مَلامَكُما كُفَّا فَقَد قُضِيَ الأَمرُ

مَلامَكُما كُفَّا فَقَد قُضِيَ الأَمرُ

ولا نُصحَ لي يُسديه زَيدٌ ولا عَمرو

ولا نُصحَ لي يُسديه زَيدٌ ولا عَمرو

Enough of your reproach, you two—the matter has been decided.

Cease your reproach, you two, for the matter is settled.

No counsel offered me by Zayd or ʿAmr will avail.

Nor have I need of counsel offered by Zayd or Amr.

أنا مِنكما أدرى بِحالي فَخَلِّيا

أنا مِنكما أدرى بِحالي فَخَلِّيا

سَبيلي فما لِلعَبد نَفعٌ ولا ضُرُّ

سَبيلي فما لِلعَبد نَفعٌ ولا ضُرُّ

I know my condition better than either of you, so leave

I know my state better than you two; so leave

me to my path: a slave has no power to profit or harm.

my way clear, for a slave has no power to benefit or harm.

لقد كنتُ قبلَ اليوم ِ حُراً مُمَلَّكاً

لقد كنتُ قبلَ اليوم ِ حُراً مُمَلَّكاً

وما أنا بعدَ اليومِ ذَلِكمُ الحُرُّ

وما أنا بعدَ اليومِ ذَلِكمُ الحُرُّ

Before today I was free, sovereign over myself;

Before today I was free and sovereign;

after today, I am no longer that free man.

but after today I am no longer that free man.

يقولونَ لي صبراً على ما قَضَى الهوَى

يقولونَ لي صبراً على ما قَضَى الهوَى

وهل أرتَجي صبراً وقد نَفِدَ الصَّبرُ

وهل أرتَجي صبراً وقد نَفِدَ الصَّبرُ

They tell me, “Bear patiently what passion has decreed.”

They tell me, 'Be patient with what love has decreed.'

How can I hope for patience when patience is spent?

And can I hope for patience when patience has run out?

سَعَيتُ بِطرفي نحو حَتفي وهكذا

سَعَيتُ بِطرفي نحو حَتفي وهكذا

أُسِرتُ على طَوعٍ ولَذَّلىَ الأسرُ

أُسِرتُ على طَوعٍ ولَذَّلىَ الأسرُ

With my own glance I sought the road to my death—and thus

I hastened with my gaze toward my doom, and thus

I was willingly taken captive; captivity itself delighted me.

I was willingly captured, and captivity was sweet to me.

لقد صادَني من جِئتُ أبغي اصطِياده

لقد صادَني من جِئتُ أبغي اصطِياده

وقد غَرَّني منه التنقُل والذُّعرُ

وقد غَرَّني منه التنقُل والذُّعرُ

The one I came seeking to hunt has hunted me;

The one I came to hunt has hunted me;

his darting flight and alarm deceived me.

and his darting about and fright had beguiled me.

لِحَبَّةِ قلبي ضَمَّ فخُّ أضالعي

لِحَبَّةِ قلبي ضَمَّ فخُّ أضالعي

فَطَار بها يَشدو وقد أُحكِمَ النَّقرُ

فَطَار بها يَشدو وقد أُحكِمَ النَّقرُ

At the grain of my heart, inside the snare of my ribs,

The snare of my ribs closed around the seed of my heart;

he pecked with perfect skill, then flew off with it, singing.

so he flew off with it, singing, his pecking deftly done.

فما حِيلتي والقلبُ في يَدِ شادِنٍ

فما حِيلتي والقلبُ في يَدِ شادِنٍ

إذا ما شَدَا حَنَّ إلى كأسها الخَمرُ

إذا ما شَدَا حَنَّ إلى كأسها الخَمرُ

What recourse have I, with my heart in a young gazelle’s hand?

What can I do, with my heart in a young gazelle's hand?

Whenever he sings, wine yearns for its cup.

When he sings, the wine yearns for its cup.

فَعَوِّذ بها مِنِّي فُؤاداً أصابَهُ

فَعَوِّذ بها مِنِّي فُؤاداً أصابَهُ

على حَذَرٍ مِن نَفثِ أجفانِه سِحرُ

على حَذَرٍ مِن نَفثِ أجفانِه سِحرُ

Then shield from him this heart of mine, already struck,

So charm with it this heart of mine, which was struck,

despite its caution, by magic breathed from his eyelids.

though on guard, by magic breathed from his eyelids.

وهل بِرُضابِ الثَّغرِ مُرجٍ لها فَقَد

وهل بِرُضابِ الثَّغرِ مُرجٍ لها فَقَد

كَوى كَبِدي مِن نارِ وجنتِه جَمرُ

كَوى كَبِدي مِن نارِ وجنتِه جَمرُ

Is there hope for it in the nectar of his mouth, when

Can the lips' nectar bring it hope? For

an ember from the fire of his cheek has seared my liver?

an ember from the fire of his cheek has seared my liver.

