بِمَ التَعَلُّلُ لا أَهلٌ وَلا وَطَنُ

بِمَ التَعَلُّلُ لا أَهلٌ وَلا وَطَنُ

وَلا نَديمٌ وَلا كَأسٌ وَلا سَكَنُ

وَلا نَديمٌ وَلا كَأسٌ وَلا سَكَنُ

With what shall I console myself? No family and no homeland,

Why make excuses - no family, no homeland

With what shall I find solace? No family, no homeland,

nor a drinking companion, nor a cup, nor a source of solace.

No companion, no cup, no abode

No drinking companion, no cup, and no abode.

أُريدُ مِن زَمَني ذا أَن يُبَلِّغَني

أُريدُ مِن زَمَني ذا أَن يُبَلِّغَني

ما لَيسَ يَبلُغُهُ مِن نَفسِهِ الزَمَنُ

ما لَيسَ يَبلُغُهُ مِن نَفسِهِ الزَمَنُ

I ask this age of mine to bring me

I want from my time that it convey to me

I desire from this time of mine that it grant me

what Time cannot attain even for itself.

What time itself cannot convey

What Time itself could never hope to reach.

لا تَلقَ دَهرَكَ إِلّا غَيرَ مُكتَرِثٍ

لا تَلقَ دَهرَكَ إِلّا غَيرَ مُكتَرِثٍ

مادامَ يَصحَبُ فيهِ روحَكَ البَدَنُ

مادامَ يَصحَبُ فيهِ روحَكَ البَدَنُ

Face your days with nothing but indifference,

Face your fate indifferent

Meet not your fortune save with unconcern,

as long as your body accompanies your soul in this life.

As long as your spirit accompanies your body

So long as the soul keeps company with the body.

فَما يَدومُ سُرورٌ ما سُرِرتَ بِهِ

فَما يَدومُ سُرورٌ ما سُرِرتَ بِهِ

وَلا يَرُدُّ عَلَيكَ الفائِتَ الحَزَنُ

وَلا يَرُدُّ عَلَيكَ الفائِتَ الحَزَنُ

For no joy you delight in endures,

No joy lasts that brought you joy

For no joy that you rejoice in will endure,

nor does sorrow restore to you what is lost.

Nor does past sorrow return to sadden you

Nor will sadness bring back what has passed away.

مِمّا أَضَرَّ بِأَهلِ العِشقِ أَنَّهُمُ

مِمّا أَضَرَّ بِأَهلِ العِشقِ أَنَّهُمُ

هَوُوا وَما عَرَفوا الدُنيا وَما فَطِنوا

هَوُوا وَما عَرَفوا الدُنيا وَما فَطِنوا

Among the things that have harmed lovers is that they

Of what harmed the lovers that they

It is among the things that harm the people of passion:

fell in love, yet did not know the world or understand it.

Succumbed yet knew not the world nor were aware

That they loved without knowing the world, nor being wise.

تَفنى عُيونُهُمُ دَمعاً وَأَنفُسُهُم

تَفنى عُيونُهُمُ دَمعاً وَأَنفُسُهُم

في إِثرِ كُلِّ قَبيحٍ وَجهُهُ حَسَنُ

في إِثرِ كُلِّ قَبيحٍ وَجهُهُ حَسَنُ

Their eyes waste away in tears, and their souls

Their eyes wasted tears and their selves

Their eyes dissolve in tears and their very souls perish

in pursuit of every vile person whose face is beautiful.

Pursued the ugly deeming it beautiful

In pursuit of every ugly thing that wears a beautiful face.

تَحَمَّلوا حَمَلَتكُم كُلُّ ناجِيَةٍ

تَحَمَّلوا حَمَلَتكُم كُلُّ ناجِيَةٍ

فَكُلُّ بَينٍ عَلَيَّ اليَومَ مُؤتَمَنُ

فَكُلُّ بَينٍ عَلَيَّ اليَومَ مُؤتَمَنُ

Depart—may every swift she-camel carry you;

They bore your burdens, each female confidante

Depart then! May every swift mount carry you away;

for today I trust every parting.

So each separation to me today is entrusted

For every parting is this day entrusted to me.

ما في هَوادِجِكُم مِن مُهجَتي عِوَضٌ

ما في هَوادِجِكُم مِن مُهجَتي عِوَضٌ

إِن مُتُّ شَوقاً وَلا فيها لَها ثَمَنُ

إِن مُتُّ شَوقاً وَلا فيها لَها ثَمَنُ

In your howdahs there is no recompense for my lifeblood,

There is no compensation for my love in your breasts

There is no substitute for my soul within your howdahs,

if I die of longing, nor any price for it within them.

If I die longing though in it my price is not found

If I die of longing, nor is there any price for it therein.

