مَطلتَ بما أَهديتَهُ فَكأَنَّني

مَطلتَ بما أَهديتَهُ فَكأَنَّني

وَردتُ سَجاياكَ العِذابَ على خِمسِ

وَردتُ سَجاياكَ العِذابَ على خِمسِ

You have delayed the gift you offered, as though I

You reproached me for what gifts I brought you, as though

had come to drink of your sweet nature only on the fifth day.

I returned your necklaces as torture upon sorrows.

وذكَّرتَني بالشّعر ما قد نسيتُهُ

وذكَّرتَني بالشّعر ما قد نسيتُهُ

وبعضُ الذي عِندي يُبَلِّدُ أو يُنسي

وبعضُ الذي عِندي يُبَلِّدُ أو يُنسي

With poetry you reminded me of what I had forgotten,

You reminded me of poetry I had forgotten,

and some of what I have dulls me or makes me forget.

And some I have that gives birth or makes one forget.

إذا رمتُ شعراً رمتُ قِرناً مُساوِراً

إذا رمتُ شعراً رمتُ قِرناً مُساوِراً

فأَعجبُ من نفسي وأَفرَقُ مِن طِرسِي

فأَعجبُ من نفسي وأَفرَقُ مِن طِرسِي

When I attempt a poem, I take on an attacking adversary,

Whenever I compose a poem, I compose a horn as a companion,

so I marvel at myself and am afraid of my page.

I marvel at myself and separate from my poetry.

وأَرجُو نَشاطاً والزَّمانُ مكسّلٌ

وأَرجُو نَشاطاً والزَّمانُ مكسّلٌ

فَرُوحي منهُ والخواطِرُ في حَبسِ

فَرُوحي منهُ والخواطِرُ في حَبسِ

And I hope for vigor, though time breeds lethargy,

I hope for liveliness while time is lazy,

so my spirit and thoughts are imprisoned by it.

So my soul parts from it, and thoughts are imprisoned.

ولولاك ما زاولت منه كريهةً

ولولاك ما زاولت منه كريهةً

قَرعتُ عليها أَو نَزعتُ بِها ضِرسي

قَرعتُ عليها أَو نَزعتُ بِها ضِرسي

But for you, I would not have grappled with an ordeal of verse,

Were it not for you, I would not have resumed it reluctantly,

over which I gnashed my molar, or pulled it out because of it.

Knocking on it or pulling out a molar with it.

وكيفَ وقد أُتحفتُ منكَ بروضَةٍ

وكيفَ وقد أُتحفتُ منكَ بروضَةٍ

تنوّرُ قَلبي حين أُصبح أَو أُمسِي

تنوّرُ قَلبي حين أُصبح أَو أُمسِي

And how could I not, when you have gifted me a garden

How could I not when you gifted me a garden

that lights my heart as I enter morning or evening?

That illuminates my heart when I rise or retire?

وَعدتَ بها والأَربعون ثَنِيَّتي

وَعدتَ بها والأَربعون ثَنِيَّتي

وها أنا قد وفّيتُ خمساً إلى خمسِ

وها أنا قد وفّيتُ خمساً إلى خمسِ

You promised it when forty was the pass I had reached,

You promised it when forty was my fold,

and here I am, having completed five and another five.

And here I am, having completed five to five.

حَنانيكَ من طول المطالِ وشقِّهِ

حَنانيكَ من طول المطالِ وشقِّهِ

فقد شابَ من طُول انتظارٍ لها رَأسِي

فقد شابَ من طُول انتظارٍ لها رَأسِي

Have mercy on me: spare me the long delay and its hardship,

Your affection from the prolonged request and its hardship

for my head has turned gray from waiting so long for it.

Has made my head gray from long awaiting it.

وأَهدِ بها كُحلاً إلى العَين حالياً

وأَهدِ بها كُحلاً إلى العَين حالياً

فقد صَدِيت عَيني وقد صَدِيت نفسي

فقد صَدِيت عَيني وقد صَدِيت نفسي

And with it, send pleasing kohl to the eye,

So gift it as kohl to the eye for now,

for my eye has grown parched, and my soul has grown parched.

For my eye grew bleary and my soul grew bleary.

وراجع هوى القبذاقِ فالعيش بُلغَةٌ

وراجع هوى القبذاقِ فالعيش بُلغَةٌ

وقد تُقطعُ المَوماةُ بالضَّامِر العَنسِ

وقد تُقطعُ المَوماةُ بالضَّامِر العَنسِ

And renew your love for al-Qabdhāq, for life is but subsistence,

And revisit the love of morning cups, for life is an affliction,

and the trackless desert may be crossed on a lean, sturdy she-camel.

And sorrows may be cut by the unsheathed blade.

ويحمد ساري اللّيلِ عاقبةَ السُّرى

ويحمد ساري اللّيلِ عاقبةَ السُّرى

صَباحاً ويمحُو اليومُ سَيِّئة الأمسِ

صَباحاً ويمحُو اليومُ سَيِّئة الأمسِ

And the night traveler praises the outcome of his night journey

The watcher of night praises the fate of joys

in the morning, and today erases yesterday’s ill.

In the morning, and the day erases the evil of yesterday.