عَفَتْ دارٌ كقلبكَ بعد سَلْمَى

عَفَتْ دارٌ كقلبكَ بعد سَلْمَى

فأَيُّ المنزلينِ أَضَلُّ رَسْما

فأَيُّ المنزلينِ أَضَلُّ رَسْما

A dwelling has faded, like your heart after Salma;

A house has become desolate like your heart after Salma,

so which of the two abodes has fainter traces?

So which of the two dwellings is more misguided in its trace?

وهل تُغنِي الدِيارُ بغيرِ أهلٍ

وهل تُغنِي الدِيارُ بغيرِ أهلٍ

ولو سَلِمَتْ وكيفَ تَنالُ سِلْما

ولو سَلِمَتْ وكيفَ تَنالُ سِلْما

And do dwellings avail without inhabitants,

Can houses be of benefit without inhabitants,

even if they remain intact—and how can they find peace?

Even if intact, how can they attain peace?

بَكيْتُ على المَنازِلِ فاسترابَتْ

بَكيْتُ على المَنازِلِ فاسترابَتْ

فَتىً يسقي المنازلَ وَهْوَ يَظما

فَتىً يسقي المنازلَ وَهْوَ يَظما

I wept over the dwellings, and they doubted

I cried over the abodes, so they were perplexed,

a youth who waters the dwellings while he thirsts.

A young man watering dwellings while suppressing his tears.

تَخُطُّ مدامعي و إذا كأَنّي

تَخُطُّ مدامعي و إذا كأَنّي

أُداعِبُها فأَمحو الخَطَّ لَثْما

أُداعِبُها فأَمحو الخَطَّ لَثْما

My tears trace lines, and behold, it is as though

My tears sketch out lines, and it is as if I

I caress them, then erase the writing with kisses.

Am playing with them, so I erase the lines with a kiss.

فَدَيتُكِ من مُوَدِّعةٍ تَوَلَّت

فَدَيتُكِ من مُوَدِّعةٍ تَوَلَّت

وَخيَّمَ شخصُها في السِّرِ وَهْما

وَخيَّمَ شخصُها في السِّرِ وَهْما

I would give my life for you, who bade farewell and turned away,

I ransom you from a bidder of farewell who turned away,

and her form encamped deep within as a phantom.

And whose figure loomed in secret and anxiety.

حُرِمنا مُنذُ عَهدِكِ غُمضَ جَفنٍ

حُرِمنا مُنذُ عَهدِكِ غُمضَ جَفنٍ

فكيفَ نَظُنُّ وَصلَكِ كانَ حُلما

فكيفَ نَظُنُّ وَصلَكِ كانَ حُلما

Since our time with you, we have been denied a wink of sleep;

We have been deprived, since your era, of the closing of an eyelid,

how, then, can we think our union with you was a dream?

So how can we believe that your connection was but a dream?

إلى الجَبَلَينِ منَّا اليومَ شوقٌ

إلى الجَبَلَينِ منَّا اليومَ شوقٌ

وإِنْ لم نَعرِفِ الجَبَلينِ قِدْما

وإِنْ لم نَعرِفِ الجَبَلينِ قِدْما

Today our longing is for the two mountains,

Today, longing reached the two mountains from us,

even though we did not know the two mountains before.

Even if we don’t know the two mountains from early on.

إذا أَبصَرتُ نارَهُما تَمَنَّى

إذا أَبصَرتُ نارَهُما تَمَنَّى

فُؤَادي أَنَّهُ قد كان فَحْما

فُؤَادي أَنَّهُ قد كان فَحْما

When I see their fire, a wish comes

When I see their fire, my heart wishes

to my heart: that it had already been charcoal.

That it had been ashes instead.

حَرَصتُ على الحيَاةِ وتلكَ رَهنٌ

حَرَصتُ على الحيَاةِ وتلكَ رَهنٌ

لمن تُدمِي بأَلحاظٍ وتُدمَى

لمن تُدمِي بأَلحاظٍ وتُدمَى

I clung to life, yet it is held in pledge

I was keen on life, and that is collateral

to one who wounds with glances and is herself wounded.

For whoever moistens with glances and is made wet.

إذا أعطت لواحظُها أَماناً

إذا أعطت لواحظُها أَماناً

فتأخيرٌ إلى أَجَلٍ مُسَمَّى

فتأخيرٌ إلى أَجَلٍ مُسَمَّى

When her glances grant safety,

If her glances give safety,

it is only a reprieve until an appointed term.

