سلا عن ربي سلع فأعين عينها

سلا عن ربي سلع فأعين عينها

تجرد بيض الهند سود جفونها

تجرد بيض الهند سود جفونها

Ask of the heights of Salʿ—for the eyes of its gazelles—

Ask, you two, about Salʿ's heights; its gazelles' eyes—

unsheathe white Indian blades, their sheaths black.

their dark lids unsheathe India's bright swords.

واياكما ان تقربا من كناسها

واياكما ان تقربا من كناسها

فما فتك آساد الشرى بعرينها

فما فتك آساد الشرى بعرينها

And beware, both of you, of approaching their lair:

Beware, you two, of approaching their covert,

the lions of al-Sharā are no deadlier in their den.

for not even al-Sharā's lions kill so fiercely in their lairs.

وكم عن لي منها صوار مهى بها

وكم عن لي منها صوار مهى بها

فعاينت حتفي كامنا بعيونها

فعاينت حتفي كامنا بعيونها

How often a herd of oryx appeared to me from among them,

How many a herd of their oryx appeared to me there,

and I beheld my death lurking in their eyes.

and I beheld my death lurking in their eyes.

وما رمت آرام النقا يوم رامةٍ

وما رمت آرام النقا يوم رامةٍ

مرام اللقا إلا رميت بينها

مرام اللقا إلا رميت بينها

Never did I shoot at the gazelles of the dune on the day of Rāmah,

I never sought the dune's gazelles on the day at Rāmah,

seeking an encounter, but I was struck by separation from them.

seeking a meeting, without being struck among them.

خليلي ما لم تألفا السهد والسهى

خليلي ما لم تألفا السهد والسهى

فلا تشهدا اقمارها بغصونها

فلا تشهدا اقمارها بغصونها

My two companions, unless you have grown used to sleeplessness and al-Suhā,

My two friends, unless you have grown used to sleeplessness and Suhā,

do not behold their moons amid their swaying boughs.

do not behold their moons upon their boughs.

جهلت الهوى من قبل حتى اضلني

جهلت الهوى من قبل حتى اضلني

ولا هادياً للنفس دون يقينها

ولا هادياً للنفس دون يقينها

I knew nothing of passion before it led me astray,

I knew nothing of love before, until it led me astray;

and the soul has no guide apart from its own certainty.

and the soul has no guide apart from its certainty.

وقد عاق عيني عن محاسن سربها

وقد عاق عيني عن محاسن سربها

بما شانها إذ جُزن دمع شؤونها

بما شانها إذ جُزن دمع شؤونها

My eye has indeed been kept from beholding the beauties of her herd

My eyes were kept from the beauties of their flock

by what marred it when tears streamed from its ducts.

by tears from their ducts, marring them as the women passed.

بروحي افديها قريرات اعين

بروحي افديها قريرات اعين

تنام الدجى ملهية عن سخينها

تنام الدجى ملهية عن سخينها

With my soul I ransom those cool, contented eyes,

I ransom them with my soul, their eyes at peace,

sleeping through the darkness, heedless of eyes heated by grief.

sleeping through the darkness, heedless of eyes burning with grief.

تلمكين منهن غيداء لو بدت

تلمكين منهن غيداء لو بدت

بجنح الدياجي لاهتدت بجبينها

بجنح الدياجي لاهتدت بجبينها

Among them you might glimpse a graceful girl who, if she appeared

A slender beauty among them [possesses me]; were she to appear

in the wing of deepest night, would guide the lost by her brow.

amid the dark nights, they would find their way by her brow.

تذكرينها صدح الورق في الضحى

تذكرينها صدح الورق في الضحى

واشتاقها مهما انثنت لوكونها

واشتاقها مهما انثنت لوكونها

The cooing of doves at daybreak reminds me of her,

The gray doves' song at forenoon [reminds me of her],

and I yearn for her whenever they incline toward their nests.

and I yearn for her whenever they return to their nests.

وابكى الليالي الغاديات بقربها

وابكى الليالي الغاديات بقربها

وليس يعين العين غير معينها

وليس يعين العين غير معينها

I weep for the nights that passed while she was near,

I weep for the nights gone by in her company,

for nothing aids the eye but its own wellspring of tears.

and nothing helps the eye except its own flowing spring.

