عرضتُ على ذات الدلال صبابتي

عرضتُ على ذات الدلال صبابتي

لتقدرُني قدري وتُقْصِر عن هجري

لتقدرُني قدري وتُقْصِر عن هجري

I laid my ardent longing before the coquettish lady,

I presented my love to one with meaning glances,

So she would value me at my worth and cease forsaking me.

That she may value me at my full worth and cease from abandoning me,

وحدثتها عما أقاسي من الأسى

وحدثتها عما أقاسي من الأسى

وعما يوارِي في جوانحهُ صدري

وعما يوارِي في جوانحهُ صدري

And I told her of the sorrow I endure,

And I told her of the sorrows that I suffer,

And of what my breast conceals within its folds.

And of what my heart conceals within its depths,

فأصغت إلى شكواي وافترّ ثغرها

فأصغت إلى شكواي وافترّ ثغرها

وكلّ شفائي من لمى ذلك الثغر

وكلّ شفائي من لمى ذلك الثغر

So she listened to my complaint, and her mouth parted in a smile;

So she listened to my complaints while her mouth smiled,

And all my healing lay in the dusky tint of those lips.

And all my healing was in the dew of that mouth,

فعنّ لنا من جانب الحيّ فتيةٌ

فعنّ لنا من جانب الحيّ فتيةٌ

يلوح عليهم أن أمرهمُ أمري

يلوح عليهم أن أمرهمُ أمري

Then young men appeared to us from the edge of the quarter,

When there appeared to us from the side of the valley some young men,

Their appearance suggesting that their plight was like mine.

On whom it was evident that their purpose was my own,

فقالت من العشاق قالوا غطارفِ

فقالت من العشاق قالوا غطارفِ

ميامينُ أمجادٌ من النفر الغر

ميامينُ أمجادٌ من النفر الغر

Then she asked, 'Who are the lovers?' They said, 'Noble young men,

She said, “Of lovers they used to say, ‘Knights,

Blessed and glorious, from a company of illustrious men.'

Brave glories of a select band of men,’”

وقلت لها إني سليلُ مَعاشرٍ

وقلت لها إني سليلُ مَعاشرٍ

بنوا للعلا صرحاً على البيضِ والسمرِ

بنوا للعلا صرحاً على البيضِ والسمرِ

And I said to her, 'I am descended from a people

And I said to her, “I am of a race

Who built a lofty edifice for glory upon gleaming swords and tawny spears.

Who built for knowledge a palace of whites and blacks,”

سلي عن أيادينا الزمانَ فإنه

سلي عن أيادينا الزمانَ فإنه

بما فعلتْ آباؤنا خير من يدري

بما فعلتْ آباؤنا خير من يدري

Ask Time about our benefactions, for it

“Ask the time about our hands, for it

Knows best what our forefathers did.'

Knows better than any what my fathers did,”

فقالت وصكت وجهها بيمينها

فقالت وصكت وجهها بيمينها

وعبرتها من فوق وجنتها تجري

وعبرتها من فوق وجنتها تجري

Then she spoke, striking her face with her right hand,

Then she turned her face aside with her right hand

And her tear flowed down over her cheek:

As tears flowed down her cheek,

علامَ التباهي بالقديم وبينكم

علامَ التباهي بالقديم وبينكم

تلاميذُ كادوا يهلكون من الفقر

تلاميذُ كادوا يهلكون من الفقر

'Why boast of the past, when among you

“Why do you boast of old times when amongst you

Are students nearly perishing from poverty?

Are students who nearly died of poverty?”

أليس عجباً أن يعضّهم الطوى

أليس عجباً أن يعضّهم الطوى

وهُم في بقاعِ النيل بين بني مصرِ

وهُم في بقاعِ النيل بين بني مصرِ

Is it not strange that hunger should gnaw at them,

“Is it not strange that some of them bite the dust

While they are in the lands of the Nile, among Egypt's sons?

While they are in the regions of the Nile amongst the Egyptians?”

أتَوا من ديار الشام يغترفون من

أتَوا من ديار الشام يغترفون من

مناهل علمْ الأزهر الفائضِ القَدْرِ

مناهل علمْ الأزهر الفائضِ القَدْرِ

They came from the lands of al-Sham, drawing from

“They came from the lands of Syria sipping

The wellsprings of al-Azhar's knowledge, abundant beyond measure.

