أَتُرى تَعودُ لَنا كَما

أَتُرى تَعودُ لَنا كَما

سَلَفَت لَيالي الأَبرَقينِ

سَلَفَت لَيالي الأَبرَقينِ

Will they, do you think, return to us as

Will the nights with lightning come back to us,

of old—the nights of al-Abraqayn—

Bringing affection with connection and intimacy?

فَتَكُرَّ عاطِفَةً بِوَص

فَتَكُرَّ عاطِفَةً بِوَص

لٍ وَاِجتِماعٍ مِن لُبَينِ

لٍ وَاِجتِماعٍ مِن لُبَينِ

and return lovingly with

And gather us after resolution in a house for them, with palm trees.

union and a meeting from Lubayn,

Alas, the raven of your neighborhood cried out, “Reunite the whole group!”

وَتَضُمُّنا بَعدَ النَوى

وَتَضُمُّنا بَعدَ النَوى

دارٌ لَهُم بِالرَقمَتَينِ

دارٌ لَهُم بِالرَقمَتَينِ

and will we be gathered, after separation,

A nation split, so your heart accommodated the two factions.

by their dwelling at al-Raqmatayn?

O religion of your heart, from a wolf that does not see the expiration of debt!

هَيهاتَ صاحَ بِشَملِ جيرَ

هَيهاتَ صاحَ بِشَملِ جيرَ

تِكَ الجَميعِ غُرابُ بَينِ

تِكَ الجَميعِ غُرابُ بَينِ

Far from it! Over your neighbors’

The promises were as if created from a promise and bending.

united company the raven of parting has cried.

They were brazen with indifference when they saw the frowners.

شَعبٌ تَصَدَّعَ فاّستَطا

شَعبٌ تَصَدَّعَ فاّستَطا

رَ لَهُ فُؤادُكَ شُعبَتَينِ

رَ لَهُ فُؤادُكَ شُعبَتَينِ

A gathering broke apart, and

Wait! My whitening hair is not the first of a coward or of two braids.

your heart flew asunder for it into two halves.

And the sweetness of contentment sang for me, the song of the two gardens.

يا دينَ قَلبِكَ مِن ظِبا

يا دينَ قَلبِكَ مِن ظِبا

ءٍ لا يَرَينَ قَضاءَ دَينِ

ءٍ لا يَرَينَ قَضاءَ دَينِ

Oh, the debt owed to your heart by gazelles

It brought me to life at night while the watcher was heedless with two cups.

who will not consider repaying a debt!

They are drunk from the wine of his eyes, and from the wine of the top of the eye.

المُخلِفاتُ كَأَنَّهُنَّ

المُخلِفاتُ كَأَنَّهُنَّ

خُلِقنَ مِن وَعدٍ وَمَينِ

خُلِقنَ مِن وَعدٍ وَمَينِ

The promise-breakers—as though

So it is a magical drunkard who throws reason with two intoxications.

they were made of promises and lies.

And a drunkard like ash that laughs in the vessels of thickened wine.

صَرَّحنَ بِالأَعراضِ حي

صَرَّحنَ بِالأَعراضِ حي

نَ رَأَينَ وَخطَ العارِضينِ

نَ رَأَينَ وَخطَ العارِضينِ

They openly declared aversion when

So today he may distinguish, if he sees the separation in me,

they saw gray flecks on both sides of my beard.

I am from the love of Lubna* and my devotion, I am prisoner to two gazelles.

مَهلاً فَما شَيبي بِأَو

مَهلاً فَما شَيبي بِأَو

وَلِ غادِرٍ بِغَديرَتَينِ

وَلِ غادِرٍ بِغَديرَتَينِ

Gently! My gray hair is not the first

And youthfulness had certainly ripened, which was the best of two dyes,

betrayer of two braided locks.

So it watered life the era of childhood, and its covenants with two spears.

وَأَغَنَّ مَعسولِ الرُضا

وَأَغَنَّ مَعسولِ الرُضا

بِ جِنِيِّ وَردِ الوَجنَتَينِ

بِ جِنِيِّ وَردِ الوَجنَتَينِ

And a sweetly nasal-voiced one, honey-sweet of

If the days come between what is against me and against it,

saliva, fresh roses upon both cheeks,

And turn the chests of my she-camels, and twist my religion over the high place,

أَمسى يُحَيِيّني وَقَد

أَمسى يُحَيِيّني وَقَد

غَفَلَ الرَقيبُ بِقَهوَتَينِ

غَفَلَ الرَقيبُ بِقَهوَتَينِ

greeted me at evening, while

And it went covered in clothes that were of fine fabric and two widths,

the watcher was heedless, with two wines.

