وَقَفنافَكَم هاجَ الوُقوفُ عَلى المَغنى

وَقَفنافَكَم هاجَ الوُقوفُ عَلى المَغنى

غَليلاً دَخيلاً مِن لُبَينى وَمِن لُبنى

غَليلاً دَخيلاً مِن لُبَينى وَمِن لُبنى

We stopped—and how greatly halting at the dwelling stirred

We stopped, and how long did we stop, grieving for the beloved!

a burning, inward longing for Lubayna and Lubna.

A boiling, stinging grief from the core of my inner self.

وَعُجنا عَلَيهِ مُنذُ عِشرينَ حِجَّةً

وَعُجنا عَلَيهِ مُنذُ عِشرينَ حِجَّةً

تَقَضَّت فَما عُجنا عَلى الحِلمِ مُذ عُجنا

تَقَضَّت فَما عُجنا عَلى الحِلمِ مُذ عُجنا

And we turned aside to it twenty years ago—

We persevered for twenty pilgrimages,

years now gone; we have not turned to sober judgment since that turn.

Yet we did not gain patience since we began persevering.

أَرَبعَ التَصابي قَد فَنِيتَ وَحُبُّنا

أَرَبعَ التَصابي قَد فَنِيتَ وَحُبُّنا

لِأَهلِكَ لا يَبلى فِناكَ وَلا يَفنى

لِأَهلِكَ لا يَبلى فِناكَ وَلا يَفنى

O dwelling of youthful dalliance, you have perished, yet our love

The four abodes are gone and destroyed, and our love

for your people does not fade in your courtyard, nor perish.

For your family does not fade or vanish.

كَأَنكَ تَلقى ما لَقِينا مِنَ الهَوى

كَأَنكَ تَلقى ما لَقِينا مِنَ الهَوى

وَتَضنى لِفَقدِ الظاعِنينَ كَما نَضنى

وَتَضنى لِفَقدِ الظاعِنينَ كَما نَضنى

As though you suffer what we have suffered from love,

It is as if you face what we faced of passion

and waste away at losing those who departed, as we waste away.

And you grieve for the loss of the passionate like we grieve.

سَأَلناكَ لَو أَخبَرتَنا أَينَ يَمَّمُوا

سَأَلناكَ لَو أَخبَرتَنا أَينَ يَمَّمُوا

أَوَعسَ الحِمى الأَقصى أَمِ الأَوعَسَ الأَدنى

أَوَعسَ الحِمى الأَقصى أَمِ الأَوعَسَ الأَدنى

We asked you: if only you would tell us where they headed—

We asked you, if you told us, where did they set out to?

the farther sandy tract of the protected pasture, or the nearer sandy tract?

Did they head for the furthest sanctuary or the nearest hill?

أَمِ الحَيُّ لَمّا أَكدَتِ المُزنُ يَمَّمُوا

أَمِ الحَيُّ لَمّا أَكدَتِ المُزنُ يَمَّمُوا

ثِمالاً فَشامُوا مِن أَنامِلِهِ المُزنا

ثِمالاً فَشامُوا مِن أَنامِلِهِ المُزنا

Or did the tribe, when the rainclouds failed, turn

Or when grief intensified, did the living set out

to a sustainer, then watch for rainclouds from his fingertips?

With provisions, and so they scattered from its fingertips?

لَقَد نَجَعُوا رَبعاً حَصيناً مِنَ النَدى

لَقَد نَجَعُوا رَبعاً حَصيناً مِنَ النَدى

وَصارُوا إِلى مَن يَمنَحُ المُدنَ لا البُدنا

وَصارُوا إِلى مَن يَمنَحُ المُدنَ لا البُدنا

They indeed sought sustenance in a secure dwelling of bounty,

They took refuge in a safe quarter, protected from dew,

and came to one who grants cities, not fattened camels:

And turned to one who grants cities, not bodies.

فَتى كَرَمٍ أَفنى الصَوارِمَ في الوَغى

فَتى كَرَمٍ أَفنى الصَوارِمَ في الوَغى

ضِراباً وَأَفنى بِالطِعانِ القَنا اللُدنا

ضِراباً وَأَفنى بِالطِعانِ القَنا اللُدنا

a generous youth who wore out sharp swords in battle

A noble youth who exhausted the swords in battle

with blows, and wore out supple spears with thrusts.

With strikes, and exhausted the firm lances with stabs.

