Poems
- ابا مروان لست بخارجيO Abu Marwan, you are no upstart,
- أتصبر عن سعدى وأنت صبورCan you endure being apart from Sa‘da, patient as you are?
- اتوني واهلي في قرار ديارهمThey came to me while my family were settled in their homesteads,
- أجارتنا في الحج ايام انتمO our neighbor during the pilgrimage, in the days when you
- أحب قنا من حب هند ولم أكنI love Qanā out of love for Hind, and I did not
- اذا استبق الناس العلا سبقتهمWhen people race for eminence, they are outstripped
- اذا اعتاص المديح عليك فامدحIf praise proves difficult for you, then praise
- اذا البيض لا يأتين في الحب رقةIf the fair women show no weakness in love
- إذا المال لم يوجب عليك عطاءهIf you are not obliged to give your wealth
- إذا ما بساط اللهو مد وقربتWhen the carpet of revelry is spread, and brought near
- أراك طموح العين ميالة الهوىI see you roving-eyed, fickle in love.
- أرق المحب وعاده سهدهThe lover lay awake, and his sleeplessness revisited him
- أرى الناس من ليلاك سقما وقربهاI see people sick because of your Layla, and nearness to her
- أصاب دواء علتك الطبيبThe physician found the right remedy for your ailment.
- أصبت يوم الصعيد من سكرI was stricken on the day of al-Sa'id with intoxication
- اصدت غداة الجزع ذي الطلح زينبDid Zaynab turn away that morning at the acacia-lined valley bend?
- أضر بها التهجير حتىTravel in the midday heat so wasted her that it seemed
- أضر بها التهجير حتى كأنهاTravel in the midday heat so ravaged her that she seemed
- أفي قلائص جرب كن من عملIs it over mangy young she-camels, earned through work,
- اقفر من آل سعدى الكثيبThe dune lies desolate, bereft of Suʿda’s folk;
- أقول لركب قافلين رأيتهمI say to homeward-bound riders whom I saw
- أقول وليلتي تزداد طولاI say, as my night grows longer:
- ألا إن ليلى العامرية أصبحتBehold, my Layla al-Amiriya has come
- ألا أيها الربع المقيم بعنببAh, dwelling-place abiding at ʿAnbab,
- ألا تسأل الخيمات من بطن أرثدWill you not ask the tents, from the valley of Arthad
- ألا حي قبل البين أم حبيبAh, greet Umm Habib before parting,
- الا راع قلبي من سلامه ان غداLo, my heart was startled by his greeting when, at dawn,
- ألا لا يغرن أمرأ من تلادهTake heed: let no man be lured away from his inherited wealth
- ألا ليت شعري ما الذي تحدثين بيOh would that I knew what she will talk to me
- الا هل من البين المفرق من بدAh, is there any escape from sundering separation?
- ألا يا عقاب الوكر وكر ضريةAh, eagle of the eyrie, the eyrie of Dariyya,
- الام على ليلى ولو استطيعهاI am blamed for Layla; and if I could reach her—
- الحمد لله اما بعد يا عمرPraise be to God; now then, O Umar:
- الحمد لله جاءت النعمPraise be to God: blessings have come,
- اللبين يا ليلى جمالك ترحلThe night draws on, O Layla, your beauty departs
- إليك أبا حفص تعسفت الفلاTo you, Abu Hafs, she has crossed the trackless wastes,
- إليك صحيفة نشرت حديثاHere is a newspaper recently published,
- أمعارف الدمن القفار توهمDo you dimly discern the familiar traces of the deserted camps?
- أمن ذكر ليلى قد تعاودني التبلIs it remembrance of Layla that has brought back my lovesickness,
- إن الخليط اجدوا البين فارتحلواIndeed, the companions resolved on parting, so they departed.
- اني اراني لسحيم قائلاIndeed, I see myself saying to Suhaym:
- إني لاكره ما كرهت من الذيIndeed, I dislike what you disliked in the one
- أهاج البكا ربع باسفل ذي السدرDid a deserted campsite in lower Dhu al-Sidr stir tears,
- اهاج هواك المنزل المتقادمDid the timeworn dwelling stir your longing?
