أغيْب بقلبٍ منك ليس يغيبُ

أغيْب بقلبٍ منك ليس يغيبُ

وأهجرُ منك الربعَ وهو حبيبُ

وأهجرُ منك الربعَ وهو حبيبُ

I am away, yet my heart is never absent from you.

I am absent with a heart that does not absent from you

I forsake your dwelling, though it is dear.

And I abandon the quarters, yet it is beloved

وأبكي إذا غنى الحَمام وحالُه

وأبكي إذا غنى الحَمام وحالُه

وحالي شتى تآكلٌ وَطروبُ

وحالي شتى تآكلٌ وَطروبُ

I weep when the dove sings; its state

And I cry when the pigeons coo, and their state

and mine are worlds apart: I waste away, while it rejoices.

And my state are different, decaying and raining heavily

يغرّد فوقَ الأيك والنوحُ ديدني

يغرّد فوقَ الأيك والنوحُ ديدني

قلوبٌ بكتْ لما سررت قلوبُ

قلوبٌ بكتْ لما سررت قلوبُ

It warbles above the groves, while lamentation is my habit.

It chirps above the nest, and my wont is sorrow

Hearts have wept when other hearts were gladdened.

Hearts wept when other hearts rejoiced

وفارقت ليلى وهو ينظر ألفه

وفارقت ليلى وهو ينظر ألفه

ومَا يتساوى آهلٌ وغريبٌ

ومَا يتساوى آهلٌ وغريبٌ

I parted from Layla, while it gazes at its mate.

And I left Layla while he looks at his friend

One among his own and a stranger are not alike.

An absent one and a stranger cannot be equal

ولو كان محزوناً كمثلي لَمْ يَكنْ

ولو كان محزوناً كمثلي لَمْ يَكنْ

لِيَلبسَ طوقاً والبنانُ خَضيبُ

لِيَلبسَ طوقاً والبنانُ خَضيبُ

Were it sorrowful like me, it would not

And if he were grieved like me, he would not have

wear a neck-ring, with its fingertips dyed.

Worn a necklace while the teeth are white

الا انما سجعُ الحمامِ لدى الهوى

الا انما سجعُ الحمامِ لدى الهوى

حِمامٌ وسَهْمُ الغانيات يصيب

حِمامٌ وسَهْمُ الغانيات يصيب

Behold, in love the cooing of doves is nothing but

Except that the rhyming of the pigeons during passion

death; and the arrow of lovely women finds its mark.

Is just pigeons, while the arrows of the lovely ladies hit their mark

وَلاَ حِين لي لاَمُوا على الحب قُلْ لهم

وَلاَ حِين لي لاَمُوا على الحب قُلْ لهم

كذا الناسُ عندي مخطىء ومُصيب

كذا الناسُ عندي مخطىء ومُصيب

And my reproachers, who blamed me for love—tell them:

And do not, when they blame me for love, say to them

'Such are people, to my mind: one mistaken, another right.'

People are to me both mistaken and correct

يقولون تب ما بعد خمسين صبوة

يقولون تب ما بعد خمسين صبوة

فقلت هل الشيخ الطريف يتوبُ

فقلت هل الشيخ الطريف يتوبُ

They say, 'Repent: after fifty there is no youthful passion.'

They say repent after fifty mornings

I said, 'Does the witty old man repent?'

So I said: Can the graceful elder repent?

رأتني ليلى والبياضُ بعارضي

رأتني ليلى والبياضُ بعارضي

فَصدّتْ انكارُ الشباب عجيب

فَصدّتْ انكارُ الشباب عجيب

Layla saw me, with white in my cheek-beard,

Layla saw me while the whiteness was on my cheeks

and turned away—how strange is youth's rejection!

So the denial of youth astonished her

وهل هو إلاّ لونّها صَبَغت به

وهل هو إلاّ لونّها صَبَغت به

ذوائبَ رأسي والفؤداُ يذوب

ذوائبَ رأسي والفؤداُ يذوب

Is it not merely her own color, with which she dyed

And is it not but her complexion that dyed

the locks of my head, while the heart melts?

The locks of my hair while my incisors melt?

أطلت مقامي بالغوير وكان لي

أطلت مقامي بالغوير وكان لي

بأشْيحَ مصرٌ قبل ذا وخَصيب

بأشْيحَ مصرٌ قبل ذا وخَصيب

I have prolonged my stay in al-Ghuwayr, though I had

I stayed long in Ghuwair, and I had

at Ashyah, before this, an Egypt and a Khasib.

