عَصيتُك وَالأنفاسُ منِّي هواجِرٌ

عَصيتُك وَالأنفاسُ منِّي هواجِرٌ

فَكَيفَ ترجّيني وقيظُك باردُ

فَكَيفَ ترجّيني وقيظُك باردُ

I defied you while my breaths were scorching noons;

I disobeyed you though my breaths were departing from me,

How, then, can you give me hope when your summer heat is cold?

So how can you wish for me while your disdain is cold?

صحبتُ السُّرى حتى كسانِي ثِيابه

صحبتُ السُّرى حتى كسانِي ثِيابه

ونَظْم دَراريهِ عليَّ قلائِدُ

ونَظْم دَراريهِ عليَّ قلائِدُ

I kept company with night travel until it clothed me in its robes,

I kept company with the sleepless until their clothes adorned me,

And strings of its gleaming stars were necklaces upon me.

And the arrangement of their pearls was necklaces upon me.

أُعانقُ سُمراً غيرُهنّ من الدُّمى

أُعانقُ سُمراً غيرُهنّ من الدُّمى

وألثِمُ بيضاً غيرُهنّ الخَرائِدُ

وألثِمُ بيضاً غيرُهنّ الخَرائِدُ

I embrace brown spears, not statue-like beauties,

I embrace brown-skinned women other than the pale idols,

And I kiss white blades, not bashful maidens.

And kiss white ones other than the deficit coquettes.

ولي حاجةٌ عند الأسنّةِ والظُّبا

ولي حاجةٌ عند الأسنّةِ والظُّبا

تَهُمُّ بها نفسِي فأين المساعدُ

تَهُمُّ بها نفسِي فأين المساعدُ

And I have a need that lies with spearpoints and sword edges;

I have a need with the old and the hyenas

My soul is bent upon it—where, then, is a helper?

That my soul yearns for, so where is the helper?

تُعافُ لها الآمالُ وهْيَ نوافقٌ

تُعافُ لها الآمالُ وهْيَ نوافقٌ

وينفُقُ فيها الموتُ والموتُ كاسدُ

وينفُقُ فيها الموتُ والموتُ كاسدُ

For its sake, hopes are spurned, though they sell readily,

Hopes neglect it while it is harmonious,

And death sells readily there, though death goes unsold.

And death spends on it while death is stagnant.

إِذا لاكتِ الهيجاء فيها نفوسَنا

إِذا لاكتِ الهيجاء فيها نفوسَنا

فَلَيسَ يَفوت الشّرطَ إلّا المُجالِدُ

فَلَيسَ يَفوت الشّرطَ إلّا المُجالِدُ

When battle chews up our souls there,

When the sultriness entices our souls in it,

Then none outstrips the vanguard except the sword-fighter.

None will miss the opportunity except the gallant.

مُرادِيَ أنْ تستَلّنِي في مُلِمّةٍ

مُرادِيَ أنْ تستَلّنِي في مُلِمّةٍ

فَإنّي حُسامٌ صانَهُ عنك غامِدُ

فَإنّي حُسامٌ صانَهُ عنك غامِدُ

My wish is that you draw me forth in a calamity,

My desire is that you treat me gently in a dilemma,

For I am a keen sword, kept from you by one who sheathed it.

For I am a sword that its sheath has protected from you.

فتىً يلبسُ الإقدامَ والصّبرُ جازعٌ

فتىً يلبسُ الإقدامَ والصّبرُ جازعٌ

ويكرع ماءَ الصَفْحِ والحلمُ حاقدُ

ويكرع ماءَ الصَفْحِ والحلمُ حاقدُ

A youth who wears daring while patience is distraught,

A young man who wears resoluteness while patience is solemn,

And drinks deeply of the water of pardon while forbearance bears a grudge.

And drinks the water of pardoning while forbearance is resentful.

وكم لِيَ من يومٍ عصبتُ به الرّدى

وكم لِيَ من يومٍ عصبتُ به الرّدى

وسمرُ العوالِي للنُّفوسِ تُراودُ

وسمرُ العوالِي للنُّفوسِ تُراودُ

And many a day have I bound death fast,

And how many a day have I girded myself against adversity,

While the brown shafts of tall spears were wooing souls.

While the conversation of sublime things to souls is tempting.

وَما ضَرّ قَولُ الكاشِحينَ وإنّما

وَما ضَرّ قَولُ الكاشِحينَ وإنّما

كلامُ الأعادي للمعالِي مَقالِدُ

كلامُ الأعادي للمعالِي مَقالِدُ

And the words of ill-wishers did no harm; rather,

No harm in the words of the slanderers, but rather

Enemies' words are but keys to lofty honors.

The talk of enemies to the sublime things is destructive.

بقلبي غرامٌ ليس يَشفيه مَنْ أرى

بقلبي غرامٌ ليس يَشفيه مَنْ أرى

ألا كلُّ ما يشفي المريض العوائدُ

ألا كلُّ ما يشفي المريض العوائدُ

In my heart is a passion that no one I see can heal.

In my heart is a passion no one I see can cure,

Indeed, a sick man's only cure is the women who visit him.

Unless all that cures the sick are habits.

وما ضرّني أنِّي خَليٌّ منَ الغِنى

وما ضرّني أنِّي خَليٌّ منَ الغِنى

وَوَفْرُ العُلا عندِي طريفٌ وتالِدُ

وَوَفْرُ العُلا عندِي طريفٌ وتالِدُ

Nor has it harmed me that I am without wealth,

It did not hurt me that I am devoid of wealth,

While my abundant store of glory is both newly won and inherited.

And the abundance of elevation is delightful and renewed to me.