ما عَلى أَحسَنكُم لَو أَحسَنا

ما عَلى أَحسَنكُم لَو أَحسَنا

إِنَّما نَسأَلُ شَيئاً هَيِّنا

إِنَّما نَسأَلُ شَيئاً هَيِّنا

What would it cost the fairest of you to show kindness?

It is no fault of yours if we have done well,

We ask only something easy.

We only ask for something easy.

قَد شَجانا اليَأسُ مِن بَعدِكُمُ

قَد شَجانا اليَأسُ مِن بَعدِكُمُ

فَغَدَونا بِأَحاديثِ المُنى

فَغَدَونا بِأَحاديثِ المُنى

Despair since your departure has grieved us,

Despair has torn us apart after you,

so we turned to tales of hope.

So we engaged in hopeless conversations.

وَعَدوا بِالوَصلِ مِن طَيفِكُمُ

وَعَدوا بِالوَصلِ مِن طَيفِكُمُ

مُقلَةٌ لَم تَدرِ فيكُم وَسَنا

مُقلَةٌ لَم تَدرِ فيكُم وَسَنا

They promised union through your dream-phantom

With the promise of reunion from your apparitions,

to an eye that has known no slumber for you.

A lovelorn one who knew no enmity among you.

لا وَسِحرٌ بَينَ أَجفانِكُم

لا وَسِحرٌ بَينَ أَجفانِكُم

فَتَنَ الحُبُّ بِهِ مَن فَتَنا

فَتَنَ الحُبُّ بِهِ مَن فَتَنا

No—by the magic between your eyelids,

Not sorcery between your eyelids,

with which love bewitched those it bewitched,

With which love tempted the tempted one.

وَحَديثٍ مِن مَواعيدِكُم

وَحَديثٍ مِن مَواعيدِكُم

تَحسُدُ العَينُ عَلَيهِ الأذُنا

تَحسُدُ العَينُ عَلَيهِ الأذُنا

and by talk of your promises,

And talk of your promises,

for which the eye envies the ear—

The ear envies the eye for it.

ما رَحَلت العيسَ عَن أَرضِكُم

ما رَحَلت العيسَ عَن أَرضِكُم

فَرَأَت عَينايَ شَيئاً حَسَنا

فَرَأَت عَينايَ شَيئاً حَسَنا

never have I saddled the pale camels to leave your land

The eyes did not see anything beautiful,

and then had my eyes behold anything beautiful.

Since the caravan left your land.

يا بَني عُذرَةَ إِن ضِفناكُم

يا بَني عُذرَةَ إِن ضِفناكُم

فَدَم الهِرماسِ مِنكُم عِندَنا

فَدَم الهِرماسِ مِنكُم عِندَنا

O sons of ʿUdhra, if we become your guests,

O sons of Udhra, if we visited you,

then the lion's blood is a claim we hold against you.

The blood of the slain one is with us from you.

أَخَذَت سُمرُكُمُ الثّأرَ بِهِ

أَخَذَت سُمرُكُمُ الثّأرَ بِهِ

لَستُ أَعني لَكُمُ سُمرَ القَنا

لَستُ أَعني لَكُمُ سُمرَ القَنا

Your dusky ones exacted vengeance upon him;

Your spears took revenge with it,

I do not mean your dusky spear-shafts.

I do not mean your spears of cane.

وَسَلَلتُم فيهِ أَلحاظَكُم

وَسَلَلتُم فيهِ أَلحاظَكُم

فَعَرَفنا بِالسُّيوفِ اليَمَنا

فَعَرَفنا بِالسُّيوفِ اليَمَنا

And you unsheathed your glances against him,

And you slid your glances in it,

so by those swords we recognized Yemen.

So we recognized the Yemeni swords.

هَل لَنا نَحوَكُم مِن عَودَةٍ

هَل لَنا نَحوَكُم مِن عَودَةٍ

وَمِنَ التَّعليلِ قَولي هَل لَنا

وَمِنَ التَّعليلِ قَولي هَل لَنا

Is there any return for us to you?

Is there any return to you from us?

And my asking 'Is there for us?' is self-consolation.

My question, "Is there any return for us?" is an excuse.

كَم أُسَلّي النَّفسَ عَن حُبِّكُم

كَم أُسَلّي النَّفسَ عَن حُبِّكُم

وَهيَ لا تَزدادُ إِلّا حَزَنا

وَهيَ لا تَزدادُ إِلّا حَزَنا

How often I distract my soul from loving you,

How I distract the soul from loving you,

yet it only grows more sorrowful.

And it only increases in sorrow.

