همٌّ سرى في أضلعي وسرى بي

همٌّ سرى في أضلعي وسرى بي

فالبرقُ سَوْطي والظلامُ ركابي

فالبرقُ سَوْطي والظلامُ ركابي

A care crept through my ribs and carried me by night;

Anxiety crept through my ribs and crept with me

so lightning is my whip, and darkness my mount.

So lightning is my whip and darkness my mount

لأكَلِّفنَّ الليلَ عَزْماً طالعاً

لأكَلِّفنَّ الليلَ عَزْماً طالعاً

في كلِّ مظلمةٍ طلوع شهاب

في كلِّ مظلمةٍ طلوع شهاب

I shall surely burden the night with a resolve that rises

I will task the night with rising determination

in every darkness as a shooting star rises.

For within every darkness is the rising of a star

ولأعنينَّ الدهر أن يصمَ المنى

ولأعنينَّ الدهر أن يصمَ المنى

ولو انَّني أَنضبتُ ماء شبابي

ولو انَّني أَنضبتُ ماء شبابي

And I shall weary fate in its attempt to mar hopes,

And I will intend for time to fulfil my wishes

even if I drain the water of my youth.

Even if the waters of my youth are depleted

بالهولِ أركبُهُ بكلِّ دُجُنَّةٍ

بالهولِ أركبُهُ بكلِّ دُجُنَّةٍ

والسيرِ أُعملُهُ بكلِّ يباب

والسيرِ أُعملُهُ بكلِّ يباب

With terror I ride it through every deep darkness,

With awe I mount it through every darkness

and set it traveling through every wasteland.

And with travel I task it through every wilderness

من مبلغُ الزهراء أَنِّيَ راتعٌ

من مبلغُ الزهراء أَنِّيَ راتعٌ

منها بروضِ أزاهرِ الآداب

منها بروضِ أزاهرِ الآداب

Who will tell al-Zahra that I am reveling

Let the radiant one know that I am a watcher

in a garden of her literary blossoms?

In her garden of the flowers of literature

ومخبِّر البلقاء أنَّ خطيبها

ومخبِّر البلقاء أنَّ خطيبها

ظَفِرتْ يدي من سجعه بخطاب

ظَفِرتْ يدي من سجعه بخطاب

And inform al-Balqa that, from her orator,

And inform the brilliant one that her suitor

my hand has obtained a letter of his rhymed prose?

My hand has triumphed over her speech with discourse

مهلاً أبا بكر فكلُّ مُسوَّمٍ

مهلاً أبا بكر فكلُّ مُسوَّمٍ

نازَعْتَهُ طَلَقَ الأعنَّةِ كابي

نازَعْتَهُ طَلَقَ الأعنَّةِ كابي

Easy, Abu Bakr! Every marked steed

Wait Abu Bakr, for every predestined one

you race, though given free rein, stumbles.

You contended with them, the veils parted

قسماً لَهَاتيكَ المحاسنُ أفصحت

قسماً لَهَاتيكَ المحاسنُ أفصحت

بمثالب الشعراء والكتاب

بمثالب الشعراء والكتاب

I swear: those excellences have laid bare

By the oath of those charms which eloquently

the shortcomings of poets and writers.

Spoke of the faults of the poets and writers

يبني لك المجد المؤثَّلَ أخرسٌ

يبني لك المجد المؤثَّلَ أخرسٌ

بَهَرَتْ فصاحتُهُ ذوي الألباب

بَهَرَتْ فصاحتُهُ ذوي الألباب

A mute builds deeply rooted glory for you;

The silent one builds for you glorious praise

its eloquence has dazzled those with understanding.

His eloquence dazzled those of intellect

قلم تمشَّى في طروسِكَ فانبرتْ

قلم تمشَّى في طروسِكَ فانبرتْ

مثلَ الرياضِ وأيمِها المُنْساب

مثلَ الرياضِ وأيمِها المُنْساب

A pen walked across your pages, and they sprang forth

A pen promenaded through your compositions so they shone

like gardens, while it was their gliding serpent.

