أعريب ذاك الحي من يبرين

أعريب ذاك الحي من يبرين

عطفا لعل هواكم يبريني

عطفا لعل هواكم يبريني

O dear Arabs of that encampment in Yabrin,

O dweller of that quarter, show mercy to the lovesick me,

show kindness; perhaps love of you will heal me.

Perhaps your love will have mercy upon me,

لا تحسبوا مطرا تعاهد حيكم

لا تحسبوا مطرا تعاهد حيكم

ما ذاك الا من سحاب جفون

ما ذاك الا من سحاب جفون

Do not think it rain that keeps visiting your encampment;

Do not think the rain that fell on your homes,

it comes only from the clouds of eyelids.

Was anything but tears from my eyelids,

يا ويح عمري قد تصرم وانقضى

يا ويح عمري قد تصرم وانقضى

مني وما منكم قضيت ديوني

مني وما منكم قضيت ديوني

Alas for my life, already spent and gone

Oh woe is my life, it grew old and passed,

from me, while I have not collected what you owe me.

Yet I haven’t fulfilled my debts to you,

قلبي رهين عندكم فبحقكم

قلبي رهين عندكم فبحقكم

الا سمحتم لي برد رهوني

الا سمحتم لي برد رهوني

My heart is pledged with you; by your own worth,

My heart is held hostage by you, so by your right,

will you not grant me the return of my pledges?

Allow me to retrieve my pawned heart,

ما لي وما لعواذلي في حبكم

ما لي وما لعواذلي في حبكم

كم بالسلو وبالنوى يرموني

كم بالسلو وبالنوى يرموني

What have I to do with my reproachers in loving you?

What business do I and my critics have in loving you,

How often they assail me with forgetfulness and separation!

How much they pelt me with blame and reproach!

بالله لا تصغوا لقول عواذلي

بالله لا تصغوا لقول عواذلي

فيكم فقصد عواذلي تلويني

فيكم فقصد عواذلي تلويني

By God, do not heed my reproachers' words

I beg you, do not listen to the words of my critics about you,

about you: my reproachers aim to make me change.

Their aim is just to distort me,

يا قاتل الله العواذل انهم

يا قاتل الله العواذل انهم

باللوم في تحذيرهم يغروني

باللوم في تحذيرهم يغروني

Ah, may God slay the reproachers! They

Oh how they murder me, those critics!

entice me with their blame and warnings.

With their blame they only deceive me,

او كيف اسلوا او اروم تعوجاً

او كيف اسلوا او اروم تعوجاً

وانا على اقوى واقوم دين

وانا على اقوى واقوم دين

How could I forget, or seek a crooked path,

How can I be crooked or pretend so,

when I follow the strongest, straightest faith?

When I am upon the soundest and straightest religion,

وحياتكم اني فقير هواكم

وحياتكم اني فقير هواكم

واليكم ذلا بسطت يميني

واليكم ذلا بسطت يميني

By your lives, I am a pauper for your love,

By your lives I swear, I am poor in your love,

and humbly I have stretched my right hand toward you.

And for you I have outstretched my hand,

انا فيكم مضنى فعودوني وان

انا فيكم مضنى فعودوني وان

عز اللقا بوصالكم فعدوني

عز اللقا بوصالكم فعدوني

I am sick with longing for you; visit me, and if

I am wasted away in loving you, so return to me, and if

a meeting is hard, promise me union with you.

Meeting you is difficult, make it easy and bring me back,

اولا هبوا جفني الرقاد لعلني

اولا هبوا جفني الرقاد لعلني

اغفو وعائد طيفكم يأتيني

اغفو وعائد طيفكم يأتيني

Or else, grant my eyelids sleep, so that I may

First, grant my eyes some sleep, perhaps

slumber, and your visiting phantom may come to me.

I will slumber and your image will come to me,

او كيف بطرقني الخيال ومقلتي

او كيف بطرقني الخيال ومقلتي

ترعى السها والسهد ملء عيوني

ترعى السها والسهد ملء عيوني

But how can the phantom visit me, when my eye

Or how can sleep come upon me, and my eyelids

watches al-Suha, and sleeplessness fills my eyes?

