هاجَ الهَوى لِفُؤادِكَ المُهتاجِ

هاجَ الهَوى لِفُؤادِكَ المُهتاجِ

فَاِنظُر بِتوضِحَ باكِرَ الأَحداجِ

فَاِنظُر بِتوضِحَ باكِرَ الأَحداجِ

Passion has stirred your already agitated heart.

Passion has stirred in your agitated heart.

Look, then, at Tawḍiḥ, at daybreak, upon the camel-litters.

So watch at Tudih the early-departing howdahs.

هاذا هَوىً شَعَفَ الفُؤادَ مُبَرِّحٌ

هاذا هَوىً شَعَفَ الفُؤادَ مُبَرِّحٌ

وَنَوىً تَقاذَفُ غَيرُ ذاتِ خِلاجِ

وَنَوىً تَقاذَفُ غَيرُ ذاتِ خِلاجِ

This is a love that has pierced the heart—a tormenting love—

This is agonizing passion that has set the heart aflame,

and a parting flung far away, granting no reprieve.

And separation that drives us far apart, beyond doubt.

إِنَّ الغُرابَ بِما كَرِهتَ لَمولَعٌ

إِنَّ الغُرابَ بِما كَرِهتَ لَمولَعٌ

بِنَوى الأَحِبَّةِ دائِمُ التَشحاجِ

بِنَوى الأَحِبَّةِ دائِمُ التَشحاجِ

The raven is indeed devoted to everything you hate,

Indeed, the raven is obsessed with what you loathe,

forever croaking of the loved ones’ departure.

Forever cawing of the loved ones' parting.

لَيتَ الغُرابَ غَداةَ يَنعَبُ بِالنَوى

لَيتَ الغُرابَ غَداةَ يَنعَبُ بِالنَوى

كانَ الغُرابُ مُقَطَّعَ الأَوداجِ

كانَ الغُرابُ مُقَطَّعَ الأَوداجِ

Would that the raven, when at dawn it croaks of parting,

Would that the raven, on the morning it caws of parting,

were a raven with its jugular veins cut through.

Had its jugular veins severed!

وَلَقَد عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّ سِرَّكَ عِندَنا

وَلَقَد عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّ سِرَّكَ عِندَنا

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ موثَقُ الأَشراجِ

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ موثَقُ الأَشراجِ

You know full well that your secret, kept with us,

And you know well that your secret, with us,

lies between our ribs, secured by tightly knotted cords.

Is held between our ribs, its fastenings secure.

وَلَقَد رَمَينَكَ حينَ رُحنَ بِأَعيُنٍ

وَلَقَد رَمَينَكَ حينَ رُحنَ بِأَعيُنٍ

يَنظُرنَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ سَواجي

يَنظُرنَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ سَواجي

As they departed, they shot you with eyes

And indeed, as they departed, they shot at you with eyes

gazing languidly through gaps in the curtains,

Gazing languidly through gaps in the curtains,

وَبِمَنطِقٍ شَعَفَ الفُؤادَ كَأَنَّهُ

وَبِمَنطِقٍ شَعَفَ الفُؤادَ كَأَنَّهُ

عَسَلٌ يَجُدنَ بِهِ بِغَيرِ مِزاجِ

عَسَلٌ يَجُدنَ بِهِ بِغَيرِ مِزاجِ

and with speech that pierced the heart, as though it were

And with speech that set the heart aflame, as though it were

honey they lavish freely, pure and unmixed.

Honey they lavish, without admixture.

قُل لِلجَبانِ إِذا تَأَخَّرَ سَرجُهُ

قُل لِلجَبانِ إِذا تَأَخَّرَ سَرجُهُ

هَل أَنتَ مِن شَرَكِ المَنِيَّةِ ناجي

هَل أَنتَ مِن شَرَكِ المَنِيَّةِ ناجي

Tell the coward, when his saddle is slow in coming:

Say to the coward when his saddle hangs back:

Can you escape the snare of death?

Will you escape death's snare?

فَتَعَلَّقَن بِبَناتِ نَعشٍ هارِباً

فَتَعَلَّقَن بِبَناتِ نَعشٍ هارِباً

أَو بِالبُحورِ وَشِدَّةِ الأَمواجِ

أَو بِالبُحورِ وَشِدَّةِ الأَمواجِ

Then flee and cling to the Daughters of the Bier,

Then cling to Banat Na‘sh as you flee,

or to the seas and the violence of their waves.

Or to the seas and the force of the waves.

مِن سَدِّ مُطَّلَعَ النِفاقِ عَلَيهِمِ

مِن سَدِّ مُطَّلَعَ النِفاقِ عَلَيهِمِ

أَم مَن يَصولُ كَصَولَةِ الحَجّاجِ

أَم مَن يَصولُ كَصَولَةِ الحَجّاجِ

Who is it that barred hypocrisy’s point of ascent against them?

Who has barred hypocrisy's approach to them,

Or who can strike with the decisive onset of al-Hajjaj?

Or who charges with an onslaught like al-Hajjaj's?

أَم مَن يَغارُ عَلى النِساءِ حَفيظَةً

أَم مَن يَغارُ عَلى النِساءِ حَفيظَةً

إِذ لا يَثِقنَ بِغَيرَةِ الأَزواجِ

إِذ لا يَثِقنَ بِغَيرَةِ الأَزواجِ

Or who guards women with protective zeal

Or who jealously protects the women out of honor,

when they put no trust in their husbands’ jealous care?

