يُذكّرني بالغور ما لستُ أنساه

يُذكّرني بالغور ما لستُ أنساه

نسيمٌ سرى أحْببْ إليَّ بمسراه

نسيمٌ سرى أحْببْ إليَّ بمسراه

In al-Ghawr, I am reminded of what I never forget

He reminds me of al-Ghour, which I can't forget,

by a breeze that passed by night—how dear to me its passage!

A gentle breeze blew, dearer to me in its joy,

وطيفُ للَيلى العَامرية زارني

وطيفُ للَيلى العَامرية زارني

وأسفلُه الوعساء والبان اعْلاه

وأسفلُه الوعساء والبان اعْلاه

And a phantom of Layla al-ʿAmiriyya visited me,

And Layla's specter, from al-‘Aamiriya, visited me,

its lower half a soft sandhill, its upper half a bān tree.

With disheveled hair above, and a wrap below,

هوىٍ من غضا نجد وبالغور مسكني

هوىٍ من غضا نجد وبالغور مسكني

وإنّي لاهواه على بُعْدِ مهواه

وإنّي لاهواه على بُعْدِ مهواه

It descended from Najd’s ghaḍā trees, while my dwelling is in al-Ghawr.

Yearning from the lush Najd, and my home is al-Ghour,

And I truly love it, despite the distance of its abode.

And I do yearn for him, though far away he roams,

فقابلتُه بالرّحْبِ من كل جانبٍ

فقابلتُه بالرّحْبِ من كل جانبٍ

وحييتُه في حين لاح محياه

وحييتُه في حين لاح محياه

So I welcomed it warmly from every side,

So I met him openly, from every side,

and greeted it the moment its face appeared.

And greeted him when his face appeared smiling,

وأفرشني فوق الوسائدِ شعْرَه

وأفرشني فوق الوسائدِ شعْرَه

عناقيد فينانا وأرشفني فاهُ

عناقيد فينانا وأرشفني فاهُ

And it spread its hair as my bedding upon the cushions—

And he laid me down on the pillows of his hair,

luxuriant clusters—and let me sip from its mouth.

Clusters like grapes, and let me taste his mouth,

وشبَّهْتُه بدراً وما البدر مثلهُ

وشبَّهْتُه بدراً وما البدر مثلهُ

وظبياً لأن عيناه تشبه عيناه

وظبياً لأن عيناه تشبه عيناه

And I likened it to a full moon, yet the full moon is not its equal,

And I likened him to the full moon, though he's unlike it,

and to a gazelle, for its eyes resemble the gazelle’s.

And a gazelle, though his eyes are not its eyes,

وأمسيت اشكو البينَ وهو مضاجعي

وأمسيت اشكو البينَ وهو مضاجعي

ويشكو وقد ضمت باحشاي احشاه

ويشكو وقد ضمت باحشاي احشاه

And by evening I lamented separation, though it shared my bed,

And I spent the night complaining of our separation, while he held me close,

and it too lamented, its bosom clasped against mine.

And he complained, though I hugged his bosom,

إذا ضلَّ طرفي في حَنَادسِ شَعْره

إذا ضلَّ طرفي في حَنَادسِ شَعْره

هَدَاني إليه بارقٌ من ثناياه

هَدَاني إليه بارقٌ من ثناياه

When my gaze strayed into the deep darkness of its hair,

When my eyes strayed into the tresses of his hair,

a lightning-flash from its front teeth guided me to it.

He guided me back with a flash from his ringlets,

يقول رِفاقي لِمْ حملتَ وطالما

يقول رِفاقي لِمْ حملتَ وطالما

شربتَ بليلٍ مُشْبهِ الظَلْمِ ظلماه

شربتَ بليلٍ مُشْبهِ الظَلْمِ ظلماه

My companions say, “Why did you shoulder the load, when so often

My friends say, why did you carry all night long,

you drank its darkness in a night like the sheen of teeth?” [Text unclear.]

A drink like the darkness of night in its darkness,

تَيمْمّ على اسم الله قُلّةَ اشْيح

تَيمْمّ على اسم الله قُلّةَ اشْيح

تلاقى الغِنى مهما نزلت بمغناه

تلاقى الغِنى مهما نزلت بمغناه

Make for the summit of Ashyaḥ in God’s name;

Head with God's name to the abode of love,

you will find wealth whenever you alight at his abode.

You will meet riches no matter how destitute you become,

وناديه يا فضلُ ويا فضلُ واقتنعْ

وناديه يا فضلُ ويا فضلُ واقتنعْ

به عن بني الدنيا فقد عوَّض الله

به عن بني الدنيا فقد عوَّض الله

And call to him, “O Fadl! O Fadl!” and be content

And call him O Fadhl, O Fadhl, and be content,

with him instead of the sons of this world, for God has given recompense.

With him above all mankind, for God has compensated,

وهذا جمالُ الدين ما شيئت هذه

وهذا جمالُ الدين ما شيئت هذه

بوادرُه تُخْشى وتلك عطاياه

بوادرُه تُخْشى وتلك عطاياه

And this is Jamal al-Din, all you could wish for: these

And this is Jamal al-Din, though I fear,

are his dreaded outbursts, and those are his gifts.