An Abshih in Egypt before it and fertile

وكنتُ إذا نادَيْتُ يا فضلُ مَرّة

وكنتُ إذا نادَيْتُ يا فضلُ مَرّة

أجاب فتىً للهاتفين مجيبُ

أجاب فتىً للهاتفين مجيبُ

Whenever I called once, 'O Fadl,'

And I used to, when calling: O Virtue once

a young man answered, responsive to those who called.

A young man would answer the two callers

فقد مَرّ بي عامٌ وعامٌ ولم أزر

فقد مَرّ بي عامٌ وعامٌ ولم أزر

جوانبَ ذلك السوح وهو رحيبُ

جوانبَ ذلك السوح وهو رحيبُ

A year and another have passed me by, and I have not visited

So a year, and a year have passed, and I have not visited

the precincts of that courtyard, spacious as it is.

The sides of that plain, yet it is vast

حبستُ القوافي دون سيدها الذي

حبستُ القوافي دون سيدها الذي

لها في نداه مَنْصِبٌ ونصيبُ

لها في نداه مَنْصِبٌ ونصيبُ

I have withheld my rhymes from their master, in whose

I held back rhymes from their lord whom

bounty they have standing and a share.

For them, in his benevolence, is position and fortune

بحيث العطايا البيضُ منهن مُثْقلٌ

بحيث العطايا البيضُ منهن مُثْقلٌ

نسِيجٌ وطَمَّاحُ اللّجام جنيبُ

نسِيجٌ وطَمَّاحُ اللّجام جنيبُ

Where the bright gifts include heavy

Where white gifts from him are heavy

woven cloth and a bridle-straining steed led alongside.

A fabric and the bridle of the stallion a prize

وحيثُ الجلالُ الضخم والرجل الذي

وحيثُ الجلالُ الضخم والرجل الذي

تنادي الغوادي باسمه فيُجْيب

تنادي الغوادي باسمه فيُجْيب

And where vast majesty dwells, and the man whom

And where the massive majesty and the man whom

the morning rainclouds call by name, and he answers.

The valleys call by name, so he answers

مُمَارِسُ خيل في الحديد كأنّها

مُمَارِسُ خيل في الحديد كأنّها

تجول ويومُ الجحفلين عَصِيْب

تجول ويومُ الجحفلين عَصِيْب

He engages iron-clad cavalry, as though they

Who jousts horses in armor as if they

were merely roaming, though the day of the two armies is dire.

Stroll while the day of Al-Ji'l and Al-Ji'b is momentous

وطاعنُها الفاً ومطعمُ مثلِها

وطاعنُها الفاً ومطعمُ مثلِها

إذا العامُ مُغْبَرُّ الأديم جديب

إذا العامُ مُغْبَرُّ الأديم جديب

He spears a thousand of them and feeds as many,

And their thrusts are a thousand, and one who prepares the likes of them

when the year is dust-grey of skin and barren.

When the year is dusty, the surface dry

فلم يمسْ جار الفضلِ تحت مذلةٍ

فلم يمسْ جار الفضلِ تحت مذلةٍ

ولا فاته مَنْعٌ يقال وطيبُ

ولا فاته مَنْعٌ يقال وطيبُ

No neighbor of Fadl has spent an evening in humiliation,

So no neighbor of Virtue under humiliation

nor lacked protection, they say, or comfort.

Nor did he miss a prevention said to be good

وليس يقول الفضل للضيف إن عرى

وليس يقول الفضل للضيف إن عرى

تَرَحّلْ فإنّ الحيّ منك قرِيبُ

تَرَحّلْ فإنّ الحيّ منك قرِيبُ

Fadl does not say to a guest, should he arrive:

And Virtue does not say to the guest if he is exposed

'Depart, for the tribal camp is near you.'

Move on, for the alive among you is near

ولكن هِبَاتٌ عن مظفر أسندت

ولكن هِبَاتٌ عن مظفر أسندت

قديماً وإنّ ابنَ النجيب نجيبُ

قديماً وإنّ ابنَ النجيب نجيبُ

Rather, gifts were handed down from Muzaffar

But gifts from the victorious Muzaffar I supported

long ago; and a noble man's son is noble.

Of old, and the son of the eminent is eminent

وبيتُ سماحٍ كالقناةِ تتابعت

وبيتُ سماحٍ كالقناةِ تتابعت

كعوبٌ على أثارهنّ كعُوبُ

كعوبٌ على أثارهنّ كعُوبُ

And a house of bounty, like a spear-shaft: in succession come

And the house of generosity is like a channel, a succession

joints, and in their tracks still more joints.