Then delay is until an appointed time.

مُنَعَّمةٌ بنارِ الوجدِ تُحمِي

مُنَعَّمةٌ بنارِ الوجدِ تُحمِي

ممنَّعةٌ بماءِ البيضِ تُحمَى

ممنَّعةٌ بماءِ البيضِ تُحمَى

Pampered, she scorches with the fire of longing;

Pampered with the fire of passion, warming

inaccessible, she is guarded by the liquid sheen of bright swords.

Forbidden with the water of innocence, growing hot.

رأَيتُ لعينِها قَوساً ورِيشاً

رأَيتُ لعينِها قَوساً ورِيشاً

فما كذَّبتُ أَنَّ هناكَ سهما

فما كذَّبتُ أَنَّ هناكَ سهما

I saw that her eye had a bow and feathers,

I saw for her eye a bow and feathers

so I did not deny that an arrow was there.

So I did not deny that there was an arrow there.

يُسَاقُ إلى الدلائِلِ كلُّ حكمٍ

يُسَاقُ إلى الدلائِلِ كلُّ حكمٍ

إذا قامَ الدليلُ أَقامَ حُكما

إذا قامَ الدليلُ أَقامَ حُكما

Every judgment is referred to proofs;

Every judgment is led to evidence,

when proof stands firm, it establishes a judgment.

If the proof is established, it establishes a rule.

فما قُلنا طَرابُلُسٌ سَماءٌ

فما قُلنا طَرابُلُسٌ سَماءٌ

إلى أَنْ أَطلَعَت في الأُفقِ نَجْما

إلى أَنْ أَطلَعَت في الأُفقِ نَجْما

So we did not say, "Tripoli is a sky,"

We did not say Tripoli was a sky

until she made a star rise on the horizon.

Until a star emerged on the horizon.

كريمٌ للثَّناءِ بهِ ثَناءٌ

كريمٌ للثَّناءِ بهِ ثَناءٌ

فخيرُ القولِ ما لم يُخطِ مَرمَى

فخيرُ القولِ ما لم يُخطِ مَرمَى

A noble man, through whom praise itself wins praise;

Noble in praise, through it praise

for the best speech is that which does not miss its mark.

So the best words are those which do not miss the mark.

لَدَيهِ تَخجَلُ الأَشعارُ نَقْداً

لَدَيهِ تَخجَلُ الأَشعارُ نَقْداً

وإِنْ تَكُ قد تباهَتْ فيهِ نَظما

وإِنْ تَكُ قد تباهَتْ فيهِ نَظما

Before him, poems blush under criticism,

Poetry feels embarrassed by it in critique

even if they have gloried in him in verse.

Even if it was proud in it with composition.

أَصَحُّ القومِ في الغَمَراتِ رِأياً

أَصَحُّ القومِ في الغَمَراتِ رِأياً

وأَجلى رُؤْيةً وأَجَلُّ حَزْما

وأَجلى رُؤْيةً وأَجَلُّ حَزْما

Soundest of men in judgment amid perils,

The soundest of people in turbidity of opinion,

and clearest in vision, and greatest in resolve;

The clearest in insight and the wisest in resolve.

وأَطيَبُ من نسيمِ الرَوضِ نَشْراً

وأَطيَبُ من نسيمِ الرَوضِ نَشْراً

وأعذَبُ من سُلافِ الكأْس طَعْما

وأعذَبُ من سُلافِ الكأْس طَعْما

and sweeter in fragrance than the garden breeze,

And the most fragrant than the breeze’s diffusion,

and sweeter in taste than the cup's choicest wine.

And the sweetest than the first sip’s taste.

يُحِبُّ البَذْلَ إلاّ في امتِنانٍ

يُحِبُّ البَذْلَ إلاّ في امتِنانٍ

ويأْبَى الفضلَ إلاَّ أَن يَتِمَّا

ويأْبَى الفضلَ إلاَّ أَن يَتِمَّا

He loves giving, but not reminding others of his favors;

He loves spending except in obligation,

and insists that his beneficence be complete.

And refuses excellence unless perfected.

و لا يَهوَى لمُهجتِهِ رَواءً

و لا يَهوَى لمُهجتِهِ رَواءً

على عَطَشٍ بصاحبِهِ أَلَّما

على عَطَشٍ بصاحبِهِ أَلَّما

And he desires no quenching draught for his soul

He does not crave quenching for his thirst

while thirst afflicts his companion.

With a companion who suffers from thirst.

