مُغمضُ الجفنِ عَلى لَحظٍ أَحَدّ

مُغمضُ الجفنِ عَلى لَحظٍ أَحَدّ

مِن حُسامٍ قاتلٍ كلَّ أَحَد

مِن حُسامٍ قاتلٍ كلَّ أَحَد

He closes his eyelid over a glance sharper

The eyelids closed for an instant from a lethal sword that kills all

Than a sword that slays everyone.

My heart's cheek is a rose on his cheek

خَدّ قَلبي وَردةٌ في خَدّهِ

خَدّ قَلبي وَردةٌ في خَدّهِ

إِذ هِيَ النّارُ على جنّة خَد

إِذ هِيَ النّارُ على جنّة خَد

A rose upon his cheek has scarred my heart,

When it is fire upon the garden of his cheek

For it is fire upon a cheek's paradise.

The slender waisted one is like a spear whose stab

مائِسُ القَدّ كَرمحٍ طَعنُهُ

مائِسُ القَدّ كَرمحٍ طَعنُهُ

أَوقَدَ النّارَ بِقَلبي فَوقَد

أَوقَدَ النّارَ بِقَلبي فَوقَد

His swaying form is like a spear; his thrust

Kindled a fire in my heart so he kindled

Kindled fire in my heart, and it blazed.

I wished to be stabbed by him in the meadow

فَوددتُ الطّعنَ منهُ في الحَشا

فَوددتُ الطّعنَ منهُ في الحَشا

إِذ تَثنَّى بِاِهتِزازٍ وَأَوَد

إِذ تَثنَّى بِاِهتِزازٍ وَأَوَد

So I longed for his thrust into my breast,

When he swayed with a tremor and affection

As he swayed with a quiver and a curve.

Verily my love has no limit, and he who

إِنّ عِشقي ما لَه حدٌّ ومَنْ

إِنّ عِشقي ما لَه حدٌّ ومَنْ

حَدَّهُ مِنْ حَدِّه أَنْ قَدْ يُحَد

حَدَّهُ مِنْ حَدِّه أَنْ قَدْ يُحَد

Indeed, my love has no limit; and whoever

Limits it from its limit, it can possibly be limited

Defines it includes in its definition that it may be limited.

Oh my people! How excellent in love are the firm

يا لقَومي في الهَوى مِن شادِن

يا لقَومي في الهَوى مِن شادِن

يَستَشيهِ اللّيث يَصطادُ الأَسد

يَستَشيهِ اللّيث يَصطادُ الأَسد

O my people, help me in love against a young gazelle:

The lion desires it, the lion hunts the prey

The lion takes him for a sheep, yet he hunts the lion.

Its relish did in my mind's thought

فَعَلت نَكهتهُ في فكرَتي

فَعَلت نَكهتهُ في فكرَتي

فعلَةُ الخَمرِ بِمن مِنها وَرَد

فعلَةُ الخَمرِ بِمن مِنها وَرَد

His fragrant breath worked upon my thoughts

Like the effect of wine on one who tasted it

As wine acts upon one who has drunk of it.

He refuses union and avoids meeting

أَنف الوَصلَ وَيَأبى المُلتقى

أَنف الوَصلَ وَيَأبى المُلتقى

أَلِفَ الهَجرَ عَلى بُعدٍ فَصَد

أَلِفَ الهَجرَ عَلى بُعدٍ فَصَد

He spurned union and refuses a meeting;

Accustomed to estrangement and distance

He grew used to estrangement at a distance, then turned away.

But had meeting him been impossible

غَيرَ أَنّي لو محالاً وصلُهُ

غَيرَ أَنّي لو محالاً وصلُهُ

لَم أَكُن عَن طَمَعي فيه أُردّ

لَم أَكُن عَن طَمَعي فيه أُردّ

Yet even if union with him were impossible,

I would not desist from hoping for it

I would not be turned aside from my hope of him.

Verily my fervor in love from my hope in him

إِنّ وَجدي في الهَوى مِن طَمَعي

إِنّ وَجدي في الهَوى مِن طَمَعي

مِنهُ بِالوَصلِ وَلَو مِتُّ كَمَد

مِنهُ بِالوَصلِ وَلَو مِتُّ كَمَد

My longing in love indeed springs from my hope

Is with union even if I die compressed

Of union with him, even if I die of grief.

Be earnest hoping for union, you will wake up attained

جدَّ تَرجو الوَصلَ تُصبحْ واجداً

جدَّ تَرجو الوَصلَ تُصبحْ واجداً

صَدَقَ القائِلُ مَن جَدّ وَجَد

صَدَقَ القائِلُ مَن جَدّ وَجَد

Strive in hope of union, and you will find it;

The speaker spoke true: he who is earnest attains

He spoke truly who said, 'Whoever strives, finds.'

And endure the blame of the censurers in love

وَاِحتَمل عَذلَ اللّواحي في الهَوى

وَاِحتَمل عَذلَ اللّواحي في الهَوى

وَإِنِ العَذل مِنَ القَتلِ أَشَد

وَإِنِ العَذل مِنَ القَتلِ أَشَد

And endure the reproach of the scolding women in love,

Though blame is more painful than death

Even though reproach is harsher than killing.

And be forebearing, patient in

وَكُنِ الصبَّ الصّبورَ الجَلد في

وَكُنِ الصبَّ الصّبورَ الجَلد في

عِشقِ مَن تَهوى فَما أَسنى الجَلَد

عِشقِ مَن تَهوى فَما أَسنى الجَلَد

And be the patient, steadfast lover in

Loving whom you love, so excellent is patience

Love for the one you desire—how splendid is endurance!