ولم نَدرِ لمَّا تَلثِمُ الكأسُ ثَغرَهُ

ولم نَدرِ لمَّا تَلثِمُ الكأسُ ثَغرَهُ

حُبَابٌ طَفا لاح مِن ثَغرِه دُرُّ

حُبَابٌ طَفا لاح مِن ثَغرِه دُرُّ

We could not tell, when the goblet kissed his mouth,

And when the cup kisses his mouth, we cannot tell:

whether bubbles surfaced, or pearls flashed from his teeth.

are these bubbles rising, or pearls gleaming from his mouth?

مُدَامٌ كَأنَّ الشَّمسَ حَلَّت بِكَاسِهَا

مُدَامٌ كَأنَّ الشَّمسَ حَلَّت بِكَاسِهَا

لها اللَّونُ والإنعاشُ والنُّورُ والحَرُّ

لها اللَّونُ والإنعاشُ والنُّورُ والحَرُّ

Wine—as though the sun had settled in its cup—

Wine—as though the sun had settled in its cup;

possesses color, exhilaration, light, and heat.

it has the sun's color, reviving power, light, and heat.

كَفَت وَرِعاً يَخشى منَ الإثمِ شُربَها

كَفَت وَرِعاً يَخشى منَ الإثمِ شُربَها

بِرُؤيتِها في الكأسِ يَنشَرِح الصَّدرُ

بِرُؤيتِها في الكأسِ يَنشَرِح الصَّدرُ

How many a scrupulous man, fearing the sin of drinking it,

It suffices a devout man who fears the sin of drinking it:

has felt his breast expand merely on seeing it in the cup.

the sight of it in the cup brings gladness to the breast.

أدِرهَا فقد أغضَى الزَّمانُ جُفونَه

أدِرهَا فقد أغضَى الزَّمانُ جُفونَه

وقد حَدَجَتنَا قبلُ أجفانهُ الخُمرُ

وقد حَدَجَتنَا قبلُ أجفانهُ الخُمرُ

Pass it round: Time has lowered its eyelids,

Pass it round, for Time has lowered his eyelids,

though before now its wine-dark eyes had glared at us—

though his drowsy eyelids had glared at us before,

على سادةٍ غُرٍّ تَضَوَّعَ مِنهُمُ

على سادةٍ غُرٍّ تَضَوَّعَ مِنهُمُ

منَ المِسكِ نَشرٌ لا يُافاوِحُه نَشرُ

منَ المِسكِ نَشرٌ لا يُافاوِحُه نَشرُ

among radiant noble lords, from whom wafts

among radiant noblemen, from whom wafts

a breath of musk no other fragrance can rival;

a musky fragrance no fragrance can rival.

نَدامى صَفوا نَفساً ورَقُّوا شَمائِلاً

نَدامى صَفوا نَفساً ورَقُّوا شَمائِلاً

نَعِشتُ بهم روحاً كما نَفَحَ الزَّهرُ

نَعِشتُ بهم روحاً كما نَفَحَ الزَّهرُ

drinking companions pure in soul and refined in character,

Drinking companions, pure of soul and gentle in character;

through whom the spirit revives as flowers breathe fragrance.

through them my spirit revived, as blossoms breathed their scent.

وهل لابنِ دَاوودٍ يُلِمُّ بِمِعزَفٍ

وهل لابنِ دَاوودٍ يُلِمُّ بِمِعزَفٍ

لَديهِ على أوتَارِ أنغَامِهِ وِترُ

لَديهِ على أوتَارِ أنغَامِهِ وِترُ

And does Ibn Dāwūd come calling with a lute,

And does Ibn Dawud, when he takes up an instrument,

across whose strings runs a strand of his melodies?

harbor a grudge against the strings of his melodies?

فلِلصَّبرِ ما بالقَلبِ أودَعَ وقعُهُ

فلِلصَّبرِ ما بالقَلبِ أودَعَ وقعُهُ

وما فَعَلت فينا أناملُه العَشرُ

وما فَعَلت فينا أناملُه العَشرُ

Patience must bear the blow implanted in the heart,

Patience must bear what its sound has lodged in the heart,

and all that his ten fingers have done to us.

and what his ten fingers have done to us.

يقولً ابنً عَبَّاسٍ تَهَتَّكَ سِترُنا

يقولً ابنً عَبَّاسٍ تَهَتَّكَ سِترُنا

متى كانَ من سِترٍ فَيُنتَهكُ السِّترُ

متى كانَ من سِترٍ فَيُنتَهكُ السِّترُ

Ibn ʿAbbās tells you, “You have torn away our veil.”

Ibn Abbas says, 'Our veil has been torn.'

