ألِمّا على شَطِّ الفُراتِ المقَدَّسِ

ألِمّا على شَطِّ الفُراتِ المقَدَّسِ

فخَيْرُ مَقيلٍ للهُدَى ومُعرَّسِ

فخَيْرُ مَقيلٍ للهُدَى ومُعرَّسِ

Alight, you two, on the bank of the sacred Euphrates,

When you are on the sacred Euphrates shore

for it is guidance's finest noonday resting place and overnight lodging.

The best resting place for guidance and saddlebags

سَيَهْديكَ عرْفُ الطّيبِ واليومُ شامِسٌ

سَيَهْديكَ عرْفُ الطّيبِ واليومُ شامِسٌ

ونارُ القِرَى تدْعوكَ في جُنْحِ حِنْدِسِ

ونارُ القِرَى تدْعوكَ في جُنْحِ حِنْدِسِ

The fragrance of perfume will guide you while the day is sunlit,

The scent of musk will guide you, and the day is sunny

and hospitality's fire calls you in the depths of pitch-black night.

The lights of villages call you to an oak branch

وتَلْقَى قِباباً دونَها كلُّ ضامِرٍ

وتَلْقَى قِباباً دونَها كلُّ ضامِرٍ

منَ الأعْوجِيّاتِ السّلاهِبِ أشْوَسِ

منَ الأعْوجِيّاتِ السّلاهِبِ أشْوَسِ

And you will find domed tents, with every lean steed before them,

You will find domes, beyond them every ruined one

of the tall, long-limbed Aʿwaj breed, fierce-eyed;

Of twisted huts, most oblique

وأزْهَر فضْفاضِ الرِّداءِ إذا احْتَبى

وأزْهَر فضْفاضِ الرِّداءِ إذا احْتَبى

بسُدّةِ نادٍ أو قَرارَةِ مجْلِسِ

بسُدّةِ نادٍ أو قَرارَةِ مجْلِسِ

and a radiant, ample-robed man who, when seated with knees drawn up

And the blossom of the loose robe when it shrinks

at an assembly's entrance or in the heart of a gathering,

At the plain of a companion or the stillness of a sitting

يُريكَ حِجَى لُقْمانَ في حِلمِ أحْنَفٍ

يُريكَ حِجَى لُقْمانَ في حِلمِ أحْنَفٍ

ومنْطِقِ قُسٍّ تحْتَ حِكمَةِ هُرْمُسِ

ومنْطِقِ قُسٍّ تحْتَ حِكمَةِ هُرْمُسِ

shows you Luqman's sagacity in Ahnaf's forbearance

It shows you Luqman's wisdom in the wisdom of Al-Hannaf

and Quss's eloquence, beneath the wisdom of Hermes.

And the speech of Quss under the wisdom of Hermes

فإنْ شِئْتَ في بحْرِ النّدى منْهُ فاغْتَرِفْ

فإنْ شِئْتَ في بحْرِ النّدى منْهُ فاغْتَرِفْ

وإنْ شِئْتَ في نارِ الهُدَى منْهُ فاقْبِسِ

وإنْ شِئْتَ في نارِ الهُدَى منْهُ فاقْبِسِ

So, if you wish, draw from his sea of generosity;

If you wish, from its dew take a drink

and, if you wish, take a firebrand from his fire of guidance.

Or if you wish, from its fire of guidance take an ember

وبلِّغْ عُلىً للبُعْدِ منّي ألوكَةً

وبلِّغْ عُلىً للبُعْدِ منّي ألوكَةً

بأعْطَرِ منْ عرْفِ الصِّبا المُتَنَفَّسِ

بأعْطَرِ منْ عرْفِ الصِّبا المُتَنَفَّسِ

And, since I am far away, convey to that lofty eminence a message from me,

And convey to the remote from me a visit

more fragrant than the breathed-out scent of youth.

With the most fragrant scent of the blowing north wind

أبا حسَن خُذْها مُجاجَةَ شاعِر

أبا حسَن خُذْها مُجاجَةَ شاعِر

فَصيحٍ متَى رامَ امْتِداحَكَ يخْرَسِ

فَصيحٍ متَى رامَ امْتِداحَكَ يخْرَسِ

O Abu Hasan, take it as a poet's spittle,

Abu Hasan receive it, the challenge of a poet

eloquent, yet struck dumb whenever he seeks to praise you.

Eloquent, whenever he seeks to praise you, he is muted

كتبْتُ وقدْ نازَعْتُ فيكَ مُلاءَةً

كتبْتُ وقدْ نازَعْتُ فيكَ مُلاءَةً

كسَتْني شُحوباً في المُلاءِ المورَّسِ

كسَتْني شُحوباً في المُلاءِ المورَّسِ

I wrote, having wrestled on your account with a mantle

I wrote when I competed with you in a gathering

that clothed me in pallor amid yellow-dyed robes,

That clothed me in pallor among the knights in armor

لشَوْقٍ ثَوى بيْنَ الحَيازِم والحَشى

لشَوْقٍ ثَوى بيْنَ الحَيازِم والحَشى

وبُعْدٍ رَمى في القَلْبِ سهْمَ مُقَرْطِسِ

وبُعْدٍ رَمى في القَلْبِ سهْمَ مُقَرْطِسِ

because of longing lodged between my breast and innards,

Yearning dwelled between my ribs and heart

and separation that shot a marksman's arrow into my heart.

