سَفرَتْ وريعانُ التبلُّجِ مُسْفِرُ

سَفرَتْ وريعانُ التبلُّجِ مُسْفِرُ

لم أدرِ أيهما الصباحُ الأنورُ

لم أدرِ أيهما الصباحُ الأنورُ

She unveiled herself as dawn's first radiance shone;

The morn unveiled in splendor newly drest,

I could not tell which was the brighter morning.

More glorious rays investing either west;

وتنفستْ وقد استحرَّ تنفُّسي

وتنفستْ وقد استحرَّ تنفُّسي

فوَشى بذاكَ الندِّ هذا المجمر

فوَشى بذاكَ الندِّ هذا المجمر

And she breathed, while my own breathing burned,

I scarce distinguished if the dawning day

so this censer betrayed that fragrant incense.

Outshone the stars that lit the Milky Way.

مقصورةٌ بيضاءُ دونَ قِبابها

مقصورةٌ بيضاءُ دونَ قِبابها

هنديَّةٌ وأسنَّةٌ وسَنَوَّر

هنديَّةٌ وأسنَّةٌ وسَنَوَّر

A fair, secluded woman: before her pavilions stand

A palace white without one spot to mar,

Indian swords, spearheads, and armor,

With silver gleaming like the morning star;

وسوابحٌ خاضتْ بها البُهْمُ الوغى

وسوابحٌ خاضتْ بها البُهْمُ الوغى

لما طَمى بَحْرُ الحديدِ الأخضر

لما طَمى بَحْرُ الحديدِ الأخضر

and swimming steeds on which fearless warriors plunged into battle

Where stately ships once stemmed the battle-tide,

when the green sea of iron swelled,

When the green sea was red with gore self-dyed.

في مأزقٍ يلتاحُ فيه للظُّبا

في مأزقٍ يلتاحُ فيه للظُّبا

بَرْقٌ وينشأُ للعجاج كنَهْوَر

بَرْقٌ وينشأُ للعجاج كنَهْوَر

in a battle's press where there flashes from the sword edges

A pass whence issued many a lion-whelp,

lightning, and from the dust a towering cloud rises.

Whose lightning terrified the fox's whelp,

يرمي الفوارسَ بالفوارسِ والقنا

يرمي الفوارسَ بالفوارسِ والقنا

تخفُو هنالكَ والقنابلُ ضُمَّرُ

تخفُو هنالكَ والقنابلُ ضُمَّرُ

It hurls horsemen against horsemen, and the spears

While knight 'gainst knight went tilting on the plain

gleam there, while the squadrons ride lean steeds.

Till all were stretched upon that battle-plain.

يا ربةَ الخدرِ الممنَّعِ والتي

يا ربةَ الخدرِ الممنَّعِ والتي

أَسْرَتْ فنَمَّ على سُراها العنبر

أَسْرَتْ فنَمَّ على سُراها العنبر

O mistress of the well-guarded bower, you who

O thou, whose tent guarded a faultless pearl,

went by night, and ambergris betrayed your night journey:

O'er which the musk shed fragrance like a girl's,

ما هذه الجردُ العِتاقُ وهذه الس

ما هذه الجردُ العِتاقُ وهذه الس

مرُ الرقاقُ وذا القنا المتأطِّر

مرُ الرقاقُ وذا القنا المتأطِّر

What are these sleek thoroughbreds, and these dark-

What troops are these? what mules and litters bright?

brown, slender lances, and these bending shafts?

What parting guests leave tokens of delight?

أوما كفتكِ معاطفٌ ومراشفٌ

أوما كفتكِ معاطفٌ ومراشفٌ

وسوالفٌ كلٌّ بهنَّ معَفَّر

وسوالفٌ كلٌّ بهنَّ معَفَّر

And have curving forms and lips not sufficed you,

Have robes and cushions lain neglected here,

and necks, by which everyone is laid in the dust?

Of purple tint or yellow, fringed and dear?

لا تُشرِعي طَرْفَ السِّنان لمغرمٍ

لا تُشرِعي طَرْفَ السِّنان لمغرمٍ

مثلي فحسبكِ منه طَرْفٌ أحور

مثلي فحسبكِ منه طَرْفٌ أحور

Do not level a spearhead's point at a love-stricken man

Turn not on me those fawn-like eyes of jet,

like me; one wide, dark eye is all you need against him.

A single glance hath made my bosom's throne upset.

سأقيمُ عُذْرَ السمهريِّ فإنما

سأقيمُ عُذْرَ السمهريِّ فإنما

تُدْمي لحاظُكِ لا الوشيجُ الأسمر

تُدْمي لحاظُكِ لا الوشيجُ الأسمر

I shall excuse the Samhari spear, for it is only

Thy languid lids have brought me Sammah's fate;

your glances that draw blood, not the brown spearwood.