From the overflowing cups of Azhar’s knowledge,”

وكان ذووهم يبعثون لهم بما

وكان ذووهم يبعثون لهم بما

يموّنهم في كل شهرين أو شهرِ

يموّنهم في كل شهرين أو شهرِ

And their families used to send them what

“And their kinsmen used to send them enough

Would provide for them every two months or every month.

To sustain them every two or three months,”

فمدّت إليهم هذه الحرب بأسها

فمدّت إليهم هذه الحرب بأسها

وسدّت عليهم مهيعَ البرّ والبحرِ

وسدّت عليهم مهيعَ البرّ والبحرِ

Then this war stretched its violence toward them,

“Then this war unleashed its afflictions on them

And barred their broad passage by land and sea.

And closed off to them the land and sea,”

فلا يستطيعون الرجوعَ لدارهم

فلا يستطيعون الرجوعَ لدارهم

ولا يستطيعون المُقامُ على الضرِ

ولا يستطيعون المُقامُ على الضرِ

So they cannot return to their homeland,

“So they cannot go back to their country

Nor can they remain amid hardship.

Nor remain suffering privation,”

فإن يقضِ نحباً ساغبٌ في دياركم

فإن يقضِ نحباً ساغبٌ في دياركم

فوا لعصر إنّ القُطر هذا لفي خُسرِ

فوا لعصر إنّ القُطر هذا لفي خُسرِ

For if a hungry man meets his death in your land,

“If one of them should die yearning in your lands,

Then, by Time, this country is surely in loss!'

Alas for the age! That drop is in utter loss,”

فقلت لها مهلاً كفى اللومَ إننا

فقلت لها مهلاً كفى اللومَ إننا

كما حدّثوا عنّا مياسير في العسر

كما حدّثوا عنّا مياسير في العسر

Then I said to her, 'Gently! Enough reproach; we

Then I said to her, “Stop blaming! We are,

Are, as people have said of us, men of means even in hardship.

As they have told of us, lords in hardship,”

ورثنا عن الأسلاف إيثار جارنا

ورثنا عن الأسلاف إيثار جارنا

وإنّ وفور العرض خيرٌ من الوفرِ

وإنّ وفور العرض خيرٌ من الوفرِ

We inherited from our forebears the habit of putting our neighbor first,

“We have inherited from our forebears preferring our neighbor,

And abundance of honor is better than wealth.

And surplus of wealth is better than abundance,”

فلا تجزعي إنا سنُقري ضيوفنا

فلا تجزعي إنا سنُقري ضيوفنا

ونكرم مثواهم ولا بدع أن نُقري

ونكرم مثواهم ولا بدع أن نُقري

So do not be distressed; we shall offer hospitality to our guests,

“So do not worry! We will host our guests

And honor their lodging; there is nothing novel in our offering hospitality.'

And honor their dwelling, for we must host them,”

فقالت رعاك الله فادْنُ بفيها تقول لي

فقالت رعاك الله فادْنُ بفيها تقول لي

تجنبَ قرى الأضياف بالكرمِ الشعري

تجنبَ قرى الأضياف بالكرمِ الشعري

She said, 'May God protect you! Draw near,' telling me with her lips:

Then she said, “God watch over you! Come nearer to me, saying:

'Avoid feeding guests on generosity in verse;

Avoid the abodes of guests with poetic generosity,”

فقد صار خُلف الوعدِ بدعةَ معشرٍ

فقد صار خُلف الوعدِ بدعةَ معشرٍ

فإن كنتَ منهم فأخرَجنّ من الخدْرِ

فإن كنتَ منهم فأخرَجنّ من الخدْرِ

For breaking promises has become a new practice among certain men.

“Breaking a promise has become the practice of a people,

If you are one of them, then be sure to leave the secluded chamber!'

So if you are one of them, then get me out of the enclosure,”

فقلت معاذ الله ما أنا منهمو

فقلت معاذ الله ما أنا منهمو

فإن تصبري أحمدت والخير في الصبرِ

فإن تصبري أحمدت والخير في الصبرِ

Then I said, 'God forbid! I am not one of them;

Then I said, “God forbid that I be one of them!

So if you are patient, you will find cause for praise; goodness lies in patience.'

But if you are patient I will praise you, for good lies in patience,”