هذا اللِّوَى وَالحَيُّ مِنْ أَمامِهِ

هذا اللِّوَى وَالحَيُّ مِنْ أَمامِهِ

قَدْ خَفَقَ البَرْقُ عَلى أَعْلامِهِ

قَدْ خَفَقَ البَرْقُ عَلى أَعْلامِهِ

Here is the winding dune, and the encampment before it;

This beauty and the living one in front of him

Lightning has flashed above its landmarks.

The lightning has fluttered over his flags

وَهَذِهِ مَرابِعُ السِّرْبِ الَّذِي

وَهَذِهِ مَرابِعُ السِّرْبِ الَّذِي

تَخَوَّفَ الآسادُ مِنْ آرامِهِ

تَخَوَّفَ الآسادُ مِنْ آرامِهِ

And these are the spring haunts of the herd whose

And these are the squares of the flock which

Gazelles have frightened the lions.

The lions feared from their tranquility

مِنْ كُلِّ وَسْنانِ العُيونِ لَمْ يَزَلْ

مِنْ كُلِّ وَسْنانِ العُيونِ لَمْ يَزَلْ

يَحْجُبُ جَفْنَ الصَّبِّ عَنْ مَنامِهِ

يَحْجُبُ جَفْنَ الصَّبِّ عَنْ مَنامِهِ

Each of them, drowsy-eyed, has never ceased

From every gleaming eye, he continued

To keep the lovesick lover's eyelid from sleep.

To veil the eyelid of the youngster from his sleep

يُرِيْكَ وَجْهاً وَثَنايا لُمَّعاً

يُرِيْكَ وَجْهاً وَثَنايا لُمَّعاً

وَقَامَةً تَهْتَزُّ فِي الْتِزامِهِ

وَقَامَةً تَهْتَزُّ فِي الْتِزامِهِ

He shows you a face and gleaming front teeth,

It shows you a face, and supple cheeks

And a figure that sways when he is embraced:

And a body that sways in its wrap

كَالبَدْرِ فِي تَمامِهِ وَالدُّرِّ فِي

كَالبَدْرِ فِي تَمامِهِ وَالدُّرِّ فِي

نِظامِهِ وَالغُصْنِ فِي قَوامِهِ

نِظامِهِ وَالغُصْنِ فِي قَوامِهِ

Like the moon in its fullness, and pearls on

Like the full moon in its wholeness, and the pearl in

Their string, and a bough in its upright grace.

Its stringing, and the branch in its erectness

تَكاثَرَ اللَّثْمُ عَلى خُدُودِهِ

تَكاثَرَ اللَّثْمُ عَلى خُدُودِهِ

فَاعْتاضَ مِنْ لَثْمِيَ عَن لِثامِهِ

فَاعْتاضَ مِنْ لَثْمِيَ عَن لِثامِهِ

Kisses grew plentiful upon his cheeks,

Kisses multiplied on his cheeks

So he took my kisses in place of his veil.

So he protested against my kiss from his veil

وَمَرَّ يُخْفِي خَدَّهُ بِكُمِّهِ

وَمَرَّ يُخْفِي خَدَّهُ بِكُمِّهِ

فَقُلْتُ هَذا الوَرْدُ فِي أَكْمامِهِ

فَقُلْتُ هَذا الوَرْدُ فِي أَكْمامِهِ

And he passed by, hiding his cheek with his sleeve;

And he passed hiding his cheek with his sleeve

So I said, 'Here is the rose within its bud-sheaths.'

So I said this rose is in its buds

كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ وَصَلْتُها بِشَعْرِهِ

كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ وَصَلْتُها بِشَعْرِهِ

فَلَمْ أَخَفْ صُبْحاً سِوَى ابْتِسامِهِ

فَلَمْ أَخَفْ صُبْحاً سِوَى ابْتِسامِهِ

How many a night I joined to his hair,

How many nights I connected with his hair

And feared no dawn except his smile!

Yet I sensed no morning except his smile

تَنُوبُ لِي خَدَّاهُ عَنْ صَباحِهِ

تَنُوبُ لِي خَدَّاهُ عَنْ صَباحِهِ

وَرِيْقُهُ العاطِرُ عَنْ مُدامِهِ

وَرِيْقُهُ العاطِرُ عَنْ مُدامِهِ

For me, his two cheeks take the place of morning,

His cheeks substitute for me his dawn

And his fragrant saliva the place of his wine.

And his fragrant saliva for his wine

فَلَيسَ لِلْقَلْبِ خَدِيْنٌ غَيْرَهُ

فَلَيسَ لِلْقَلْبِ خَدِيْنٌ غَيْرَهُ

وَلَيسَ لِلدِّيْنِ سِوَى حُسامِهِ

وَلَيسَ لِلدِّيْنِ سِوَى حُسامِهِ

So the heart has no intimate companion but him,

So the heart has no two cheeks but his

And the faith has none but his sword.

And the religion has no sword but his

عَلِيٌّ الحَاجِبُ لا أَمْوالَهُ

عَلِيٌّ الحَاجِبُ لا أَمْوالَهُ

وَقامِعُ المُفْسِدِ بِانْتِقامِهِ

وَقامِعُ المُفْسِدِ بِانْتِقامِهِ

Ali, the chamberlain, who does not withhold his wealth,

Ali, the protector, not his money

And who crushes the evildoer with his vengeance.

