همُ سلبوني حسن صبري إذا بانوا

همُ سلبوني حسن صبري إذا بانوا

بأقمار أطواق مطالعها بانُ

بأقمار أطواق مطالعها بانُ

They robbed me of my fair patience when they departed,

They robbed me of my patience when they appeared

With necklace-adorned moons whose rising places are bān trees.

Like moons with rising signs as collars.

لئن غادروني باللوى إنَّ مهجتي

لئن غادروني باللوى إنَّ مهجتي

مسايرةٌ أظعانهم حيثما كانوا

مسايرةٌ أظعانهم حيثما كانوا

Though they left me at al-Liwa, my soul

If they left me pining, my innermost being

Travels beside their camel litters wherever they are.

Travels with their mounts wherever they wandered.

سقى عهدهم بالخيف عهد غمائم

سقى عهدهم بالخيف عهد غمائم

ينازعها مزنٌ من الدمع هتّان

ينازعها مزنٌ من الدمع هتّان

May fresh cloud-showers water their days at al-Khayf;

Their covenant nurtured sorrow - a covenant of clouds

A pouring raincloud of tears vies with them.

Contesting it a downpour of tears in torrents.

أأحبابنا في ذلك العهد راجع

أأحبابنا في ذلك العهد راجع

وهل لي عنكم آخر الدهر سلوانُ

وهل لي عنكم آخر الدهر سلوانُ

O our beloveds, is there any return to that time?

Will our loved ones in that covenant return?

And will I, to time's end, find solace without you?

Will I find solace in you until the end of time?

ولي مقلةٌ عبرى وبين جوانحي

ولي مقلةٌ عبرى وبين جوانحي

فؤادٌ إلى لقياكمُ الدَهرَ حنّانُ

فؤادٌ إلى لقياكمُ الدَهرَ حنّانُ

I have a tearful eye, and within my ribs

I have a weeping eye, and between my ribs

A heart forever yearning to meet you.

A heart yearning to meet you until the end of time.

تنكَّرتِ الدنيا لنا بعد بُعدكم

تنكَّرتِ الدنيا لنا بعد بُعدكم

وحفَّت بنا من معضل الخطب ألوانُ

وحفَّت بنا من معضل الخطب ألوانُ

The world turned hostile to us after your departure,

The world was altered for us after you left,

And all kinds of grievous calamity surrounded us.

And dire straits closed in around us on all sides.

أناخت بنا في أرض شنت مريةٍ

أناخت بنا في أرض شنت مريةٍ

هواجس ظن خنَّ والظنُّ خوّانُ

هواجس ظن خنَّ والظنُّ خوّانُ

There alighted upon us, in the land of Shant Mariyya,

It anchored us in the land of doubts and fears

Whispers of expectation that betrayed us—and expectation is treacherous.

With phantom suspicions - and suspicions deceive.

وشمنا بروقاً للمواعيد أتعبت

وشمنا بروقاً للمواعيد أتعبت

نواظرنا دهراً ولم يهمِ هتان

نواظرنا دهراً ولم يهمِ هتان

And we watched lightning flashes of promises that wearied

We saw lightning flashes of promised trysts that wearied

Our eyes for ages, yet no downpour fell.

Our eyes for ages, yet not once drew near.

فسرنا وما نلوي على متعذِّرٍ

فسرنا وما نلوي على متعذِّرٍ

إذا وطنٌ أقصاك آوتك أوطانُ

إذا وطنٌ أقصاك آوتك أوطانُ

So we journeyed on, not turning toward the unattainable;

So we marched on though the goal seemed impossible,

If one homeland casts you out, other homelands shelter you.

When a homeland disowned you as its denizens.

ولا زاد إلا ما انتشته من الصِبا

ولا زاد إلا ما انتشته من الصِبا

أنوفٌ وحازته من الماء أجفانُ

أنوفٌ وحازته من الماء أجفانُ

And no provisions except what was breathed in from the east wind

We had no provision except what little pools

By noses, and what eyelids gathered of water.

Of youth provided, grasped by lids and lashes.

رحلنا سوام الحمد عنهما لغيرها

رحلنا سوام الحمد عنهما لغيرها

فلا ماؤها صدّا ولا النبتُ سعدانُ

فلا ماؤها صدّا ولا النبتُ سعدانُ

We drove the grazing herds of praise away from them both, to another land;

We left it forlorn, having ceded it to others -

For its water is no Sadda, nor its herbage sa'dan.

