يا أختَ مازنِ ما لي للهوى قِبَلُ

يا أختَ مازنِ ما لي للهوى قِبَلُ

فما الملامُ وممَا التعنيفُ والعَذَلُ

فما الملامُ وممَا التعنيفُ والعَذَلُ

O sister of Mazin, I have no strength to bear love.

O sister of Mazin, I have no desire for lovemaking

Why, then, the blame, and why the harsh rebuke and reproach?

So why the blame and why the rebuke and reproof?

قلت أتّئد وهو شَيءٌ لا يلائمني

قلت أتّئد وهو شَيءٌ لا يلائمني

قلت إصْطِبْر ومكانُ الصبر مشتعلُ

قلت إصْطِبْر ومكانُ الصبر مشتعلُ

You said, 'Be composed,' but that is something that does not suit me.

You said be patient but patience is not suited for me

You said, 'Be patient,' but the seat of patience is ablaze.

You said be steadfast but the home of steadfastness is aflame

لا تسألني عن قلبي ولا كبدي

لا تسألني عن قلبي ولا كبدي

فذا وذاك مع الحي الذي رَحَلوا

فذا وذاك مع الحي الذي رَحَلوا

Do not ask me about my heart or my liver,

Ask me not about my heart or my liver

For this and that are with the clan that has departed.

For they are with the beloved who departed

فارقتُهم وبودي لا أفارقُهم

فارقتُهم وبودي لا أفارقُهم

وأعظمُ الإمِر ما تعيي به الحيلُ

وأعظمُ الإمِر ما تعيي به الحيلُ

I parted from them, though I wished not to part from them.

I left them but my love for them remains

And the gravest calamity is one against which all stratagems fail.

And the greatest misery is that which exhausts all means

شدوا وما وقفوا بانوا وما لطفوا

شدوا وما وقفوا بانوا وما لطفوا

ساروا ومَا عطفوا جاروا وما عدلوا

ساروا ومَا عطفوا جاروا وما عدلوا

They saddled up and did not stop; they departed and showed no kindness.

They marched on never halting, they appeared never softening

They journeyed and did not turn back; they were unjust and showed no fairness.

They marched on never turning back, never swerving

يا حادياً إبلَ الأحبابِ وْيَحك قِفْ

يا حادياً إبلَ الأحبابِ وْيَحك قِفْ

فلستَ تعلم من سَارتْ به الإِبِلُ

فلستَ تعلم من سَارتْ به الإِبِلُ

O driver of my loved ones' camels, woe to you—halt!

O guide of my beloved's camels, cease your driving

For you do not know whom the camels have carried away.

For you know not who the camels have taken away

عهدي بهمْ ولهم بالمنحنى حِلَلٌ

عهدي بهمْ ولهم بالمنحنى حِلَلٌ

واليوم هي ظُعَنٌ من فوقها كِلَلٌ

واليوم هي ظُعَنٌ من فوقها كِلَلٌ

I remember them when they had encampments at the bend;

My pact with them and theirs was to meet at the valley's bend

And today they are traveling litters, with canopies above them.

Yet today they are like spears above which are turbans

لم يرحموا زَفْرَاتي وهي صَاعدةٌ

لم يرحموا زَفْرَاتي وهي صَاعدةٌ

ولا رَثوا لِدموعي وهي يَنْهمل

ولا رَثوا لِدموعي وهي يَنْهمل

They did not pity my sighs as they rose,

They had no mercy for my groans rising up

Nor show compassion for my tears as they poured down.

Nor wept for my tears streaming down

يا شاري البرق والأجفان هاجعة

يا شاري البرق والأجفان هاجعة

والسحبُ هامعَةٌ والليلُ منسدل

والسحبُ هامعَةٌ والليلُ منسدل

O you whose lightning flashes, while eyelids slumber,

O buyer of lightning, with eyelids awake

And the clouds pour rain, and night hangs down,

And clouds looming, and night descending

عَرِّجْ على الطلَلِ البالي بكاظمةٍ

عَرِّجْ على الطلَلِ البالي بكاظمةٍ

وَقل نَعِمْتَ صَبَاحاً أيها الطللُ

وَقل نَعِمْتَ صَبَاحاً أيها الطللُ

Turn aside to the weathered ruins at Kazimah,

Stop by the ruined abode at Kadima

And say, 'May you have a happy morning, O ruins!'

And say, “Good morning, O ruined abode!”

وإن عَبَرتَ على رمل العقيقِ ضحى

وإن عَبَرتَ على رمل العقيقِ ضحى

فاسْق العقيق وجيراناً به نزلوا

فاسْق العقيق وجيراناً به نزلوا

And if you cross the sands of al-'Aqiq at midmorning,

And if you pass the sands of Al Aqeeq in the morning

Then water al-'Aqiq and the neighbors who have settled there.

Then irrigate Al Aqeeq and those who camped there

لو قيْل لي سَل لتعُطي ما تؤمّلُه

لو قيْل لي سَل لتعُطي ما تؤمّلُه

لقلتُ تَرجِعْ لي أيامي الأولُ

لقلتُ تَرجِعْ لي أيامي الأولُ

If I were told, 'Ask, and you will be granted what you hope for,'

If I were told, “Ask that you may be given what you wish,”

I would say, 'Let my days of old return to me.'

I would say, “Restore my early days to me,”

أو قيل إن الحيّا والبحر قد عدمَا

أو قيل إن الحيّا والبحر قد عدمَا

لَقُلْتُ كفُّ سُهيلٍ عنْهمُا بَدلُ

لَقُلْتُ كفُّ سُهيلٍ عنْهمُا بَدلُ

Or if it were said that rain and sea had ceased to exist,

Or if I were told, “The loved ones and the seas are no more,”

I would say, 'Suhayl's hand is a substitute for them both.'