Like gardens and their running springs

جاءت حلاها واضحاتٍ كلُّها

جاءت حلاها واضحاتٍ كلُّها

فكأنهن مباسم الأحباب

فكأنهن مباسم الأحباب

All their adornments appeared clear,

Their adornments came, all clearly

as though they were the smiling mouths of loved ones.

As if they are the smiles of loved ones

من كل محكمة كأن شذورها

من كل محكمة كأن شذورها

حلي الترائب من دمىً أتراب

حلي الترائب من دمىً أتراب

Each finely wrought piece has scattered jewels like

From every assembled piece, as if their embers

ornaments on the breasts of doll-like maidens of equal age.

Are the adornment of necklaces from fair maidens

تركت حلاوةُ لفظها إذ نوزعتْ

تركت حلاوةُ لفظها إذ نوزعتْ

أكوابُها كالصَّابِ لفظَ الصابي

أكوابُها كالصَّابِ لفظَ الصابي

The sweetness of its wording left—when

The sweetness of its words left when distributed

its cups were shared—al-Sabi's wording bitter as spurge.

Their cups like the lisping speech of an infant

تردُ العيونُ عيونَها في مُهْرَقٍ

تردُ العيونُ عيونَها في مُهْرَقٍ

رُقمتْ به وِردَ القطا الأسراب

رُقمتْ به وِردَ القطا الأسراب

Eyes come to drink at its springs on a writing sheet,

Eyes return their eyes in fascination

where they are inscribed, as flocks of sandgrouse come to water.

Embroidered with them, the roses of flocks

فكأنما أُلِّفنَ من حدَقِ المها

فكأنما أُلِّفنَ من حدَقِ المها

أو من ثنيات لهن عذاب

أو من ثنيات لهن عذاب

As though they were fashioned from the pupils of oryx,

So it's as if they were composed of the gaze of does

or from their sweet front teeth,

Or from the curves that torment them

أو من صفاء مودةٍ أدبيّةٍ

أو من صفاء مودةٍ أدبيّةٍ

أَغْنَتْ غَنَاءَ تلاحُمِ الأنسابِ

أَغْنَتْ غَنَاءَ تلاحُمِ الأنسابِ

or from the purity of literary affection

Or from the purity of cultured affection

that served the purpose of close-knit kinship.

That sang the song of intertwined lineages

لبَّيْكَ داعيَها وإني ضامنٌ

لبَّيْكَ داعيَها وإني ضامنٌ

ألاّ تَزالَ وثيقةَ الأسباب

ألاّ تَزالَ وثيقةَ الأسباب

At your service, caller to this friendship! I pledge

I respond to its caller, and I guarantee

that its ties shall never cease to be secure.

That it will remain, the cause of causes

ناديتَ أسرعَ من يجيب لدعوةٍ

ناديتَ أسرعَ من يجيب لدعوةٍ

محمودةٍ فأجبتَ خيرَ مُجابِ

محمودةٍ فأجبتَ خيرَ مُجابِ

You called the swiftest to answer an appeal

You called more swiftly than one who responds to

worthy of praise, and answered the one most worthy of reply.

A commendable call, so you are the best respondent

إن نشترك في الودِّ إنَّا والعلا

إن نشترك في الودِّ إنَّا والعلا

جرض لمشتركانِ في الأوصاب

جرض لمشتركانِ في الأوصاب

If we share affection, we and glory,

If we share in affection, we and the higher virtues

choked with grief, are surely partners in suffering.

Are equal for those who share in the tent pegs

إيهٍ دموعَكَ للفضائلِ أقلعتْ

إيهٍ دموعَكَ للفضائلِ أقلعتْ

والمجدُ صار إلى حصىً وتراب

والمجدُ صار إلى حصىً وتراب

Keep shedding tears for virtues now departed,

Alas, your tears towards virtues departed

and glory has turned to pebbles and dust.

And glory became pebbles and dust

ولتبكِ من جزعٍ فإنَّ بكاءَنا

ولتبكِ من جزعٍ فإنَّ بكاءَنا

لمصارعِ الأحلام والأحساب

لمصارعِ الأحلام والأحساب

And weep from anguish, for our weeping

And weep from sorrow, for our weeping

is for the deaths of wisdom and ancestral honor.

