صديقٌ يداري الحزنَ عنك مماذقُ

صديقٌ يداري الحزنَ عنك مماذقُ

ودمعٌ يُغبُّ العينَ فيك منافقُ

ودمعٌ يُغبُّ العينَ فيك منافقُ

A friend who hides his grief from you is insincere;

A friend who shields you from sorrow though sharing

and tears that visit the eye only at intervals for you are hypocritical.

And a tear that spills from the eye, yet is deceitful

وقلبٌ إذا عانى الأسى طلبَ الأسى

وقلبٌ إذا عانى الأسى طلبَ الأسى

لراحته من رقّ ودّك آبقُ

لراحته من رقّ ودّك آبقُ

And a heart that, when it suffers grief, seeks consolation

And a heart that seeks out grief when it suffers pain

for its own relief is a runaway from the bondage of your love.

So from your gentle sleep it might find relief

بكى القاطنون الظاعنون وقوَّضَ ال

بكى القاطنون الظاعنون وقوَّضَ ال

حُلولُ وصاحت بالفراق النواعقُ

حُلولُ وصاحت بالفراق النواعقُ

The departing dwellers wept, and tents were struck by the

The dwellers wept, the raiders ruined, and the

settlers, and the cawing birds cried of parting.

Encampments decamped, as separation cried out

ولكنني بالأمس لم تسر ناقةٌ

ولكنني بالأمس لم تسر ناقةٌ

بمختلَس مني ولم يحدُ سائقُ

بمختلَس مني ولم يحدُ سائقُ

But as for me, yesterday no she-camel departed

Yet just yesterday, no she-camel was let loose

with one snatched from me, nor did a driver chant.

By a stealthy gesture of mine, no driver took flight

سلا عنه في أيّ المفاوز فاتني

سلا عنه في أيّ المفاوز فاتني

وطرفي له راعٍ وطِرفِيَ سابقُ

وطرفي له راعٍ وطِرفِيَ سابقُ

Ask, you two, about him: in which wilderness did he elude me,

Ask about him in what desolate places he left me

while my eye watched him and my thoroughbred was swift?

While my gaze tended him, and my glances outpaced

تباغضنا الدنيا على حبّنا وإن

تباغضنا الدنيا على حبّنا وإن

رأت مللاً ظلّت خِداعاً تُوامقُ

رأت مللاً ظلّت خِداعاً تُوامقُ

The world meets our love with hatred; yet if

The world turned against our love though feigning

she sees weariness, she deceitfully keeps showing love.

Affection if it sensed our boredom mounting

سوى أننا نغترُّ يا يومَ وبلها

سوى أننا نغترُّ يا يومَ وبلها

بعاجلةٍ والآجلاتُ الصواعقُ

بعاجلةٍ والآجلاتُ الصواعقُ

Only we are deceived—O day of her downpour!—

Except that we are fooled, O day! by things immediate

by what comes at once, while what comes later is thunderbolts.

While calamities deferred are lightning strikes

تصدّت بزور الحسن تقنصنا وما

تصدّت بزور الحسن تقنصنا وما

زخارفها إلا رُبىً وخنادقُ

زخارفها إلا رُبىً وخنادقُ

She presents herself in sham beauty to snare us, yet

With borrowed beauty it tried to trap us, yet its

her finery is nothing but mounds and trenches.

Finery was but flimsiness and trenches

تبسَّمُ والثغرُ المقبِّل ناهشٌ

تبسَّمُ والثغرُ المقبِّل ناهشٌ

وتحسرُ والكفّ المصافح حابقُ

وتحسرُ والكفّ المصافح حابقُ

She smiles, but the mouth that kisses bites;

It smiles though the kissing mouth is rending

and unveils herself, but the hand that greets strikes.

And regrets though the clasping hand is burning

أتأمل منها حظوةً وهي عانس

أتأمل منها حظوةً وهي عانس

ولم يحظ أقوام بها وهي عاتقُ

ولم يحظ أقوام بها وهي عاتقُ

Do I hope for favor from her when she is a spinster,

I awaited favor from it though it never wed

when others won none from her while she was a maiden?

And no people ever enjoyed it though mature

أمات أخي في الودّ أم غاض زاخرٌ

أمات أخي في الودّ أم غاض زاخرٌ

من العيش عني أم تقوّضَ شاهقُ

من العيش عني أم تقوّضَ شاهقُ

Has my brother in affection died, or has a brimming sea

Did it kill my brotherly love or did some bloom

of life ebbed away from me, or has a towering peak collapsed?

Of life forsake me or some towering edifice crumble

أظلَّ غمامٌ ثم طلَّ حِمامُهُ

أظلَّ غمامٌ ثم طلَّ حِمامُهُ

وقد كنتُ في عمياءَ وهي بوارقُ

وقد كنتُ في عمياءَ وهي بوارقُ

A cloud cast shade, then its doom drizzled down;

A cloud shaded me, then its shower cleared

and I had been blind, though there were lightning flashes.