- أهيم بدعد ما حييت فإن امتI am lovesick for Daʿd as long as I live; and if I die,
- أيا بعل ليلى كيف تجمع سلمهاO Layla’s husband, how can you combine peace with her
- أيا دهر ما هذا لنا منك مرةO Time, what is this you have done to us? Once
- ايقظان ام هب الفؤاد لطائفAwake—or did the heart stir at subtle pangs
- بدأن بنا وابن الليالي كأنهThey began with us, yet the nights' son
- بذي الماثول من ودان تسفيAt Dhu al-Mathul in Waddan, a wind scatters
- بزينب المم قبل ان يرحل الركبWith Zaynab bid farewell before the caravan departs,
- بكيت ابن ليلى وابنه ورأيتنيI wept for Ibn Layla and his son, and saw myself
- بيثرب او وادي قناة يليحAt Yathrib or in the valley of Qanāt, it gleams.
- تأوني طيف الخيال المؤرقA sleep-disturbing phantom of a dream visited me
- تجنبت ليلى حين لج بك الهوىLayla shunned you when passion overwhelmed you.
- تربعت في مسيات فذي بقرShe spent the spring in Masiyyāt, then in Dhū Baqar.
- تقيمه تارة وتقعدهShe makes him stand at times and makes him sit,
- تنادى آل زينب باحتمالZaynab’s household called to one another to depart.
- تيممن منها ذاهبات كأنهمThey set out from her, departing, as though they
- جزى الله أيام الفراق ملامةMay God repay the days of parting with reproach;
- جعلن ذو رؤوء البرق برق عنيزةThey set Dhū Ruʾūʾ, al-Barq—the Barq of ʿUnayzah—
- حلت بساقا والبطاح فلم ترمShe settled in Busāq and al-Biṭāḥ and did not leave
- حلفت بمن حجت قريش لبيتهI swore by Him to whose House Quraysh made pilgrimage,
- خليلي ان حلت كلية بالرباMy two friends, if Kulliyya settles on the uplands,
- خليلي زورا العامرية فانظرواMy two friends, visit the woman of ʿĀmir and see
- دعا المحرمون الله يستغفرونهThe pilgrims invoked God, asking His forgiveness
- دعون الهوى ثم ارتمين قلوبناThey summoned love, then shot at our hearts
- ذكرت مقامي ليلة الباب قابضاI recalled how I stood at the gate that night, clasping
- روح الفتى رأس ماله فإذاA young man's life is his capital; so if
- سرى الهم تثنيني إليك طلائعهCare traveled by night, its vanguards turning me back toward you;
- سرى من بلاد الغور حتى اهتدى لناHe journeyed by night from the lands of al-Ghawr until he found his way to us,
- سرى من سواد الليل ينزل خلفهIt journeyed out of the darkness of night; behind it settled
- سقى أهل مثوانا ببيسان وابلMay the people of our dwelling in Baysan be watered by the downpour of
- سقى تلك المقابر رب موسىMay the Lord of Moses water those graves
- سمعت بذكر الناس هندا فلم ازلI heard people speak of Hind, and I remained
- طرقتك صائدة القلوب وليس ذاI visited you by night, O huntress of hearts, and this is not
- طلعن علينا بين مروة والصفاThey appeared before us between Marwa and Safa,
- عرفت وجربت الامور فما ارىI have known and tested life's affairs; I see no one
- عفا الجرف ممن حله فأجاولهAl-Jurf lies effaced, deserted by those who dwelt there, and so do its surrounding tracts.
