تلك الطلول طلول سلمى

تلك الطلول طلول سلمى

فافضض بها للدمع ختما

فافضض بها للدمع ختما

Those ruins—those are Salma’s ruins.

Those ruins are the ruins of Salma.

So there, let the seal upon your tears be broken.

So break there the seal upon your tears.

دمن غرست بها الهوى

دمن غرست بها الهوى

فجنيته كمداً وسقما

فجنيته كمداً وسقما

Campsites where you planted love,

Ruined dwellings where I planted love,

then reaped from it grief and sickness.

And reaped it as anguish and sickness.

وانشد هنالك مهجة

وانشد هنالك مهجة

بصريعة الأحداق تسمى

بصريعة الأحداق تسمى

And seek there a soul

And seek there a heart

known as “the one slain by glances.”

Called the victim of those eyes.

خلفتها يوم النوى

خلفتها يوم النوى

لسهامها غرضاً ومرمي

لسهامها غرضاً ومرمي

On the day of parting I left it

I left it on the day of parting,

a target and a mark for her arrows.

A target and a mark for her arrows.

وأظنها لم يبق من

وأظنها لم يبق من

ها حب ذاك الظبي رسما

ها حب ذاك الظبي رسما

And I think no trace remains in it

And I think there remains of

of love for that gazelle.

It, through love of that gazelle, not a trace.

صنم كأن اللَه صو

صنم كأن اللَه صو

ره من الأرواح جسما

ره من الأرواح جسما

An idol—as though God had poured

An idol, as though God had fashioned

him from spirits into a body.

Him from souls into a body.

وكأنما مزج الصبا

وكأنما مزج الصبا

حتى تكون منه بالما

حتى تكون منه بالما

As though the east wind had been blended

And as though He had blended the east wind

until from it came “bālmā” [the transmitted wording is unclear].

Until he took form from it [final word unclear].

وجناته رقت فكا

وجناته رقت فكا

دت من خيال الوهم تدمى

دت من خيال الوهم تدمى

His cheeks grew so delicate that they nearly

His cheeks grew so delicate they nearly

bled at the mere phantom of a thought.

Bled from the mere phantom of a thought.

وصفت معاطفه فكا

وصفت معاطفه فكا

د بها الغلائل أن تنما

د بها الغلائل أن تنما

His body’s curves grew so fine that

And his contours grew so translucent that

his under-robes nearly betrayed them.

The fine robes almost revealed them.

نفس عليه يا نطا

نفس عليه يا نطا

ق فقد كددت الخصر ضما

ق فقد كددت الخصر ضما

Give him room, O girdle—

Ease your hold on him, O girdle,

you have nearly crushed his waist in your embrace.

For you have wearied his waist with your clasp.

واخفف مرورك يا نسي

واخفف مرورك يا نسي

م فقد خدشت الخد لثما

م فقد خدشت الخد لثما

Pass gently, O breeze—

And soften your passing, O breeze,

your kiss has scratched his cheek.

For you have scratched his cheek with your kiss.

إني غضضت الطرف خو

إني غضضت الطرف خو

فاً أن يؤثر فيه وهما

فاً أن يؤثر فيه وهما

I lowered my gaze, fearing

I lowered my gaze for fear

it might affect him even in imagination.

It might mark him, even in imagination.

نشوان من خمر الدلا

نشوان من خمر الدلا

ل معشق الحركات المي

ل معشق الحركات المي

Drunk on the wine of coyness,

Intoxicated by the wine of coquetry,

enamored of languorous movements,

Alluring in movement, dark-lipped.

عوضت فيه عن هدا

عوضت فيه عن هدا

ي وصحتي غيا وسقما

ي وصحتي غيا وسقما

for him I took, in place of guidance

Through him I received, instead of my guidance

and health, error and sickness.

And my health, error and sickness.

إن الذي قسم الهوى

إن الذي قسم الهوى

جعل العنا لي منه قسما

جعل العنا لي منه قسما

He who apportioned love

Indeed, he who allotted love

made torment my portion of it.

Made suffering my share of it.

لا سامح اللَه الظبا

لا سامح اللَه الظبا

بدمي فقد هدرته ظلما

بدمي فقد هدرته ظلما

May God not forgive the gazelles—

May God not forgive the gazelles

they made my blood forfeit unjustly.

For my blood: they have unjustly spilled it.

فإلام يا ثمل الجفو

فإلام يا ثمل الجفو

ن وفيم تجفوني ومما

ن وفيم تجفوني ومما

How long, O drunken-eyed one—

So how long, O drunken-eyed one,

why do you shun me, and for what?

And why do you shun me, and for what cause?

قد تاه سلطان العيو

قد تاه سلطان العيو

ن علي القلوب وجار حكما

ن علي القلوب وجار حكما

The sovereignty of eyes has grown haughty

The sovereign power of eyes has grown haughty

over hearts and ruled them unjustly.

Over hearts, and unjust in its rule.

تلك الصفاح البيض ل

تلك الصفاح البيض ل

كن للمنايا السود تنمي

كن للمنايا السود تنمي

Those are white blades, yet

Those blades are white, but

black deaths are attributed to them.

They belong to black deaths.

