يا عارِمَ الطَرفِ حَيثُما نَظَرا

أَثَّرَ فيهِ وَإِن رَأى حَجَرا

O glance wherever it looked

O you with the fierce glance, wherever it turns,

It had an effect even if it saw a stone

It leaves a mark, even if it looks upon a stone.

ما لَقِيَ العالَمونَ مِنكَ وَمِن

طَرفِكَ ما إِن يُعَدُّ مِن قُبِرا

The people of the world have not met anything from you or

What the worlds have suffered from you and from

Anything from your glance that would not be considered a grave

Your glance—those laid in graves are beyond count.

أَبوكَ بَدرٌ تَلوحُ غُرَّتُهُ

وَأُمُّكَ الشَمسُ أَنتَجا قَمَرا

Your father is Badr, his young crescent appears

Your father is a full moon whose brightness shines,

And your mother is the sun, they produced a moon

And your mother is the sun; together they bore a moon.

فَهَل عَلى مَن قَتَلتَ مِن حَرَجٍ

أَم لَستَ تَدري فَتُخبِرُ الخَبَرا

So is there any burden on whoever you killed

Is there any guilt upon you for those you have slain?

Or are you not aware so you spread the news

Or are you unaware, needing to be told the news?

عَلَيكَ أَوزارُ مَن قَتَلتَ بِلا

شَكٍّ فَكُن لِلحِسابِ مُنتَظِرا

The sins of those you killed without a doubt

Upon you lie the burdens of those you killed without

Fall upon you so await the reckoning

Doubt, so be ready to await the final reckoning.

وَصاحِبٍ أَطلَقَتهُ رَقدَتُهُ

عَن غَيرِ سُكرٍ فَهَبَّ مُعتَذِرا

And a companion whom slumber loosened

And a companion whom sleep had released from its grip,

From not drunkenness so he roamed apologizing

Not from drunkenness—who then rose offering excuses.

نازَعتُهُ الكَأسَ ما أُفَتِّرُهُ

كَأسَ مِدامٍ تَرى لَها شَرَرا

I struggled with the cup I weaken him

I vied with him for the cup, never letting him rest,

A cup of wine you see it has sparks

A cup of aged wine that seems to scatter sparks.

مِثلَ دَمِ الشادِنِ الذَبيحِ إِذا

ما اِنسابَ مِنهُ عَلأَرضِ أَو قَطَرا

Like the blood of the slaughtered goat when

Like the blood of a slaughtered fawn when

It dripped on the ground or drops

It flows from him onto the earth or falls in drops.

رَقَّت عَنِ اللَمسِ فَهيَ كَالقَمَرِ ال

طالِعِ في الماءِ فاتَ مَن نَظَرا

It melts at touch so it is like the rising moon in the water so misses he who looked

It is too subtle for the touch, like the moon

You say it is wine so when you slide it

Rising in the water, eluding the one who gazes.

تَقولُ خَمرٌ فَحينَ تُحدِرُها

مِن فَمِ إِبريقِها إِذا اِنحَدَرا

From the mouth of its pitcher when it slides

You call it wine, but when you pour it down

You say it is rays so how can I drink it

From the mouth of its pitcher as it descends,

قُلتَ شُعاعٌ فَكَيفَ أَشرَبُها

لَو كانَ خَمراً لَأَبرَزَت كَدَرا

If it were wine it would have revealed sediment

You would say, "It is a beam of light"—so how can I drink it?

Until when you taste it you crawl to it

If it were mere wine, it would reveal some murkiness.

حَتّى إِذا ذُقتَها خَرَرتَ لَها

بَعدَ مَجالِ الظُنونِ مُنعَفِرا

After the expanse of speculations snorting

Yet when you taste it, you fall prostrate before it,

Face in the dust, after your thoughts had wandered in doubt.