His early traits, those are his gifts,

وسنحان سنحان بن عمرو كغمدها

وسنحان سنحان بن عمرو كغمدها

وعز بها والمال والأل والجاه

وعز بها والمال والأل والجاه

And Sanḥān—Sanḥān ibn ʿAmr—is like its sheath,

And Sanhan, Sanhan ibn ‘Amr like its scabbard,

and through it come honor, wealth, kinship, and prestige.

Brought honor, wealth, family, and status through it,

واينَ شْبيهُ الفضل لا مثل حلمهِ

واينَ شْبيهُ الفضل لا مثل حلمهِ

ولا بطشه يُلقى ولا مثل نعماه

ولا بطشه يُلقى ولا مثل نعماه

And where is Fadl’s equal? None matches his forbearance;

And where is Fadhl’s equal, none has his patience,

no match is found for his might, nor for his bounty.

Nor his might when angry, nor gifts like his,

وأيّة وجهٍ للحياء كوجهِه

وأيّة وجهٍ للحياء كوجهِه

فحياه ربُّ العالمين واحياه

فحياه ربُّ العالمين واحياه

And what face of modesty is like his face?

And what face is bashful like his face,

So may the Lord of the worlds bless him and grant him life.

So his life was honored by the Lord of the Worlds,

بنَا مجدَ مسعودٍ ومجدَ مظفر

بنَا مجدَ مسعودٍ ومجدَ مظفر

فجملة عَلْيآ القومِ من دون علياه

فجملة عَلْيآ القومِ من دون علياه

He built the glory of Masʿūd and the glory of Muẓaffar,

He built the glory of Mas’ud and the glory of Muzaffar,

so all the people’s eminence falls below his.

And the tribe’s entirety depends on them, not its chiefs,

وحامي حمى سنحان يصرفُ دونها

وحامي حمى سنحان يصرفُ دونها

وجوه العدا لا شلل الله يمناه

وجوه العدا لا شلل الله يمناه

And the guardian of Sanḥān’s sanctuary turns away from it

Protector of Sanhan’s sanctuary, he wards off,

the faces of foes—may God never cripple his right hand!

The enemies’ faces, may God not weaken his right hand,

فلو قام داعٍ خلفَ سبعةِ أبحر

فلو قام داعٍ خلفَ سبعةِ أبحر

دعا دعوةً يا فضلُ يا فضلُ لبّاه

دعا دعوةً يا فضلُ يا فضلُ لبّاه

So if a caller stood beyond seven seas

If one called beyond seven seas,

and cried once, “O Fadl! O Fadl!” he would answer him.

“O Fadhl, O Fadhl,” he would answer the call,

ولو عاش حتى يدرك الفضل حاتمٌ

ولو عاش حتى يدرك الفضل حاتمٌ

لا صبحَ مثلَ العبدِ والفضلُ مولاه

لا صبحَ مثلَ العبدِ والفضلُ مولاه

And had Ḥātim lived long enough to meet Fadl,

And if one lived to see Fadhl’s demise,

he would have become like a slave, with Fadl his master.

He would not greet morn like a slave, with Fadhl his master,

سَمِعنا به حتى رأينا سماحَه

سَمِعنا به حتى رأينا سماحَه

فزَادتْ على ما قال رأيا لرؤياه

فزَادتْ على ما قال رأيا لرؤياه

We heard of him until we saw his generosity,

We heard of him until we saw his generosity,

and it surpassed the judgment voiced on beholding him [text unclear].

Which exceeded what was said, like sight exceeds hearsay,

فاشرفُ شعرٍ ما نظمنَا لمجده

فاشرفُ شعرٍ ما نظمنَا لمجده

وأسعدُ يمٍ عندنا يومَ نلقاه

وأسعدُ يمٍ عندنا يومَ نلقاه

So the noblest poetry is what we composed for his glory,

The finest poetry we versified in his glory,

and our happiest day is the day we meet him.

And the happiest day for us is the day we meet him,

خلائق تغنى المرء عن زمن الصِبا

خلائق تغنى المرء عن زمن الصِبا

وينسى بها أقداحه ونداماه

وينسى بها أقداحه ونداماه

Virtues that leave a man no need for youthful days,

Manners that spare one the pains of youth,

and through them he forgets his cups and drinking companions.

And make one forget their drinks and regrets,

وسوح رحيب السوح والصدر ل

وسوح رحيب السوح والصدر ل

م يزل تسر مواليه وَيَرْغضمُ أعداه

م يزل تسر مواليه وَيَرْغضمُ أعداه

And one [word unclear], spacious in courtyard and heart, has not

And vast plains, with an open heart,

ceased to delight his followers and humble his enemies.

That always delights his friends, and annoys his enemies,

وإنَّا لنكسو مِنْ كساء ابن مظفر

وإنَّا لنكسو مِنْ كساء ابن مظفر

رجالاً ونعطى فضلَ ما كان اعطاه

رجالاً ونعطى فضلَ ما كان اعطاه

And with Ibn Muẓaffar’s clothing we surely clothe

We wear the cloak of Ibn Muzaffar’s son,

men, and give away the surplus of what he gave.

As men, and give Fadhl’s overflowing gifts,

فدامَ جمالُ الدينَ معتمداً لنا

فدامَ جمالُ الدينَ معتمداً لنا

فلم يبقْ مِن مُغلى القضائد إلاّ هُو

فلم يبقْ مِن مُغلى القضائد إلاّ هُو

So may Jamal al-Din remain our mainstay,

May Jamal al-Din remain our pillar,

for none but he remains of those who reward odes richly.

For none remains of the twisted paths but him.