Since when was there a veil that could not be torn?

When was there ever a veil to be violated?

وحَطباً بِمَرعى الآسفِي عُشبَ وَقدِه

وحَطباً بِمَرعى الآسفِي عُشبَ وَقدِه

فإن تَحتَ طِب طِب عيشةٌ حُلوُها مُرُّ

فإن تَحتَ طِب طِب عيشةٌ حُلوُها مُرُّ

And firewood in the myrtle meadow, its kindling amid the grass—

And firewood in al-Asfi's pasture—grass for his fire [wording unclear].

for beneath the delight of life, even its sweetness is bitter.

For beneath 'Be glad, be glad!' lies a life whose sweetness is bitter.

بَدَا خَنِث الأعطاافِ إن ماسَ خِلتَهُ

بَدَا خَنِث الأعطاافِ إن ماسَ خِلتَهُ

وليسَ به سُكرٌ يُرَنِّحهُ السُّكرُ

وليسَ به سُكرٌ يُرَنِّحهُ السُّكرُ

He appeared tender and supple-limbed; when he swayed, you took him for drunk,

He appeared, supple of limb; when he swayed, you thought him

though no intoxication was in him for wine to make him reel.

rocked by drunkenness, though no drunkenness was in him.

عَجِبتُ لِقَومٍ أنكَروا مِن جَمالِ

عَجِبتُ لِقَومٍ أنكَروا مِن جَمالِ

وعِندَ اكتمالِ البدر هل يُحجَبُ البَدرُ

وعِندَ اكتمالِ البدر هل يُحجَبُ البَدرُ

I marvel at my people, who deny him any beauty,

I marvel at people who deny such beauty;

when to my eyes he is the full moon in perfection—is the moon not wondrous?

when the moon is full, can the full moon be veiled?

ويدعَونَهُ بالشَّافعي وهو مالِكي

ويدعَونَهُ بالشَّافعي وهو مالِكي

وذاكَ دليلٌ أنَّ قَولَهمُ نُكرُ

وذاكَ دليلٌ أنَّ قَولَهمُ نُكرُ

They call him al-Shāfiʿī, though he is my Mālikī—my master;

They call him al-Shafi'i, yet he is my master;

that alone proves how strange their claim is.

and that proves their words are absurd.

وَهبهُمُ عُمياً أينَ أوصافُ حُسنِه

وَهبهُمُ عُمياً أينَ أوصافُ حُسنِه

فمَالهمُ عُذرٌ وإن لهمُ عُذرُ

فمَالهمُ عُذرٌ وإن لهمُ عُذرُ

Suppose them blind—where, then, are the qualities of his beauty?

And suppose them blind—what of the qualities of his beauty?

They have no excuse—though indeed, they have their excuse.

So they have no excuse, even if they have an excuse.

أَاحمدُ إنِّي في حِبالِكَ مُوثَقٌ

أَاحمدُ إنِّي في حِبالِكَ مُوثَقٌ

وبين يديكَ النَّهىُ مولايَ والأمرُ

وبين يديكَ النَّهىُ مولايَ والأمرُ

Shall I deny that I am bound fast in your love,

O Ahmad, I am bound in your snares,

while my reason, my lord, and all command lie in your hands?

and in your hands, my lord, lie prohibition and command.

فَرِفقاً بِقَلبِي إنَّ قلبيَ عاجِزٌ

فَرِفقاً بِقَلبِي إنَّ قلبيَ عاجِزٌ

على حَملِ وَقرِ الحُبِّ إن نَزَل الوَقرُ

على حَملِ وَقرِ الحُبِّ إن نَزَل الوَقرُ

Be gentle with my heart, for my heart is too frail

So be gentle with my heart, for my heart is unable

to bear love’s heavy burden, should that weight descend.

to bear love's burden if that burden descends.

وحاذِر صُروفَ الدَّهرِ عندَ تَقلُّبٍ

وحاذِر صُروفَ الدَّهرِ عندَ تَقلُّبٍ

فلِلدّهرِ مثلُ البحرِ مَدُّهُ والجَزرُ

فلِلدّهرِ مثلُ البحرِ مَدُّهُ والجَزرُ

Beware the turns of Time when it changes course:

And beware Time's vicissitudes when fortunes turn:

for Time, like the sea, has its flood and ebb.

for Time, like the sea, has its flow and ebb.

فليسَ جَمالُ الوَجه في الوجه خالدا

فليسَ جَمالُ الوَجه في الوجه خالدا

وتَبقى فِعال الخَيرِ ما بَقِىَ الدَّهرُ

وتَبقى فِعال الخَيرِ ما بَقِىَ الدَّهرُ

The beauty of a face does not remain forever upon the face,

For a face's beauty does not remain in the face forever,

but deeds of goodness endure as long as Time endures.

but deeds of goodness endure as long as Time endures.