I would say, “Let Suhayl cease shining upon them both.”

ابْنُ المراتب مذ شدت مآزرُه

ابْنُ المراتب مذ شدت مآزرُه

وابْنُ المواكبُ فيه البيضُ والاسلُ

وابْنُ المواكبُ فيه البيضُ والاسلُ

A son of lofty stations since his waistcloths were tied,

Son of processions, since he girded his loins,

And a son of martial retinues, amid bright swords and spears.

And son of cavalcades in which are whites and piebalds

أغر أبلجُ من عكٍ يُزان به

أغر أبلجُ من عكٍ يُزان به

صدرُ الخَميس ويزهُو الجحفلُ الحفلُ

صدرُ الخَميس ويزهُو الجحفلُ الحفلُ

Radiant and bright-browed, of 'Akk, he adorns

Fairer than a polished Indian blade

The army's forefront, and the teeming host exults.

With which the chest of Thursday is adorned and burnished

كأنه مَلَكُ في العين أو مَلِكٌ

كأنه مَلَكُ في العين أو مَلِكٌ

أوْ ضيغمٌ مَحِكٌ أو عَارِضٌ هطِل

أوْ ضيغمٌ مَحِكٌ أو عَارِضٌ هطِل

To the eye he seems an angel, or a king,

As if he were an angel in the eyes or a possessed king

Or a fierce lion, or a cloudbank pouring rain.

Or a sagacious counselor or a pouring rain

يبني من الفخر ما كانت أوائلُه

يبني من الفخر ما كانت أوائلُه

تبنى ويَفعل أضعاف الذي فَعلوا

تبنى ويَفعل أضعاف الذي فَعلوا

He builds the glory that his forebears

He builds of glory what the ancients

Built, and does many times what they did.

Used to build and does multiples of what they did

وحيث سَار فللأموال مبتذل

وحيث سَار فللأموال مبتذل

وحيث حلَّ فللأثقال مُحْتمِلُ

وحيث حلَّ فللأثقال مُحْتمِلُ

And wherever he journeys, he spends wealth freely;

Wherever he marched, wealth is debased

And wherever he settles, he shoulders burdens.

And wherever he camped, burdens are endured

يا ابنَ الذوائب من عكّ ولا عجبٌ

يا ابنَ الذوائب من عكّ ولا عجبٌ

في موضع النحلِ إن يجني به العَسلُ

في موضع النحلِ إن يجني به العَسلُ

O son of 'Akk's foremost chiefs, it is no wonder

O son of beauties in Akk, no wonder

If honey is gathered where the bees dwell.

Where bees abound, honey is harvested

لا تعجبنَ لِتَخْييمي عليك فلَمْ

لا تعجبنَ لِتَخْييمي عليك فلَمْ

أُخْط الطريقَ ولاَ ضلت بي السَّبُلُ

أُخْط الطريقَ ولاَ ضلت بي السَّبُلُ

Do not wonder that I pitch my tent with you, for I have not

Do not wonder at my hovering over you, for I

Missed the road, nor have the paths led me astray.

Did not miss the road nor lose my way

فالطيرُ يسقط حيثُ الحبُّ منتثرٌ

فالطيرُ يسقط حيثُ الحبُّ منتثرٌ

والعِيسُ تنجع حيث المرتع الخضل

والعِيسُ تنجع حيث المرتع الخضل

For birds alight wherever grain lies scattered,

For birds fall wherever love is scattered

And pale camels seek pasture where the grazing ground is lush.

And deer flock to every fresh verdant prairie

لي منك حبل موالاة به وصلت

لي منك حبل موالاة به وصلت

وليس يوصل الأحبلُ منْ يَصِلُ

وليس يوصل الأحبلُ منْ يَصِلُ

From you I have a cord of friendship, by which I have arrived;

I have a rope of friendship with which I reached you

Yet those who arrive are not brought there by cords.

And no ropes can connect those who do not join

تقدمتني جيادٌ لو عَرَضْتُ لها

تقدمتني جيادٌ لو عَرَضْتُ لها

حزتُ الرهانَ وفي أرسَاغي الشكل

حزتُ الرهانَ وفي أرسَاغي الشكل

Thoroughbreds have gone ahead of me; had I raced against them,

Before me raced steeds that had I challenged them

I would have won the stakes, even with hobbles on my fetlocks.

I would have won the bet, with my leather bucket at the ready

وما أحظك تحريضا على كرمٍ

وما أحظك تحريضا على كرمٍ

أنت الجوادُ ومِنْك الجودُ يُنتحل

أنت الجوادُ ومِنْك الجودُ يُنتحل

Nor do I exhort you to stir you to generosity:

You need no goading to generosity

You are the munificent one, and generosity is borrowed from you.

You are the steed, from you generosity is derived

هذا المآثرُ لا قعبانَ من لَبنٍ

هذا المآثرُ لا قعبانَ من لَبنٍ

وذي المواقفُ لا صفينُ والجملُ

وذي المواقفُ لا صفينُ والجملُ

These are noble deeds, not two bowls of milk;

These glorious deeds are no spider web

And these are heroic stands—not Siffin and al-Jamal.

And this valiant one no Safwan or camel driver at Jamal

لا تعدَ مَنَّك عَكُّ يا أبا عمرٍ

لا تعدَ مَنَّك عَكُّ يا أبا عمرٍ

فما سواك لِعَكٍ كُلُّها جَبَلُ

فما سواك لِعَكٍ كُلُّها جَبَلُ

May 'Akk never lose you, O Abu 'Umar,

Do not regard yourself as Akk, O Abu Amr

For all of 'Akk has no mountain but you.

For none but you is Akk, all else but mountains