Verily he who ascends and lofty in ambition

إِنّ مَن يَعلو وَيَسمو هِمّةً

إِنّ مَن يَعلو وَيَسمو هِمّةً

شَأنُهُ الصّبرُ فَخلّى مَن جَحَد

شَأنُهُ الصّبرُ فَخلّى مَن جَحَد

Indeed, whoever rises and soars in aspiration,

His trait is endurance so vacate whoever denied

Patience is his way, so he leaves the denier behind.

Verily the patience of a man is sound opinion

إِنّ صَبرَ المَرءِ رأيٌ صائِبٌ

إِنّ صَبرَ المَرءِ رأيٌ صائِبٌ

وَسَدادُ الرّأيِ هَدْيٌ وَرَشَد

وَسَدادُ الرّأيِ هَدْيٌ وَرَشَد

A person's patience is indeed sound judgment,

The soundness of opinion is guidance and integrity

And sound judgment is guidance and wisdom.

The one sound in opinion, lofty is his worth

وَسَديدُ الرّأيِ عالٍ قَدرُهُ

وَسَديدُ الرّأيِ عالٍ قَدرُهُ

وَعَلِيٌّ صاحِبُ الرّأيِ الأَسَد

وَعَلِيٌّ صاحِبُ الرّأيِ الأَسَد

The man of sound judgment is high in standing,

And lofty is the companion of sound opinion and lion

And Ali possesses the soundest judgment.

Of good lineage, his father Asead

أَسعَد الجَدّ أَبوهُ أَسعَدٌ

أَسعَد الجَدّ أَبوهُ أَسعَدٌ

مَنْ أَبوهُ أَسعد أَسعدُ جَد

مَنْ أَبوهُ أَسعد أَسعدُ جَد

Most fortunate in his lot—his father is As'ad;

He whose father is most fortunate, most fortunate is the lineage

He whose father is As'ad is most fortunate in his lot.

Al-Hizbor the stallion, Dhirgham the buyer of drink

الهِزبرُ الفَحلُ ضِرغامُ الشّرى

الهِزبرُ الفَحلُ ضِرغامُ الشّرى

وَالفتى الصنديدُ بِالأَلفِ يُعَدّ

وَالفتى الصنديدُ بِالأَلفِ يُعَدّ

The mighty male lion, the lion of al-Shara,

And the noble youth counted by the thousand

And the valiant young man, reckoned as a thousand.

The knight of the dust that charges in the fray

فارِسُ الغَبراءِ يَسطو في الوغى

فارِسُ الغَبراءِ يَسطو في الوغى

ما رَآهُ فارِسٌ إِلّا اِرتَعَد

ما رَآهُ فارِسٌ إِلّا اِرتَعَد

Horseman of the dusty earth, he strikes fiercely in battle;

No knight saw him except trembling in fear

No horseman sees him without trembling.

His sword drips blood, a drinker of blood

سَيفُهُ القرضابُ شَرَّابُ الدِّما

سَيفُهُ القرضابُ شَرَّابُ الدِّما

يَلمَعُ الموتُ بِهِ مَتناً وَحَد

يَلمَعُ الموتُ بِهِ مَتناً وَحَد

His cleaving sword drinks deeply of blood;

Death flashes by it extended and alone

Death gleams along its flat and edge.

So if he charges the ranks of the foe

فَإِذا اِنقَضَّ عَلى صَفّ العِدى

فَإِذا اِنقَضَّ عَلى صَفّ العِدى

فَقَضاءٌ مُبرَمٌ لَيسَ يُرَد

فَقَضاءٌ مُبرَمٌ لَيسَ يُرَد

And when he swoops upon the enemy's line,

It is a determined decree that cannot be repelled

Then it is an irrevocable decree that cannot be repelled.

Hatem, the sea of generosity you see

حاتمُ الجودِ هوَ البحرُ تَرى

حاتمُ الجودِ هوَ البحرُ تَرى

أَيّ بَحرٍ من نراه لا يُمَد

أَيّ بَحرٍ من نراه لا يُمَد

A Hatim in generosity, he is the sea; you see

What sea do we see that does not surge

What a sea we behold in him, replenished by none!

May he remain in power, glory, and highness

دامَ في عِزٍّ وَمَجدٍ وعُلى

دامَ في عِزٍّ وَمَجدٍ وعُلى

يَدُهُ لا يَعتَليها الدّهرَ يَد

يَدُهُ لا يَعتَليها الدّهرَ يَد

May he remain in honor, glory, and eminence,

With a hand time cannot empower over it

His hand—no hand shall ever rise above it;

And pleasant and happy and serene

وَسُعودٌ وَسُرورٌ وَصَفا

وَسُعودٌ وَسُرورٌ وَصَفا

رائِق البالِ وفي العَيشِ الرّغد

رائِق البالِ وفي العَيشِ الرّغد

And in good fortune, joy, and serenity,

Of mind, and in life comfortable

At peace of mind, in a life of ease,

And long age in wellness

وَطَويل العُمرِ في عافِيَةٍ

وَطَويل العُمرِ في عافِيَةٍ

وَسَليم الرّأيِ في كلِّ الأَمَد

وَسَليم الرّأيِ في كلِّ الأَمَد

And long-lived in good health,

And sound opinion in all time

And sound in judgment for all time.