أَنا لائِمي إِن كُنتُ وَقتَ اللَوائِمِ

أَنا لائِمي إِن كُنتُ وَقتَ اللَوائِمِ

عَلِمتُ بِما بي بَينَ تِلكَ المَعالِمِ

عَلِمتُ بِما بي بَينَ تِلكَ المَعالِمِ

I am my own reproacher if, at the time of the women's reproaches,

I blame myself alone, if ever, amidst the scolding voices,

I knew what ailed me amid those landmarks.

I realized what I suffered there, amongst those ancient signs.

وَلَكِنَّني مِمّا شُدِهتُ مُتَيَّمٌ

وَلَكِنَّني مِمّا شُدِهتُ مُتَيَّمٌ

كَسالٍ وَقَلبي بائِحٌ مِثلُ كاتِمِ

كَسالٍ وَقَلبي بائِحٌ مِثلُ كاتِمِ

Yet, so bewildered am I, though love-stricken,

Yet stunned by shock, I seemed aloof, though bound in passion’s chain,

I seem free of love; my heart confesses like one concealing it.

Feigning neglect, while my heart betrays what silence seeks to hide.

وَقَفنا كَأَنّا كُلُّ وَجدِ قُلوبِنا

وَقَفنا كَأَنّا كُلُّ وَجدِ قُلوبِنا

تَمَكَّنَ مِن أَذوادِنا في القَوائِمِ

تَمَكَّنَ مِن أَذوادِنا في القَوائِمِ

We halted, as though all the yearning of our hearts

We halted there, as if the heavy longing in our souls

Had lodged in the legs of our camels.

Had seized our camels' very legs and rooted them to earth.

وَدُسنا بِأَخفافِ المَطِيِّ تُرابَها

وَدُسنا بِأَخفافِ المَطِيِّ تُرابَها

فَلا زِلتُ أَستَشفي بِلَثمِ المَناسِمِ

فَلا زِلتُ أَستَشفي بِلَثمِ المَناسِمِ

And we trod its dust with the riding camels' padded feet;

We trampled down the soil beneath our mounts’ unfeeling pads,

So may I never cease seeking healing by kissing their soles.

And still I seek my cure by kissing footprints in the dust.

دِيارُ اللَواتي دارُهُنَّ عَزيزَةٌ

دِيارُ اللَواتي دارُهُنَّ عَزيزَةٌ

بِطولِ القَنا يُحفَظنَ لا بِالتَمائِمِ

بِطولِ القَنا يُحفَظنَ لا بِالتَمائِمِ

The dwellings of women whose abode is impregnable:

The dwellings of those ladies fair, whose home is proud and high,

They are guarded by long spears, not by amulets.

Protected by the length of spears, and not by amulet charms.

حِسانُ التَثَنّي يَنقُشُ الوَشيُ مِثلَهُ

حِسانُ التَثَنّي يَنقُشُ الوَشيُ مِثلَهُ

إِذا مِسنَ في أَجسامِهِنَّ النَواعِمِ

إِذا مِسنَ في أَجسامِهِنَّ النَواعِمِ

Lovely in their swaying, which patterned silk imitates

With graceful gait, their patterned robes trace lines upon their skin,

When they sway in their soft, supple bodies.

As they glide forth, leaving marks upon their bodies soft and smooth.

وَيَبسِمنَ عَن دُرٍّ تَقَلَّدنَ مِثلَهُ

وَيَبسِمنَ عَن دُرٍّ تَقَلَّدنَ مِثلَهُ

كَأَنَّ التَراقي وُشِّحَت بِالمَباسِمِ

كَأَنَّ التَراقي وُشِّحَت بِالمَباسِمِ

And they smile to reveal pearls, whose like they wear as necklaces,

They smile revealing pearls that match the jewels upon their chests,

As though their collarbones were adorned with smiling mouths.

As though their very collarbones were sashed with smiling light.

