عَتَبَت عَلَيكَ مَليحَةُ العَتبِ

عَتَبَت عَلَيكَ مَليحَةُ العَتبِ

غَضبى مُهاجِرَةً بِلا ذَنَبِ

غَضبى مُهاجِرَةً بِلا ذَنَبِ

She whose reproach is lovely reproached you,

The fair one reproached me though blameless was my wrath

angry, shunning you though you had done no wrong.

An emigrant, though no crime had I wrought

قالَت أَما تَنفَكُّ ذا أَمَلٍ

قالَت أَما تَنفَكُّ ذا أَمَلٍ

مُتَنَقِّلاً شَرِهاً عَلى الحُبِّ

مُتَنَقِّلاً شَرِهاً عَلى الحُبِّ

She said, 'Will you never cease hoping,

She said: will you not desist, still hopeful

flitting about, greedy for love?'

Wandering evilly about love?

كَلّا وَأَيديهِنَّ دامِيَةٌ

كَلّا وَأَيديهِنَّ دامِيَةٌ

في عُقلِها بِمَواقِفِ الرَكبِ

في عُقلِها بِمَواقِفِ الرَكبِ

'No! By their bloodied forelegs,

Nay, by their bloody hands

in their hobbles at the caravan's halting places,

In her reason at the caravan's halting-places

ما كانَ في زَعمٍ هَواكِ وَلا

ما كانَ في زَعمٍ هَواكِ وَلا

أَضمَرتُ غَيرَ هَواكِ في قَلبي

أَضمَرتُ غَيرَ هَواكِ في قَلبي

my love for you was never a mere claim, nor

Never did I claim your love, nor held

did I harbor any love but yours within my heart.'

Other than your love in my heart

قالَت عَسى قَولٌ يُمَرِّضُهُ

قالَت عَسى قَولٌ يُمَرِّضُهُ

ما صَحَّ باطِنُهُ مِنَ العَتبِ

ما صَحَّ باطِنُهُ مِنَ العَتبِ

She said, 'Perhaps'—a word weakened

Said she: maybe some words that sicken him

by the genuine reproach concealed within it.

When his inner self was blameless of reproach

إِنَّ الزَمانَ رَمَت حَوادِثَهُ

إِنَّ الزَمانَ رَمَت حَوادِثَهُ

هَدَفَ الشَبابِ بِأَسهُمٍ شُهبِ

هَدَفَ الشَبابِ بِأَسهُمٍ شُهبِ

Indeed, Time's calamities have shot

Verily time has shot its accidents

at youth's target with gray-white arrows.

Aiming at youth with grey arrowheads

فَبَقيتُ مُضنىً في مَحَبَّتِها

فَبَقيتُ مُضنىً في مَحَبَّتِها

مُرَّ الوِصالِ مُكَرَّهَ القُربِ

مُرَّ الوِصالِ مُكَرَّهَ القُربِ

So I remained wasted with love for her,

So I remained, anguished for her love

my embrace bitter, my closeness loathed,

Bitterly intimate, hating the proximity

مِن بَعدِ ما قَد كُنتُ أَيَّ فَتىً

مِن بَعدِ ما قَد كُنتُ أَيَّ فَتىً

كَقَضيبِ بانٍ ناعِمٍ رَطبِ

كَقَضيبِ بانٍ ناعِمٍ رَطبِ

after having once been such a youth,

After I had been such a valiant knight

like a tender, supple bān-tree branch.

As a supple, moist rod of springing wood

فَإِذا رَأَتني عَينُ غانِيَةٍ

فَإِذا رَأَتني عَينُ غانِيَةٍ

قالَت لِرائِدِ لَحظِها حَسبي

قالَت لِرائِدِ لَحظِها حَسبي

And when a beauty's eye sees me,

So when a wanton eye saw me

it tells its scouting glance, 'Enough for me!'

It said to its glance's guide “enough!”

يا صاحِ إِنَّ الدَهرَ صَيَّرَني

يا صاحِ إِنَّ الدَهرَ صَيَّرَني

ما قَد تَرى قِشراً عَلى عَضبِ

ما قَد تَرى قِشراً عَلى عَضبِ

O friend, Time has made me

“O friend, time has made me” she said

what you see—a husk upon a keen blade.

