بيني وبين الليالي همّة جَللُ

بيني وبين الليالي همّة جَللُ

لو نالها البدرُ لاستخذى له زُحَلُ

لو نالها البدرُ لاستخذى له زُحَلُ

Between me and the nights stands a mighty ambition.

Between me and the nights there is a great ambition,

Were the full moon to attain it, Saturn would bow before it.

If the full moon attained it, he would be eclipsed.

سرابُ كلِّ يَبابٍ عندها شَنَب

سرابُ كلِّ يَبابٍ عندها شَنَب

وَهَولُ كلِّ ظلامٍ عندها كحل

وَهَولُ كلِّ ظلامٍ عندها كحل

Every barren waste's mirage is to it the cool gleam of teeth,

The mirage of every wilderness is to it a mere dewdrop,

and the terror of every darkness is to it kohl.

And the horror of every darkness to it is kohl.

من أين أبخَس لا في ساعدي قصر

من أين أبخَس لا في ساعدي قصر

عن المساعي ولا في مقولي خَطَلُ

عن المساعي ولا في مقولي خَطَلُ

How can I be denied my due? My arm does not fall short

Whence can I diminish, neither in my arm is shortcoming,

in striving, nor is there folly in my speech.

Nor in my words ineptitude.

ذنبي إلى الدهر إن أبدى تعنُّتَهُ

ذنبي إلى الدهر إن أبدى تعنُّتَهُ

ذنبُ الحسام إذا ما أحجمَ البطل

ذنبُ الحسام إذا ما أحجمَ البطل

My fault before Time, if it shows its obstinacy,

My sin to fate if it shows its obstinacy,

is the keen sword's fault when the champion hangs back.

Is the sin of the sword if the hero withdraws.

يا طالبَ الوفرِ إني قمت أطلبها

يا طالبَ الوفرِ إني قمت أطلبها

علياءَ تَغنى بها الأسماعُ والمقل

علياءَ تَغنى بها الأسماعُ والمقل

O seeker of wealth, I have risen to seek it—

O Seeker of plenitude, I stood seeking it,

a lofty glory that enriches ears and eyes.

Sublimity that ears and minds take pride in.

لا كان للعيش فضل لا يجود به

لا كان للعيش فضل لا يجود به

يكفي المهنّدَ من أسلابه الخلل

يكفي المهنّدَ من أسلابه الخلل

May life have no surplus that it does not give away;

No excellence of living was wasted on me,

the Indian-forged sword needs only scabbards from its spoils.

The slain man’s dressing suffices him from his shroud’s rent.

لكن بخلتُ بأنفاسٍ مهذَّبَةٍ

لكن بخلتُ بأنفاسٍ مهذَّبَةٍ

تروي العقول وهنُّ الجمرُ والشُّعَل

تروي العقول وهنُّ الجمرُ والشُّعَل

But I have been sparing with refined breaths

But I was stingy with refined breaths,

that quench the thirst of minds, though they are embers and flames.

That nourish minds and make embers and flames languid.

إذا مدحتُ ففي لخمٍ وسيّدها

إذا مدحتُ ففي لخمٍ وسيّدها

عن الأنامِ وعمّا زخرفوا شُغَل

عن الأنامِ وعمّا زخرفوا شُغَل

When I praise, Lakhm and its lord keep me occupied,

When I praise, it is about the tribe of Lakhm and its chief,

away from mankind and all they have embellished.

Distracted from people and what they embroider.

وإن وصفتُ فكاليوم الذي عرفت

وإن وصفتُ فكاليوم الذي عرفت

بكَ الفرنجةُ فيه كُنهَ ما جهلوا

بكَ الفرنجةُ فيه كُنهَ ما جهلوا

And if I describe, it is a day such as that on which

And if I describe, like the day I knew you,

the Franks learned through you the true nature of what they had not known.

When you stormed the Franks, and they knew not your like.

وقد دلفتَ إليهم تحتَ خافقةٍ

وقد دلفتَ إليهم تحتَ خافقةٍ

قلبُ الضلالةِ منها خائف وجل

قلبُ الضلالةِ منها خائف وجل

And you had advanced toward them beneath a fluttering banner,

And you rushed upon them under a fluttering standard,

the heart of error fearful of it and trembling.

The heart of unbelief from it fearful and anxious.

فراعهم منكَ وَضَّاحُ الجبينِ وعن

فراعهم منكَ وَضَّاحُ الجبينِ وعن

نشر الحسام يكونُ الرعب والوهل

نشر الحسام يكونُ الرعب والوهل

Your radiant brow terrified them; and from

Your shining forehead alarmed them and the spreading of the sword,

the baring of the keen sword come dread and terror.