فَمالي وَلِلدُنيا طِلابي نُجومُها

فَمالي وَلِلدُنيا طِلابي نُجومُها

وَمَسعايَ مِنها في شُدوقِ الأَراقِمِ

وَمَسعايَ مِنها في شُدوقِ الأَراقِمِ

So what have I to do with the world? My pursuit is its stars,

What use have I for this low world? My goals are in the stars,

And my path through it lies in the jaws of vipers.

And my pursuit lies dangerously betwixt the vipers' fangs.

مِنَ الحِلمِ أَن تَستَعمِلَ الجَهلَ دونَهُ

مِنَ الحِلمِ أَن تَستَعمِلَ الجَهلَ دونَهُ

إِذا اِتَّسَعَت في الحِلمِ طُرقُ المَظالِمِ

إِذا اِتَّسَعَت في الحِلمِ طُرقُ المَظالِمِ

It is wisdom to wield rashness in its defense,

'Tis wisdom’s part to wield the sword of ignorance at times,

When the paths of injustice widen through forbearance.

When clemency but opens wide the paths of tyranny.

وَأَن تَرِدَ الماءَ الَّذي شَطرُهُ دَمٌ

وَأَن تَرِدَ الماءَ الَّذي شَطرُهُ دَمٌ

فَتُسقى إِذا لَم يُسقَ مَن لَم يُزاحِمِ

فَتُسقى إِذا لَم يُسقَ مَن لَم يُزاحِمِ

And to approach water of which half is blood,

And one must drink the water deep, though half of it be blood,

So you are given drink when those who do not jostle receive none.

To slack your thirst, while those who fear to struggle go without.

وَمَن عَرَفَ الأَيّامَ مَعرِفَتي بِها

وَمَن عَرَفَ الأَيّامَ مَعرِفَتي بِها

وَبِالناسِ رَوّى رُمحَهُ غَيرَ راحِمِ

وَبِالناسِ رَوّى رُمحَهُ غَيرَ راحِمِ

And whoever knows the days as I know them,

And he who knows the ways of Time as deeply as I do,

And people, drenches his spear without mercy.

And knows mankind, will drench his spear and show no mercy there.

فَلَيسَ بِمَرحومٍ إِذا ظَفِروا بِهِ

فَلَيسَ بِمَرحومٍ إِذا ظَفِروا بِهِ

وَلا في الرَدى الجاري عَلَيهِم بِآثِمِ

وَلا في الرَدى الجاري عَلَيهِم بِآثِمِ

For he receives no mercy if they prevail over him,

For none will show him mercy if they gain the upper hand,

Nor is he guilty for the death that befalls them.

Nor is he sinful for the death he rains upon their heads.

إِذا صُلتُ لَم أَترُك مَصالاً لِصائِلٍ

إِذا صُلتُ لَم أَترُك مَصالاً لِصائِلٍ

وَإِن قُلتُ لَم أَترُك مَقالاً لِعالِمِ

وَإِن قُلتُ لَم أَترُك مَقالاً لِعالِمِ

When I attack, I leave no scope for any assailant;

When I attack, I leave no scope for any rival's strike,

And if I speak, I leave nothing for a learned man to say.

And when I speak, I leave no words for any scholar's tongue.

وَإِلّا فَخانَتني القَوافي وَعاقَني

وَإِلّا فَخانَتني القَوافي وَعاقَني

عَنِ اِبنِ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ ضُعفُ العَزائِمِ

عَنِ اِبنِ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ ضُعفُ العَزائِمِ

Otherwise, may the rhymes betray me, and may I be held back

Else have my rhymes betrayed my trust, and I was held aback,

From Ibn Ubayd Allah by weakness of resolve—

From Ibn 'Ubayd Allah's side, by weakness of resolve.