Is for the death of dreams and hopes

أَفَلَتْ نجومُ العلم لا لتعاقبٍ

أَفَلَتْ نجومُ العلم لا لتعاقبٍ

ومضت وفودُ الحلم لا لإياب

ومضت وفودُ الحلم لا لإياب

The stars of knowledge have set, not to be replaced;

The stars of knowledge vanished, not from cycles

and wisdom's delegations have gone, not to return.

And delegations of dreams passed, not to return

قد خِلْتُ والأيامُ تنتهبُ العلا

قد خِلْتُ والأيامُ تنتهبُ العلا

بنوائبٍ ما حدُّهنَّ بناب

بنوائبٍ ما حدُّهنَّ بناب

I thought—while the days were plundering glory

I'm empty, and days plunder virtues

with calamities whose edge was never blunt—

With calamities that have no end

وارحمتا للمجد أقوى رَبْعُهُ

وارحمتا للمجد أقوى رَبْعُهُ

من ماجدٍ محضِ النجارِ لباب

من ماجدٍ محضِ النجارِ لباب

alas for glory! Its dwelling lies deserted

And two merciful ones for glory, the strongest quarter of it

of a noble man, pure of stock, the very finest;

Comes from the purely carpentered door

من ذي يدٍ حَبَتِ الزمانَ أيادياً

من ذي يدٍ حَبَتِ الزمانَ أيادياً

مُلِئَتْ بهنَّ حقائبُ الأحقاب

مُلِئَتْ بهنَّ حقائبُ الأحقاب

of one whose hand bestowed favors upon time,

From one whose hand the days made hands

with which the saddlebags of the ages were filled.

That filled the boxes of times

فضفاضُ درعِ الحمد مُشتملٌ بها

فضفاضُ درعِ الحمد مُشتملٌ بها

عفُّ الضمائر طاهرُ الأثواب

عفُّ الضمائر طاهرُ الأثواب

Ample was his armor of praise, and he was wrapped in it,

The ample robe of praise covers him

pure in his inner thoughts, spotless in his robes.

Chaste souls, pure clothes

ولاَّجُ أبوابِ الأمورِ برأيهِ

ولاَّجُ أبوابِ الأمورِ برأيهِ

طلاَّعُ أنجادٍ لها وهضاب

طلاَّعُ أنجادٍ لها وهضاب

Ever entering the doors of affairs with his judgment,

The solution to matters is with his opinion

ever scaling their highlands and hills.

Rising, it has peaks and hills

عِلقٌ أطال من الليالي فَقْدُهُ

عِلقٌ أطال من الليالي فَقْدُهُ

فلبستُ ليلاً سابغَ الجلباب

فلبستُ ليلاً سابغَ الجلباب

A treasure whose loss prolonged the nights;

A new moon that lengthened its absence from the nights

so I wore a night with an all-enfolding cloak,

So I wore, all night, an enveloping cloak

متململاً أصِلُ الدموعَ بمثلها

متململاً أصِلُ الدموعَ بمثلها

صلةَ العِهادِ رَبابَها برباب

صلةَ العِهادِ رَبابَها برباب

restlessly joining tears to tears,

Restless, I connect tears to its like

as successive rains join their clouds to clouds.

Like the connection of a rabab’s strings to pegs

أردى شبيبته الرَّدى ومن المنى

أردى شبيبته الرَّدى ومن المنى

لو يفتديها شرخُ كلِّ شباب

لو يفتديها شرخُ كلِّ شباب

Death laid his youth low; and among our wishes

It wasted his youth with devastation, and from wishes

is that the prime of all youth might ransom it.

If the dawn of every youth ransomed it

سلبَتْه دنياهُ ثيابَ حياتِهِ

سلبَتْه دنياهُ ثيابَ حياتِهِ

فَلَتَعْصِبَنَّ عليه ثوبَ سِلاب

فَلَتَعْصِبَنَّ عليه ثوبَ سِلاب

His world stripped him of the garments of his life;

His worldly life robbed him of the clothes of his life

so let it surely gird on a black mourning robe for him.

So the attire of bereavement shall wrap him

ولينكصنَّ الصبرُ بعد وفاته

ولينكصنَّ الصبرُ بعد وفاته

من كلِّ مصطبرٍ على الأعقاب

من كلِّ مصطبرٍ على الأعقاب

And patience shall surely retreat after his death,

And patience shall retreat after his passing

from every steadfast sufferer, back upon its heels.

