تَذَكَّرتُ عَهداً بِالجَزِيرَةِ مَاضِيَا

تَذَكَّرتُ عَهداً بِالجَزِيرَةِ مَاضِيَا

فَأَنصَفتُ شَجواً لا يَمَلُّ التَّقَاضِيَا

فَأَنصَفتُ شَجواً لا يَمَلُّ التَّقَاضِيَا

I remembered a bygone time in al-Jazira,

I recalled a pact in the peninsula long past,

so I did justice to a sorrow that never tires of pressing its claim.

So I composed a ceaseless lament of longing.

وَزُرتُ رسوماً فِي طَرِيفٍ كَأَنَّهَا

وَزُرتُ رسوماً فِي طَرِيفٍ كَأَنَّهَا

بَقِيَّةُ أَغمَادٍ رُزِئنَ المَوَاضِيَا

بَقِيَّةُ أَغمَادٍ رُزِئنَ المَوَاضِيَا

And I visited ruined traces in Tarif, as though they were

I visited ruins in a meadow as if

the remnants of scabbards bereft of their keen swords.

They were the remnants of sheaths tossed aside.

أَيَا أُفُقَ الأُنسِ الَّذِي قَد عَهِدتُهُ

أَيَا أُفُقَ الأُنسِ الَّذِي قَد عَهِدتُهُ

بِزُهرِ الأُصَيحَابِ الأَكَارِمِ حَالِيَا

بِزُهرِ الأُصَيحَابِ الأَكَارِمِ حَالِيَا

O horizon of companionship, which I once knew

O horizon of intimacy I once knew

adorned with radiant, noble, dear companions!

Adorned with the blossoms of generous souls.

نأَت غُرَرُ الأَيَّامِ عَنكَ فَقَلَّمَا

نأَت غُرَرُ الأَيَّامِ عَنكَ فَقَلَّمَا

يَمُرُّ عَلَيكَ الدَّهرُ إِلا لَيَالِيَا

يَمُرُّ عَلَيكَ الدَّهرُ إِلا لَيَالِيَا

The bright faces of the days have departed from you; scarcely

Seldom did the days bring you solace

does time pass over you except as nights.

As time passed you by only at night.

أُرَدِّدُ فِيكَ العَينَ أَدهَمَ مُقفِراً

أُرَدِّدُ فِيكَ العَينَ أَدهَمَ مُقفِراً

فَأُبصِرُ صَدرِي خَالِياً مِن فُؤَادِيَا

فَأُبصِرُ صَدرِي خَالِياً مِن فُؤَادِيَا

I turn my gaze to and fro within you, dark and deserted,

I survey you now with a tearful eye

and see my breast empty of my heart.

And see my heart bereft within my chest.

أًقُولُ لِرَكبٍ بِالجَزِيرَةِ عَرَّجُوا

أًقُولُ لِرَكبٍ بِالجَزِيرَةِ عَرَّجُوا

قِفُوا نَرث آثارَ الهَوَى وَالمَغَانِيَا

قِفُوا نَرث آثارَ الهَوَى وَالمَغَانِيَا

I say to a company of riders: 'Turn aside at al-Jazira;

I say to a caravan in the peninsula—halt!

halt, let us mourn the traces of love and the dwellings.'

Scatter the traces of love and melodies.

دِيَارٌ بِهَا نِلنَا المُنَى ثُمَّتَ انقَضَت

دِيَارٌ بِهَا نِلنَا المُنَى ثُمَّتَ انقَضَت

فَلَم يُبقِ مِنهَا الدَّهرُ إِلا أَمَانِيَا

فَلَم يُبقِ مِنهَا الدَّهرُ إِلا أَمَانِيَا

Dwellings where we attained our desires—then they passed away;

A home where we once found joy, now gone,

and time left nothing of them but wishes.

Of it time leaves only desires.

فَواللَّهِ مَا أَدرِي إِذَا مَا حَلَلتُهَا

فَواللَّهِ مَا أَدرِي إِذَا مَا حَلَلتُهَا

مَغَانِيَ مَا أَلقَى بِهَا أَم مَعَالِيَا

مَغَانِيَ مَا أَلقَى بِهَا أَم مَعَالِيَا

So, by God, I do not know, whenever I alight in them,

By God, I know not what to make of it,

whether I find dwellings there or heights of honor.

Did I find there pleasures or lofty deeds?

لَقَد صَارَ فِيها غَائِبُ الشَّجوِ حَاضِراً

لَقَد صَارَ فِيها غَائِبُ الشَّجوِ حَاضِراً

وَأَضحَى بِهَا مُستَقبلُ الأُنسِ مَاضِيَا

وَأَضحَى بِهَا مُستَقبلُ الأُنسِ مَاضِيَا

There, sorrow once absent has become present,

In it the absent became present,

and there, companionship's future has become the past.

And the future of companionship became the past.

فَيَا رَبعَهُم رَاجِعنِيَ القَولَ عَنهُمُ

فَيَا رَبعَهُم رَاجِعنِيَ القَولَ عَنهُمُ

أَلَيسَ خَفِيفاً أَن تَرُدّ جَوَابِيَا

أَلَيسَ خَفِيفاً أَن تَرُدّ جَوَابِيَا

O their dwelling, speak back to me about them;

So speak to them, place of their dwellings,

is it not easy to give me a reply?