وتعتادني ادواء اشجان حبها

وتعتادني ادواء اشجان حبها

واقتل داء النفس داء شجونها

واقتل داء النفس داء شجونها

The maladies born of sorrow for her love revisit me,

The ailments of the sorrows of loving her revisit me,

and the deadliest sickness of the soul is the sickness of its sorrows.

and the soul's deadliest disease is the disease of its griefs.

لعل المذاكي المقربات بسيرها

لعل المذاكي المقربات بسيرها

وتفويق سهم العزم فوق متونها

وتفويق سهم العزم فوق متونها

Perhaps swift, close-bred steeds, coursing onward,

Perhaps the prized, full-grown steeds, through their traveling,

and the setting of resolve’s arrow upon their backs,

and nocking resolve's arrow above their backs,

وقطعي بقطع الليل كل تنوفةٍ

وقطعي بقطع الليل كل تنوفةٍ

يضل الغطاط النهج بين حزونها

يضل الغطاط النهج بين حزونها

and my crossing every wilderness as the night is cut away—

and my crossing, in stretches of night, every wilderness

where even the sandgrouse loses the path among its rugged rises—

where sandgrouse lose the path amid its rugged ground,

وعند ابتلاء الدهر اظهار رونقي

وعند ابتلاء الدهر اظهار رونقي

كما تبتلي بيض الظبا بقيونها

كما تبتلي بيض الظبا بقيونها

will show my luster when time puts me to the test,

and my displaying my luster when time tests me,

as sword-blades are tested by their smiths.

as bright sword-blades are tested by their smiths,

واخذري بحزم الأمران مر أو حلا

واخذري بحزم الأمران مر أو حلا

وصبري على حمر المنايا وجونها

وصبري على حمر المنايا وجونها

I take both turns of fortune firmly, whether bitter or sweet,

and my resolute handling of affairs, bitter or sweet [reading uncertain],

and endure death’s red terrors and its black.

and my endurance of deaths, red and black,

توفي ديونا لي عليها قديمة

توفي ديونا لي عليها قديمة

واكثر ما تلوى المها بديونها

واكثر ما تلوى المها بديونها

Thus she repays old debts she owes me,

will repay old debts she owes me—

and nothing bends the oryx so often as the debt it owes.

for gazelles so often put off paying their debts.

عزيزة وصل في السماء كنجمها

عزيزة وصل في السماء كنجمها

امتناعاً وفي لج البحار كنونها

امتناعاً وفي لج البحار كنونها

Her union is precious, like her star high in the sky,

Elusive in union, she is like the sky's star

unattainable—and, in the ocean’s depths, like its great fish.

in inaccessibility, and like the fish in the seas' depths.

بها خفيت ذاتي نحولا وما اهتدت

بها خفيت ذاتي نحولا وما اهتدت

لها عودي إلا بخافي انينها

لها عودي إلا بخافي انينها

For her my very being grew faint with wasting, yet my visitors

For her, my body wasted out of sight; no way was found

found no clue to it except the faintness of its moan.

to it by my visitors, except through its faint moaning.

وقد منيت نفسي بترداد عودي

وقد منيت نفسي بترداد عودي

وتكذيب عذالي وتصديق مينها

وتكذيب عذالي وتصديق مينها

I kept promising myself that my visitors would return,

I have soothed my soul with hopes of returning again,

that my censurers lied and her false promise was true.

and of disbelieving my reproachers and believing her lies.

واي سبيل للسلو بحبها

واي سبيل للسلو بحبها

إذا جبل الرحمن طيني بطينها

إذا جبل الرحمن طيني بطينها

But what path is there to consolation from loving her

What path to forgetting is there in loving her,

when the Merciful fashioned my clay together with hers?

when the All-Merciful molded my clay with hers?

واي محل عاطل لم تحله

واي محل عاطل لم تحله

علوم أبي يمن العلا ويمينها

علوم أبي يمن العلا ويمينها

And what bare place has not been adorned

And what unadorned place has not been adorned

by the learning of Abū Yaman—glory’s good omen and right hand?

by the learning of Abū Yumn, glory's right hand?