From every composed one onto heels

أَنَّى خَبَتْ تلك العزائمُ ريثما

أَنَّى خَبَتْ تلك العزائمُ ريثما

لم يخلُ من ضرَمٍ ومن إلهاب

لم يخلُ من ضرَمٍ ومن إلهاب

How did those resolves die down, while he

Where did those resolves vanish while

was never without burning and blazing?

No thirst or inflammation remained

أمست كنانةُ بعدهنَّ كِنانةً

أمست كنانةُ بعدهنَّ كِنانةً

مهجورةً صَفِرَتْ من النُشَّاب

مهجورةً صَفِرَتْ من النُشَّاب

Kinana became, after them, a quiver,

The glory after them became like an abandoned

abandoned, emptied of arrows;

And deserted old woman, barren of youth

وتضعضعت أركانها لِحُلاحِلٍ

وتضعضعت أركانها لِحُلاحِلٍ

قد كان منها في ذُرى الأَهضاب

قد كان منها في ذُرى الأَهضاب

and its pillars tottered for a mighty chief

And its pillars were shaken by ravages

who had stood upon its highest hilltops.

That were, in distant eras, in the meadows

وتكوَّرت شمسُ العَلاءِ وأُطْفِئَتْ

وتكوَّرت شمسُ العَلاءِ وأُطْفِئَتْ

سُرُج العلومِ وأنوُرُ الآداب

سُرُج العلومِ وأنوُرُ الآداب

And the sun of eminence was rolled up, and extinguished

And the sun of prominence darkened and

were the lamps of the sciences and the lights of literature.

The lamps of knowledge and stars of literature extinguished

واربدَّ وجهُ الحكم لمّا أن رأى

واربدَّ وجهُ الحكم لمّا أن رأى

ذاك السَّنا متوارياً بحجاب

ذاك السَّنا متوارياً بحجاب

And the face of wisdom darkened when it saw

And the face of wisdom cooled when it saw

that radiance hidden behind a veil.

That majestic figure veiled in concealment

ولربَّ طَبٍّ بالزمان أهاب بي

ولربَّ طَبٍّ بالزمان أهاب بي

وبه من الرزءِ المبرِّح ما بي

وبه من الرزءِ المبرِّح ما بي

And many a man versed in time's ways called to me,

And many who were morally upright in time feared me

and he bore the same agonizing bereavement as I:

And in it, from happiness that cheers, what's between us

أأُخَيَّ إنَّ الدهرَ يَعجَبُ صَرفُه

أأُخَيَّ إنَّ الدهرَ يَعجَبُ صَرفُه

من طول دأبكَ في البكاء ودابي

من طول دأبكَ في البكاء ودابي

O dear brother, time's changing course indeed marvels

Oh brother, time's change amazes me

at your long persistence in weeping, and mine.

From your long habit of weeping and pacing

لا تصلح العبراتُ إلا لامرئٍ

لا تصلح العبراتُ إلا لامرئٍ

لم يدرِ أنَّ العيشَ لمعُ سَرَاب

لم يدرِ أنَّ العيشَ لمعُ سَرَاب

Tears befit only a man

Tears do not benefit except one

who does not know that life is a mirage's shimmer.

Who did not know that life is a mirage

إنْ تبْكِهِ فمن الوفاءِ بكاؤُهُ

إنْ تبْكِهِ فمن الوفاءِ بكاؤُهُ

لكنْ ثوابُ الصبر خير ثواب

لكنْ ثوابُ الصبر خير ثواب

If you weep for him, weeping for him is faithfulness;

If you weep him, it's from loyalty, his weeping

but the reward of patience is the finest reward.

But the reward of patience is a better reward

وقُصارُ أعيننا دموعٌ وكّفٌ

وقُصارُ أعيننا دموعٌ وكّفٌ

وقُصارُه طُوبى وحسن مآب

وقُصارُه طُوبى وحسن مآب

And all our eyes can offer is streaming tears,

The shortcomings of our eyes are tears and palms

while his end is blessedness and a goodly return.

And his shortcoming is bliss and beautiful fate