يَدُلَّكَ مِن كِلتا يَدَيهِ عَلى الغِنى

يَدُلَّكَ مِن كِلتا يَدَيهِ عَلى الغِنى

فَيُسركَ لِليُسرى وَيُمنُكَ لِليُمنى

فَيُسركَ لِليُسرى وَيُمنُكَ لِليُمنى

From both his hands he shows you the way to wealth:

He points you with each of his hands to bounty,

so your prosperity is owed to his left hand, and your good fortune to his right.

Making your left hand fortunate, and your right hand blessed.

هُوَ البَحرُ إِلّا أَنّنا لا نَرى لَهُ

هُوَ البَحرُ إِلّا أَنّنا لا نَرى لَهُ

سِوى مُوقَراتِ العِيسِ مِن مالِهِ سُفنا

سِوى مُوقَراتِ العِيسِ مِن مالِهِ سُفنا

He is the sea, except that we do not see him with

He is the sea, except we do not see for it

any ships save pale camels laden with his wealth.

Beyond the honored ships of his wealth, vessels.

نَظَمتُ لِأَسنى الخَلقِ مَدحاً وَجَدتُهُ

نَظَمتُ لِأَسنى الخَلقِ مَدحاً وَجَدتُهُ

سَنِيّاً فَأَهدَيتُ السَنِيَّ إِلى الأَسنى

سَنِيّاً فَأَهدَيتُ السَنِيَّ إِلى الأَسنى

I composed praise for the noblest of humankind and found it

I composed for the best of creation a praise poem and found it

noble; so I offered the noble to the noblest.

Good, so I gifted the good to the best.

أَبا صالِحٍ إِن كُنتُ في القَولِ مُحسِناً

أَبا صالِحٍ إِن كُنتُ في القَولِ مُحسِناً

فَإِنَّكَ قَد جازَيتَني عَنهُ بِالحُسنى

فَإِنَّكَ قَد جازَيتَني عَنهُ بِالحُسنى

O Abu Salih, if I have excelled in speech,

O Abu Salih, if I was good in speech,

then you have rewarded me for it most handsomely.

Then you have rewarded me for it with the best.

وَأَعدَيتَني بِالجُودِ حَتّى تَرَكتَني

وَأَعدَيتَني بِالجُودِ حَتّى تَرَكتَني

أَجُودُ فَأُفِني مَكسَبي قَبلَ أَن أَفنى

أَجُودُ فَأُفِني مَكسَبي قَبلَ أَن أَفنى

And you infected me with generosity, until you left me

You wronged me with generosity until you left me

giving freely, exhausting my earnings before I perish.

Generous, so I expend my earnings before I vanish.

تَشاغَلتُ أَبني فيكَ مَدحاً وَأَبتَني

تَشاغَلتُ أَبني فيكَ مَدحاً وَأَبتَني

فَفيكَ الَّذي أَبني وَمِنكَ الَّذي يُبنى

فَفيكَ الَّذي أَبني وَمِنكَ الَّذي يُبنى

I busied myself building praise of you, and building for myself;

I busied myself, my son, praising you, but you refused me.

so what I build is about you, and what is built comes from you.

So the one I praise and the one who is praised are you.

إِذا نَحنُ جُدنا أَو نَفَحنا بِنِعمَةٍ

إِذا نَحنُ جُدنا أَو نَفَحنا بِنِعمَةٍ

فَمِنكَ وَمِمّا جُدتَ ذاكَ الَّذي جُدنا

فَمِنكَ وَمِمّا جُدتَ ذاكَ الَّذي جُدنا

When we give generously or confer a favor,

When we are generous or breathe in blessings,

then what we give comes from you and from what you gave.

It is from you and from what you were generous with.

وَإِن شُكِرَ القَومُ الأُلى مِنكَ رِزقُهُم

وَإِن شُكِرَ القَومُ الأُلى مِنكَ رِزقُهُم

فَإِنَّكَ بِالشُكرِ الَّذي شُكِروا تُعنى

فَإِنَّكَ بِالشُكرِ الَّذي شُكِروا تُعنى

And if the people whose sustenance comes from you are thanked,

And if the foremost people thank you for their provision,

then you are the one meant by the thanks they receive.

Then it is you who is intended by the thanks they gave.

إِذا المَرءُ أَولى الفَضلَ مِن فَضلِ غَيرِهِ

إِذا المَرءُ أَولى الفَضلَ مِن فَضلِ غَيرِهِ

فَمُوليهِ أَولى بِالثَناء الَّذي يُثنى

فَمُوليهِ أَولى بِالثَناء الَّذي يُثنى

When a man grants a favor from another's bounty,

When a man attributes bounty over the bounty of others,

then his benefactor is more deserving of the praise bestowed.

Then the granter of it is most deserving of the praise given.