قَلَّما لا تَتَصَبّاني الدِمَن
وَتُعَنّيني بِذِكرى مِن شَجَن
Rarely do the old campsites fail to stir my youthful longing,
Seldom do the abodes and memories of longing fail to haunt me,
and trouble me with memories of sorrow.
Seeking one whose breast aches with fervent love,
واجِدٌ غايَةَ صَدرٍ مِن جَوىً
ناشِدٌ بُلغَةَ عَينٍ مِن وَسَن
I feel a breast's full measure of burning grief,
Whose eyes plead with eloquent glance.
seeking enough slumber for my eyes.
The passions have led me astray into the maws of destruction, though we feared it.
وَالغَواني يَتَوَرَّدنَ بِنا
قُحَمَ الهُلكِ وَإِن هِمنا بِهِنّ
And lovely women lead us
Whenever a lightning flashes or a breeze blows gently,
into destruction's perils, though we are enamored of them.
Or a branch sways gracefully,
كُلَّما أَومَضَ بَرقٌ أَو سَرى
نَسمُ ريحٍ أَو ثَنى عَطفاً فَنَن
Whenever lightning flashes, or there drifts
The fragrant zephyrs of youth obligate me
a breath of wind, or a bough bends its side,
To roam freely in longing with outstretched arms.
كَلَّفَتني أَريَحيّاتُ الصِبا
طَلَقاً في الشَوقِ مُمتَدَّ السَنَن
youth's eager impulses send me
You have transported me from one love to another,
on a long, far-reaching course of longing.
Seeking rest for me after rest.
نَقَّلتَني في هَوىً بَعدَ هَوىً
وَابتَغَت لي سَكَناً بَعدَ سَكَن
They carry me through passion after passion,
Other than my love for Sulayma, nothing has increased it
and seek for me beloved after beloved.
Through succor, or decreased it through disdain.
غَيرَ حُبّي لِسُلَيمى لَم يَزِد
فيهِ إِسعافٌ وَلَم يَنقُصهُ ضَّن
But my love for Sulayma was not increased
Under my clothes lies a burning ember
by favor, nor diminished by withholding.
Which cannot be extinguished by gentle coaxing.
ثَبَتَت تَحتَ الحَشا آخِيَةٌ
مِنهُ لا يَنزِعُها المُهرُ الأَرِنّ
A tethering-loop was fixed beneath my breast,
I hoped to conceal a love always manifest
from that love, which no frisky colt can wrench free.
In its fervor until it became public.
أَتَوَخّى سَترَ حُبٍّ لَم يَزَل
ظاهِرَ الوَجدِ بِهِ حَتّى عَلَن
I seek to conceal a love that has always
That which was obscure to people so they knew not
shown itself in longing, until it became known.
What it was, was nothing all along.
وَالَّذي غُمَّ عَلى الناسِ فَلَم
يَعلَموا ما هُوَ شَيءٌ لَم يَكُن
And what was hidden from people, so that they did not
I pledged myself to old age, yet it did not grant me
know what it was, was something that never existed.
The goodness of a contented soul in return.
وَلَقَد بايَعتُ بِالشَيبِ فَما
قيضَ لِيَ طَيِّبُ نَفسٍ بِغَبَن
I have indeed bargained with gray hair, yet no
Of the noblest stature, his value
one content to accept a loss was found for me.
Is beyond any price.
وَمِنَ الأَعلاقِ تاوٍ قَدرُهُ
عاجِزُ القيمَةِ عَن كُلِّ ثَمَن
And among treasures is one whose worth has perished,
The abode of Hassân is exalted for us,
its value unable to command any price.
And anything else seems fine in comparison.
رُفِعَت قَريَةُ حَسّانَ لَنا
وَسِواها عِندَهُ المَرأى الحَسَن
Hassan's village rose into view before us,
So it is as if when we prayed toward
and, in his eyes, the lovely prospect lay elsewhere.
