قف بالحمول وانشدنَّ السائقا

قف بالحمول وانشدنَّ السائقا

من حمَّل الأيانق الغرانقا

من حمَّل الأيانق الغرانقا

Stop beside the laden camels and earnestly ask the driver:

Stop with the caravans and let the driver sing,

Who loaded the she-camels with crane-like beauties?

Of the one who loaded the beautiful, slender camels.

رعى بها رند الحمى ثم انبرى

رعى بها رند الحمى ثم انبرى

ينبت يبرين بها شقائقا

ينبت يبرين بها شقائقا

He pastured them on the preserve's laurel, then set about

The feverish drunkard tended to them, then set out,

making anemones bloom in Yabrin through them.

To go roaming with them, scattering anemones.

الوى بها وما لوت على الطلى

الوى بها وما لوت على الطلى

الا الشعور عُقَّصاً بخانقا

الا الشعور عُقَّصاً بخانقا

He turned away with them; around their throats they wound

He swayed with them, though he had not spent the night drunk,

nothing but their hair, plaited like wimples.

Save for his disheveled hair, choking him.

تبسم عن لآلئٍ ولو تشأ

تبسم عن لآلئٍ ولو تشأ

لوشَّحت بسمطها الترائقا

لوشَّحت بسمطها الترائقا

They smile, revealing pearls; and, if you wished,

If he wished, he would have smiled pearls,

you could adorn collarbones with their strand.

And adorned his cheeks with smiles.

عققتها بيض طلى ما لم تكن

عققتها بيض طلى ما لم تكن

محمرَّة شفاها عقائقا

محمرَّة شفاها عقائقا

I spurned them—white of throat—unless

He tied them with the leather ropes, though they were not

their lips were crimson carnelians.

Reddened lips or carnelian beads.

غلائظ الاكباد الا انَّها

غلائظ الاكباد الا انَّها

جلت لنا عوارضاً رقائقا

جلت لنا عوارضاً رقائقا

Hard of liver, yet they

Hard-hearted they are, yet to us

revealed delicate teeth to us.

They revealed gentle, delicate faces.

رقَّت خدوداً وقست ضمائرا

رقَّت خدوداً وقست ضمائرا

فوسَّدت خدودنا المرافقا

فوسَّدت خدودنا المرافقا

Their cheeks grew tender, their hearts hard;

Their cheeks softened while their consciences hardened,

so they pillowed our cheeks on our elbows.

So we rested our cheeks on gentle companions.

اصحَّ من بيض النعام عرية

اصحَّ من بيض النعام عرية

قد ثنِّيت اردافها نمارقا

قد ثنِّيت اردافها نمارقا

Unclad, more flawless than ostrich eggs,

More radiant than ostrich eggs, bare,

their buttocks have been doubled into cushions.

Her buttocks folded like sand grouse.

قد عرقت لحمي معاً واعظمي

قد عرقت لحمي معاً واعظمي

ولم تدع شيئاً يلاقي عارقا

ولم تدع شيئاً يلاقي عارقا

They have gnawed my flesh and my bones alike,

My flesh and bones have melted away together

and left nothing for a gnawer to find.

And nothing remains that feels the burning.

وعاكفاتٍ كنَّس في بيع

وعاكفاتٍ كنَّس في بيع

قد بعت اسلامي بها البطارقا

قد بعت اسلامي بها البطارقا

And secluded women, sheltering like gazelles in churches,

Prostrating in the valley, they sold my faith for

for whom I sold my Islam to the patriarchs.

Mere dirhams to the foreigners.

ومشرئبٍّ للسحاب عنقاً

ومشرئبٍّ للسحاب عنقاً

ابعد شيء قربه معانقا

ابعد شيء قربه معانقا

And one craning his neck toward the clouds,

Drinking from cups more distant that what

whose nearness in an embrace is the farthest thing away.

A thirsty man can reach and kiss.

قبضت من عارضه مخائلاً

قبضت من عارضه مخائلاً

لو قبض الا شلُّ خالا بارقا

لو قبض الا شلُّ خالا بارقا

I grasped signs of rain from the cloud of his cheek—

I took from their brows tempting glances -

if a withered-handed man could grasp a flashing cloud.

As though a barren man grasped shining stars.

غضّ على العفة لحظاً فاسقاً

غضّ على العفة لحظاً فاسقاً

ياما اعفّ منه لحظا فاسقا

ياما اعفّ منه لحظا فاسقا

He lowered a wanton glance in chastity;

Overlook for a moment the debauched gazes,

oh, how chaste a wanton glance from him!

For how many debauched have I excused?

انزّه اللحاظ في الحاظهِ

انزّه اللحاظ في الحاظهِ

كأن في احداقهِ حدائقا

كأن في احداقهِ حدائقا

I let my gaze roam for pleasure in his eyes,

Guard your glances in watching them,

as though gardens lay within his pupils.

As though in their eyes lie gardens.

اتبعته السمع الطروب خلفه

اتبعته السمع الطروب خلفه

اغنّ ان غنَّى سبى مخارقا

اغنّ ان غنَّى سبى مخارقا

I sent my enraptured hearing after him;

I followed the singing behind them,

mellow and nasal-voiced, if he sang he would enthrall Mukhariq.