عَنِ المُقتَني بَذلَ التَلادِ تِلادَهُ

عَنِ المُقتَني بَذلَ التَلادِ تِلادَهُ

وَمُجتَنِبِ البُخلِ اِجتِنابَ المَحارِمِ

وَمُجتَنِبِ البُخلِ اِجتِنابَ المَحارِمِ

From him who makes the giving of inherited wealth his inheritance,

He buys his glory by the gift of all his ancient wealth,

And shuns stinginess as he shuns forbidden things.

And shuns the miser's stingy ways as one shuns mortal sin.

تَمَنّى أَعاديهِ مَحَلَّ عُفاتِهِ

تَمَنّى أَعاديهِ مَحَلَّ عُفاتِهِ

وَتَحسُدُ كَفَّيهِ ثِقالُ الغَمائِمِ

وَتَحسُدُ كَفَّيهِ ثِقالُ الغَمائِمِ

His enemies yearn for his petitioners' place,

His foes wish they could stand within his beggars' humble place,

And heavy rainclouds envy his hands.

And heavy rain-clouds envy deep the bounty of his palms.

وَلا يَتَلَقّى الحَربَ إِلّا بِمُهجَةٍ

وَلا يَتَلَقّى الحَربَ إِلّا بِمُهجَةٍ

مُعَظَّمَةٍ مَذخورَةٍ لِلعَظائِمِ

مُعَظَّمَةٍ مَذخورَةٍ لِلعَظائِمِ

And he meets war only with a soul

He meets the face of war with nothing but a valiant soul,

Held in honor and reserved for great undertakings.

A noble spirit, treasured up for calmities most dire.

وَذي لَجَبٍ لاذو الجَناحِ أَمامَهُ

وَذي لَجَبٍ لاذو الجَناحِ أَمامَهُ

بِناجٍ وَلا الوَحشُ المُثارُ بِسالِمِ

بِناجٍ وَلا الوَحشُ المُثارُ بِسالِمِ

And a clamorous host, before which no winged creature

He leads a clamorous host; no bird can fly to escape its path,

Escapes, nor does a flushed-out wild beast go unharmed.

Nor can the startled beast survive the sweeping of his force.

تَمُرُّ عَلَيهِ الشَمسُ وَهيَ ضَعيفَةٌ

تَمُرُّ عَلَيهِ الشَمسُ وَهيَ ضَعيفَةٌ

تُطالِعُهُ مِن بَينِ ريشِ القَشاعِمِ

تُطالِعُهُ مِن بَينِ ريشِ القَشاعِمِ

The sun passes over it, feeble,

The sun passes o'er his troops, its brilliance rendered weak,

Peering at it from between the feathers of great vultures.

Glancing down timidly between the vultures' crowding wings.

إِذا ضَوؤُها لاقى مِنَ الطَيرِ فُرجَةً

إِذا ضَوؤُها لاقى مِنَ الطَيرِ فُرجَةً

تَدَوَّرَ فَوقَ البَيضِ مِثلَ الدَراهِمِ

تَدَوَّرَ فَوقَ البَيضِ مِثلَ الدَراهِمِ

When its light finds a gap among the birds,

And if a ray of light finds gap amidst the birds of prey,

It forms circles on the helmets, like dirham coins.

It gleams in circles on the helms, like silver dirhams cast.

وَيَخفى عَلَيكَ البَرقُ وَالرَعدُ فَوقَهُ

وَيَخفى عَلَيكَ البَرقُ وَالرَعدُ فَوقَهُ

مِنَ اللَمعِ في حافاتِهِ وَالهَماهِمِ

مِنَ اللَمعِ في حافاتِهِ وَالهَماهِمِ

And lightning and thunder above it escape your notice,

The thunder and the lightning flash are lost to sight and sound,

Because of the flashing at its edges and the rumbling.

Amidst the glitter of the steel and roar of marching men.