Or time turned away from me with erased lettering, soft of two leaves,

والاهُما مِن خَمرِ عَي

والاهُما مِن خَمرِ عَي

نَيهِ وَخَمرَةِ رَأسِ عَينِ

نَيهِ وَخَمرَةِ رَأسِ عَينِ

He gave them in succession: wine from his

And casts the black misfortunes of my destiny from aging with evil,

two eyes, and wine from Ra’s Ayn.

And I am hurt in the eye of her who was the world in my eye,

فَمُدامَةٌ سِحرِيَّةٌ

فَمُدامَةٌ سِحرِيَّةٌ

تَرمي العُقولَ بِسَكرَتَينِ

تَرمي العُقولَ بِسَكرَتَينِ

One was a sorcerous wine,

An eye which I gained through its light, the light of knowledge and what an eye!

striking minds with a double drunkenness;

Two conditions touched me from them with two tribulations,

وَمُدامَةٌ كَالتَبرِ تَض

وَمُدامَةٌ كَالتَبرِ تَض

حَكُ في قَواريرِ اللُجَينِ

حَكُ في قَواريرِ اللُجَينِ

and one was wine like raw gold, which

Darkening of an eye in the light of whitened venerable hair,

laughed within flasks of silver.

Morning and evening together with no difference, so wonder at that!

فَاليَومَ يَفرَقُ إِن رَأى

فَاليَومَ يَفرَقُ إِن رَأى

مِنّي بَياضَ المَفرِقَينِ

مِنّي بَياضَ المَفرِقَينِ

But today he takes fright if he sees

Or I went in life with bare tranquility, empty of the two palms,

the whiteness of both hair-partings on me.

In a isthmus between them, an eternal curve, companion of two sorrows,

أَنا مِن هَوى لُبنى وَمِن

أَنا مِن هَوى لُبنى وَمِن

فودي أَسيرُ لُبانَتَينِ

فودي أَسيرُ لُبانَتَينِ

Through love of Lubna, and through

Like the sound between two sounds, not alive and not dead,

my temple-locks, I am captive to two desires.

So it is as if I did not hear from it on the path two times,

وَلَقَد نَضا صِبغُ الشَبا

وَلَقَد نَضا صِبغُ الشَبا

بِ وَكانَ خَيرَ الصِبغَتَينِ

بِ وَكانَ خَيرَ الصِبغَتَينِ

The dye of youth has indeed worn away,

And as if I glanced at it a glance or two glances,

and it was the better of the two dyes.

It turned away so I have no trace of it after the eye,

فَسَقى الحَيا عَهدَ الصِبى

فَسَقى الحَيا عَهدَ الصِبى

وَعُهودَهُنَّ بِرَمَتَينِ

وَعُهودَهُنَّ بِرَمَتَينِ

So may rain water the days of youth

Or I spend my days chewing the woes with what they chewed me,

and their trysts at Ramatayn.

And time with blessings and tribulations, hands outstretched,

إِن حالَتِ الأَيّامُ بَي

إِن حالَتِ الأَيّامُ بَي

نَ مَآرِبي مِنها وَبَيني

نَ مَآرِبي مِنها وَبَيني

If the days have stood

It settled on Ghumdan and the palace from it with two fetters,

between my hopes from them and me,

And destroyed those with glory, and wanted those with starvation and shepherding,

وَثَنَت صُدورَ رَكائِبي

وَثَنَت صُدورَ رَكائِبي

وَلَوَت عَلى العَلياءِ دَيني

وَلَوَت عَلى العَلياءِ دَيني

and turned back the breasts of my riding-camels,

It repelled them with the spears of a hidden evil not attributed to two hands,

and withheld the debt that glory owes me,

And it transgressed upon Bahram Jor* and Azdashir the just two!