يا مَن نُعيتُ عَلى بُعدٍ بِمَجلِسِهِ

يا مَن نُعيتُ عَلى بُعدٍ بِمَجلِسِهِ

كُلٌّ بِما زَعَمَ الناعونَ مُرتَهَنُ

كُلٌّ بِما زَعَمَ الناعونَ مُرتَهَنُ

O you in whose gathering my death was announced from afar,

O you whose death was announced while distant

O you in whose assembly my death was announced from afar,

everyone is bound to the fate the death-announcers claimed.

Each claimed what misfortune fancied was destined

Everyone is held hostage by what the announcers claimed.

كَم قَد قُتِلتُ وَكَم قَد مُتُّ عِندَكُمُ

كَم قَد قُتِلتُ وَكَم قَد مُتُّ عِندَكُمُ

ثُمَّ اِنتَفَضتُ فَزالَ القَبرُ وَالكَفَنُ

ثُمَّ اِنتَفَضتُ فَزالَ القَبرُ وَالكَفَنُ

How often I have been killed, how often I have died, according to you!

How I have been killed and how I have died with you

How often have I been killed, how often died in your eyes,

Then I shook myself, and grave and shroud vanished.

Then I rose up - gone the grave and shroud

Then I shook myself off, and the grave and shroud vanished.

قَد كانَ شاهَدَ دَفني قَبلَ قَولِهِمِ

قَد كانَ شاهَدَ دَفني قَبلَ قَولِهِمِ

جَماعَةٌ ثُمَّ ماتوا قَبلَ مَن دَفَنوا

جَماعَةٌ ثُمَّ ماتوا قَبلَ مَن دَفَنوا

Before their report, my burial had already been witnessed

My burial was witnessed before their claims

There had witnessed my burial, before their speech,

by a group who then died before the one they buried.

By a group who then died before those who buried

A group who then died before the one they buried.

ما كُلُّ ما يَتَمَنّى المَرءُ يُدرِكُهُ

ما كُلُّ ما يَتَمَنّى المَرءُ يُدرِكُهُ

تَجري الرِياحُ بِما لا تَشتَهي السُفُنُ

تَجري الرِياحُ بِما لا تَشتَهي السُفُنُ

A man does not attain everything he wishes for;

Not all a man desires is attained

Not everything a man wishes for does he attain;

the winds blow in ways the ships do not desire.

Winds blow not where ships wish to sail

The winds blow in ways the ships do not desire.

رَأَيتُكُم لا يَصونُ العِرضَ جارُكُمُ

رَأَيتُكُم لا يَصونُ العِرضَ جارُكُمُ

وَلا يَدِرُّ عَلى مَرعاكُمُ اللَبَنُ

وَلا يَدِرُّ عَلى مَرعاكُمُ اللَبَنُ

I have found that your neighbor cannot safeguard his honor,

I saw you dishonor a neighbor

I have seen you: your neighbor does not guard honor,

nor does milk flow in your pastures.

With no rain on your pasture

Nor does the milk flow abundantly in your pastures.

جَزاءُ كُلِّ قَريبٍ مِنكُمُ مَلَلٌ

جَزاءُ كُلِّ قَريبٍ مِنكُمُ مَلَلٌ

وَحَظُّ كُلِّ مُحِبٍّ مِنكُمُ ضَغَنُ

وَحَظُّ كُلِّ مُحِبٍّ مِنكُمُ ضَغَنُ

Everyone close to you is rewarded with your boredom,

The lot of each relative is boredom from you

The reward of everyone close to you is weariness,

and every lover's share from you is rancor.

And each lover's share is rancor

And the lot of every lover of you is malice.

وَتَغضَبونَ عَلى مَن نالَ رِفدَكُمُ

وَتَغضَبونَ عَلى مَن نالَ رِفدَكُمُ

حَتّى يُعاقِبَهُ التَنغيصُ وَالمِنَنُ

حَتّى يُعاقِبَهُ التَنغيصُ وَالمِنَنُ

And you grow angry with whoever has received your bounty,

You grow angry at one given your care

You grow angry at the one who attains your gift,

until vexation and reminders of your favors punish him.

Until he is punished with stinginess and favors

Until disturbance and reproaches punish him.

فَغادَرَ الهَجرُ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ

فَغادَرَ الهَجرُ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ

يَهماءَ تَكذِبُ فيها العَينُ وَالأُذُنُ

يَهماءَ تَكذِبُ فيها العَينُ وَالأُذُنُ

So estrangement has left the space between me and you

So separation left between me and you

So abandonment has left the space between me and you

a trackless wilderness where the eye and ear deceive.

A desert where eyes and ears are denied

A barren waste where eye and ear are deceived.

تَحبو الرَواسِمُ مِن بَعدِ الرَسيمِ بِها

تَحبو الرَواسِمُ مِن بَعدِ الرَسيمِ بِها

وَتَسأَلُ الأَرضَ عَن أَخفافِها الثَفِنُ

وَتَسأَلُ الأَرضَ عَن أَخفافِها الثَفِنُ

There, the swift-trotting camels crawl after their trot,

You love traces after the gentle breeze

The swift camels crawl therein after their brisk pace,

and their knee-calluses ask the earth about their padded feet.