وَلَعَمري لَو وَجَدنا راحَةً

وَلَعَمري لَو وَجَدنا راحَةً

مِن هَواكُم لَطَلَبنا شَجَنا

مِن هَواكُم لَطَلَبنا شَجَنا

By my life, if we found relief

And by my life if we found solace,

from loving you, we would seek grief.

From your love we would seek anguish.

يا نَديميَّ عَلى ذِكرِهِم

يا نَديميَّ عَلى ذِكرِهِم

وَحَديثُ الشَّوقِ قَد أَسكَرَنا

وَحَديثُ الشَّوقِ قَد أَسكَرَنا

O my two boon companions, as we remember them—

O my drinking companion, let's remember them,

talk of longing has already intoxicated us—

The talk of longing has intoxicated us.

بَينَ بصرَى وَضُمَير عَرَب

بَينَ بصرَى وَضُمَير عَرَب

يَأمَنُ الخائِفُ فيهِم ما جَنى

يَأمَنُ الخائِفُ فيهِم ما جَنى

between Busra and Dumayr are Arabs

Between Basra and the heart of the Arabs,

among whom the fearful finds safety, whatever his offense.

The fearful are safe among them from what he harvested.

كُلَّما شُنَّت عَلَيهم غارَة

كُلَّما شُنَّت عَلَيهم غارَة

أَغمَدوا البيضَ وَسَلوا الأَعيُنا

أَغمَدوا البيضَ وَسَلوا الأَعيُنا

Whenever a raid is launched against them,

Whenever a raid was launched against them,

they sheathe their bright swords and unsheathe their eyes.

They sheathed the swords and pardoned the eyes.

طَلَعَت لِلحُسنِ فيهِم مُزنَةٌ

طَلَعَت لِلحُسنِ فيهِم مُزنَةٌ

أَنبَتَت في كُلِّ حِقفٍ غُصنا

أَنبَتَت في كُلِّ حِقفٍ غُصنا

A raincloud has risen among them for beauty,

For their beauty, luck sprouted among them,

making a branch grow on every curved dune.

Growing branches in every cheekbone.

ما لِقَلبي لَيسَ يَشفى داؤهُ

ما لِقَلبي لَيسَ يَشفى داؤهُ

كُلَّما زالَ ضَنىً عادَ ضَنا

كُلَّما زالَ ضَنىً عادَ ضَنا

What ails my heart, that its sickness never heals?

What is wrong with my heart that its disease does not heal?

Whenever wasting sickness passes, wasting sickness returns.

Whenever a sorrow passes, sorrow returns.

كُلُّ يَوم صَبوَة عُذرِيَّةٌ

كُلُّ يَوم صَبوَة عُذرِيَّةٌ

مِن هَواكُم تَتَلاقى الدِّمَنا

مِن هَواكُم تَتَلاقى الدِّمَنا

Each day, an ʿUdhrite passion

Every day there are partridges from Udhra

born of loving you encounters the traces of abandoned camps.

Meeting together due to love of you.

لَو سَلِمنا مِن تَباريحِ الهَوى

لَو سَلِمنا مِن تَباريحِ الهَوى

لَذَكَرنا جُملَةً مِن أَمرِنا

لَذَكَرنا جُملَةً مِن أَمرِنا

If we were spared the torments of love,

If we were safe from the wounds of passion,

we would recount something of our affairs,

We would remember all our matter.

وَشَكَرنا لابنِ نَصرٍ مِنَّةً

وَشَكَرنا لابنِ نَصرٍ مِنَّةً

أَنطَقَت بِالمَدحِ فيهِ الأَلسُنا

أَنطَقَت بِالمَدحِ فيهِ الأَلسُنا

and thank Ibn Nasr for a favor

And thank Ibn Nasr for his favor,

that set tongues speaking in his praise.

Which loosed tongues in praising him.

مُغرَمٌ بِالجودِ ما يَحمِلُهُ

مُغرَمٌ بِالجودِ ما يَحمِلُهُ

نَصَبُ الفَقرِ عَلى حُبِّ الغِنى

نَصَبُ الفَقرِ عَلى حُبِّ الغِنى

Enamored of generosity, he is not driven

Infatuated with generosity, whatever poverty,

by poverty's hardship to love wealth.

Imposes upon the love of wealth.

كُلَّما عَرَّضَ بِالحَمدِ لَهُ

كُلَّما عَرَّضَ بِالحَمدِ لَهُ

أَكثَرَ السَّومَ وَأَغلى الثَّمَنا

أَكثَرَ السَّومَ وَأَغلى الثَّمَنا

Whenever someone hints at praise for him,

Whenever praise was presented to him,

he increases his bidding and raises the price.