And I had been blind while it bore tidings

أعُدُّ له الأيّامَ أرجو شفاءَه

أعُدُّ له الأيّامَ أرجو شفاءَه

ولا علمَ لي أنّ المنونَ تسابقُ

ولا علمَ لي أنّ المنونَ تسابقُ

I counted the days for him, hoping for his recovery,

I count out days hoping for his recovery

unaware that death was racing me.

Yet I know not that death was outpacing us

وأعدِلُ بالخوف الشكوكَ تعلُّلاً

وأعدِلُ بالخوف الشكوكَ تعلُّلاً

فيا سوءَ ما جرّت عليّ الحقائقُ

فيا سوءَ ما جرّت عليّ الحقائقُ

And I balanced doubts against fear, seeking consolation;

I temper my fears with doubts, excusing myself

oh, the misery the facts brought upon me

Oh what evil truths have been forced upon me

بمن لستُ أنسى من رواحٍ وبُكرةٍ

بمن لستُ أنسى من رواحٍ وبُكرةٍ

مضى صابحٌ بالأمس قبلي وغابقُ

مضى صابحٌ بالأمس قبلي وغابقُ

over one I never forget, at evening or dawn!

By one I won't forget, of gentle character, whose

Yesterday, before me, the giver of morning and evening drink passed away.

Radiant morn passed before mine and fled

دعوت فما لي لم أُجَبْ إنّ عائقاً

دعوت فما لي لم أُجَبْ إنّ عائقاً

أصمَّك عني أن يلبِّي لعائقُ

أصمَّك عني أن يلبِّي لعائقُ

I called; why was I not answered? Surely a barrier

I called but my voice went unanswered, blocked by

that deafened you to me, keeping you from answering, is a barrier indeed.

Some obstacle preventing any response

تخطَّى الدواءُ الداءَ وهو مجرَّبٌ

تخطَّى الدواءُ الداءَ وهو مجرَّبٌ

وفات طبيباً رأيُهُ وهو حاذقُ

وفات طبيباً رأيُهُ وهو حاذقُ

The medicine missed the illness, though tried and tested,

The cure surpassed the illness, though well-tested

and a physician's judgment failed him, though he was skilled.

Yet the insight of the skilled doctor went unheeded

خفرناك حقَّ الودّ إذ أنت آمن

خفرناك حقَّ الودّ إذ أنت آمن

وخنّاك يوم الموت إذ أنت واثقُ

وخنّاك يوم الموت إذ أنت واثقُ

We guarded you as affection required, when you were safe,

We betrayed your trust when you felt safe

and betrayed you on the day of death, when you were trusting.

And betrayed you the day you lay dying, though confident

وقمنا فأوسعنا إليك طريقَهُ

وقمنا فأوسعنا إليك طريقَهُ

وحولَك منا جحفلٌ متضايقُ

وحولَك منا جحفلٌ متضايقُ

And we rose, widening its path to you,

We gathered and gave you a wide berth

while around you stood a tightly packed host of us.

While throngs pressed in, anguished around you

نخالفك القصدَ اعتماداً وكنت من

نخالفك القصدَ اعتماداً وكنت من

تساق إلى أهوائنا فتوافقُ

تساق إلى أهوائنا فتوافقُ

We deliberately opposed your aim, though you were one

We ignored your aims though relying on you, and you

who was led to our wishes and would comply.

Allowed yourself to be led by our whims, complying

رحيباً على الطرّاق منا فما لنا

رحيباً على الطرّاق منا فما لنا

بَعِلنا جميعاً يوم جاءك طارقُ

بَعِلنا جميعاً يوم جاءك طارقُ

You were welcoming to those of us who called; why, then,

We bid you welcome when the visitor came to us

were we all bewildered the day a caller came to you?

Yet altogether ignored you the day fate knocked upon your door

طوى معشرٌ ذاك التنافسَ واستوى ال

طوى معشرٌ ذاك التنافسَ واستوى ال

حسودُ المعادي فيك لي والموافقُ

حسودُ المعادي فيك لي والموافقُ

A company folded away that rivalry; equal were the

A group put aside their rivalry and the

envious man hostile to me over you and the one who sided with me.

Jealous adversary was equal to me, your friend

وغاضت مودَّاتٌ أقضَّت وقُطِّعتْ

وغاضت مودَّاتٌ أقضَّت وقُطِّعتْ

عُرىً كنت وصّالاً لها وعلائقُ

عُرىً كنت وصّالاً لها وعلائقُ

Affections that had caused unrest ebbed, and severed were

Affections passed that had bound us, ties were

bonds and ties you had always kept joined.