وَمَضَت بِوَفرٍ كانَ مِن

وَمَضَت بِوَفرٍ كانَ مِن

أَرَبِ الحِسانِ وَوَفرَتَينِ

أَرَبِ الحِسانِ وَوَفرَتَينِ

and carried off wealth that was one

The two events did not deflect what they gathered of paper and eye,

of beauties’ desires, and two locks of hair;

And it anchored in the house of the Prophet openly with two evils,

أَو فَلَّ مِنّي الدَهرُ ذا

أَو فَلَّ مِنّي الدَهرُ ذا

شُطبٍ رَقيقَِ الشَفرَتَين

شُطبٍ رَقيقَِ الشَفرَتَين

or Time has blunted in me a blade

So it appeared with meanness in my father Hasan*, and doubled with Hussein*!

with grooves and two delicate edges,

The two good, the two pure, the two virtuous,

وَرَمى عَذائِرَ لِمَّتي ال

وَرَمى عَذائِرَ لِمَّتي ال

سَوداءِ مِن شَيبٍ بِشَينِ

سَوداءِ مِن شَيبٍ بِشَينِ

and cast upon the locks of my

The two leading back to the Prophet Muhammad in two relations,

black hair the blemish of gray,

And how the smooth-tongued attacker from a hidden wolf of two canines transgressed,

وَأُصبِتُ في عَيني الَّتي كانَت

وَأُصبِتُ في عَيني الَّتي كانَت

هِيَ الدُنيا بِعَينِ

هِيَ الدُنيا بِعَينِ

and I was stricken in my eye, which had been

Changing the face, distasteful palm, and forearms disable,

the very world, by an evil eye—

His incidents and signs of a purpose came to ruin and end,

عَينٍ جَنَيتُ بِنورِها

عَينٍ جَنَيتُ بِنورِها

نورَ العُلومِ وَأَيِّ عَينِ

نورَ العُلومِ وَأَيِّ عَينِ

an eye through whose light I gathered

And how much he threw altogether alive, though his connection was with purpose and separation!

the light of the sciences—and what an eye!

And his plot will rise up and extend the connection of the two noble ones,

حالانِ مَسَّتني الحَوا

حالانِ مَسَّتني الحَوا

دِثُ مِنهُما بِفَجيعَتَينِ

دِثُ مِنهُما بِفَجيعَتَينِ

Two states: calamities have afflicted me

And perhaps his disasters will take the course of the two brilliant ones,

through them with two grievous losses:

And he will go with the firewood of Shi'ra* and the contents of Mizmam*!

إِظلامُ عَينٍ في ضَيا

إِظلامُ عَينٍ في ضَيا

ءِ مَشيبِ رَأسٍ سَرمَدَينِ

ءِ مَشيبِ رَأسٍ سَرمَدَينِ

the darkness of an eye amid the light

And he will pulverize Hira* and Hudb* of glorious views and the two wooden swords!

of a graying head, both everlasting—

And he will throw upon the pillar of his strength, and upon Khunain*,

صُبحٌ وَإِمساءٌ مَعاً

صُبحٌ وَإِمساءٌ مَعاً

لا خِلفَةً فَاِعجَب لِذَينِ

لا خِلفَةً فَاِعجَب لِذَينِ

dawn and evening together,

So carry his difficulties upon a back, strong of the two shoulders,

not by turns; marvel at these two!

And discard worries - you are from them in tiredness and deprivation,

أَو رُحتُ في الدُنيا مِنَ ال

أَو رُحتُ في الدُنيا مِنَ ال

سَرّاءِ صِفرَ الراحَتَينِ

سَرّاءِ صِفرَ الراحَتَينِ

Or I go through this world,

For people in the palm of events are as motes in the palm of a builder,

both palms empty of joy,

And be patient for what events strikes with of hardship and ease,

في بَرزَخٍ مِنها أَخا

في بَرزَخٍ مِنها أَخا

كَمَدٍ حَليفِ كَآبَتَينِ

كَمَدٍ حَليفِ كَآبَتَينِ

in its limbo, a brother to

And know that you will experience tomorrow unlike the two conditions,

grief, a companion of two sorrows,

My attempt to translate while preserving the poetic nature. *Names left in Arabic as they are proper names.