He increased the price and made it more expensive.

ما تَراهُ كَيفَ ما مالَت بِهِ

ما تَراهُ كَيفَ ما مالَت بِهِ

عِقَبُ الأَيّام إِلّا مُحسِنا

عِقَبُ الأَيّام إِلّا مُحسِنا

You never see him, however he is swayed

You do not see him, no matter how the days,

by the turns of the days, except doing good.

Inclined with him, except as a benefactor.

وَقَريبٌ بَعُدَت هِمَّتُه

وَقَريبٌ بَعُدَت هِمَّتُه

رُبَّ أَمرٍ ما نأَى حَتّى دَنا

رُبَّ أَمرٍ ما نأَى حَتّى دَنا

And he is approachable, though his ambition reaches far;

And though his ambition was distant,

many a matter lay far off until it drew near.

Many things come near that were remote.

وَإِذا ما أَقبَلَت غائِرَة

وَإِذا ما أَقبَلَت غائِرَة

كَقَنا الخَطِّ خِفافاً لَدُنا

كَقَنا الخَطِّ خِفافاً لَدُنا

And when a raiding force advances,

And when the heavy rains advanced gently,

light and supple as the spears of al-Khatt,

Like the line of script, supple and smooth.

صاحَ مَحمودٌ عَلى فُرّاطِها

صاحَ مَحمودٌ عَلى فُرّاطِها

لا فَتىً يَعطِفُها إِلّا أَنا

لا فَتىً يَعطِفُها إِلّا أَنا

Mahmud cries out to its vanguard:

Mahmoud shouted at its horses,

'No warrior can turn it back but I!'

"None shall turn it back except me!"

خُلِقَت لِلجودِ مِنهُ راحَةٌ

خُلِقَت لِلجودِ مِنهُ راحَةٌ

عَلَّمتنا أَن نَذُمَّ المُزنا

عَلَّمتنا أَن نَذُمَّ المُزنا

His palm was created for generosity,

Ease was created in generosity for him,

and taught us to disparage the rainclouds.

It taught us to suppress sorrow.

يا عِمادَ الحَزم نَعتاً صادِقاً

يا عِمادَ الحَزم نَعتاً صادِقاً

وَمِنَ الأَلقابِ مَينٌ وَالكُنى

وَمِنَ الأَلقابِ مَينٌ وَالكُنى

O pillar of resolve—a truthful epithet—

O pillar of wisdom, a true description,

though some titles and honorifics are lies.

And from the titles grace and nicknames.

لا أَرى عَتبكَ إِلّا ظاهِراً

لا أَرى عَتبكَ إِلّا ظاهِراً

خَيرُ شَكوى عاشِقٍ ما أَعلَنا

خَيرُ شَكوى عاشِقٍ ما أَعلَنا

I see your reproach as openly displayed;

I see no fault in you except apparent,

a lover's best complaint is what he declares.

The best lover's complaint is one made public.

كُنتَ تَرمي زَمَني دوني فَقَد

كُنتَ تَرمي زَمَني دوني فَقَد

صِرتُ أَخشى أَن يَكونَ الزَّمَنا

صِرتُ أَخشى أَن يَكونَ الزَّمَنا

You used to strike at my fate, not at me; now

You used to aim your time below me, so now,

I have come to fear it may be Time itself.

I fear the time has become like me.

ما تَعامَلنا بِحَمدِ اللَّهِ في

ما تَعامَلنا بِحَمدِ اللَّهِ في

سَبَبٍ يُوجِبُ خُلفاً بَيِّنا

سَبَبٍ يُوجِبُ خُلفاً بَيِّنا

We have had no dealings, praise be to God, in

We have not dealt with thanks to God in,

any matter that would cause a clear dispute,

A cause that necessitates clear betrayal.

غَيرَ شِعرٍ رُبَّما أَهدَيتُهُ

غَيرَ شِعرٍ رُبَّما أَهدَيتُهُ

لَكَ إِذ صادَفَ وَقتاً مُمكِنا

لَكَ إِذ صادَفَ وَقتاً مُمكِنا

except for verse I sometimes presented

Except poetry I may have gifted you,

to you when a suitable occasion arose.

When an occasion presented itself.

لَيسَ في الأَعداءِ مَن يَفهَمُه

لَيسَ في الأَعداءِ مَن يَفهَمُه

فَيَقولوا إِنَّهُ ما أَحسَنا

فَيَقولوا إِنَّهُ ما أَحسَنا

None among the enemies understands it

None among the enemies understands it,

so as to say, 'He has not done well.'

To say, “How good it was!”