نجيبٌ يَسبِقُ الداعي مجيباً

نجيبٌ يَسبِقُ الداعي مجيباً

لهُ لو كانَ يُؤْتى قبلُ عِلمَا

لهُ لو كانَ يُؤْتى قبلُ عِلمَا

A noble man, he would anticipate the caller, responding

A noble one who precedes the summoner responding,

to him, were he granted knowledge beforehand.

As if he had been notified before knowledge.

وَيَعذِرُ من أتاهُ وليسَ عُذرٌ

وَيَعذِرُ من أتاهُ وليسَ عُذرٌ

لهُ في الناس إذْ لم يأْتِ جُرْما

لهُ في الناس إذْ لم يأْتِ جُرْما

And he pardons whoever comes to him, though no excuse

And excuses whoever came to him though there is no excuse

is needed for him among men, since he has committed no offense.

For him among the people if he did not sin.

تُقيِّدُ كُلَّ آبدةٍ لديهِ

تُقيِّدُ كُلَّ آبدةٍ لديهِ

سُطورٌ كالسَلاسلِ جئنَ دُهْما

سُطورٌ كالسَلاسلِ جئنَ دُهْما

With him, every elusive marvel is fettered

Every dark night is chained by lines for him

by lines like chains that came in black.

Like chains if they came as suits of armor.

تَخَيَّلَ من بياضِ العينِ طِرساً

تَخَيَّلَ من بياضِ العينِ طِرساً

فجاءَ بأَسودِ الإِنسان رَقما

فجاءَ بأَسودِ الإِنسان رَقما

He imagined the white of the eye as a writing-sheet,

He imagined from the whiteness of the eye a painting,

then made an inscription with the black of its pupil.

So he came with the blackest of people in number.

وَحَسْبُكَ شاعرٌ عربيُّ لَفظٍ

وَحَسْبُكَ شاعرٌ عربيُّ لَفظٍ

تَدِقُّ لهُ معانٍ خِلْنَ عُجْما

تَدِقُّ لهُ معانٍ خِلْنَ عُجْما

And a poet of Arabic diction is enough for you,

It suffices you he is an Arabic poet of diction

whose meanings are so subtle they seem foreign.

Whose meanings are finely wrought as if Persian.

تَصَرَّفَ بالغرائبِ عن فُؤَادٍ

تَصَرَّفَ بالغرائبِ عن فُؤَادٍ

لأَغلاقِ المَشاكلِ فضَّ خَتْما

لأَغلاقِ المَشاكلِ فضَّ خَتْما

He dealt in marvels, drawing from a heart

He handled curiosities from a heart

that broke the seal on the locks of difficult questions.

That unlocked the most complex of problems.

رأَيتُكَ تَنظِمُ الدُّرَرَ اليتَامَى

رأَيتُكَ تَنظِمُ الدُّرَرَ اليتَامَى

فقد لُقِّبتَ بالنَحَّاسِ ظُلما

فقد لُقِّبتَ بالنَحَّاسِ ظُلما

I saw you stringing peerless pearls,

I saw you stringing orphaned pearls together,

so you were unjustly dubbed al-Nahhas, the Coppersmith.

So you were wrongfully dubbed ‘the Coppersmith’.

وما كُلٌّ يُلَقَّبُ عن حِسابٍ

وما كُلٌّ يُلَقَّبُ عن حِسابٍ

ولا كُلُّ على قَدَرٍ يُسمَّى

ولا كُلُّ على قَدَرٍ يُسمَّى

And not everyone is titled with due reckoning,

And not everyone is titled based on account,

nor is everyone named according to his worth.

Nor is everyone named according to worth.

أجاشَ الشِعرَ شِعرُك في فُؤَادي

أجاشَ الشِعرَ شِعرُك في فُؤَادي

فقُمتُ صَبَابةً وقَعَدتُ سقُما

فقُمتُ صَبَابةً وقَعَدتُ سقُما

Your verse stirred verse within my heart,

Your poetry stirred poetry in my heart

so I rose in longing and sat down in sickness.

So I stood up infatuated and sat down lovesick.

وتقصيرُ الضعيفِ يُعَدُّ عيباً

وتقصيرُ الضعيفِ يُعَدُّ عيباً

ولكنْ لا يُعدُّ عليهِ إِثما

ولكنْ لا يُعدُّ عليهِ إِثما

And the weak man's falling short is counted a fault,

The shortcoming of the weak is considered a flaw,

but it is not counted against him as a sin.

But it is not counted as a sin against him.