Sing, if he sang, capturing the deserter.

ما عنَّ لي مطارد الا وقد

ما عنَّ لي مطارد الا وقد

اتعبت فيه شدقماً ولاحقا

اتعبت فيه شدقماً ولاحقا

No quarry ever appeared before me without my

None escaped me but exhausted me,

wearying Shadqam and Lahiq in its pursuit.

Both my mouth and energy pursuing him.

ركبت فيه شقوتي فمن ترى

ركبت فيه شقوتي فمن ترى

ينزل شيخاً قد صبا مراهقا

ينزل شيخاً قد صبا مراهقا

I rode my misfortune in it; who, do you think,

I rode my misfortune, so who can

could make an old man, grown a lovesick adolescent, dismount?

Become old after passing through youth?

والمرء مجبولٌ على جبلَّة

والمرء مجبولٌ على جبلَّة

لم تلقه الا لها موافقا

لم تلقه الا لها موافقا

And man is moulded upon an innate nature;

Man is created with a natural disposition,

you find him only in accord with it.

Meet him on nothing but his own terms.

واهاً على العمر غدت ايامه

واهاً على العمر غدت ايامه

سوداً غداة بيَّض المفارقا

سوداً غداة بيَّض المفارقا

Alas for life! Its days became

Alas for youth, its days have turned

black when it whitened the partings of my hair.

Black, after once whitening the separation.

لم تبق في الخق سوى صبابة ال

لم تبق في الخق سوى صبابة ال

أناء لا ترضي الأله الخالقا

أناء لا ترضي الأله الخالقا

Nothing remains among mankind but the dregs of the

Nothing remains in the decanter but the dregs,

vessel, displeasing to God the Creator.

A vessel not pleasing to the Creator.

والغدر للناس غدا سجيةً

والغدر للناس غدا سجيةً

من ترَ منهم ترَ خلّاً ماذقا

من ترَ منهم ترَ خلّاً ماذقا

Treachery has become people's nature;

Treachery to people has become a habit,

whomever you see among them, you see an insincere friend.

Find a sincere one, you find one unaccustomed.

لم يبقَ الا محسن الحسن الذي

لم يبقَ الا محسن الحسن الذي

قد بثّ في الزوراء حسناً رائقا

قد بثّ في الزوراء حسناً رائقا

None remains but Muhsin al-Hasan, who

None remains but the benefactor of good deeds,

has spread exquisite beauty through al-Zawra.

Who has scattered goodness in the land.

حملت انفاس الصبا شوقاً له

حملت انفاس الصبا شوقاً له

يملأ افق الكرخ طيباً عابقا

يملأ افق الكرخ طيباً عابقا

The east wind's breaths carried longing for him,

The breaths of dawn carried longing for him,

filling al-Karkh's horizon with wafting fragrance.

Filling the horizon with beautiful fragrance.

ان تره فانفح به طبائعاً

ان تره فانفح به طبائعاً

وان تشأن فانفح به خلائقا

وان تشأن فانفح به خلائقا

If you see him, breathe his fragrance into natures;

When you see him, scent the world with his being,

and, if you wish, breathe it into characters.

And if you wish, scent people with his nature.

شربت من اخلاقه زجاجةً

شربت من اخلاقه زجاجةً

شربتُها كاساً دهاقا دافقا

شربتُها كاساً دهاقا دافقا

I drank a flaskful of his virtues,

I drank from his manners a draft,

drank it as a brimming, overflowing cup.

That I drank like a overflowing cup.

هو الصبوح والغبوق فابتدر

هو الصبوح والغبوق فابتدر

مزاجه ان صابحاً اوغابقا

مزاجه ان صابحاً اوغابقا

He is the morning draught and the evening draught; so hasten

He is the morning and evening twilight, so take

to his blend, whether drinking at morning or evening.

Advantage of his temper whether forthcoming or aloof.

اصبو له ولا اراه قد صبا

اصبو له ولا اراه قد صبا

ولو صبا لاعتاد صبّاً وامقا

ولو صبا لاعتاد صبّاً وامقا

I yearn for him, yet do not see him yearning;

I yearn for him though he has not yet passed the bloom of youth,

if he did, he would often visit a lovesick, devoted lover.

And even if he did, he is accustomed to perpetual youth.

اشتاقه ولو غدا يشتاقني

اشتاقه ولو غدا يشتاقني

لسحَّل الرقاع والمهارقا

لسحَّل الرقاع والمهارقا

I long for him; and were he to long for me,

I miss him, and even if tomorrow he misses me,

he would fill sheets and parchments with writing.

I would pave the roads and shelters.

لو صدق الخيال في طروقه

لو صدق الخيال في طروقه

رضيت لو اهدى الخيال الطارقا

رضيت لو اهدى الخيال الطارقا

If the phantom were truthful in its night visits,

If imagination were true in its wanderings,

I would be content if he sent the night-visiting phantom.

I would be content even if imagination alone came to me.

تلك خيالات تطوف بالفتى

تلك خيالات تطوف بالفتى

زورا فلو يبعث زوراً صادقا

زورا فلو يبعث زوراً صادقا

Those are phantoms circling a youth

Such are the imaginations that roam the youth,

falsely—if only he would send a true visitor!

Falsely – if only they would send a truthful vision!