أَرى دونَ ما بَينَ الفُراتِ وَبَرقَةٍ

أَرى دونَ ما بَينَ الفُراتِ وَبَرقَةٍ

ضِراباً يُمَشّي الخَيلَ فَوقَ الجَماجِمِ

ضِراباً يُمَشّي الخَيلَ فَوقَ الجَماجِمِ

I see, defending the land between the Euphrates and Barqa,

I see, betwixt the Euphrates' bank and Barqa's distant sand,

Sword-strokes that make horses walk over skulls,

A slaughter forcing battle-steeds to tread on human skulls.

وَطَعنَ غَطاريفٍ كَأَنَّ أَكُفَّهُم

وَطَعنَ غَطاريفٍ كَأَنَّ أَكُفَّهُم

عَرَفنَ الرُدَينِيّاتِ قَبلَ المَعاصِمِ

عَرَفنَ الرُدَينِيّاتِ قَبلَ المَعاصِمِ

And thrusts of noble warriors, whose palms seem

The thrusts of noble warrior-lords, whose hands appear to know

To have known Rudayni spears before their wrists.

The feel of slender spear-shafts before their own wrists' bone.

حَمَتهُ عَلى الأَعداءِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

حَمَتهُ عَلى الأَعداءِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

سُيوفُ بَني طُغجِ بنِ جُفِّ القَماقِمِ

سُيوفُ بَني طُغجِ بنِ جُفِّ القَماقِمِ

It has been guarded against enemies on every side

Defended him from every side against the hostile horde,

By the swords of the great chiefs, the sons of Tughj ibn Juff.

The swords of Tughj's noble line, the sons of warlords great.

هُمُ المُحسِنونَ الكَرَّ في حَومَةِ الوَغى

هُمُ المُحسِنونَ الكَرَّ في حَومَةِ الوَغى

وَأَحسَنُ مِنهُ كَرُّهُم في المَكارِمِ

وَأَحسَنُ مِنهُ كَرُّهُم في المَكارِمِ

They excel at charging in the thick of battle,

Masters of the counter-charge within the battle's heat,

And finer still is their charge into noble deeds.

Yet greater still their eager haste to do a noble deed.

وَهُم يُحسِنونَ العَفوَ عَن كُلِّ مُذنِبٍ

وَهُم يُحسِنونَ العَفوَ عَن كُلِّ مُذنِبٍ

وَيَحتَمِلونَ الغُرمَ عَن كُلِّ غارِمِ

وَيَحتَمِلونَ الغُرمَ عَن كُلِّ غارِمِ

And they excel at pardoning every offender,

They practice grace and pardon well for every sinner's fault,

And shoulder the debts of every debtor.

And bear the heavy burden of the debtor's unpaid load.

حَيِيّونَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم في نِزالِهِم

حَيِيّونَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم في نِزالِهِم

أَقَلُّ حَياءً مِن شِفارِ الصَوارِمِ

أَقَلُّ حَياءً مِن شِفارِ الصَوارِمِ

They are bashful, except that in their fighting

Modest and shy in peace are they, but when the battle joins,

They are less bashful than the edges of keen swords.

They show less bashfulness than edges of the sharpest blades.

وَلَولا اِحتِقارُ الأُسدِ شَبَّهتُها بِهِم

وَلَولا اِحتِقارُ الأُسدِ شَبَّهتُها بِهِم

وَلَكِنَّها مَعدودَةٌ في البَهائِمِ

وَلَكِنَّها مَعدودَةٌ في البَهائِمِ

But for my scorn of lions, I would liken them to these men;

Did I not hold the lions cheap, I'd liken them thereto,

But they are counted among the beasts.

But lions are, when all is told, mere beasts of common breed.

سَرى النَومُ عَنّي في سُرايَ إِلى الَّذي

سَرى النَومُ عَنّي في سُرايَ إِلى الَّذي

صَنائِعُهُ تَسري إِلى كُلِّ نائِمِ

صَنائِعُهُ تَسري إِلى كُلِّ نائِمِ

Sleep journeyed away from me on my night journey to him

Sleep fled my eyes as I journeyed on by night to reach the one,

Whose favors travel by night to every sleeper.