Its water unpalatable, its meadows a waste.

إلى ملكٍ حاباه بالمجد يوسفٌ

إلى ملكٍ حاباه بالمجد يوسفٌ

وشاد له البيت الرفيع سليمانُ

وشاد له البيت الرفيع سليمانُ

To a king whom Yusuf favored with glory,

To a sovereign endowed with glory like Joseph,

And for whom Sulayman built the lofty house.

And exalted by Solomon's sublime edifice,

إلى مستعينٍ بالإله مؤيِّدٍ

إلى مستعينٍ بالإله مؤيِّدٍ

له النصر حزبٌ والمقادير أعوان

له النصر حزبٌ والمقادير أعوان

To al-Musta'in, seeking God's aid and giving support,

To one aided by God, given victory -

Victory is his ally, and fate's decrees his helpers.

For him allies and destiny itself provide succor.

جفتنا بلا جُرم كأن مودة

جفتنا بلا جُرم كأن مودة

ثنى نحونا منها الأعنة شنآن

ثنى نحونا منها الأعنة شنآن

It shunned us for no fault, as though its affection

Yet we dried up, though innocent, as if affection

Had its reins turned toward us by hatred.

Turned from us, transformed into revilement and hate.

ولو لم تفد منا سوى الشعر وحده

ولو لم تفد منا سوى الشعر وحده

لحق لنا برٌّ عليك وإحسان

لحق لنا برٌّ عليك وإحسان

Even had you gained from us nothing but poetry alone,

Had we given nothing but poetry alone,

Kindness and good treatment from you would have been our due.

We'd have merited kindness and grace from you.

فكيف ولم نجعل بها الشعر مكسباً

فكيف ولم نجعل بها الشعر مكسباً

فيوجبَ للمُكدي جفاءٌ وحرمان

فيوجبَ للمُكدي جفاءٌ وحرمان

How much more, when we never made poetry there a livelihood

How then, when we never made verse our livelihood,

That might bring a luckless suppliant coldness and denial?

Does it warrant your coldness and deprivation?

ولا نحن ممن يرتضي الشعر خطةً

ولا نحن ممن يرتضي الشعر خطةً

وأن قصرت عن شأونا فيه أعيان

وأن قصرت عن شأونا فيه أعيان

Nor are we among those who choose poetry as a profession,

Nor were we among those who hold verse their calling -

Though eminent men fall short of our attainments in it.

Though the best of us fell short within its realm.

ومن أوهمته غير ذاك ظنونُه

ومن أوهمته غير ذاك ظنونُه

فثمَّ مجالٌ للمقال وميدان

فثمَّ مجالٌ للمقال وميدان

And whoever has been led by his conjectures to believe otherwise,

Let him who imagines otherwise evaluate

There is scope for debate, and an arena.

His assumptions - the arena lies open for discourse.

خليليَّ من يعدي على زمن له

خليليَّ من يعدي على زمن له

إذا ما قضى حيفٌ علي وعدوان

إذا ما قضى حيفٌ علي وعدوان

O my two friends, who will grant me redress against an age that,

My friend, who would fault an era

Whenever it judges, deals me injustice and aggression?

Once fate has decreed against it tyranny and wrong?

وهل ريء من قبلي غريق مدامعٍ

وهل ريء من قبلي غريق مدامعٍ

يفيض بعينيه الحيا وهو حرّان

يفيض بعينيه الحيا وهو حرّان

And has anyone before me been seen drowning in tears,

Was a wailing eye ever seen that did not overflow

Pouring rain from his eyes while burning with thirst?

With tears, burning hot, though its owner stayed silent?

وهل طرفت عين لمجد ولم تكن

وهل طرفت عين لمجد ولم تكن

لها مقلةٌ من آل هود وإنسانُ

لها مقلةٌ من آل هود وإنسانُ

And has Glory's eye ever blinked without having

Did a glance seeking glory fail to have

An eyeball and a pupil from the House of Hud?

A weeping eye, be it of Hud's folk or humankind?

