أَبى لي أَن أُطيلَ الشِعرَ قَصدي

أَبى لي أَن أُطيلَ الشِعرَ قَصدي

إِلى المَعنى وَعِلمي بِالصَوابِ

إِلى المَعنى وَعِلمي بِالصَوابِ

What keeps me from lengthening poetry is my focus

I refused to make the poem long

on meaning, and my knowledge of what is right,

My intention was the meaning and my knowledge of what's right

وَإيجازي بِمُختَصَرٍ قَريبٍ

وَإيجازي بِمُختَصَرٍ قَريبٍ

حَذَفتُ بِهِ الفُضولَ مِنَ الجَوابِ

حَذَفتُ بِهِ الفُضولَ مِنَ الجَوابِ

and my concision in a brief, accessible expression,

My brevity was with concise and close words

with which I have cut excess from the reply.

With it I removed superfluous from the answer

فَأَبعَثَهُنَّ أَربَعَةً وَخَمساً

فَأَبعَثَهُنَّ أَربَعَةً وَخَمساً

مُثَقَّفَةً بِأَلفاظٍ عَذابِ

مُثَقَّفَةً بِأَلفاظٍ عَذابِ

So I send them forth in fours and fives,

So I sent them four or five

honed with sweet words,

Cultured with agonizing words

خَوالِدَ ما حَدا لَيلٌ نَهاراً

خَوالِدَ ما حَدا لَيلٌ نَهاراً

وَما حَسُنَ الصِبا بِأَخي الشَبابِ

وَما حَسُنَ الصِبا بِأَخي الشَبابِ

immortal as long as night drives day onward,

Immortal as long as day alternates with night

and as long as youthful ardor graces a young man.

And as long as the beauty of youth remains, my brother

وَهُنَّ إِذا وَسَمتُ بِهِنَّ قَوماً

وَهُنَّ إِذا وَسَمتُ بِهِنَّ قَوماً

كَأَطواقِ الحَمائِمِ في الرِقابِ

كَأَطواقِ الحَمائِمِ في الرِقابِ

And when I brand a people with them, they are

And when I described a people with them

like doves’ collars around their necks.

Like necklaces around doves' necks

وَهُنَّ إِذا أَقَمتُ مُسافَراتٌ

وَهُنَّ إِذا أَقَمتُ مُسافَراتٌ

تَهادَتها الرُواةُ مَعَ الرِكابِ

تَهادَتها الرُواةُ مَعَ الرِكابِ

And they travel even when I stay,

And when I sent them traveling

exchanged as gifts by reciters accompanying the camel caravans.

Storytellers would vie for them alongside riders