And ask the land about its vanishing hoofbeats

And their callouses ask the ground about their hoofs.

إِنّي أُصاحِبُ حِلمي وَهوَ بي كَرَمٌ

إِنّي أُصاحِبُ حِلمي وَهوَ بي كَرَمٌ

وَلا أُصاحِبُ حِلمي وَهوَ بي جُبُنُ

وَلا أُصاحِبُ حِلمي وَهوَ بي جُبُنُ

I befriend my forbearance when it is nobility in me,

I befriend my patience and it honors me

I keep company with my patience when it is dignity,

but I do not befriend my forbearance when it is cowardice in me.

I don't befriend patience and it cowers me

But I do not keep company with patience when it is cowardice.

وَلا أُقيمُ عَلى مالٍ أَذِلُّ بِهِ

وَلا أُقيمُ عَلى مالٍ أَذِلُّ بِهِ

وَلا أَلَذُّ بِما عِرضي بِهِ دَرِنُ

وَلا أَلَذُّ بِما عِرضي بِهِ دَرِنُ

Nor do I cling to wealth that humiliates me,

I won't stay for wealth that disgraces me

I do not remain for wealth by which I am humiliated,

nor take pleasure in anything that stains my honor.

Nor enjoy what dishonors me being exposed

Nor do I find pleasure in that which sullies my honor.

سَهِرتُ بَعدَ رَحيلي وَحشَةً لَكُمُ

سَهِرتُ بَعدَ رَحيلي وَحشَةً لَكُمُ

ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ مَريري وَاِرعَوى الوَسَنُ

ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ مَريري وَاِرعَوى الوَسَنُ

After my departure I lay awake, lonely for you;

I lost sleep in your absence and then

I stayed awake after my departure, lonely for you,

then my resolve grew firm, and slumber came to its senses.

My bitterness persisted and my tooth decayed

Then my determination hardened, and slumber returned.

وَإِن بُليتُ بِوُدٍّ مِثلِ وُدِّكُمُ

وَإِن بُليتُ بِوُدٍّ مِثلِ وُدِّكُمُ

فَإِنَّني بِفِراقٍ مِثلِهِ قَمِنُ

فَإِنَّني بِفِراقٍ مِثلِهِ قَمِنُ

And if I am afflicted with affection like yours,

If I'm tested with a love like yours

And if I were afflicted with a friendship like yours,

then I deserve a parting to match it.

Then I'll be tested with a like separation

Then I would be deserving of a separation just like it.

أَبلى الأَجِلَّةَ مُهري عِندَ غَيرِكُمُ

أَبلى الأَجِلَّةَ مُهري عِندَ غَيرِكُمُ

وَبُدِّلَ العُذرُ بِالفُسطاطِ وَالرَسَنُ

وَبُدِّلَ العُذرُ بِالفُسطاطِ وَالرَسَنُ

My colt has worn out saddlecloths with people other than you,

I wore out fine garments without you

My steed wore out the saddle-cloths at the house of others,

and in al-Fustat the bridle-straps and halter were replaced,

And excuse was replaced by tent and building

And the bridle and cheek-strap were replaced in Fustat.

عِندَ الهُمامِ أَبي المِسكِ الَّذي غَرِقَت

عِندَ الهُمامِ أَبي المِسكِ الَّذي غَرِقَت

في جودِهِ مُضَرُ الحَمراءِ وَاليَمَنُ

في جودِهِ مُضَرُ الحَمراءِ وَاليَمَنُ

with the magnanimous Abu al-Misk—drowned

With the most noble Abu Musk whose munificence

With the magnanimous Abu al-Misk, in whose generosity

in his generosity are Mudar the Red and Yemen.

Flooded Mudar and Yemen

The tribes of Red Mudar and Yemen have drowned.

وَإِن تَأَخَّرَ عَنّي بَعضُ مَوعِدِهِ

وَإِن تَأَخَّرَ عَنّي بَعضُ مَوعِدِهِ

فَما تَأَخَّرُ آمالي وَلا تَهِنُ

فَما تَأَخَّرُ آمالي وَلا تَهِنُ

And though part of his promise to me is delayed,

If some of his promise is delayed

And even if part of his promise to me is delayed,

my hopes do not lag, nor do they weaken.

My hopes do not waver or weaken

My hopes do not delay, nor do they weaken.

هُوَ الوَفِيُّ وَلَكِنّي ذَكَرتُ لَهُ

هُوَ الوَفِيُّ وَلَكِنّي ذَكَرتُ لَهُ

مَوَدَّةً فَهوَ يَبلوها وَيَمتَحِنُ

مَوَدَّةً فَهوَ يَبلوها وَيَمتَحِنُ

He is faithful; but I spoke to him

He is faithful though I mentioned to him

He is the faithful one, but I mentioned to him

of affection, so he tests it and puts it to the proof.

Affection so he tests and tries it

An affection which he is testing and examining.