And the suppressor of the corrupt in his revenge

كَالْغَيْثِ طَوْراً مُبْرِقاً وَمُرْعِداً

كَالْغَيْثِ طَوْراً مُبْرِقاً وَمُرْعِداً

وَمَاؤُهُ لأَمَلِ انْسِجامِهِ

وَمَاؤُهُ لأَمَلِ انْسِجامِهِ

Like a rainstorm, at times flashing lightning and thundering,

Like heavy rain, lightning and thunder

And his water flows in answer to hope.

And its water for the hope of its harmony

حامِلُ عِبءِ المُلْكِ لا يَؤُودُهُ

حامِلُ عِبءِ المُلْكِ لا يَؤُودُهُ

وَطبُّهُ المُبْرِئُ مِنْ سَقامِهِ

وَطبُّهُ المُبْرِئُ مِنْ سَقامِهِ

He bears the realm's burden, which does not weigh him down,

Bearer of the burden of the kingdom, it does not exhaust him

And is its remedy, curing it of its sickness.

And his medicine is the healer of its illness

وَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي سَلْمِهِ وَحَرْبِهِ

وَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي سَلْمِهِ وَحَرْبِهِ

مُؤَيَّدَ الآراءِ بِاهُتِمامِهِ

مُؤَيَّدَ الآراءِ بِاهُتِمامِهِ

And he has always been, in his peace and war,

And he remained in his peace and war

Strengthened in his counsels by his diligence.

Supported opinions with his interest

فُكُفْرُ زَمَّارَ عَلى طِعانِهِ

فُكُفْرُ زَمَّارَ عَلى طِعانِهِ

وَقْفٌ وَحَرَّانُ عَلى طَعامِهِ

وَقْفٌ وَحَرَّانُ عَلى طَعامِهِ

So Kafr Zammar, for his spear-thrusts,

So the blasphemy of the critic over his defamation

Is set apart, and Harran for his food.

And stopping and prohibiting his food

يَومَ انْثَنَى أَتابِكٌ هَزِيمَةً

يَومَ انْثَنَى أَتابِكٌ هَزِيمَةً

مِنْكَ يَرى سَيْفَكَ فِي أَحْلامِهِ

مِنْكَ يَرى سَيْفَكَ فِي أَحْلامِهِ

The day an atabeg turned back in defeat

The day a commander bent defeated

From you, seeing your sword in his dreams,

From you he sees your sword in his dreams

جَمَعْتَ بِالرَّأيِ قُلوباً مُزِّقَتْ

جَمَعْتَ بِالرَّأيِ قُلوباً مُزِّقَتْ

عَلَيْهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ بِانْهِزامِهِ

عَلَيْهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ بِانْهِزامِهِ

You united through counsel hearts that had been scattered

You united hearts torn apart over it

Against him; so he sought safety in his retreat.

So he sought protection in his defeat

مَواقِفٌ مَشْكورَةٌ مَشْهورةٌ

مَواقِفٌ مَشْكورَةٌ مَشْهورةٌ

جَرى بِهَا المُلْكُ عَلى انْتِظامِهِ

جَرى بِهَا المُلْكُ عَلى انْتِظامِهِ

Deeds, gratefully praised and renowned,

Thanked positions known

Through which the realm continued in good order.

With which the kingdom flowed in its system

ما المَلِكُ الأَشْرَفُ إِلا راشِقٌ

ما المَلِكُ الأَشْرَفُ إِلا راشِقٌ

رَماهُ بالأَصَلَبِ مِن سِهَامِهِ

رَماهُ بالأَصَلَبِ مِن سِهَامِهِ

King al-Ashraf is but an archer

What is the most noble king but a shooter

Who shot at him with the strongest of his arrows.

Who hit him with the firmest of his arrows

أَشْكو إِلَيْكَ الدَّهْرَ يا مَنْ يَدُهُ

أَشْكو إِلَيْكَ الدَّهْرَ يا مَنْ يَدُهُ

مالِكَةٌ لِلْفَضْلِ مِنْ زِمامِهِ

مالِكَةٌ لِلْفَضْلِ مِنْ زِمامِهِ

I complain to you of Time, O you whose hand

I complain to you of time, O you whose hand

Controls bounty by its reins.

Is sovereign of virture from its reins

وَسائِلٍ عَنْ حالَتِي أَجَبْتُهُ

وَسائِلٍ عَنْ حالَتِي أَجَبْتُهُ

لا يُسْأَلُ النَّائِمُ عَنْ مَنامِهِ

لا يُسْأَلُ النَّائِمُ عَنْ مَنامِهِ

And to one who asked about my condition, I replied:

And asking about my state, I answered him

'A sleeper is not asked about his sleep.'

The sleeping is not asked about his dream

أَنا بِمَيَّا فَارِقيْنَ مِثْلَمَا

أَنا بِمَيَّا فَارِقيْنَ مِثْلَمَا

أَقِيْلُ فِي حَرَّانَ فِي إِنْعامِهِ

أَقِيْلُ فِي حَرَّانَ فِي إِنْعامِهِ

I am in Mayyafariqin, just as

I am in Mayya, separated, just as I

I rest at noon in Harran, amid his bounty.

Spend my time in Harran in his favor

بَقِيْتَ ما غَنَّى حَمامُ أَيْكَةٍ

بَقِيْتَ ما غَنَّى حَمامُ أَيْكَةٍ

فِي غَلَسِ الصُّبْحِ وَفِي ظَلامِهِ

فِي غَلَسِ الصُّبْحِ وَفِي ظَلامِهِ

May you endure as long as the doves of a grove sing

You remained what the pigeons of Aika sang

In dawn's dim light and in its darkness.

In the smoothness of dawn and in its darkness