أَسوانُ لا حَيُّ وَلا

أَسوانُ لا حَيُّ وَلا

مَيتٌ كَهَمزَةِ بَينَ بَينِ

مَيتٌ كَهَمزَةِ بَينَ بَينِ

mourning, neither alive nor

dead, like a hamza pronounced in between;

فَكَأَنَّني لَم أَسعَ مِن

فَكَأَنَّني لَم أَسعَ مِن

ها في طَريقِ مَرَّتَينِ

ها في طَريقِ مَرَّتَينِ

as if I had never traveled

twice along any road in it,

وَكَأَنَّني مُتِّعتُ مِن

وَكَأَنَّني مُتِّعتُ مِن

ها نَظرَةً أَو نَظرَتَينِ

ها نَظرَةً أَو نَظرَتَينِ

and as if I had been granted from it

a glance or two.

وَلَّت فَما لي طالِباً

وَلَّت فَما لي طالِباً

أَثَراً لَها مِن بَعدِ عَينِ

أَثَراً لَها مِن بَعدِ عَينِ

It has turned away; why should I seek

a trace of it after its substance is gone?

أَو بِتُّ شِلوَ الهَمِّ تَم

أَو بِتُّ شِلوَ الهَمِّ تَم

ضَغُني الخَطوب بِما ضَغينِ

ضَغُني الخَطوب بِما ضَغينِ

Or I pass the night a carcass for care,

misfortunes chewing me with two jaws,

وَالدَهرُ بِالإِرزاءِ وَال

وَالدَهرُ بِالإِرزاءِ وَال

نَكَباتِ مَبسوطُ اليَدَينِ

نَكَباتِ مَبسوطُ اليَدَينِ

while Time, in losses and

disasters, has both hands outstretched.

أَرسى عَلى غُمدانَ وَال

أَرسى عَلى غُمدانَ وَال

إيوانِ مِنهُ بِكَلكَلينِ

إيوانِ مِنهُ بِكَلكَلينِ

It pressed down upon Ghumdan and

the Iwan with its two chests,

وَأَبادَ ذا يَزَنٍ وَأَر

وَأَبادَ ذا يَزَنٍ وَأَر

دى ذا الكُلاعِ وذا رُعَينِ

دى ذا الكُلاعِ وذا رُعَينِ

and destroyed Dhu Yazan, and laid low

Dhu al-Kulaʿ and Dhu Ruʿayn.

أَرداهُمُ بِرِماحِ خَط

أَرداهُمُ بِرِماحِ خَط

بٍ ما نُسِبنَ إِلى رُدَينِ

بٍ ما نُسِبنَ إِلى رُدَينِ

It slew them with calamity’s spears,

not spears ascribed to Rudayn,

وَسَطا عَلى بَهرامَ جو

وَسَطا عَلى بَهرامَ جو

رَوَأَزدَشيرَ العادِلَينِ

رَوَأَزدَشيرَ العادِلَينِ

and assailed Bahram

Gur and Ardashir, both just.

لَم يَدفَعِ الحَدَثانَ ما

لَم يَدفَعِ الحَدَثانَ ما

جَمَعوهُ مِن وَرَقٍ وَعَينِ

جَمَعوهُ مِن وَرَقٍ وَعَينِ

The blows of fate were not repelled by what

they amassed in silver and gold.

وَأَناخَ في آلِ النَبي

وَأَناخَ في آلِ النَبي

يِ مُجاهِراً بِرَزيئَتَينِ

يِ مُجاهِراً بِرَزيئَتَينِ

And it knelt among the Prophet’s family,

openly bringing two grievous losses:

فَبَدا بِرُزءٍ في أَبي

فَبَدا بِرُزءٍ في أَبي

حَسَنٍ وَثَنّى بِالحُسَينِ

حَسَنٍ وَثَنّى بِالحُسَينِ

it began with a calamity in Abu

Hasan, then followed with Husayn,

الطَيِبَينِ الطاهِرَينِ

الطَيِبَينِ الطاهِرَينِ

الخَيرَينِ الفاضِلَينِ

الخَيرَينِ الفاضِلَينِ

both good and pure,

both virtuous and excellent,

المُدلِيَينِ إِلى النَبِي

المُدلِيَينِ إِلى النَبِي

يِ مُحَمَّدٍ بِقَرابَتَينِ

يِ مُحَمَّدٍ بِقَرابَتَينِ

both bound to the Prophet

Muhammad by two ties of kinship.