- عفا الحب الاعلى فروض الاجاولUpper al-Hubb has faded away, as have the meadows of al-Ajawil,
- عفا بعد سعدى ذو مراح فاقتدAfter Suʿdā, Dhū Murāḥ and Iqtud lie desolate,
- عفا سرب الحبل الدميت المحللThe track of al-Ḥabl, al-Damīt, and al-Muḥallal have faded away,
- عفا منقل من اهله فنقيبManqal lies effaced, bereft of its people—and Naqīb as well;
- عفا واسط من اهله فالضواربWāsiṭ lies desolate, its people gone, and so does al-Ḍawārib,
- عليك سلام لا مللت قريبةPeace be upon you: I never tired of you when you were near,
- فاضحت بروضات الستار يحوزهاSo she spent the morning in the meadows of al-Sitār, driven along
- فإن أك حالكا فالمسك أحوىIf I am dark, musk is darker still,
- فان تصلي اصلك وان تعوديSo if you draw close, I will draw close to you; and if you return
- فبينا نحن ننظره أتاناThen, while we were awaiting him, there came to us
- فجرى ومناني ثلاثة اشهرSo he kept putting me off, feeding me hopes for three months,
- فظل لها لدن من الاثل مورقAnd for her there remained a supple, leafy tamarisk bough,
- فلا النفس ملتها ولا العين تنتهيSo the soul has not tired of her, nor does the eye cease
- فلا شك ان الحي ادنى مقيلهمSo there is no doubt that the tribe’s nearest noonday resting place
- فلما حملت الدين فيها واصبحتSo when I took on debt for them, and they became
- فلو كانوا اذ بانوا يئست فلم يكنHad you despaired when they departed, and had there been
- فما أنا الا مثل سيقة العداSo I am nothing but like a beast driven off by enemies:
- فما زال بردي طيبا من ثيابهاSo my cloak stayed fragrant from her clothes
- فهل تعودن ليالينا بذي سلمWill our nights at Dhu Silm ever return,
- فيا لك من ليل تمتعت طولهSo, what a night—I enjoyed its whole length!
- قفا أخوي إن الدار ليستStand still, my brother, for this abode is not
- كأن القلب ليلة قبل يغديIt was as though the heart, on the night before the dawn departure
- كأن اولى الحاجات لما بدا لهمAs though those with needs, when there appeared to them
- كأني سننت الحب أول عاشقIt is as though I instituted love as the first lover
- كسدن من الفقر في بيتهنThey remained unwanted in their home because of poverty,
- كسيت ولم املك سوادا وتحتهI was clad in black, though I owned no black attire; and underneath it
- لا أنساك ما ارسى ثبير مكانهI will not forget you as long as Thabir stands firm in its place,
- لأني لاخشى من قلاص ابن محرزFor surely I fear Ibn Muhriz’s young she-camels
- لعبد العزيز على قومهAbd al-Aziz has bestowed upon his people
- لعلك باك ان تغنت حمامةPerhaps you will weep if a dove sings—
- لعمرك إن البيت بالقبل الذيBy your life, the dwelling at al-Qabal that
- لعمري على فوت لاية نظرةBy my life, across the distance—what a glance!
- لعمري لئن امسيت بالفرش مقعداBy my life, if evening finds you seated at al-Farsh,
- لقد امست بترنوط قبورAt Tarnūṭ, indeed, graves have come to be;
- لقد كدت تبكي ان تغنت حمامةYou nearly wept whenever a dove began to sing,
- لقد هتفت في جنح ليل حمامةIndeed, a dove cried out in the darkness of night,
- ليس السواد ناقصي ما دام ليMy blackness does not diminish me, so long as I have
- ما جاوزت ناقتي حفلا ولا سلكتMy she-camel did not pass beyond Hafl, nor did she travel
- من النفر البيض الذين اذا انتجواAmong the fair men who, when they confer in private,
- من ذا ابن ليلى جزاك الله مغفرةWho is there, son of Layla—may God reward you with forgiveness—
- نسية شحشاح غيور يهبنهA little band of women with a vigilant, jealous man whom they fear,
- نظرت إليها نظرة وهي عاتقI looked at her while she was a young maiden,
- نعم وبذي المسروح فوق سويقةYes, by the one of flowing locks above the water-skin strap,
- نفضت عليهن من جلدتيI shook some of my skin off upon them.
