محرم لمتني بلسان ودٍّ

محرم لمتني بلسان ودٍّ

وشددت النكير وما جنيتُ

وشددت النكير وما جنيتُ

Muharram, you reproached me in the language of affection,

Muharram, you reproached me in affection's tongue,

and pressed your censure, though I had committed no wrong.

and intensified your censure, though I had done no wrong.

ظننت العذر غدراً بالقوافي

ظننت العذر غدراً بالقوافي

ولولا ضعف عزمي لاقتفيت

ولولا ضعف عزمي لاقتفيت

You took an excuse for treachery toward the rhymes;

You took my excuse for a betrayal of rhymes;

had my resolve not weakened, I would have followed their tracks,

but for my weakened resolve, I would have followed on,

وواصلت التنقل في الفيافي

وواصلت التنقل في الفيافي

وأودية الخيال وما انثنيت

وأودية الخيال وما انثنيت

and gone on roaming across the open deserts

and continued roaming the wildernesses

and the valleys of imagination, never turning back.

and valleys of imagination, never turning back.

ولكن الطبيب أطال نهيي

ولكن الطبيب أطال نهيي

عن النظم المبرح فانتهيت

عن النظم المبرح فانتهيت

But the physician prolonged his prohibition,

But the physician persisted in forbidding me

forbidding exhausting composition, and so I stopped.

to compose exhausting verse, so I stopped.

فلم أترك لبيت الداء عوناً

فلم أترك لبيت الداء عوناً

يقوى الهضم إلا واشتريت

يقوى الهضم إلا واشتريت

I left no aid for the seat of illness,

So I left no aid for the abode of illness

nothing that strengthens digestion, without buying it.

that strengthens digestion without buying it.

ولم أعرف لمفسدة مجالاً

ولم أعرف لمفسدة مجالاً

يمدد جرمه إلا اتقيت

يمدد جرمه إلا اتقيت

I knew of no opening for anything harmful

Nor did I know of an opening for harm

through which its damage might spread, but I guarded against it.

that would enlarge its bulk without guarding against it.

ولولا حميتي وشديد حرصي

ولولا حميتي وشديد حرصي

عليه ما شربت ولا اغتذيت

عليه ما شربت ولا اغتذيت

Were it not for my regimen and my intense care for it,

Were it not for my diet and my utmost care

I would neither have drunk nor taken nourishment.

for it, I would neither drink nor eat.

ولولا أن يسيء الظن صحبي

ولولا أن يسيء الظن صحبي

لما أعلنت أمري واشتكيت

لما أعلنت أمري واشتكيت

Had I not feared my companions would think ill of me,

And were it not that my companions might think ill of me,

I would never have disclosed my condition or complained.

I would not have revealed my condition and complained.

ولولا أن سمعت الشعر يبكي

ولولا أن سمعت الشعر يبكي

عليّ لطول بعدي ما بكيت

عليّ لطول بعدي ما بكيت

Had I not heard poetry weeping

And had I not heard poetry weeping

over my long absence, I would not have wept.

over me for my long absence, I would not have wept.

ومن عجبٍ أضنُّ به وأحنو

ومن عجبٍ أضنُّ به وأحنو

عليه حال أني منه ميت

عليه حال أني منه ميت

Strange: I hoard it and bend tenderly

And strangely, I jealously cherish it and show tenderness

over it, even as I am dying of it.

toward it, though I am dying from it.

وكنت أقول لو عادت حياتي

وكنت أقول لو عادت حياتي

وعافيتي عن المال اغتنيت

وعافيتي عن المال اغتنيت

I used to say: If my life returned,

And I used to say: if my life returned,

and my health, I could do without wealth;

and my health, I would have no need of wealth.

ولو نلت الشفاء أرحت قلبي

ولو نلت الشفاء أرحت قلبي

من الأمل البعيد وما سعيت

من الأمل البعيد وما سعيت

if I attained recovery, I would relieve my heart

And if I gained a cure, I would relieve my heart

of far-off hopes and strive no more.

of far-off hopes and strive no more.

فما ودعت ذاك الداء حتى

فما ودعت ذاك الداء حتى

رجعت إلى الأماني واشتهيت

رجعت إلى الأماني واشتهيت

Yet no sooner had I bidden that illness farewell

Yet no sooner had I bid that illness farewell

than I returned to hopes and desires.

than I returned to hopes and longed again.

وناديت القريض فتاه كبراً

وناديت القريض فتاه كبراً

علي ولم يجبني منه بيت

علي ولم يجبني منه بيت

I called out to poetry, but it strayed proudly,

And I called to poetry, but it grew haughty

haughty toward me, and not one verse answered.

toward me, and not one verse of it answered me.

فلم يبلغك ما كان ادعاه

فلم يبلغك ما كان ادعاه

وطالبني به حتى ادعيت

وطالبني به حتى ادعيت

It did not convey to you what it had claimed,

So what it had claimed never reached you;

and you demanded it of me until I, too, was called to answer.

and it pressed me for it until I made a claim.