Whose favors travel through the dark to comfort those who sleep.

إِلى مُطلِقِ الأَسرى وَمُختَرِمِ العِدا

إِلى مُطلِقِ الأَسرى وَمُختَرِمِ العِدا

وَمُشكي ذَوي الشَكوى وَرَغمِ المُراغِمِ

وَمُشكي ذَوي الشَكوى وَرَغمِ المُراغِمِ

To the liberator of captives and slayer of enemies,

To him who sets the captives free and cuts the foeman down,

And reliever of the aggrieved, humbler of the defiant.

Who answers every plaintiff's cry and spites the spiteful face.

كَريمٌ نَفَضتُ الناسَ لَمّا بَلَغتُهُ

كَريمٌ نَفَضتُ الناسَ لَمّا بَلَغتُهُ

كَأَنَّهُمُ ما جَفَّ مِن زادِ قادِمِ

كَأَنَّهُمُ ما جَفَّ مِن زادِ قادِمِ

A generous man—I shook off other people when I reached him,

A noble lord; I shook the dust of others from my hand,

As though they were dried scraps of an arriving traveler's provisions.

Casting them off like dried-up crumbs from off a traveler's pack.

وَكادَ سُروري لا يَفي بِنَدامَتي

وَكادَ سُروري لا يَفي بِنَدامَتي

عَلى تَركِهِ في عُمرِيَ المُتَقادِمِ

عَلى تَركِهِ في عُمرِيَ المُتَقادِمِ

And my joy nearly failed to match my regret

And yet my joy could scarce outweigh the sorrow of regret,

For neglecting him in the past years of my life.

That I had left him unpraised through my wasted years of old.

وَفارَقتُ شَرَّ الأَرضِ أَهلاً وَتُربَةً

وَفارَقتُ شَرَّ الأَرضِ أَهلاً وَتُربَةً

بِها عَلَوِيٌّ جَدُّهُ غَيرُ هاشِمِ

بِها عَلَوِيٌّ جَدُّهُ غَيرُ هاشِمِ

And I left the worst of lands in people and soil,

I parted from the vilest land, in soil and people base,

There lives an Alid whose forefather is not Hashim.

Ruled by a false 'Alawi lord, of no true Hashimite race.

بَلى اللَهُ حُسّادَ الأَميرِ بِحِلمِهِ

بَلى اللَهُ حُسّادَ الأَميرِ بِحِلمِهِ

وَأَجلَسَهُ مِنهُم مَكانَ العَمائِمِ

وَأَجلَسَهُ مِنهُم مَكانَ العَمائِمِ

God has afflicted the emir's enviers with his forbearance,

May God afflict the Prince's foes with his own clemency,

And seated him above them, where turbans rest.

And set him high above their heads, where royal turbans sit.

فَإِنَّ لَهُم في سُرعَةِ المَوتِ راحَةً

فَإِنَّ لَهُم في سُرعَةِ المَوتِ راحَةً

وَإِنَّ لَهُم في العَيشِ حَزَّ الغَلاصِمِ

وَإِنَّ لَهُم في العَيشِ حَزَّ الغَلاصِمِ

For swift death brings them relief,

For in a swift and sudden death, they might find some relief,

And life brings them the slitting of throats.

But living on is agony, like blades upon the throat.

كَأَنَّكَ ما جاوَدتَ مَن بانَ جودُهُ

كَأَنَّكَ ما جاوَدتَ مَن بانَ جودُهُ

عَلَيكَ وَلا قاتَلتَ مَن لَم تُقاوِمِ

عَلَيكَ وَلا قاتَلتَ مَن لَم تُقاوِمِ

It is as though you never vied in giving with one whose generosity surpassed

As though you had not outstripped all whose bounty is renowned,

Yours, nor fought one you could not match.

Nor fought against the ones who failed to stand their ground.