بَعضَ هَذا المَلامِ وَالتَفنيدِ
لَيسَ هَجرُ النَوى كَهَجرِ الصُدودِ
Less of this reproach and fault-finding!
Some of this blame and refutation
Separation through distance is not separation through rejection.
Is not like abandoning the loved ones and estrangement
زَعَمَ العاذِلونَ أَنَّ الَّذي يُص
بيهِ نُجلُ العُيونِ غَيرُ رَشيدِ
The reproachers claimed that he whom
The critics claimed that the one struck
wide eyes captivate is without good sense.
By the arrows of eyes is not wise
كَذَبَ العاذِلونَ قَد يَحسُنُ الحُب
بُ بِمَن لَيسَ قَلبُهُ مِن حَديدِ
The reproachers lied: love may well be fitting
The critics lied, love can be good
for one whose heart is not of iron.
To one whose heart is not made of iron
يا رُبوعَ الدِيارِ إِنّي عَلى ما
قَد أَراهُ مِنكُنَّ غَيرُ جَليدُ
O dwelling-grounds, faced with what
Oh dwellings of the home, I am unlike
I see of you, I have no strength to endure.
What I see in you, not unfeeling
أَخلَقَ الدَهرُ عَهدَكُنَّ وَلِلدَه
رِ صُروفٌ يَخلِقنَ كُلَّ جَديدِ
Time has worn away your former days; and time
Time created your covenant and time
has vicissitudes that wear out every new thing.
Creates every new thing
فَرَّقَت شَملَنا النَوى بَعدَما كُنّا
جَميعاً في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ حَميدِ
Separation scattered our company after we had been
It separated our group after we were
together in the shade of a pleasant life.
Together in the shade of a pleasant life
لَو تَرانا عِندَ الوَداعِ وَقَد لَوَّ
نَ سَكبُ الدُموعِ وَردَ الخُدودِ
If only you had seen us at farewell, when
If you could see us at the farewell when
the flow of tears colored the roses of our cheeks,
We shed tears and the cheeks turned back
حينَ ساروا بِغانِياتٍ وَسامٍ
آنِساتٍ حورِ المَدامِعِ غيدِ
when they departed with beautiful, fair women,
They walked away with melodies, renown
companionable, with dark pupils and bright whites, supple of figure.
Delightful, doe-eyed darlings of tears
يَتَلَفَّتنَ مِن بَعيدٍ وَيَنظِر
نَ اِستِراقاً إِلى المُحِبِّ العَميدِ
They turn back from afar, and look
They glance from afar and look
furtively toward the love-stricken lover.
Secretly at the steadfast lover
يَتَهادَينَ حَولَ مُحوَرَّةِ العَي
نَينِ مُصفَرَّةِ التَرائِبِ رودِ
They sway gracefully around one with eyes dark against white,
Circling around the pivot of eyes
yellow-tinted at the upper breast, tender and supple.
Yellowed by vigil and cares
أَعجَسلَتها النَوى فَما نِلتُ مِنها
طائِلاً غَيرَ نَظرَةٍ مِن بَعيدِ
Departure hurried her away; I gained from her
Their love busied them so I got
nothing of worth except a glance from afar.
Nothing from them but a distant glance
سَوفَ أُعطي السُلُوَّ وَالصَبرَ ما أُم
نَعُ مِن طارِفِ الهَوى وَالتَليدِ
I shall give forgetfulness and patience what
I will give patience and solace all they
I am denied of love, both newly gained and long-held,
Prevent me of the passion and amity
بِالمَهارى يَلبَسنَ ثَوباً جَديداً
مُستَفادَن في كُلِّ وَقتٍ جَديدِ
through Mahri she-camels that don a new garment,
With finesse they don new clothes
newly acquired at every new moment.
Profitable at every new time
فَهِيَ طولَ النَهارِ بيضٌ وَطولَ ال
لَيلِ في أَقمُصٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ سودِ
So all day they are white, and all
So they are white all day and all night
night they wear black tunics made of night.
In a black shirt from the night
طالِباتٌ في الغَوثِ غَوثاً سَكوباً
وَحَميدَن في آلِ عَبدِ الحَميدِ
Seeking overflowing succor in al-Ghawth,
Seeking relief intensely
and a praiseworthy man in the house of Abd al-Hamid.
And praiseworthy through the house of Abdul Hameed
جادَ حَتّى لَو اِستَزيدَ مِنَ الجَو
دِ لَما كانَ عِندَهُ مِن مَزيدِ
He was so generous that, were he asked for greater generosity,
He was generous to the point that
he would have no more to add.
If asked for more, he had nothing left to give
خُلقٌ يا مُحَمَّدُ اِبنُ حُمَيدٍ
حُزتَهُ عَن أُبُوَّةٍ وَجُدودِ
A virtue, O Muhammad son of Humayd,
Oh Muhammad, son of Humeid
you inherited from fathers and forebears.
You took your morals not from fatherhood or ancestry
تَشهَدُ الحَربُ مِنكَ لَيثَ عَرينٍ
غَيرَ هَيّابَةٍ وَلا رِعديدِ
War witnesses in you a lion of the lair,
War sees you as a lion in its lair
neither fearful nor a trembling coward.
Without fear or thunder
أَسَدٌ يَركَبُ السُيوفَ إِذا ما
قَلَّ تَحتَ السُيوفِ صَبرَ الأُسودِ
A lion who rides upon swords whenever
A lion who rides the swords when
the fortitude of lions beneath swords wanes.
The patience of lions grows scarce under swords
يَتَخَطّى فيها رِقابَ المَنايا
غَيرَ ما ناكِلٍ وَلا مَزؤودِ
He strides through it over the necks of death,
You stride over the necks of death
never recoiling, never terrified.
Without reluctance or being pushed
في نَهارٍ مِنَ السُيوفِ مُضيءٍ
تَحتَ لَيلٍ مِن مُستَثارِ الصَعيدِ
In a shining day made of swords,
In a day of shining swords
beneath a night of earth stirred into dust,
Under an aroused, dark night
وَعَوانٍ تُحَلُّ تَحتَ وَغاها
عُقدَةُ الفارِسِ الشُجاعِ النَجيدِ
and in a renewed battle, beneath whose din is undone
And helpers who under its haze
the knot of the brave, valiant horseman's resolve.
Undo the knot of the brave, excellent knight
يَخرَسُ الدارِعونَ فيها فَما يُس
مَعُ فيها إِلّا كَلامُ الحَديدِ
The mail-clad men fall mute there, so nothing
The armored are silenced there, nothing
is heard there but the speech of iron.
Is heard but the speech of iron
Sol 6.1