And distance cast in my heart an arrow that pierced

ولولا حِذاري واتّقائيَ جاهِداً

ولولا حِذاري واتّقائيَ جاهِداً

علَى رُقْعَةٍ منْ حامِلٍ متلمِّسِ

علَى رُقْعَةٍ منْ حامِلٍ متلمِّسِ

And were it not for my wariness and my strenuous care

Were it not for my fear and intense consciousness

to guard a letter from a prying bearer,

On a paper from a carrier feeling his way

لأبْثَثْتُكَ الشّوقَ الذي هوَ كامِنٌ

لأبْثَثْتُكَ الشّوقَ الذي هوَ كامِنٌ

وناديْتُ يا مَصْدورَ صَدْري تنفَّسِ

وناديْتُ يا مَصْدورَ صَدْري تنفَّسِ

I would have confided to you the longing that lies hidden,

I would have poured out to you the longing latent within

and cried, 'O stricken one within my breast, breathe!'

And called, oh my overflowing chest, breathe

وبكْرٍ تثنّى منْكَ تلْعبُ بالنُّهى

وبكْرٍ تثنّى منْكَ تلْعبُ بالنُّهى

وتَرْفُلُ تِيهاً في غُلالةِ سُنْدُسِ

وتَرْفُلُ تِيهاً في غُلالةِ سُنْدُسِ

And many a maiden verse from you sways, beguiling minds,

As the blossom smiled in a garden

and sweeps proudly along in a sheer tunic of fine silk;

And the serpent twisted above a rose and narcissus

كما ابتَسَم الزّهْرُ الجَنيُّ بروْضَةٍ

كما ابتَسَم الزّهْرُ الجَنيُّ بروْضَةٍ

ورَفّ الحَيا منْ فوْقِ ورْدٍ ونرْجِسِ

ورَفّ الحَيا منْ فوْقِ ورْدٍ ونرْجِسِ

as fresh blossoms smiled in a garden,

As the precious necklace aligned with a ruby

and rain shimmered above roses and narcissi;

Surpassing the description of pure pearls

كَما اتّسَقَ العِقْدُ الثّمينُ بلَبّةٍ

كَما اتّسَقَ العِقْدُ الثّمينُ بلَبّةٍ

فَراقَ بهِ وصْفُ الفِرِنْدِ المجنّسِ

فَراقَ بهِ وصْفُ الفِرِنْدِ المجنّسِ

as a precious necklace lay arrayed at a throat,

Sweeter to the ears than the voice of one singing

so the variegated damask's beauty shone with it.

And more delicious on tongues than saliva

ألَذّ على الأسْماعِ منْ صوْتِ مِزْهَرٍ

ألَذّ على الأسْماعِ منْ صوْتِ مِزْهَرٍ

وأعْذَبُ في الأفواهِ من ريقِ ألْعَسِ

وأعْذَبُ في الأفواهِ من ريقِ ألْعَسِ

She is more delightful to the ears than the sound of a lute,

To the right - so the youth that passed

and sweeter in the mouth than a dark-lipped beloved's saliva.

Is not for one aged, nor wealth for the bankrupt

يَميناً فَما عَوْدُ الشّبابِ الذي مَضى

يَميناً فَما عَوْدُ الشّبابِ الذي مَضى

لذي كِبَرٍ وما الغِنى عنْدَ مُفْلِسِ

لذي كِبَرٍ وما الغِنى عنْدَ مُفْلِسِ

I swear: neither the return of youth that has passed

Nor sleep after vigil for one awake

to one grown old, nor wealth for a bankrupt,

Better than it in eyes and selves

ولا النّوْمُ منْ بعْدِ السُّهادِ لساهِرٍ

ولا النّوْمُ منْ بعْدِ السُّهادِ لساهِرٍ

بأحْسَنَ منْها في عُيونٍ وأنْفُسِ

بأحْسَنَ منْها في عُيونٍ وأنْفُسِ

nor sleep after sleeplessness for one who has kept vigil,

I neglected my loyalty, and it the most faithful friend

is lovelier than she, to eyes and souls.

And mixed my faith with the faith of a hypocrite

ثَكِلْتُ وَفائي وهْوَ أكرَمُ صاحِبٍ

ثَكِلْتُ وَفائي وهْوَ أكرَمُ صاحِبٍ

وخالَطْتُ إيماني بإيمانِ مُلْبِسِ

وخالَطْتُ إيماني بإيمانِ مُلْبِسِ

May I be bereft of my loyalty, though it is the noblest companion,

If I do not convey my soul's excuse for you

and may I mingle my faith with a dissembler's faith,

And I leave my praise in you, like one in awe

إذا لمْ أُبَلِّغْ فِيكَ نفْسيَ عُذْرَها

إذا لمْ أُبَلِّغْ فِيكَ نفْسيَ عُذْرَها

وأترُكُ حمْدي فيكَ أسوَةَ مؤتَسي

وأترُكُ حمْدي فيكَ أسوَةَ مؤتَسي

if I do not, in praising you, bring my soul beyond reproach,

and leave my praise of you a model for those who would follow.