Is it difficult to return my call?

مَعَالِمَهُم مَا أَنتِ إِلا مَجَاهِلٌ

مَعَالِمَهُم مَا أَنتِ إِلا مَجَاهِلٌ

وَلَكِنَّنِي آثرتُ حُسنَ خِطَابِيَا

وَلَكِنَّنِي آثرتُ حُسنَ خِطَابِيَا

Their landmarks, you are nothing but trackless wastes,

I know not their lands though I pretend,

yet I chose graciousness in my speech.

But I choose to speak well in address.

إِذَا لَم أُحَسِّن مَنطِقِي جُهدَ طَاقَتِي

إِذَا لَم أُحَسِّن مَنطِقِي جُهدَ طَاقَتِي

لِرَبعِ أَحِبَّائِي فَأَينَ وَدَادِيَا

لِرَبعِ أَحِبَّائِي فَأَينَ وَدَادِيَا

If I do not make my speech gracious to the utmost of my ability

If I speak not my best to loved ones,

for the dwelling of my loved ones, where is my affection?

Where then is my devotion?

أَعِندَ أَبِي عَمرو بنِ حَسُّون أَنّني

أَعِندَ أَبِي عَمرو بنِ حَسُّون أَنّني

عَلَى رَسمِ عَهدِي لَستُ أَنفَكُّ رَاعِيا

عَلَى رَسمِ عَهدِي لَستُ أَنفَكُّ رَاعِيا

Does Abu Amr ibn Hassun know that I

Does Abi ‘Amr ibn Hassun know

never cease to keep faith with my pledge as of old?

That I do not cease being a shepherd to our pact?

وكاسمِ أَبِيهِ حُبُّه في جَوانِحِي

وكاسمِ أَبِيهِ حُبُّه في جَوانِحِي

فَما دُمتُ أَبقَى لَيسَ يَفتَأُ بَاقِيَا

فَما دُمتُ أَبقَى لَيسَ يَفتَأُ بَاقِيَا

And, like his father's name, love for him lies within my ribs;

And by his father’s name, may his love

so as long as I live, it never ceases to endure.

Ever remain within my heart.

أَتَانِي هَوَاهُ مُستَميحاً مَوَدَّتِي

أَتَانِي هَوَاهُ مُستَميحاً مَوَدَّتِي

فَأَعطَيتُه مَا شَاءَ إِلا فُؤَادِيا

فَأَعطَيتُه مَا شَاءَ إِلا فُؤَادِيا

Love for him came to me, seeking my affection as a gift;

His passion came to me begging my affection,

so I gave him whatever he wished, except my heart.

I gave him what he wished, save my heart.

وَإِنِّيَ لَم أُمسِكهُ عَنهُ ضَنَانَةً

وَإِنِّيَ لَم أُمسِكهُ عَنهُ ضَنَانَةً

وَلَكِنَّني أَخشَى عَلَيهِ التِهَابيا

وَلَكِنَّني أَخشَى عَلَيهِ التِهَابيا

And I did not withhold it from him out of stinginess,

‘Twas not miserliness that held me back,

but I fear for him the blaze within me.

But fear that he’d be inflamed.

إِذا هَبَّ مِن آفَاقِيَ البَرقُ نَحوَه

إِذا هَبَّ مِن آفَاقِيَ البَرقُ نَحوَه

فَمَا هُو إِلا شُعلَةٌ مِن أُوَارِيا

فَمَا هُو إِلا شُعلَةٌ مِن أُوَارِيا

If lightning leaps from my horizons toward him,

If lightning flashed from my horizons toward him,

it is only a flame from my fierce heat.

‘Twould be but a spark of my fires.

وَإِن جَادَ مِن أَجفَانِي القَطرُ رَبعَه

وَإِن جَادَ مِن أَجفَانِي القَطرُ رَبعَه

فَيَا لَيتَ شِعرِي مَا يزيدُ الغَوَادِيا

فَيَا لَيتَ شِعرِي مَا يزيدُ الغَوَادِيا

And if rain from my eyelids drenches his dwelling,

And if rain poured from my eyelids because of him,

then would that I knew what it adds to the morning rain clouds!

Would the valleys gain more than a drizzle?

أَلا أَيُّهَا الرَّكبُ المُطاوِعُ عَزمَه

أَلا أَيُّهَا الرَّكبُ المُطاوِعُ عَزمَه

إِلَى أَرضِ فَاسٍ أَدِّ فِيها سَلامِيا

إِلَى أَرضِ فَاسٍ أَدِّ فِيها سَلامِيا

Hark, O company of riders, obeying your resolve

O compliant caravan, set your course

to reach the land of Fez, convey my greetings there.

To the land of Fez, and convey my greetings.

وَحيِّ أَبا عَمرٍو هُناكَ وَإِنَّما

وَحيِّ أَبا عَمرٍو هُناكَ وَإِنَّما

أَفَدتكَ فاشكُر أَن تُحَيّي المَعَالِيا

أَفَدتكَ فاشكُر أَن تُحَيّي المَعَالِيا

And greet Abu Amr there; I have only

Give tidings to Abi ‘Amr there, for I

granted you—so be grateful—the chance to greet the heights of honor.

Have charged you, so thank me by exalting virtues.