وَلَعَمري إِنَّ في حُبِّهِمُ

وَلَعَمري إِنَّ في حُبِّهِمُ

ما يرى سَحبانُ إِلّا أَلكَنا

ما يرى سَحبانُ إِلّا أَلكَنا

By my life, in loving them there is

And by my life in their love,

something before which Sahban seems nothing but tongue-tied.

Only the compliant see comfort.

كُلَّ يَوم لِيَ مِنهُم نَوبَةٌ

كُلَّ يَوم لِيَ مِنهُم نَوبَةٌ

تَذَرُ الحُرَّ بِهِم مُمتَحَنا

تَذَرُ الحُرَّ بِهِم مُمتَحَنا

Each day brings me an affliction from them

Every day I have an episode with them,

that leaves the free man sorely tried by them.

Leaving the free man tried through them.

وَعَلى العِلات لا زِلتُ بِما

وَعَلى العِلات لا زِلتُ بِما

أَكرَهُ التَّصريحَ فيهِ فَطِنا

أَكرَهُ التَّصريحَ فيهِ فَطِنا

Despite all troubles, I have not ceased to be

And despite the flaws, I remain with what

discerning about what I dislike stating openly.

I dislike to state plainly, out of tact.

أَنكَروا حِرصي عَلى السّلمِ وَما

أَنكَروا حِرصي عَلى السّلمِ وَما

أَدَّعي أَنّي أُحِبُّ الفِتَنا

أَدَّعي أَنّي أُحِبُّ الفِتَنا

They disapproved of my eagerness for peace, and I do not

They denied my eagerness for peace, and I do not,

claim that I love strife.

Claim to love discord.

كَيفَ يَهوى الحَرب مَن إِن فُزتُمُ

كَيفَ يَهوى الحَرب مَن إِن فُزتُمُ

لَم يَكُن بِالخَيرِ مِنكُم قَمِنا

لَم يَكُن بِالخَيرِ مِنكُم قَمِنا

How can someone love war when, if you win,

How can one who loves war love you,

he would deserve no kindness from you,

When if you win, we do not have secure refuge?

وَإِذا ضاقَت عَلَيكُم خُطَّةٌ

وَإِذا ضاقَت عَلَيكُم خُطَّةٌ

عَدِمَ المال بِها وَالوَطَنا

عَدِمَ المال بِها وَالوَطَنا

and if some predicament presses hard upon you,

And if the strategy narrows upon you,

he would lose his wealth and homeland in it?

Neither wealth nor homeland in it.

لَيسَ في المَعقولِ أَن يؤثِرَها

لَيسَ في المَعقولِ أَن يؤثِرَها

غَيرَ مَن إِن خِفتُ فيها أَمِنا

غَيرَ مَن إِن خِفتُ فيها أَمِنا

It is not reasonable that anyone should choose it

It is not reasonable to prefer it,

except someone safe in it when I am afraid.

Unless out of fear in it I would be safe.

فَتَنَبَّه لِمَخارِيقِهِمُ

فَتَنَبَّه لِمَخارِيقِهِمُ

ما عَهِدنا مِنكَ هَذا الوَسَنا

ما عَهِدنا مِنكَ هَذا الوَسَنا

So be alert to their deceptions;

So beware of their deceits,

we have never known such drowsiness in you.

We did not know this declining vigor from you.

وَاحمِلِ النّاسَ عَلى حُبِّهِمُ

وَاحمِلِ النّاسَ عَلى حُبِّهِمُ

لَيسَ مِن دينِ العُلى أَن تُغبَنا

لَيسَ مِن دينِ العُلى أَن تُغبَنا

And judge people according to their love;

And carry the people in their love,

it is not the creed of nobility that you be cheated.

It is not the religion of exaltation to deprive us.

إِنَّ مَن أَحرَزَ عَنكُم مَذهَباً

إِنَّ مَن أَحرَزَ عَنكُم مَذهَباً

غَيرَ مَن أَنتُم لَهُ كُلُّ الدُّنا

غَيرَ مَن أَنتُم لَهُ كُلُّ الدُّنا

Indeed, one who has secured a refuge apart from you

Indeed, whoever adopts a doctrine,

is unlike one for whom you are all the worlds.

Other than yours, the world entirely is dunya to him.

لَيسَ مَن يَعبُدُ رَبّاً واحِداً

لَيسَ مَن يَعبُدُ رَبّاً واحِداً

مِثلَ مَن يُشرِكُ فيهِ الوَثَنا

مِثلَ مَن يُشرِكُ فيهِ الوَثَنا

One who worships a single Lord is not

One who worships one God is not,

like one who associates an idol with Him.

Like one who associates idols with Him.