وَلَرُبَّ أَذلَبَ مِن أُسو

وَلَرُبَّ أَذلَبَ مِن أُسو

دِ خَفيَّةٍ ذي لِبدَتَينِ

دِ خَفيَّةٍ ذي لِبدَتَينِ

And many a long-tongued lion among the lions

of Khafiyya, with two manes,

غَيرانَ جَهمِ الوَجهِ شَتنِ

غَيرانَ جَهمِ الوَجهِ شَتنِ

الكَفِّ عَبلِ الساعِدَينِ

الكَفِّ عَبلِ الساعِدَينِ

jealous, grim-faced, broad

of paw and thick in both forearms,

طَرَقَت حَوادِثُهُ وَأَي

طَرَقَت حَوادِثُهُ وَأَي

يَةُ غايَةٍ تُردي وَحَينِ

يَةُ غايَةٍ تُردي وَحَينِ

was visited by its calamities—and what

a deadly end, what doom!

وَلَكَم رَمى حَيّاً جَمي

وَلَكَم رَمى حَيّاً جَمي

عاً شَملُهُ بِنَوَىً وَبَينِ

عاً شَملُهُ بِنَوَىً وَبَينِ

How often it struck a clan whose

company was united, with distance and parting!

وَلَسَوفَ يَرقى كَيدُهُ

وَلَسَوفَ يَرقى كَيدُهُ

فيُشِتُّ شَملَ الفَرقَدَينِ

فيُشِتُّ شَملَ الفَرقَدَينِ

Its plotting will surely climb

to scatter the fellowship of the Farqadayn,

وَلَرُبَّما نالَت دَوا

وَلَرُبَّما نالَت دَوا

ثِرُهُ مَدارَ النَيّرَينِ

ثِرُهُ مَدارَ النَيّرَينِ

and its ravages may well reach

the orbit of the two luminaries.

وَلَيَذهَبَنَّ بِوَقدَةِ ال

وَلَيَذهَبَنَّ بِوَقدَةِ ال

شِعرى وَوَدقِ المِرزَمَينِ

شِعرى وَوَدقِ المِرزَمَينِ

It will surely take away the blaze of

al-Shiʿra and the rain of the two Mirzams,

وَلَيَنسِفَنَّ حَرىً وَهَض

وَلَيَنسِفَنَّ حَرىً وَهَض

بَ مَتالِعٍ وَالأَخشَبَينِ

بَ مَتالِعٍ وَالأَخشَبَينِ

and surely blast Hara and the rocky heights

of Mataliʿ and the two Akhshabs.

وَلَيُلَقينَّ عَلى أَبانٍ

وَلَيُلَقينَّ عَلى أَبانٍ

رُكنَهُ وَعَلى حُنَينِ

رُكنَهُ وَعَلى حُنَينِ

It will surely cast upon Aban

its flank, and upon Hunayn.

فَاِحمِل شَدائِدَهُ عَلى

فَاِحمِل شَدائِدَهُ عَلى

ظَهرٍ شَديدِ المَنكِبَينِ

ظَهرٍ شَديدِ المَنكِبَينِ

So carry its hardships upon

a back with two strong shoulders,

وَاِطرَح هُموماً أَنتَ مِن

وَاِطرَح هُموماً أَنتَ مِن

ها الدَهرَ في تَعَبٍ وَأَينِ

ها الدَهرَ في تَعَبٍ وَأَينِ

and cast aside cares that leave you

forever in toil and exhaustion.

فَالناسُ في كَفِّ الحَوا

فَالناسُ في كَفِّ الحَوا

دِثِ زُبرَةٌ في كَفِّ قَينِ

دِثِ زُبرَةٌ في كَفِّ قَينِ

For people in the hand of calamities

are an iron lump in a smith’s hand.

وَاِصبِر لِما طَرَقَت بِهِ ا

وَاِصبِر لِما طَرَقَت بِهِ ا

لأَحداثُ مِن صَعبٍ وَهَينِ

لأَحداثُ مِن صَعبٍ وَهَينِ

And endure what befalls you

through events, whether hard or easy,

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ تَستَجِد

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ تَستَجِد

دُ غَداً خِلافَ الحالَتَينِ

دُ غَداً خِلافَ الحالَتَينِ

and know that you will find anew

tomorrow a change from both states.