Not his dark mole that worked his soul's collapse.

ولئن حَشتْ زُرْقُ الأسنة بعدها

ولئن حَشتْ زُرْقُ الأسنة بعدها

طَعْنَاً حشايَ فميتةٌ تتكرَّر

طَعْنَاً حشايَ فميتةٌ تتكرَّر

And even if blue spearheads, after those glances, should fill

And though thy arrows , shot from bows of jet,

my breast with thrusts, it is but a death repeated.

Have pierced me through, sweet poison glad I've met.

حالتْ خطوبُ الدهرِ دونكِ والهوى

حالتْ خطوبُ الدهرِ دونكِ والهوى

وَقْفٌ عليه الحادثُ المتنمِّر

وَقْفٌ عليه الحادثُ المتنمِّر

Time's calamities have barred my way to you; and love—

Far distant now life's future seems to lie,

fierce misfortune is wholly bent upon it.

The present only wakes my raptured eye,

مهلاً سَتُضْرَحُ عن مَشارِبِهِ القذى

مهلاً سَتُضْرَحُ عن مَشارِبِهِ القذى

ويعودُ صَفْوَاً ماؤُهُ المتكدِّر

ويعودُ صَفْوَاً ماؤُهُ المتكدِّر

Patience: debris will be swept from its drinking places,

But time will tear the veil and clearly show

and its clouded water will become clear again.

How Abdul Aziz deals his gallant blow;

ليقوِّمَنَّ صَغا الحوادثِ منْ بني

ليقوِّمَنَّ صَغا الحوادثِ منْ بني

عبد العزيزِ بها وسيم أَزْهَرُ

عبد العزيزِ بها وسيم أَزْهَرُ

The crooked course of events shall surely be straightened by one of the sons of

When mounts his horse, beneath his tread the land

Abd al-Aziz, handsome and radiant amid those trials.

Seems roseate, and his path is ambergris most bland.

فكأنَّما تطأُ المطيُّ من الثرى

فكأنَّما تطأُ المطيُّ من الثرى

زَهْرَاءَ والظلماءُ مسكٌ أذفر

زَهْرَاءَ والظلماءُ مسكٌ أذفر

So it is as though the riding camels tread a tract of earth

Afar his glory spreads, while everywhere

all radiant, while the darkness is pungent musk.

His name is heard and men his name revere;

يُدْنيهِ من أَقصى المواضعِ ذكرُهُ

يُدْنيهِ من أَقصى المواضعِ ذكرُهُ

ولربَّما أدنى القصيَّ تَذَكُّر

ولربَّما أدنى القصيَّ تَذَكُّر

Remembering him brings him near from the farthest places;

He wakes, while youth and wisdom round him cling,

and often remembrance has brought the far-off near.

Things that seem folly from the wisest king.

يقظانُ مقتبلُ الشبابِ ورأيُهُ

يقظانُ مقتبلُ الشبابِ ورأيُهُ

عن بعضِ إبرامِ الكهولِ معبّر

عن بعضِ إبرامِ الكهولِ معبّر

Alert, in the first bloom of youth, his judgment

Couldst thou behold him pondering o'er his state

bespeaks something of the firm resolve of mature men.

Twere doubtful if 'twere thought or dawn's first ray.

لو كنتَ شاهدَ فَضْلِهِ لِمُلمَّةٍ

لو كنتَ شاهدَ فَضْلِهِ لِمُلمَّةٍ

لم تدرِ هل يجلو ضحىً أمْ يُفْكِر

لم تدرِ هل يجلو ضحىً أمْ يُفْكِر

Were you to witness his excellence amid calamity,

We fear the consequence of steps misplaced,

you would not know whether he was unveiling daylight or thinking.

But equity in him keeps all firm-based.

إنَّا نخافُ من العواقبِ ضَلَّةً

إنَّا نخافُ من العواقبِ ضَلَّةً

وبِعَدْلِهِ فيهنَّ سُرْجٌ تَزْهَرُ

وبِعَدْلِهِ فيهنَّ سُرْجٌ تَزْهَرُ

We fear losing our way among things to come;

So well he knows how rightly to control

but through his justice, lamps shine among them.

The stream of things without one breach or shoal.

أَمْضَى نوافذَ حُكْمِهِ حتَّى على

أَمْضَى نوافذَ حُكْمِهِ حتَّى على

صَرْفِ الحوادثِ فهي لا تتنكر

صَرْفِ الحوادثِ فهي لا تتنكر

He enforced his binding judgments even upon

Before him vanquished are his enemies, -

the turns of fortune, so they turn hostile no more.

The days are subject to him that swiftly rise.