فإن تحكم بظلم أو بعدل

فإن تحكم بظلم أو بعدل

فقد أرضاه حكمك وارتضيت

فقد أرضاه حكمك وارتضيت

Whether you judge unjustly or justly,

So whether you judge unjustly or justly,

your judgment has pleased it, and I am content.

your judgment has pleased it, and I accept it.

تصافينا وأول ما ابتغاه

تصافينا وأول ما ابتغاه

رضاك فكان أحسن ما ابتغيت

رضاك فكان أحسن ما ابتغيت

We made peace; the first thing it sought

We reconciled, and the first thing it sought

was your approval—the finest thing I sought.

was your approval—the best thing I sought.

إذا لم أحتفظ بك ياسميى

إذا لم أحتفظ بك ياسميى

فلا نلتُ الفخار ولا ارتقيت

فلا نلتُ الفخار ولا ارتقيت

If I do not hold fast to you, my evening companion,

If I do not hold fast to you, my namesake,

may I win no glory and rise no higher.

may I never gain glory or rise.

تكاليف الحياة فررت منها

تكاليف الحياة فررت منها

إليك مولياً وبك اقتديت

إليك مولياً وبك اقتديت

From life’s burdens I fled,

Life's burdens—I fled from them,

turning to you and following your example.

turning toward you and following your example.

لبثت أصيح حتى جف ريقي

لبثت أصيح حتى جف ريقي

ومن غير المدامع ما ارتويت

ومن غير المدامع ما ارتويت

I kept crying out until my mouth went dry,

I kept crying out until my saliva dried up,

and nothing but tears ever quenched my thirst.

and I quenched my thirst with nothing but tears.

وضيعت الشباب فما اجتنيت

وضيعت الشباب فما اجتنيت

سوى الندم الأليم ولا اقتنيت

سوى الندم الأليم ولا اقتنيت

I squandered youth and reaped nothing

And I squandered my youth and reaped nothing

save bitter regret, nor did I gain a thing.

but painful regret, nor acquired anything else.

ولو يكفي الفتى أدب وعلم

ولو يكفي الفتى أدب وعلم

لكنت بما تيسر لي اكتفيت

لكنت بما تيسر لي اكتفيت

If refinement and knowledge sufficed a young man,

And if literature and learning sufficed a young man,

I would have been content with what came easily to me.

I would have been content with what was available to me.

ولولا أخوةٌ وأب وأم

ولولا أخوةٌ وأب وأم

بمصرَ لكنت عن مصرٍ نأيت

بمصرَ لكنت عن مصرٍ نأيت

Were it not for siblings, a father, and a mother

And were it not for brothers, a father, and a mother

in Egypt, I would have gone far from Egypt.

in Egypt, I would have gone far from Egypt.

ولولا أن يضل القوم بعدي

ولولا أن يضل القوم بعدي

سبيل الرشد عن قومي اختفيت

سبيل الرشد عن قومي اختفيت

Were it not that my people might stray after me

And were it not that my people, after my departure, might lose

from the path of right guidance, I would disappear from among them.

the path of right guidance, I would have vanished from my people.

لئن كنت اشتفيت من اعتلالي

لئن كنت اشتفيت من اعتلالي

فإني من زماني ما اشتفيت

فإني من زماني ما اشتفيت

Though I have recovered from my infirmity,

Though I have indeed recovered from my illness,

I have found no recovery from my times.

I have not recovered from my times.

وإن أطريت رب الطب عيداً

وإن أطريت رب الطب عيداً

هجوت سراة قومي وازدريت

هجوت سراة قومي وازدريت

If I have overpraised the master of medicine, forgive me;

And though I lavishly praised Eid, master of medicine,

I have satirized all the rest of my people and scorned them.

I satirized my people's notables and scorned them.

ولست بنافع بالشعر نفسي

ولست بنافع بالشعر نفسي

ولا أهلي ولو أني الكميت

ولا أهلي ولو أني الكميت

With poetry I cannot benefit myself,

And I do not benefit myself through poetry,

nor my family, even were I al-Kumayt.

nor my family, even were I al-Kumayt.

رأيت جميل صبرك خير سيف

رأيت جميل صبرك خير سيف

تذود به النوائبَ فاحتميت

تذود به النوائبَ فاحتميت

In your noble patience I saw the finest sword:

I saw your noble patience as the best sword

with it you ward off calamities, and in it I took shelter.

with which you repel calamities, so I sought refuge.

إليَّ أخي بما يجلو همومي

إليَّ أخي بما يجلو همومي

فقد شغلتْ لساني لَوْ وليت

فقد شغلتْ لساني لَوْ وليت

Come to me, brother, with what will clear my cares;

Bring me, my brother, what dispels my cares,

for they have occupied my tongue—if only they would depart.

for 'if' and 'if only' have occupied my tongue.

وأنجدني بنصحك وارعَ ودي

وأنجدني بنصحك وارعَ ودي

فإني غير ودك ما رعيت

فإني غير ودك ما رعيت

Help me with your counsel, and tend my affection;

And help me with your counsel, and cherish my affection,

for I have tended no affection but yours.

for I have cherished no affection but yours.