The Dome of the Pilgrim, we were idol worshippers.
فَكَأَنّا حينَ صَلَّينا إِلى
قُبَّةِ الحَجّاجِ عُبّادُ وَثَن
It was as though, when we prayed toward
I regard Kûfa as my homeland, and I see
al-Hajjaj's dome, we were worshipers of an idol.
The Najaf of Hira as my home and haven.
أَمِقُ الكوفَةَ أَرضاً وَأَرى
نَجَفَ الحيرَةِ أَرضاها وَطَن
I cherish Kufa as a land, and regard
The encampments of Tayy are best for one who stays
the Najaf of al-Hira as the most pleasing home.
For a time in the abode, striving and erect.
حِلَلُ الطائِيِّ أَولى حِلَلٍ
بِمُقامِ الدَهرِ لِلثاوي المُبِنّ
Al-Ta'i's dwellings are the worthiest dwellings
Where time is not feared to run out,
for a lifelong stay by one who settles there,
Nor is the caprice of fate dreaded.
حَيثُ لا يُستَبطَأُ الحَظُّ وَلا
يُتَخَشّى غَولَهُ صَرفُ الزَمَن
where good fortune is never thought slow, nor
Possessor of the land of the two Iraqs
are time's vicissitudes feared for their ravages.
As far as the deserts extend, and the swords of Aden.
حائِزٌ مُلكَ العِراقَينِ إِلى
ما حَوى الشِحرُ فَأَسيافُ عَدَن
He holds dominion over the two Iraqs, as far as
You fancy him far away, yet the awe
all that al-Shihr embraces, and then Aden's shores.
Of the words of Yemen have no power.
تَتَظَنّاهُ عَلى البُعدِ فَلا
تَملِكُ الهَيبَةَ أَقوالُ اليَمَن
From afar they picture him, yet cannot
The insolent tremble before his authority,
master their awe—the chiefs of Yemen.
Whether from the mountain ravines, meadows, or Yazin.
توجِفُ الأَذواءُ مِن طاعتِهِ
مِن حِوالٍ أَو رُعَينٍ أَو يَزَن
The Dhu-lords hasten in obedience to him,
The tribes ask about their envoys
from Hiwal, Ru'ayn, or Yazan.
At the gates of the Munificent One of bounty.
يَسأَلُ الأَقوامُ عَن رُوّادِهِم
عِندَ أَبوابِ مُرَجّى ذي مِنَن
The peoples ask after their scouts
A tribe, if it isolates itself, incurs no wrath,
at the gates of a benefactor in whom hopes are placed.
And the land overflows with good if he permits.
عُصَبٌ إِن يَحتَجِب لا يَسخَطوا
وَتَفيضُ الأَرضُ خَيراً إِن أَذِن
Bands who, if he withdraws, feel no resentment,
His nature reveals a quality wherein
and earth overflows with bounty if he grants leave.
Generosity flows openly like hoarded treasure.
صَرَّحَت أَخلاقُهُ عَن شيمَةٍ
يَهَبُ السُؤدُدُ فيها ما اختَزَن
His character has revealed a disposition
It was not made incomplete by the attribute of generosity,
in which nobility gives all it has stored.
Nor the death of the coveter, even if it were wished for.
لَم تَحُزها صِفَةُ المُطري وَلا
مُنيَةُ الراغِبِ لَو قيلَ تَمَنّ
Neither the flatterer's description has encompassed it, nor
If you waited to find one like him,
the seeker's wish, were he told, 'Wish.'
You would be like one waiting for a time that has not come.
لَو تَرَقَّبَت لِتَلقى مِثلَهُ
كُنتَ كَالراقِبِ وَقتاً لَم يَحِن
If you waited to encounter his like,
He guaranteed deliverance to mankind, and did not fail them
you would be like one awaiting a time not yet due.
Like the guardian of the faith who fulfilled what he guaranteed.