فكأنما راشت لها

فكأنما راشت لها

عزمات نجم الدين سهما

عزمات نجم الدين سهما

As though, for them,

As though, for them, there had been feathered

Najm al-Din’s resolve had feathered an arrow.

An arrow by the resolves of Najm al-Din.

ذاك الذي يخشى وير

ذاك الذي يخشى وير

جى في الورى بطشا وحلما

جى في الورى بطشا وحلما

He is the one feared and the one

That man who inspires fear and hope

hoped in among humankind—for might and clemency.

Among mankind, through might and forbearance.

ذاك الذي سار الحدا

ذاك الذي سار الحدا

ة بفضله عرباً وعجما

ة بفضله عرباً وعجما

He whose bounty journeyed

That man whose virtues the camel-drivers sang

by his grace among Arabs and non-Arabs.

As they journeyed, Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

نجم غدا للحائري

نجم غدا للحائري

ن هدى وللأعداء رجما

ن هدى وللأعداء رجما

A guiding star for the bewildered,

A star that became, for the bewildered,

and a missile against his enemies.

A guide, and for enemies a projectile.

وله الأيادي الغر تر

وله الأيادي الغر تر

جع أوجه الحساد دهما

جع أوجه الحساد دهما

His radiant benefactions turn

And his radiant benefactions turn

the faces of the envious black.

The faces of his enviers black.

لو حاربته الشهب لان

لو حاربته الشهب لان

قضت إليه تروم سلما

قضت إليه تروم سلما

Were the shooting stars to wage war against him, they would

If the shooting stars waged war on him, they would

plunge toward him seeking peace.

Swoop down to him, seeking peace.

وله المعاني اللائي قد

وله المعاني اللائي قد

فضحت ثمين الدر نظما

فضحت ثمين الدر نظما

His are the meanings that have

And his are meanings that have

put precious pearls strung in verse to shame.

Put precious pearls to shame in verse.

مجداً حوى كرما حوي

مجداً حوى كرما حوي

بأساً حوى رأياً وحزما

بأساً حوى رأياً وحزما

Glory he possesses, generosity he possesses;

He possessed glory; he possessed generosity;

valor he possesses, judgment and resolve.

He possessed valor, judgment, and resolve.

من معشر كانت مآ

من معشر كانت مآ

ثرهم لداء الدهر حسما

ثرهم لداء الدهر حسما

From a people whose

From a people whose glorious deeds were

deeds decisively cured the sickness of Time.

A decisive cure for the sickness of time.

قوم أقاموا الفضل وات

قوم أقاموا الفضل وات

تسموا به ورضوه وسما

تسموا به ورضوه وسما

A people who established virtue and were

A people who upheld excellence and

marked by it, accepting it as their badge.

Were marked by it, accepting it as their badge.

يا حامي المجد الذي

يا حامي المجد الذي

بمواكب الاقبال يحمي

بمواكب الاقبال يحمي

O guardian of glory, who

O guardian of the glory that

protects it with the processions of prosperity.

Is guarded by the processions of good fortune,

لم يبق مجدك والندى

لم يبق مجدك والندى

لأولي الندى والمجد سهما

لأولي الندى والمجد سهما

Your glory and munificence have left

Your glory and generosity have left

no share for the lords of munificence and glory.

No share for men of generosity and glory.

لو شاطرتك الناس فض

لو شاطرتك الناس فض

لك ما رأوا للجهل رسما

لك ما رأوا للجهل رسما

Had people shared your virtue,

Were people to share in your excellence,

they would have seen no trace of ignorance.

They would see no trace of ignorance.

أو خاصموك على العلى

أو خاصموك على العلى

حسدا لقامت عنك خصما

حسدا لقامت عنك خصما

Or if, from envy, they disputed your loftiness,

Or if they contested your lofty rank

loftiness itself would rise as your champion.

Out of envy, it would stand as your advocate.

ما رام شيك مبصرٌ

ما رام شيك مبصرٌ

إلا رآه بعين أعمي

إلا رآه بعين أعمي

No sighted man ever sought to wrong you

No sighted man sought a flaw in you [uncertain reading]

unless he saw through a blind man’s eye.

But saw it through a blind man's eye.

أو رام ذمك مسمعٌ

أو رام ذمك مسمعٌ

إلا وخال الناس صما

إلا وخال الناس صما

Nor did any hearing man seek to disparage you

Or if a speaker sought to disparage you,

unless he imagined everyone deaf.

He could only imagine the people deaf.

خذها إليك أبا القوا

خذها إليك أبا القوا

في لا أراها اللَه يتما

في لا أراها اللَه يتما

Take it, O father of

Take it, O father of rhymes;

rhymes—may God never show it orphaned.

May God never let it know orphanhood.

قد اطلعت من كل معنى

قد اطلعت من كل معنى

في سماء علاك نجما

في سماء علاك نجما

It has brought forth, from every meaning,

It has raised, from every meaning,

a star in the sky of your loftiness.

A star in the sky of your eminence.

أوهمتها مدح السوى

أوهمتها مدح السوى

فتميزت بالغيظ وهما

فتميزت بالغيظ وهما

I made it imagine that it praised another,

I made it imagine praising anyone else,

and in its fancy it nearly burst apart with rage.

And it burst with rage at the mere thought.