تَنَصَّلَ بَعدَ ما ظَلَما

تَنَصَّلَ بَعدَ ما ظَلَما

فَعادَ لِوَصلِ ما صَرَما

فَعادَ لِوَصلِ ما صَرَما

He excused himself after doing wrong,

He absolved himself after oppressing

and returned to renew the bond he had severed.

And returned to mend what he had severed

وَقُلتُ لعالم بِالأَم

وَقُلتُ لعالم بِالأَم

رِ مُنتَفِعٍ بِما عَلِما

رِ مُنتَفِعٍ بِما عَلِما

And I said to one versed in the matter,

And I said to a learned man

who benefited from what he knew:

“Are you benefiting from your knowledge?”

أَلَستَ تَرى تَلَفُّتَهُ

أَلَستَ تَرى تَلَفُّتَهُ

فَقالَ نَعَم رَأَيتُ فَما

فَقالَ نَعَم رَأَيتُ فَما

“Do you not see him glancing about?”

Do you not see his evasiveness?

He said, “Yes, I saw—so what?

He said “Yes I saw, but what?”

أَما يَكفيكَ أَنَّكَ كُن

أَما يَكفيكَ أَنَّكَ كُن

تَ يَوم لَقيتَهُ عَلَما

تَ يَوم لَقيتَهُ عَلَما

Is it not enough that you were

Is it not enough for you that you

a landmark the day you met him?”

Were a banner when you met him?

فَقُلتُ تَذوقُهُ فَلَعَلَّ ذا

فَقُلتُ تَذوقُهُ فَلَعَلَّ ذا

كَ الخَدَّ قَد لُثِما

كَ الخَدَّ قَد لُثِما

I said, “Taste him; perhaps that

I said “Taste it, perhaps this

cheek has already been kissed.”

Cheek has been kissed”

فَقَدَّمَ رَغبَةً قَدَما

فَقَدَّمَ رَغبَةً قَدَما

وَأَخَّرَ رَهبَةً قَدَما

وَأَخَّرَ رَهبَةً قَدَما

So he put a foot forward out of desire,

He put forward a desire on one foot

and drew a foot back out of fear.

And delayed a fear on one foot

يُحاوِلُ غَمرَةً وَيَخا

يُحاوِلُ غَمرَةً وَيَخا

فُ عِندَ وُقوعِها النَّدَما

فُ عِندَ وُقوعِها النَّدَما

He attempts a perilous plunge, and fears

He attempts a folly and fears

regret when it takes place.

Regret when it befalls

فَكابَرَ طَرفُهُ فيها

فَكابَرَ طَرفُهُ فيها

فَأَرسَلَها وَما اِعتَزَما

فَأَرسَلَها وَما اِعتَزَما

So his gaze grew defiant in this,

So his gaze rebelled against it

and he sent it forth without firm resolve.

And sent it though he did not intend it

فَما بَلَغَتهُ وَهيَ الحَر

فَما بَلَغَتهُ وَهيَ الحَر

بُ حَتّى رَدَّها سِلما

بُ حَتّى رَدَّها سِلما

It had scarcely reached him as war,

And it did not reach him while it was

when he returned it as peace.

War until he repelled it peacefully

كَأَنهُ كانَ يَرقُبُها

كَأَنهُ كانَ يَرقُبُها

فَحينَ عَنَينَهُ فَهِما

فَحينَ عَنَينَهُ فَهِما

As though he had been watching for it,

As if he was watching for it

when they were directed at him, he understood.

So when he worried about it, he understood

وَأَقبَلَ بَعدَها مُتَخَدْ

وَأَقبَلَ بَعدَها مُتَخَدْ

درا يَتَعَسَّفُ الحشما

درا يَتَعَسَّفُ الحشما

And afterward he came forward, bashful,

And after it he came self-important

pushing his way through the attendants.

Forcing austerity on the cheeks

يَسيلُ جَبينُهُ عَرَقا

يَسيلُ جَبينُهُ عَرَقا

وَتَقطُرُ وَجنَتاهُ دَما

وَتَقطُرُ وَجنَتاهُ دَما

His brow streams with sweat,

His forehead dripping sweat

and his cheeks drip blood.

And his cheeks dripping blood

وَيُقصِرُ طَرفَهُ كَيلا

وَيُقصِرُ طَرفَهُ كَيلا

تَرى عَيناهُ مُتَّهَما

تَرى عَيناهُ مُتَّهَما

And he keeps his gaze lowered, lest

And lowering his gaze lest

his eyes see anyone suspect.

Eyes see him blamed

يُبادِرُ أَن يُراحَ لِكَي

يُبادِرُ أَن يُراحَ لِكَي

يَصحَّ لَهُ الَّذي حَتَما

يَصحَّ لَهُ الَّذي حَتَما

He hastens to be put at ease, so that

He hurries to be relieved so

what he has resolved may be fulfilled for him.

What he determined would be sound for him

فَحط بِرحلِنا نعماً

فَحط بِرحلِنا نعماً

فَبِتنا نَشكُرُ النِّعما

فَبِتنا نَشكُرُ النِّعما

So he laid blessings down at our dwelling,

So he alighted at our abode, a blessing

and we spent the night giving thanks for the blessings.

And we spent the night thanking for blessings

أَشوفُ مُقَلَّدا سَبطا

أَشوفُ مُقَلَّدا سَبطا

وَأَرشُفُ بارِداً شَبما

وَأَرشُفُ بارِداً شَبما

I caress a smooth neck,

I patrol wearing a necklace

and sip something cool, ice-cold.

And I mount keeping cool a jug

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد سَنَحَ ال

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد سَنَحَ ال

عِتابُ عَلَيهِ فَانتَظَما

عِتابُ عَلَيهِ فَانتَظَما

I say to him, as there arose

I say to him when blame

reproach against him, taking orderly shape:

Was appropriate for him and then he was silent:

أَذنباً كُنتَ تَحسبُ جَفْ

أَذنباً كُنتَ تَحسبُ جَفْ

وَتي بِاللَّهِ أَم كَرَما

وَتي بِاللَّهِ أَم كَرَما

“Did you consider my coldness a sin,

“Did you think my aloofness was a sin

by God, or an act of kindness?

By God or nobility?”

أَما اِستَحيَيتَ يَوم كَذا

أَما اِستَحيَيتَ يَوم كَذا

وَيَومَ كَذا أَما وَأَما

وَيَومَ كَذا أَما وَأَما

Were you not ashamed on such-and-such a day,

“Are you not ashamed, that day

and such-and-such a day—were you not, were you not?”

And that day, oh what days!”

فَنَكَّسَ ناظِراً في ظَه

فَنَكَّسَ ناظِراً في ظَه

رِ كَفٍّ يُنبِتُ العَنَما

رِ كَفٍّ يُنبِتُ العَنَما

So he bowed his head, gazing at the back

So he looked down at the palm

of a hand that sprouts ʿanam twigs,

Of a hand growing ants

وَقالَ وَما عَلى رَجُلٍ

وَقالَ وَما عَلى رَجُلٍ

أُسيءَ بِهِ إِذا اِنتَعَما

أُسيءَ بِهِ إِذا اِنتَعَما

and said, “What harm is there for a man

And said, “What’s on a man

who has been wronged, if he enjoys bliss?”

If he was harmed when he enjoyed himself?”