- هتوف الضحى ورقاء يذكرك الهوىA gray dove, calling at midmorning—you are reminded of love
- والله ما يدري امروء ذو جنابهBy God, no stranger knows,
- وإن أك حالكا لوني فإنيAnd though my complexion is jet-black, I am
- وان هواها في فؤادي لقرحةAnd love for her is indeed a wound in my heart,
- وإن وراء ظهري يا ابن ليلىAnd indeed, behind me, O son of Layla,
- وإني لاستحيي كثيرا واتقيI am often shy and fearful,
- وإني وإياهم كساع لقاعدAnd I, in relation to them, am like one striving for someone seated,
- وبين الصفا والمروتين ذكرتكمAnd between al-Safa and the two Marwas, I remembered you all,
- وعن شمائلهم انقاء اسنمةAnd to their left lie the dunes of Asnumah,
- وقالت بالغدير غدير خمAnd she said at the pool, the pool of Khumm:
- وقد أيقنت ان ستبين ليلىAnd you have become certain that Layla will depart,
- وقد عاد ماء البحر ملحا فزادنيAnd the sea's water has turned salty, adding
- وقد كان من أيامنا بسويقهAnd there was, in our days at Suwayqa
- وقد كانت الايام اذ نحن باللوىAnd indeed the days, when we were at al-Liwā,
- وقد هاجني للشوق نوح حمامةAnd a dove’s lament has stirred me to longing.
- وقفت لها كيما تمر لعلنيI stood waiting for her to pass, hoping I
- وكان يقودني كلف بسعدىHe used to lead me wherever my bliss took me
- وكانت اذ تحل اراك خلصAnd when she used to dwell among the arak trees of Khals,
- ولا إنني ناسيك بالليل ما بكتNo, indeed, I shall not forget you at night, so long as she weeps—
- ولقد علمت ولست تجهلهAnd you surely know, and are not ignorant of it,
- ولقد كاد مغنى دار سعدى باظلماAnd indeed, the site of Suʿdā’s dwelling at Aẓlum almost
- ولكنني فاديت امي بعدماBut I ransomed my mother after
- ولولا ان يقال صبا نصيبAnd were it not for fear it would be said, "He is love smitten in youth,"
- وليس يزري السواد يوما بذيBlackness never disgraces a man of under—
- وما في الأرض أشقى من محبAnd none on earth is more wretched than a lover,
- ومضمر الكشح يطويه الضجيع بهAnd a slender-waisted one, whom a bedmate bends at the waist,
- ومن حب سلمى راشح ليس بارحيAnd from love of Salma comes a toddling child who will not leave me,
- ومن هويت اذا جاوزن ذا عببAnd those you loved, once they have passed Dhū ʿUbab
- ونبه شوقي بعدما كنت نائماAnd my longing was awakened, after I had been asleep,
- ونحن منعنا يوم أول نساءناWe defended our women on the day of Awal,
- ونزور سيدنا وسيد غيرناAnd we visit our master, the master of others too.
- ويوم اللوى ابكاك نوح حمامةAnd on the day at al-Liwā, a dove’s lament made you weep,
- ويوم ذي سلم شاقتك نائحةAnd on the day at Dhu Salam, a lamenting bird stirred your longing—
- يا أيها الركب اني غير تابعكمO riders, indeed I shall not follow you
- يا بشر يابن الجعفرية ماO Bishr, O son of the Ja‘fari woman, never
- يابن الهشامين لا بيت كبيتكمO son of the two Hishams, no house is like yours,
- يعل بنيه المحض من بكراتهاHe gives his sons draught after draught of pure milk from her young she-camels,
- يقول فيحسن القول ابن ليلىIbn Layla speaks, and excels in speech;
- يمانية أقصى بلاد تحلهاA Yemeni woman—the farthest land she inhabits,
- يومان يوم لزريق فسلTwo days: on one, Zurayq is ignoble;
No poems found.