Graze upon wakefulness, while my eyes brim with tears?

ان كان قتلي بالصدود رضاكم

ان كان قتلي بالصدود رضاكم

فجميع ما يرضيكم يرضيني

فجميع ما يرضيكم يرضيني

If killing me through rejection is your pleasure,

If my murder by rejection pleases you,

then everything that pleases you pleases me.

Then whatever pleases you, also pleases me,

هامهجتي قد بعتكم لا ادعي

هامهجتي قد بعتكم لا ادعي

بالبيع فيه صفقة المغبون

بالبيع فيه صفقة المغبون

Here is my heart's blood: I have sold it to you; I do not claim

My love I have sold to you, I make no claims,

that in this sale I struck a loser's bargain.

Of loss in this sale of the shortchanged,

انا في الغرام اخو جميل بثينة

انا في الغرام اخو جميل بثينة

طورا وآونة اخو المجنون

طورا وآونة اخو المجنون

In love I am a brother to Jamil Buthayna

In passion I am the brother of Majnun Layla,

at times, and at others a brother to Majnun.

At times, and at times the brother of Qays the obsessed,

يا للرجال لعل راقي حبكم

يا للرجال لعل راقي حبكم

في الحب من هذا الهوى يشفيني

في الحب من هذا الهوى يشفيني

O men, help! Perhaps a charm-healer for love of you

O men, perhaps the exaltedness of your love,

will cure me, in love, of this passion.

Can cure me of this passion with its flames,

فلقد فتنت بفاتر الاجفان لا

فلقد فتنت بفاتر الاجفان لا

يحنو عليّ وبالفتور فتوني

يحنو عليّ وبالفتور فتوني

For I have been bewitched by one with languid eyelids, who does not

For I am enchanted by the languor in his glances, he of languid eyes,

show me kindness; through languor they have crushed me.

Who has no tenderness for me, and seduced me with his indifference,

قلبي الجوانح لم يزل مع انه

قلبي الجوانح لم يزل مع انه

عنه الغصون روت حديث اللين

عنه الغصون روت حديث اللين

My heart amid the ribs remains so [text unclear], although

My heart is ever faithful, though the branches

the branches have related, on his authority, the tale of suppleness.

Have narrated to it the soft words of bending,

ياذا السنا كالبدر الا أنه

ياذا السنا كالبدر الا أنه

احلى وابدع منه في التكوين

احلى وابدع منه في التكوين

O radiant one, like the full moon, except that he

O you with the radiant countenance, more beautiful and refined than the full moon,

is sweeter and more wondrous than it in form.

Though sweeter and fairer in its making,

ساق يطوف بكأسه فيديره

ساق يطوف بكأسه فيديره

شمسا تجلت عن صباح جبين

شمسا تجلت عن صباح جبين

A cupbearer circles with his cup and passes it around,

Bearing his cup, he circles it, turning it into a sun,

a sun shining forth from the dawn of a brow.

Rising from the dawn on his brow,

نشوان من خمر الصبا وجناته

نشوان من خمر الصبا وجناته

قد اطعلت وردا على نسرين

قد اطعلت وردا على نسرين

Drunk on the wine of youth, his cheeks

Delighted with the wine of youth and its gardens,

have brought forth roses upon eglantine.

On which he made the roses blush over the nectarines,

يغنيك مشرفه وريقة ثغره

يغنيك مشرفه وريقة ثغره

عن كأسه وسلافة الزرجون

عن كأسه وسلافة الزرجون

His lips [reading uncertain] and his mouth's moisture suffice you

The rose of his mouth makes you forget his cup or the Persian jasmine,

instead of his cup and the purest wine.

He is the sweet refreshing whose purity pours from a generous hand,

عذب اللمى يفتر عن در به

عذب اللمى يفتر عن در به

جادت لنا أيدي محب الدين

جادت لنا أيدي محب الدين

Sweet with dark lips, he parts them to reveal pearls that

My Master, when the clouds of his munificence rain,

Muhibb al-Din's hands have generously bestowed on us.