ضَمِنَ البِشرَ فَلَم يَلطِط بِهِ
كَزَعيمِ الدَينِ أَدى ما ضَمِن
He pledged a cheerful welcome and did not renege on it;
No sooner did the enemies move
like a debt's guarantor, he paid what he pledged.
Than the steeds brought news of the fortress,
ما انتَهى الأَعداءُ حَتّى ناقَلَت
حُصُنُ الخَيلِ بِأَنباءِ الحُصُن
The enemies did not desist until there sped
Whenever war intensified for them, they recoiled,
the stallions, bearing tidings of the fortresses.
Stained with what they trampled crimson.
كُلَّما احمَرَّ لَها البَأسُ ثَنَت
وَهِيَ مِمّا وَطِئَت حُمرُ الثُنَن
Whenever battle reddened before them, they wheeled back,
He pacified the disturbance in Baghdad, though
their fetlock-hairs red from what they had trampled.
The regions were in tumult and now are still.
سَكَّنَت مِن شَغبِ بَغدادَ وَقَد
كانَ جَيّاشَ النَواحي فَسَكَن
They quelled Baghdad's turmoil, though it had
Against the houses of Khafân, though
seethed on every side, then grew calm.
Distrust had replaced what was expected.
وَعَلى داراتِ خَفّانَ وَقَد
أَخلَفَ الهَيصَمُ ما كانَ يُظَنّ
And across Khaffan's circular clearings, when
With famous, wondrous swords
al-Haysam had belied what had been expected,
That do not spare the mind from madness.
شاهِراتٍ خَلفَهُ مَأثورَةً
مِن سُيوفٍ ما تَقِيَ مِنها الجُنَن
brandishing behind him patterned blades,
He left the rural areas and sought
swords against which shields provide no defense.
Refuge for Anbâr in its canebrakes.
تَرَكَ الريفَ وَعَلّى يَبتَغي
في أَبانَينَ عِياذاً وَقَطَن
He left the cultivated land and went uphill, seeking
He reckons the viper’s abode the army’s might,
refuge in the two Abans and Qatan.
And one whom the serpent bites startles him.
يَحسِبُ الأَرطى زُها الجَيشِ وَمَن
تَنهَشِ الحَيَّةُ يُفزِعُهُ الرَسَن
He takes the arta shrubs for the army's ranks; and one whom
Had he resumed wisdom, he would have appealed
a snake has bitten is frightened by a halter-rope.
To gracious clemency when shown clemency.
وَلَو استَأنَفَ رُشداً لاطَّبى
عَطفَ مَنّانٍ إِذا استُعطِفَ مَنّ
And if he resumed sound judgment, he would win
With two right hands that confer prosperity,
the compassion of a giver who grants favors when implored,
And white hands are meet for generous hands.
بِيَمينَينِ تُفيدانِ الغِنى
وَالأَيادي البيضُ لِلأَيدي اليُمُن
with two right hands that bestow wealth,
Wherever the tribes asked him to stop
and bright benefactions belong to right hands.
His aloofness with words, they found him genteel.
أَينَما استَنزَلَهُ الأَقوامُ عَن
وَفرِهِ بِالقَولِ أَلفَوهُ أُذُن
Wherever people urge him to part with
The palms of munificence are always ready
his wealth through their words, they find him all ears.
When the companion of bounty begins to bestow.
تَتَأَيّا بَغَتاتِ الجودِ مِن
رادِفِ النُعمى مَتى يَبدَأُ يُثَنّ
You await sudden bursts of generosity from
What day after (another) day has failed
one who adds boon to boon; whenever he begins, he gives again.
To perform a kindness after a kindness?
أَيَّ يَومٍ بَعدَ يَومٍ لَم يُعِد
حَسَناً مِن فِعلِهِ بَعدَ حَسَن
On what day, following another, has he failed to repeat
a fine deed of his after another fine deed?
Sol 6.1