إمام إذا هاجت بحار علومه

إمام إذا هاجت بحار علومه

وارسى لطلاب الهدى بسفينها

وارسى لطلاب الهدى بسفينها

An imam who, when the seas of his knowledge surge,

An imam who, when the seas of his learning surge,

brings seekers of guidance safely to anchor in their ships.

anchors their ships for seekers of guidance.

يغوص على در المعاني بفكره

يغوص على در المعاني بفكره

وتتحفنا من لفظه بثمينها

وتتحفنا من لفظه بثمينها

He dives in thought for the pearls of meaning

With his thought he dives for the pearls of meanings,

and presents us from his speech with their treasures.

and through his utterance their treasures are bestowed on us.

ويرسل من آرائه الحكم التي

ويرسل من آرائه الحكم التي

تسفه رب الدن حكما بدينها

تسفه رب الدن حكما بدينها

From his judgments he sends forth maxims

He sends forth from his opinions maxims that

beside which even the master of the wine-cask seems foolish in judgment.

show the wine-jar's master foolish in judgment through their faith.

فلو شاء من حذقٍ به وفراسةٍ

فلو شاء من حذقٍ به وفراسةٍ

لحدث بالأشياء من قبل حينها

لحدث بالأشياء من قبل حينها

Had he wished, through his acumen and insight,

If he wished, through his mastery and discernment,

he could have spoken of things before their time.

he could speak of things before their time.

واقسم لو لم يمس فينا لأصبحت

واقسم لو لم يمس فينا لأصبحت

فتاوى الورى مفتونة بفتونها

فتاوى الورى مفتونة بفتونها

I swear, had he not dwelt among us, there would have arisen

I swear: were he not among us at evening, by dawn

among humankind legal rulings bewitched by their own temptations.

humankind's legal rulings would be bewildered by their trials.

نزور من العليا مقام سلامه

نزور من العليا مقام سلامه

فنقضي مني الآمال دون منونها

فنقضي مني الآمال دون منونها

From the heights we visit the station where he is greeted,

We visit the lofty station of his greeting,

and fulfill our hopes before their deaths overtake them.

and fulfill the wishes of hope before their demise.

ونركن في الدنيا إلى ركن ذاته

ونركن في الدنيا إلى ركن ذاته

فنشهد اوقات الصفا بحجونها

فنشهد اوقات الصفا بحجونها

In this world we lean upon the pillar of his being

In this world we lean upon the pillar of his being,

and witness hours of serenity at its Ḥajūn.

and witness hours of serenity at its Ḥajūn.

من القوم لا تهفو هضاب حلومهم

من القوم لا تهفو هضاب حلومهم

ايهفو براسيها الهوى بهجيها

ايهفو براسيها الهوى بهجيها

He is of a people whose hills of forbearance never sway—

He is of a people whose mountains of forbearance never sway—

could passion, through its baseness, shake their lofty peaks?

can passion shake their rooted heights by taunting them?

بهم شرفت بترون فخراً وانما

بهم شرفت بترون فخراً وانما

اما كنا تشريفها بمكينها

اما كنا تشريفها بمكينها

Through them Batrūn has risen proudly in honor; indeed,

Through them Batroun gained honor and pride; indeed,

we have ennobled it through its man of high station.

a place's honor lies in its eminent inhabitant [reading uncertain].

ولم تفتقر شهباؤنا لمشيد

ولم تفتقر شهباؤنا لمشيد

غنى عن صياصيها بهم وحصونها

غنى عن صياصيها بهم وحصونها

Our al-Shahbāʾ has needed no builder,

Nor has our Shahbāʾ needed a builder,

enriched through them, independent of its citadels and fortresses.

for in them she can dispense with her strongholds and fortresses.

قرين الليالي الصالحات بزهده

قرين الليالي الصالحات بزهده

ولا يصلح الأشياء غير قرينها

ولا يصلح الأشياء غير قرينها

A companion to righteous nights through his asceticism,

Through his asceticism, he is the companion of righteous nights,

for none but their companion can set things right;

and nothing sets things right but their fitting companion.