Speak of whatever you wish about the Nile of Sehwan,

مولى اذا سحت سحائب جوده

مولى اذا سحت سحائب جوده

حدث وقل ما شئت عن سيحون

حدث وقل ما شئت عن سيحون

A lord—when the clouds of his generosity pour,

He is the most noble of this age, who in his Egypt,

speak, and say what you will of Sayhun.

Established a coffeehouse whose words inspire me,

هو فاضل العصر الذي في مصره

هو فاضل العصر الذي في مصره

انشاء قهوة لفظه تنشيني

انشاء قهوة لفظه تنشيني

He is the eminent scholar of the age, in whose city

I sacrifice myself for his refined and praised traits,

the wine of his composed words intoxicates me.

Like beauty itself, needing no embellishment,

افديه محمود السجايا وصفه

افديه محمود السجايا وصفه

كالحسن لم يحتج الى تحسين

كالحسن لم يحتج الى تحسين

I would ransom him, praiseworthy in character; his description,

The axis of glory and meaning, his words

like beauty itself, has no need of embellishment.

Make eloquence and clarity dispensable,

قطب المعالي والمعاني لفظه

قطب المعالي والمعاني لفظه

يغني عن الافصاح والتبيين

يغني عن الافصاح والتبيين

The axis of high attainments and meanings, his speech

To the highest heavens, as a child he reached,

makes explicit expression and explanation needless.

And reached in excellence over his peers in his twenties,

والى سما العلياء طفلا قد سما

والى سما العلياء طفلا قد سما

وسما على الاقران في العشرين

وسما على الاقران في العشرين

And while still a child he had risen to the heavens of loftiness,

He continues to let prosperity flow to me, until through him

and at twenty he rose above his peers.

I improved my hopes for comfort and survival,

ما زال يوليني الندى حتى به

ما زال يوليني الندى حتى به

احسنت ظني ف الرجا وبقيني

احسنت ظني ف الرجا وبقيني

He kept bestowing bounty on me, until through him

And on the nights of my poverty when darkness falls,

I came to trust in hope and my certainty [reading uncertain].

The morn of his bestowal always guides me,

وبليل فقري ما ضللت اذا دجى

وبليل فقري ما ضللت اذا دجى

الا وصبح نواله يهديني

الا وصبح نواله يهديني

Never did I lose my way when the night of my poverty grew dark

Indeed, his right hand was generous to me,

without the dawn of his bounty guiding me.

Out of nobility, and his right made my right rich with grants,

قسما لقد جادت عليّ يمينه

قسما لقد جادت عليّ يمينه

كرما وبرث بالعطاء يميني

كرما وبرث بالعطاء يميني

I swear, his right hand has indeed lavished on me

From his right palm, generosity drinks from a cloud,

generosity, and through his giving my oath came true.

While his left palm drinks from the son of Ma’een,

فيمينه تروي المكارم عن عطا

فيمينه تروي المكارم عن عطا

ويساره تروى عن ابن معين

ويساره تروى عن ابن معين

His right hand relates noble deeds on the authority of 'Ata,

Difficult for enemies, though he

and his left relates them on the authority of Ibn Ma'in.

Is easy to every peacemaker and mournful soul,

صعب على الاعداء الا انه

صعب على الاعداء الا انه

سهل لكل مسالم وحزين

سهل لكل مسالم وحزين

Formidable to enemies, yet he

I wove my praise into ingenious metaphors about him,

is gentle to every peaceful and sorrowful soul.

And through him, inspiration flowed into my composition,

طرزت مدحي في البديع بوصفه

طرزت مدحي في البديع بوصفه

وبه حلا في نظمه تفنيني

وبه حلا في نظمه تفنيني

I embroidered my praise in rhetorical finery with his description,

I nurtured in it every pleasing meaning,

and through him my artistry grew sweet in its verse.

