لَهَوتُ بِهِنَّ إِذ مَلَقي أَنيقٌ

لَهَوتُ بِهِنَّ إِذ مَلَقي أَنيقٌ

يَصِرنَ لَهُ وَإِذ نَسَمي شِفاءُ

يَصِرنَ لَهُ وَإِذ نَسَمي شِفاءُ

I dallied with them when my flattery was pleasing,

With them I toyed when an elegant rake,

To which they yielded, and when my breath was healing.

To whom they incline though I only bring harm.

وَأَطبَقَ حُبُّهُنَّ عَلى فُؤادي

وَأَطبَقَ حُبُّهُنَّ عَلى فُؤادي

كَما اِنطَبَقَت عَلى الأَرضِ السَماءُ

كَما اِنطَبَقَت عَلى الأَرضِ السَماءُ

And love of them closed over my heart,

Their love enveloped my heart entirely,

As the sky closed over the earth.

As the sky envelops the earth spread below.

فَلَمّا أَن دُعيتُ أَصَبتُ رُشدِي

فَلَمّا أَن دُعيتُ أَصَبتُ رُشدِي

وَأَسفَرَ عَنِّيَ الداءُ العَياءُ

وَأَسفَرَ عَنِّيَ الداءُ العَياءُ

But when I was summoned, I found my right course,

But when I was called, wisdom I attained,

And the intractable ailment lifted from me.

And the painful confusion cleared away from me.

عَلى الغَزَلى سَلامُ اللَهِ مِنّي

عَلى الغَزَلى سَلامُ اللَهِ مِنّي

وَإِن صَنَعَ الخَليفَةُ ما يَشاءُ

وَإِن صَنَعَ الخَليفَةُ ما يَشاءُ

From me, God's peace upon the amorous,

To the coquettish girls, God's peace from me,

Even if the caliph does whatever he wishes.

Whatever our Caliph, the Leader, may do.

فَهَذا حينَ تُبتُ مِنَ الجَواري

فَهَذا حينَ تُبتُ مِنَ الجَواري

وَمِن راحٍ بِهِ مِسكٌ وَماءُ

وَمِن راحٍ بِهِ مِسكٌ وَماءُ

So this is when I repented of the young women,

For now I repent of fair slave girls,

And of wine containing musk and water.

Of perfume and wine once sweet poisons to me.

وَإِن أَكُ قَد صَحَوتُ فَرُبَّ يَومٍ

وَإِن أَكُ قَد صَحَوتُ فَرُبَّ يَومٍ

يَهُزُّ الكَأسُ رَأسي وَالغِناءُ

يَهُزُّ الكَأسُ رَأسي وَالغِناءُ

Though I have now sobered up, on many a day

On many a day wine shakes my mind,

The cup and song would set my head swaying.

As singing and beautiful women entice me.

أَروحُ عَلى المَعازِفِ أَربَخيّا

أَروحُ عَلى المَعازِفِ أَربَخيّا

وَتَسقيني بِريقَتِها النِساءُ

وَتَسقيني بِريقَتِها النِساءُ

I would go at evening among the instruments, languidly,

I've not abandoned all vice, but

And women would give me their saliva to drink.

My fervor carried me away from restraint.

وَما فارَقتُ مِن سَرَفٍ وَلَكِن

وَما فارَقتُ مِن سَرَفٍ وَلَكِن

طَغى طَرَبي وَمالَ بِيَ الفَتاءُ

طَغى طَرَبي وَمالَ بِيَ الفَتاءُ

Nor did I part from them because of extravagance, but

It's time for Muslimah bin Qays to say

My rapture overflowed, and youth swayed me.

No cure exists for desire's sovereign sway.

أَوانَ يَقولُ مُسلِمَةُ ابنُ قَيسٍ

أَوانَ يَقولُ مُسلِمَةُ ابنُ قَيسٍ

وَلَيسَ لِسَيِّدِ النَوكى دَواءُ

وَلَيسَ لِسَيِّدِ النَوكى دَواءُ

When Muslima ibn Qays would say—

Refrain from saucy girls, keep your distance,

And there is no remedy for the chief of fools—

For the impudent and insolent, seemly behavior's the way.

رُوَيدَكَ عَن قِصافَ عَلَيكَ عَينٌ

رُوَيدَكَ عَن قِصافَ عَلَيكَ عَينٌ

وَلِلمُتَكَلِّفِ الصَلِفِ العَفاءُ

وَلِلمُتَكَلِّفِ الصَلِفِ العَفاءُ

Hold back from Qisaf; an eye is on you.

No solace from Ibn Qays will meet me,

And ruin to the pretentious, arrogant man!

When consolation for what's past is beyond hope.

فَلا لاقى مَناعِمَهُ اِبنُ قَيسٍ

فَلا لاقى مَناعِمَهُ اِبنُ قَيسٍ

يُعَزّيني وَقَد غُلِبَ العَزاءُ

يُعَزّيني وَقَد غُلِبَ العَزاءُ

So may Ibn Qays never attain his pleasures,

He consoles me, though consolation has already been defeated.