نكصتْ على أعقابها أعداؤُهُ

نكصتْ على أعقابها أعداؤُهُ

إذْ حارَبَتْهُمْ عن عُلاهُ الأدْهُر

إذْ حارَبَتْهُمْ عن عُلاهُ الأدْهُر

His enemies recoiled upon their heels,

He is the East whence springs their gleamy day,

when the ages fought them in defense of his glory.

The goblet foaming withlimpid spray.

فلهمْ به شَرَقٌ لميِّتهمْ شجىً

فلهمْ به شَرَقٌ لميِّتهمْ شجىً

ولنا به القِدْحُ المعلَّى الأكبر

ولنا به القِدْحُ المعلَّى الأكبر

Through him they choke; even their dead have a bone in the throat;

Thy sword wins bloodless every victory,

and through him ours is the highest, greatest winning arrow.

And valour must be shown when met by thee;

تُبْدي يمينُك عَرْفَ كلِّ براعةٍ

تُبْدي يمينُك عَرْفَ كلِّ براعةٍ

مهما نبا بيدِ الكميِّ مُفَقَّر

مهما نبا بيدِ الكميِّ مُفَقَّر

Your right hand gives forth the fragrance of every skill,

As though thy spear drank blood and not mere wine,

whenever a grooved sword fails in an armored warrior's hand.

Thy stroke seems dealt by arm of hero-line;

طَعَنَتْ عُداتَكَ دونَ طَعْنٍ فانبرى

طَعَنَتْ عُداتَكَ دونَ طَعْنٍ فانبرى

كلُّ امرئٍ عاديتَ وهو مُفَطَّر

كلُّ امرئٍ عاديتَ وهو مُفَطَّر

It pierced your foes without a thrust, and forth came

Abu Hassáin, thanks ! But words are weak to tell

every man you opposed, split open.

How virtue fails thy wondrous gifts to parallel;

فكأن حبركَ أحمرٌ لا أسودٌ

فكأن حبركَ أحمرٌ لا أسودٌ

ويراعُ كفِّكَ أسمرٌ لا أصفر

ويراعُ كفِّكَ أسمرٌ لا أصفر

So it is as though your ink were red, not black,

And though my song falls short of what is meet,

and the reed in your palm were brown, not yellow.

Thy pardon, friend, 'twill humbly, gladly greet.

أُملي أبا حسنٍ بشكرٍ بعضَ ما

أُملي أبا حسنٍ بشكرٍ بعضَ ما

أوليتَ من حَسَنٍ فمثلك يُشكر

أوليتَ من حَسَنٍ فمثلك يُشكر

I set down in thanks, Abu Hasan, some of the

The ode seems tedious and of little worth ,

kindness you bestowed; one like you deserves thanks.

But from the noble 'tis a thing of birth;

ولئن أكنْ قَصَّرْتُ عن ذاكَ المدى

ولئن أكنْ قَصَّرْتُ عن ذاكَ المدى

فلقد أتتكَ مدائحي تَسْتَعْذِر

فلقد أتتكَ مدائحي تَسْتَعْذِر

And even if I have fallen short of that reach,

So take this robe, time's self shall wear away

my praises have indeed come to you seeking pardon.

Ere the rich tissue know or spot or fray;

أمّا القريضُ فقد علمتَ بأنَّهُ

أمّا القريضُ فقد علمتَ بأنَّهُ

بُرْدٌ يُسَنُّ على الكرامِ مُحَبّر

بُرْدٌ يُسَنُّ على الكرامِ مُحَبّر

As for poetry, you already know that it is

But happier he who wears the gift of one

a richly patterned mantle draped upon the noble.

That far outshines him as the dazzling sun.

فبعثتُ من حَوكي إليكَ بخلعةٍ

فبعثتُ من حَوكي إليكَ بخلعةٍ

تَبْلَى الليالي دونها والأعْصُرُ

تَبْلَى الليالي دونها والأعْصُرُ

So from my weaving I sent you a robe of honor,

Mount higher yet till envying stars on high

before which nights and ages themselves wear away.

Confess no meteor can attain that sky !

فلتلبسْن منها أجلَّ مُفاضَةٍ

فلتلبسْن منها أجلَّ مُفاضَةٍ

لكنَّ لابسها أجلُّ وأخطر

لكنَّ لابسها أجلُّ وأخطر

Then surely don its noblest flowing coat of mail;

but its wearer is nobler and of greater rank.

ولترقَ في فَلَكِ السماءِ بحيثُ لا

ولترقَ في فَلَكِ السماءِ بحيثُ لا

يسطيع أَنْ يَرْقَى شهابٌ نيِّر

يسطيع أَنْ يَرْقَى شهابٌ نيِّر

And ascend in heaven's sphere to where no

shining meteor can climb.