And delivered the purpose through the content,

وربت فيه كل معنى راق لي

وربت فيه كل معنى راق لي

واتيت بالمقصود في المضمون

واتيت بالمقصود في المضمون

I clothed in wordplay every meaning in it that pleased me [reading uncertain],

By God, were it not for praising him, I would have no

and conveyed my intent within the included content.

Skill in metaphor or rhetorical clues,

والله لولا مدحه ما كان لي

والله لولا مدحه ما كان لي

ارب بتورية ولا تضمين

ارب بتورية ولا تضمين

By God, were it not for praising him, I would have had

O Master, for whom I did not fear

no desire for double meaning or embedded quotation.

Poverty or blame from the fault-finder,

يا ايها المولى الذي من أجله

يا ايها المولى الذي من أجله

لم يخش من فقر وريب منون

لم يخش من فقر وريب منون

O lord, for whose sake

Take this poem whose composition is adorned

no one fears poverty or death's vicissitudes,

With the essence hidden within the hidden,

خذها قصيدا قد تحلى نظمها

خذها قصيدا قد تحلى نظمها

بالجوهر المكنون في المكنون

بالجوهر المكنون في المكنون

take it as a poem whose woven verse is adorned

And demand it as a melody that appeared on

with hidden jewels within the hidden.

The visages of turtledoves like joined eyebrows,

واستجلها نونية اضحت على

واستجلها نونية اضحت على

وجه الطروس كحاجب مقرون

وجه الطروس كحاجب مقرون

Unveil it: a nun-rhymed ode that has come to lie upon

I sang your praise in meanings describing it,

the face of the pages like a joined eyebrow.

And was amazed by it over an eloquent composer,

لحنت مدحك في معاني وصفها

لحنت مدحك في معاني وصفها

واعجب له من معرب ملحون

واعجب له من معرب ملحون

I set your praise to melody in the meanings of its description;

So gather it under your wing, and order away

and marvel at it: correctly inflected, yet set to song!

The fortunate bird of your good fortune comes,

فاضمم اليك جناحها وأمر فقد

فاضمم اليك جناحها وأمر فقد

وافت بطائر سعدك الميمون

وافت بطائر سعدك الميمون

Draw its wing close to you, and command; for it

And take it today as the prayer of a loyal one,

has come with the auspicious bird of your good fortune.

While my tongue of gratitude is avowing belief,

واليك خذها اليوم دعوة مخلص

واليك خذها اليوم دعوة مخلص

فلسان شكري فاه بالتأمين

فلسان شكري فاه بالتأمين

Accept it today, addressed to you as a sincere man's prayer;

And show kindness to me, even with the slightest favor,

the tongue of my gratitude has uttered 'Amen.'

For from the clouds comes a sprinkling that waters me,

واعطف علي ولو بادني بسطة

واعطف علي ولو بادني بسطة

فمن الغمام رشاشة ترويني

فمن الغمام رشاشة ترويني

Show me kindness, even with the slightest largesse:

Due to my misery, my palm became empty of silver like the letter meem,

from a cloud, a sprinkling quenches my thirst.

A type devoid of the inflection tanween,

ولشقوتي اصبحت صفر الكف كالمم

ولشقوتي اصبحت صفر الكف كالمم

نوع من صرف عن التنوين

نوع من صرف عن التنوين

In my misery I have become empty-handed, like a word for-

I remain in honor and approaching fortune,

bidden full declension and deprived of nunation.

While you remain in power and authority,

ما زلت في شرف وسعد مقبل

ما زلت في شرف وسعد مقبل

وعلاك في عز وفي تمكين

وعلاك في عز وفي تمكين

May you ever remain in honor, with good fortune drawing near,

Never did the leaves play music on a lute,

and your exalted rank in might and firm security,

Nor did they compose a melody without notation,

ما غنت الورقا على عود وما

ما غنت الورقا على عود وما

أغنت بمعربها عن التلحين

أغنت بمعربها عن التلحين

as long as the ring-dove sings upon a branch, and as long as

its articulate song makes musical setting needless.