When they put no trust in their husbands' protective zeal?

إِنَّ اِبنَ يوسُفَ فَاِعلَموا وَتَيَقَّنوا

إِنَّ اِبنَ يوسُفَ فَاِعلَموا وَتَيَقَّنوا

ماضي البَصيرَةِ واضِحُ المِنهاجِ

ماضي البَصيرَةِ واضِحُ المِنهاجِ

The son of Yusuf—know this well and be certain—

Indeed, Ibn Yusuf—so know and be certain—

has keen judgment and a clearly marked course.

Is keen of insight and clear in his course.

ماضٍ عَلى الغَمَراتِ يُمضي هَمَّهُ

ماضٍ عَلى الغَمَراتِ يُمضي هَمَّهُ

وَاللَيلُ مُختَلِفُ الطَرائِقِ داجي

وَاللَيلُ مُختَلِفُ الطَرائِقِ داجي

He plunges through perils, driving his purpose onward,

He presses through perils, carrying out his resolve,

while night, tangled in its pathways, lies dark.

While night is dark and its pathways diverge.

مَنَعَ الرُشا وَأَراكُمُ سُبُلَ الهُدى

مَنَعَ الرُشا وَأَراكُمُ سُبُلَ الهُدى

وَاللِصَّ نَكَّلَهُ عَنِ الإِدلاجِ

وَاللِصَّ نَكَّلَهُ عَنِ الإِدلاجِ

He has forbidden bribes and shown you the paths of guidance,

He forbade bribes and showed you the paths of guidance,

and punished the thief, deterring him from traveling by night.

And deterred the thief from setting out by night.

فَاِستَوسِقوا وَتَبَيَّنوا سُبُلَ الهُدى

فَاِستَوسِقوا وَتَبَيَّنوا سُبُلَ الهُدى

وَدَعوا النَجِيِّ فَلَيسَ حينَ تُناجي

وَدَعوا النَجِيِّ فَلَيسَ حينَ تُناجي

So fall into order and discern the paths of guidance;

So unite and discern the paths of guidance,

give up secret counsels—this is no time for whispering.

And abandon secret counsel: this is no time to whisper.

يا رُبَّ ناكِثِ بَيعَتَينِ تَرَكتَهُ

يا رُبَّ ناكِثِ بَيعَتَينِ تَرَكتَهُ

وَخِضابُ لِحيَتِهِ دَمُ الأَوداجِ

وَخِضابُ لِحيَتِهِ دَمُ الأَوداجِ

Many a breaker of two sworn pledges have you left

Ah, many a breaker of two pledges of allegiance you have left

with the blood of his jugular veins dyeing his beard.

With his beard dyed in the blood of his jugular veins!

إِنَّ العَدُوَّ إِذا رَمَوكَ رَمَيتَهُم

إِنَّ العَدُوَّ إِذا رَمَوكَ رَمَيتَهُم

بِذُرى عَمايَةَ أَو بِهَضبِ سُواجِ

بِذُرى عَمايَةَ أَو بِهَضبِ سُواجِ

When enemies shot at you, you shot them back

Indeed, when the enemy pelts you, you pelt them

on the summits of ʿAmāya or the slopes of Suwāj.

With the peaks of ‘Amayah or the crags of Suwaj.

وَإِذا رَأَيتَ مُنافِقينَ تَخَيَّروا

وَإِذا رَأَيتَ مُنافِقينَ تَخَيَّروا

سُبُلَ الضَجاجِ أَقَمتَ كُلَّ ضَجاجِ

سُبُلَ الضَجاجِ أَقَمتَ كُلَّ ضَجاجِ

Whenever you saw hypocrites choosing

And when you see hypocrites who have chosen

the paths of uproar, you quelled every uproar.

The paths of clamor, you set every clamorer straight.

داوَيتَهُم وَشَفَيتَهُم مِن فِتنَةٍ

داوَيتَهُم وَشَفَيتَهُم مِن فِتنَةٍ

غَبراءَ ذاتِ دَواخِنٍ وَأُجاجِ

غَبراءَ ذاتِ دَواخِنٍ وَأُجاجِ

You treated them and cured them of a sedition

You treated them and cured them of turmoil,

dust-dark, billowing with smoke and bitter heat.

Dust-dark, full of smoke and blazing heat.

إِنّي لِمُرتَقِبٌ لِما خَوَّفتَني

إِنّي لِمُرتَقِبٌ لِما خَوَّفتَني

وَلَفَضلِ سَيبِكَ يا اِبنَ يوسُفَ راجي

وَلَفَضلِ سَيبِكَ يا اِبنَ يوسُفَ راجي

I am indeed waiting for what you made me fear,

I am indeed watchful for what you have made me fear,

yet hoping for the bounty of your largesse, son of Yusuf.

And hopeful of your abundant bounty, O Ibn Yusuf.

وَلَقَد كَسَرتَ سِنانَ كُلَّ مُنافِقٍ

وَلَقَد كَسَرتَ سِنانَ كُلَّ مُنافِقٍ

وَلَقَد مَنَعتَ حَقائِبَ الحُجّاجِ

وَلَقَد مَنَعتَ حَقائِبَ الحُجّاجِ

You have broken the spearhead of every hypocrite,

And you have indeed broken every hypocrite's spearhead,

and you have secured the pilgrims’ baggage.

And you have indeed protected the pilgrims' saddlebags.