Terror and confusion were.

وحين أسمعتَ ما أسمعتَ من كلمٍ

وحين أسمعتَ ما أسمعتَ من كلمٍ

تمثَّلت لهمُ الأعرابُ والرِّعَلُ

تمثَّلت لهمُ الأعرابُ والرِّعَلُ

And when you made them hear the words you made them hear,

And when you heard what you heard of words,

the desert Arabs and cavalry bands appeared before them.

The Bedouins and the riffraff were depicted to them.

وكلما نفحت ريحُ الهدى خَمَدَت

وكلما نفحت ريحُ الهدى خَمَدَت

ذَماؤهم وسيوفَ الهند تشتعلُ

ذَماؤهم وسيوفَ الهند تشتعلُ

And whenever the wind of guidance blew, there died down

And whenever the wind of guidance blew softly,

their last sparks of life, while the swords of India blazed.

Their thirst was quenched, though the swords of India blaze.

جيش فوارسه بيض كأنصله

جيش فوارسه بيض كأنصله

وخيله كالقنا عسَّالةٌ ذُبُل

وخيله كالقنا عسَّالةٌ ذُبُل

An army whose horsemen are gleaming white as its blades,

An army whose horsemen are white as though their origin

and whose horses, like lances, are swaying and slender.

Were halo, and their steeds like Qinā, slender.

يمشي على الأرض منهم كلُّ ذي مرحٍ

يمشي على الأرض منهم كلُّ ذي مرحٍ

كأنما التيهُ في أعطافه كسل

كأنما التيهُ في أعطافه كسل

Every exuberant man among them walks upon the earth,

Each of them walks on earth every frolicsome one

as though the pride in his frame were languor.

As though madness in their saddlebags was bound.

أشباهُ ما اعتقلوه من ذوابلهم

أشباهُ ما اعتقلوه من ذوابلهم

فالحربُ جاهلةٌ مَن منهمُ الأسَلُ

فالحربُ جاهلةٌ مَن منهمُ الأسَلُ

They resemble the slender lances they have gripped,

The battles scarcely know those who amongst them

so war cannot tell which of them are the spears.

Were taken prisoner, so fighting is ignorant.

لولا اعتراضُكَ سدّاً بين أعينهم

لولا اعتراضُكَ سدّاً بين أعينهم

لكان يَغرقُ فيها السهل والجبل

لكان يَغرقُ فيها السهل والجبل

Had you not intervened as a dam before their eyes,

Were it not for your barring the way between their eyes,

the plain and the mountain would have drowned in them.

Plain and mountain would drown in them.

أنسيتها النظرَ الشّزرَ الذي عهدت

أنسيتها النظرَ الشّزرَ الذي عهدت

فكلُّ عينٍ بها من دَهشَة قَبَلُ

فكلُّ عينٍ بها من دَهشَة قَبَلُ

You made them forget the sidelong glare they had known,

Have they forgotten the looking, the piercing you were known for,

so every eye is crossed with astonishment.

So that every eye facing you afore was perplexed?

ترسَّلوا آلَ عبادٍ فربَّتما

ترسَّلوا آلَ عبادٍ فربَّتما

لم يُدرِكِ الوصفُ ما تأتون والمثل

لم يُدرِكِ الوصفُ ما تأتون والمثل

Proceed gently, House of Abbad, for often

You roam freely, O people of 'Ibad, and so

description and comparison have failed to encompass what you do.

Description falls short of what you do and the like.

إذا أسرتم فما في أسركم قَنَطٌ

إذا أسرتم فما في أسركم قَنَطٌ

وإن عفوتم فما في عفوكم خَلَلُ

وإن عفوتم فما في عفوكم خَلَلُ

When you take captives, there is no despair in your captivity;

If you take prisoner, there is no despair in your capture,

and if you pardon, there is no flaw in your pardon.

And if you pardon, there is no fault in your pardon.

يقبّلُ الغلَّ مرتاحاً أسيركمُ

يقبّلُ الغلَّ مرتاحاً أسيركمُ

فهو البشيرُ له أن تُسحَبَ الحلل

فهو البشيرُ له أن تُسحَبَ الحلل

Your captive gladly kisses his fetter,

The lad kisses the prisoner at ease, for he

for it brings him glad tidings that fine robes will trail.

Is the bearer of good tidings to him that garments will be torn.