“That which you see, a rind on a stick

ما زالَ يُغري بي حَوادِثَهُ

ما زالَ يُغري بي حَوادِثَهُ

وَيَزيدُني نَكباً عَلى نَكبِ

وَيَزيدُني نَكباً عَلى نَكبِ

It never ceased setting its calamities upon me,

It has not ceased tempting me with its accidents

and heaping misfortune upon misfortune on me,

And increasing my adversity upon adversity

حَتّى لَأَبقاني كَما تَرَني

حَتّى لَأَبقاني كَما تَرَني

صَمصامَةً مَفلولَةَ الغَربِ

صَمصامَةً مَفلولَةَ الغَربِ

until it left me, as you see,

Until it leaves me as you see me

a stout sword with a blunted edge.

A broken reed with severed knots

إِنّي مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ بِهِم

إِنّي مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ بِهِم

فَخَرَت قُرَيشُ عَلى بَني كَعبِ

فَخَرَت قُرَيشُ عَلى بَني كَعبِ

I am of the people through whom

I am of the folk by whom fell

Quraysh boasted over the sons of Kaʿb:

Quraysh upon Bani Kaab

صَبرٌ إِذا ما الدَهرُ عَضَّهُمُ

صَبرٌ إِذا ما الدَهرُ عَضَّهُمُ

وَأَكُفُّهُم خُضُرٌ لَدى الجَدبِ

وَأَكُفُّهُم خُضُرٌ لَدى الجَدبِ

steadfast when Time sinks its teeth into them,

Patience, when time afflicts them

and their palms are green amid drought.

And most generous when ruinous the drought

وَلَهُم وِراثَةُ كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ

وَلَهُم وِراثَةُ كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ

وَبِهِم تُعَلِّقُ دَعوَةُ الكَربِ

وَبِهِم تُعَلِّقُ دَعوَةُ الكَربِ

Theirs is the inheritance of every noble deed,

Theirs is the inheritance of all magnanimity

and on them hangs the cry of distress.

And in them hangs the prayer of hardship

وَإِذا الوَغى كانَت ضَراغِمَةً

وَإِذا الوَغى كانَت ضَراغِمَةً

وَعَلَت عَجاجَةُ مَوقِفٍ صَعبِ

وَعَلَت عَجاجَةُ مَوقِفٍ صَعبِ

And when battle becomes a throng of lions,

And when there is a melee, forming squadrons

and the dust-cloud of a fierce encounter rises,

And the furies of the fearsome theatre rise high

لَبِسوا حُصوناً مِن حَديدِهِمُ

لَبِسوا حُصوناً مِن حَديدِهِمُ

صَبّارَةً لِلطَعنِ وَالضَربِ

صَبّارَةً لِلطَعنِ وَالضَربِ

they don fortresses of their own iron,

They don coats of mail against its stabs and blows

steadfast against thrusts and blows,

Until their vengeance heals them in the field of war

حَتّى تُبَلِّغَهُم شِفائَهُمُ

حَتّى تُبَلِّغَهُم شِفائَهُمُ

مِن ثارِهِم في مَوقِفِ الحَربِ

مِن ثارِهِم في مَوقِفِ الحَربِ

until these bring them their cure

And their steeds return with each brave knight

through their vengeance on the field of war.

Who disobeys the towering angry rods

وَعَدَت جِيادُهُمُ بِكُلِّ فَتىً

وَعَدَت جِيادُهُمُ بِكُلِّ فَتىً

يَعصى بِقائِمِ مُنصُلٍ عَضبِ

يَعصى بِقائِمِ مُنصُلٍ عَضبِ

And their steeds gallop bearing every young warrior,

Bitter when his rage attains its zeal

who strikes with the hilt of a keen sword,

Sweetly pleased when peaceable his wont”

مَرٍّ إِذا بَلَغَت حَفيظَتَهُ

مَرٍّ إِذا بَلَغَت حَفيظَتَهُ

حَلوِ الرِضا في سِلمِهِ عَذبِ

حَلوِ الرِضا في سِلمِهِ عَذبِ

bitter when his wrath is roused,

sweet when pleased, gentle in peace.