فوجه ابن هود كلما أعرض الورى

فوجه ابن هود كلما أعرض الورى

صفيحةُ إقبالٍ لها البشر عنوانُ

صفيحةُ إقبالٍ لها البشر عنوانُ

For Ibn Hud's face, whenever mankind turns away,

Whenever the world turned away, the visage of Hud's son

Is a page of welcome, with cheerfulness for its heading.

Was the shining face of favor, a sign for mortals.

فتى المجد في برديه بدرٌ وضيغمٌ

فتى المجد في برديه بدرٌ وضيغمٌ

وبحر وقدسٌ ذو الهضاب وثهلان

وبحر وقدسٌ ذو الهضاب وثهلان

A youth of glory: in his two cloaks, a full moon and a lion,

The moon of glory in his coolness is a full moon,

And a sea, and Quds with its heights, and Thahlan.

An ocean, sanctuary of the mountain ranges and meadows,

من النفر الشم الذين أكفهم

من النفر الشم الذين أكفهم

غيوثٌ ولكنَّ الخواطر نيران

غيوثٌ ولكنَّ الخواطر نيران

Of those lofty men whose palms

Among intrepid heroes whose palms as ample

Are showers of rain, but whose thoughts are fires.

Succor as clouds - though yearning burns like fire within.

ليوث شرى ما زال منهم لدى الوغى

ليوث شرى ما زال منهم لدى الوغى

هزبرٌ بيمناه من السحر ثعبان

هزبرٌ بيمناه من السحر ثعبان

Lions of Shara: in battle there is always among them

Heroes who in the fray remained as lions

A lion with a serpent of magic in his right hand.

With the snake of sorcery in their right hands.

وهل فوق ما قد شاد مقتدرٌ لهم

وهل فوق ما قد شاد مقتدرٌ لهم

ومؤتمن باللَه لقياه إيمان

ومؤتمن باللَه لقياه إيمان

And is anything higher than what al-Muqtadir raised for them

Has any ruler exalted them more loftily

And al-Mu'taman bi-llah, to meet whom is faith?

Or entrusted them with meeting God through faith?

ألا ليس فخرٌ في الورى غير فخرهم

ألا ليس فخرٌ في الورى غير فخرهم

وإلا فإن الفخر زور وبهتان

وإلا فإن الفخر زور وبهتان

Truly, there is no glory among mankind but theirs;

There is no pride in the world but theirs -

Otherwise, glory is falsehood and fabrication.

Else, pride is deception and illusion.

فيا مستعيناً مستعاناً لمن نبا

فيا مستعيناً مستعاناً لمن نبا

به وطنٌ يوماً وعظته أزمانُ

به وطنٌ يوماً وعظته أزمانُ

So, O al-Musta'in, sought for aid by anyone cast out

O You who seek and receive aid, You whose

By a homeland on a day when the times admonished him:

Homeland's counsel one day will be an era's counsel!

كسوته من نظمي قلائد مفخرٍ

كسوته من نظمي قلائد مفخرٍ

يباهي بها جيدُ المعالي ويزدانُ

يباهي بها جيدُ المعالي ويزدانُ

I clothed him in necklaces of glory from my verse,

My compositions clothed You in laurels of pride

The neck of high honors boasts of them and is adorned.

With which the noble and splendid adorn their necks.

وإن قصرت عما لبست فربما

وإن قصرت عما لبست فربما

تجاور درٌّ في النظام ومرجانُ

تجاور درٌّ في النظام ومرجانُ

And if they fall short of what you have worn, sometimes

If they fall short of what befits You, still they may

Pearls and coral lie side by side upon a string.

Sit alongside pearls in harmony and coral.

معان حكت غنج الحسان كأنّني

معان حكت غنج الحسان كأنّني

بهن حبيبٌ أو بطليوسَ بغدانُ

بهن حبيبٌ أو بطليوسَ بغدانُ

Meanings that echo the coquetry of beautiful women, as though I

Themes that mimicked the throaty croaking of frogs,

Through them were Habib, or Badajoz were Baghdad.

As if, through them, I were a lover or Greek monk.

إذا غرست كفاك غرس مكارم

إذا غرست كفاك غرس مكارم

بأرضيَ أجنتك الثنا منه أغصانُ

بأرضيَ أجنتك الثنا منه أغصانُ

When your two hands plant noble deeds

If Your palm plants the sapling of noble deeds

In my soil, their branches yield you praise as fruit.

In my land, it will bear for You thick branches.