Of heels upon their traces like palm hearts

توارثه أَل اليماني هكذا

توارثه أَل اليماني هكذا

فأنجبَ شبانا وأنجب شيبْ

فأنجبَ شبانا وأنجب شيبْ

The family of al-Yamani inherited it in this way,

The family of Yaman inherited it thus

bringing forth noble youths and noble greybeards.

Begetting youths and begetting elders

وحَلّ بيمنى الفضل ذاك جميعَه

وحَلّ بيمنى الفضل ذاك جميعَه

فما لجمال الدين قطُ ضريب

فما لجمال الدين قطُ ضريب

All of this has settled in Fadl's right hand;

And taking residence in the right hand of Virtue is all that

Jamal al-Din has never had an equal.

So for Jamal al-Din there is no tax

أتنكر سنحانٌ مقامَك بعدما

أتنكر سنحانٌ مقامَك بعدما

طلعت وقدواري أخاك غريبُ

طلعت وقدواري أخاك غريبُ

Does Sanhan deny your stand, after

Do you deny, Sanhan, your status after

you rose, when Gharib had buried your brother?

Your rising while his brothers are strangers?

أثرت بذاك الثار يوماً عَصَبْصَباً

أثرت بذاك الثار يوماً عَصَبْصَباً

شُقِقْنَ قلوبٌ عندهم وجيوب

شُقِقْنَ قلوبٌ عندهم وجيوب

With that vengeance you stirred up a savage day:

You roused on that day intensely

hearts and garment-fronts were torn among them.

Hearts were cracked among them and pockets

وعررت يا سيف العرور فشدُخت

وعررت يا سيف العرور فشدُخت

بسيفك منهم أوجه وجنوب

بسيفك منهم أوجه وجنوب

You assailed al-Arur, O Sword, and so were crushed

And you stirred, O sword of the stirring, so you rammed

their faces and flanks by your sword.

With your sword their faces and chests

أمرتَ جيادَ الخيل تمحو ديارهم

أمرتَ جيادَ الخيل تمحو ديارهم

ففي كلِّ دار ناعيات وذئب

ففي كلِّ دار ناعيات وذئب

You ordered the finest horses to efface their dwellings;

You commanded the steeds to erase their homes

so in every home are mourning women and a wolf.

So in every home are female mourners and wolves

وقمتَ مقاماً سر راشد في الثرى

وقمتَ مقاماً سر راشد في الثرى

فطبت بهم نَفْساً وأنت تطيب

فطبت بهم نَفْساً وأنت تطيب

You took a stand that gladdened Rashid in the earth;

And you took a stand of the rightly-guided in the soil

your soul rejoiced over them, and still you rejoice.

So you rectified with them a soul while you are well

فقد عاد بالشرق السماحُ كعهده

فقد عاد بالشرق السماحُ كعهده

ولم يبق في وجه الزمانِ قُطوب

ولم يبق في وجه الزمانِ قُطوب

Generosity has returned to the East as it was before,

So generosity has returned to the east as was its wont

and no frown remains upon the face of time.

And no frown remains on the face of time

فاشيحُ ممنوعُ الذِّمارِ كعَهْده

فاشيحُ ممنوعُ الذِّمارِ كعَهْده

وترّب خداً للمساك سَبيبُ

وترّب خداً للمساك سَبيبُ

Thus Ashyah's sacred bounds are defended as before,

So Abshih is forbidden drinking as was its wont

and Sabib has rubbed its cheek in dust before its captors.

And a cheek is cultivated for the poor to strike

نعَمْ لا تغبْ يا فضلُ عنّا ولا تزل

نعَمْ لا تغبْ يا فضلُ عنّا ولا تزل

مقيما بخير مَا أقامَ عسيب

مقيما بخير مَا أقامَ عسيب

Yes—do not leave us, O Fadl; never cease

Yes, do not O Virtue, absent from us or cease

to dwell in well-being as long as Asib stands.

Remaining with the best of what settled A'sib

فكل مديح في سواك مضيَّعٌ

فكل مديح في سواك مضيَّعٌ

وكل رجاءٍ في سواك يخيْبُ

وكل رجاءٍ في سواك يخيْبُ

For every praise of anyone but you is wasted,

For every praise other than you is wasted

and every hope in anyone but you fails.

And every hope other than you disappoints