Severed I'd united, and bonds I'd nurtured

سروري حبيس في سبيلك وقفهُ

سروري حبيس في سبيلك وقفهُ

ولذة عيشي بعد يومك طالقُ

ولذة عيشي بعد يومك طالقُ

My joy is captive, dedicated to your cause;

My joy is confined to your path - I stopped it there -

and the delight of my life is divorced after your day.

And the delight of life after you departed has dissolved

تمسَّك بما كنَّا عليه ولا تحُلْ

تمسَّك بما كنَّا عليه ولا تحُلْ

عهودٌ وإن حال الردى ومواثقُ

عهودٌ وإن حال الردى ومواثقُ

Hold fast to what we shared, and let there be no loosening

Hold fast to what we once held, do not undo

of pledges and covenants, though death has come between us.

Agreements, though havoc and ruin press on compacts

وكن لي على ما كنتَ أمسِ معوِّدي

وكن لي على ما كنتَ أمسِ معوِّدي

غداً مستعِدّاً إنني بك لاحقُ

غداً مستعِدّاً إنني بك لاحقُ

And be for me as you taught me to expect yesterday,

Be to me tomorrow what you were yesterday, my friend

ready tomorrow; I am following you.

Prepared, for I still pursue you

أتتك السواري الغادياتُ فأفرغتْ

أتتك السواري الغادياتُ فأفرغتْ

عليك مِلاءً والجواري الشوارقُ

عليك مِلاءً والجواري الشوارقُ

May the night-traveling, morning-coming clouds reach you and pour

The women visitors came to you, pouring out

sheets of rain upon you—the coursing, radiant ones too.

Their favors, while the radiant maidens wept

ولو لم يكن إلا البكاءُ لأنبتت

ولو لم يكن إلا البكاءُ لأنبتت

عليك بما تُجرِي الحِداقُ الحدائقُ

عليك بما تُجرِي الحِداقُ الحدائقُ

And if there were only weeping, there would spring up

Had weeping alone remained, it would have grown

gardens over you from what the eyes pour forth.

For you from their flowing tears, gardens

رَثيت بعلمي فيك حتى كأنها

رَثيت بعلمي فيك حتى كأنها

تملِّي عليّ القولَ تلك الخلائقُ

تملِّي عليّ القولَ تلك الخلائقُ

I wrote your elegy from what I knew of you, until it seemed

I elegized you with my knowledge until

those qualities dictated the words to me.

It seemed all creation repeated my words for you

وهل يبلغ القولُ الذي كنت فاعلاً

وهل يبلغ القولُ الذي كنت فاعلاً

ولم تسمع الحقَّ الذي أنا ناطقُ

ولم تسمع الحقَّ الذي أنا ناطقُ

And can words match what you used to do,

But does speech attain what you have accomplished

when you have not heard the truth I speak?

When have I uttered truths, though I claim eloquence

وأُقسم ما أعطتك فضلَ فضيلةٍ

وأُقسم ما أعطتك فضلَ فضيلةٍ

أقولُ بها في مائق وهو فائقُ

أقولُ بها في مائق وهو فائقُ

And I swear: it has granted you no excellence of virtue

I swear you had no merit above excellence

that I ascribe to a fool, though he be eminent.

Of which I could boast in rhythmic eulogy that excelled

وكيف يناجَى نازحُ السمع فائتٌ

وكيف يناجَى نازحُ السمع فائتٌ

عليه مَهيلٌ من ثرىً متطابقُ

عليه مَهيلٌ من ثرىً متطابقُ

And how can one speak intimately to one beyond hearing and reach,

How can the hearing of one gone converse

with heaped-up earth over him, layer upon layer?

With one on whom identical earth is heaped?

إذا الحيّ يوماً كان في الحيّ كاذباً

إذا الحيّ يوماً كان في الحيّ كاذباً

نِفاقاً فإن الحيّ في الميت صادقٌ

نِفاقاً فإن الحيّ في الميت صادقٌ

If the living ever speak falsely about the living,

When the living spew falsehoods about the living

out of hypocrisy, then the living speak truly about the dead.

The living speaking of the dead are truthful

مضى صاحبي عني وقد شاب ودّنا

مضى صاحبي عني وقد شاب ودّنا

فيا ليتَ هذا والوداد مُراهقُ

فيا ليتَ هذا والوداد مُراهقُ

My companion has left me, our affection already gray;

My friend left me though our love was young

oh, if only this had happened while our love was still young!

Would that this affection were ever adolescent!

بجهدك لا تألفْ خليلاً فإنها

بجهدك لا تألفْ خليلاً فإنها

بقدر مسرّات الألوفِ البوائقُ

بقدر مسرّات الألوفِ البوائقُ

With all your effort, do not grow attached to a friend, for

Do not befriend an intimate, for through him

calamities are proportionate to the affectionate person's joys.

Are manifold the disasters of companions