وخدن المعالي الفاخرات بمجده

وخدن المعالي الفاخرات بمجده

وفخر معالينا بفخر خدينها

وفخر معالينا بفخر خدينها

a comrade to proud, lofty glories through his nobility,

And, through his glory, the intimate of proud distinctions;

while the pride of our heights lies in the pride of their comrade.

our lofty honors take pride in their companion's pride.

إليك بها ورقاء حلف حديقة

إليك بها ورقاء حلف حديقة

تغرد في افنانها بفنونها

تغرد في افنانها بفنونها

To you I send her—a ringdove, sworn companion of a garden,

Here she is for you: a gray dove, a garden's sworn ally,

singing among its branches in all her modes;

singing among its boughs in her varied strains.

والا عروساً في ملاءٍ محبر

والا عروساً في ملاءٍ محبر

تزف بأبكار المعاني وعونها

تزف بأبكار المعاني وعونها

or else a bride in an embroidered mantle,

Or else a bride in a richly embroidered mantle,

escorted by virgin meanings and their matronly counterparts.

led in bridal procession with meanings, both maidens and matrons.

لقد حسدتها أنفس ظل كامناً

لقد حسدتها أنفس ظل كامناً

بها الحقد والأحقاد شر كمينها

بها الحقد والأحقاد شر كمينها

Souls have envied her, while hidden within them lay

Indeed, souls have envied her, while there lay hidden

rancor—and grudges are the worst things concealed.

within them rancor—and grudges are their worst lurking foes.

ويستكثرون الشعر مني وانني

ويستكثرون الشعر مني وانني

كريم القوافي الغر غير ضنينها

كريم القوافي الغر غير ضنينها

They deem my poetry excessive, yet I

They deem my poetry excessive, although I am

am generous with splendid rhymes, never stingy with them.

lavish with radiant rhymes, never stingy with them.

وربما قدت رؤسهم بها

وربما قدت رؤسهم بها

إذا ما اصاب الجزم احرف لينها

إذا ما اصاب الجزم احرف لينها

At times I have driven their chiefs before it,

And sometimes I have cleft their heads with them,

when the jussive strikes away its soft letters.

when apocope strikes their weak letters.

يظنون بي اني خملت بلا غنى

يظنون بي اني خملت بلا غنى

وكم أسرة ساءت بسوء ظنونها

وكم أسرة ساءت بسوء ظنونها

They think that I have sunk into obscurity for lack of wealth;

They suppose I have fallen into obscurity, without wealth,

how many a household has suffered through its own ill suspicions.

and many a family has suffered through its ill suspicions.

أأجهد في الدنيا واحرم فضل من

أأجهد في الدنيا واحرم فضل من

تكفل في الأمعاء رزق جنينها

تكفل في الأمعاء رزق جنينها

Shall I toil in this world and be denied the bounty of Him who

Must I toil in this world and be denied the bounty of Him

guaranteed within the womb the sustenance of its fetus?

who guarantees sustenance for the fetus within the entrails?

واني حسين والأعادي أمية

واني حسين والأعادي أمية

ولا عجب من غدرها بحسينها

ولا عجب من غدرها بحسينها

I am Husayn, and my enemies are Umayya;

I am Ḥusayn, and my enemies are Umayyah;

no wonder, then, at Umayya’s betrayal of her Husayn.

and no wonder at its treachery toward its Ḥusayn.

فدم وابق من هذي الليالي بمأمن

فدم وابق من هذي الليالي بمأمن

تنزه عن مأمونها وأمينها

تنزه عن مأمونها وأمينها

So endure, and remain safe from these nights,

So endure and remain in safety from these nights;

aloof alike from their Maʾmūn and their Amīn.

keep clear of their Maʾmūn and their Amīn.

فأنك للأيام عين قريرة

فأنك للأيام عين قريرة

ولا تبصر الأيام إلا بعينها

ولا تبصر الأيام إلا بعينها

For you are to the days a cool, contented eye,

For you are the days' cool, contented eye,

and the days see only through their own eye.

and the days see only through their eye.