أَراعَكَ بِالبَينِ الخَليطُ المُهَجِّرُ

أَراعَكَ بِالبَينِ الخَليطُ المُهَجِّرُ

وَلَم يَكُ عَن بَينِ الأَحِبَّةِ عُنصُرُ

وَلَم يَكُ عَن بَينِ الأَحِبَّةِ عُنصُرُ

Did the companions departing at midday alarm you with their parting?

You alarmed me, separation, with your mixed-up exile

And there was no refuge from parting with loved ones.

And no element was far from the separation of the loved ones

إِذا اِغتَرَّهُ بَينُ الجَميعِ فَلَم تَكُن

إِذا اِغتَرَّهُ بَينُ الجَميعِ فَلَم تَكُن

لَهُ فَزعَةٌ إِلاّ الهَوادِجُ تُخدَرُ

لَهُ فَزعَةٌ إِلاّ الهَوادِجُ تُخدَرُ

When the whole company’s departure caught him unawares, there was

When everyone was deceived by the separation, he had

no alarm for him except the howdahs being curtained.

No recourse but reddened swords that become blunt

تَرَدَّينَ أَنماطاً وَرَيطاً كَأَنَّهُ

تَرَدَّينَ أَنماطاً وَرَيطاً كَأَنَّهُ

نَجيعُ ضَرا فَوقَ المَراسيلِ أَحمَرُ

نَجيعُ ضَرا فَوقَ المَراسيلِ أَحمَرُ

They were draped in patterned rugs and fine cloth, as though it were

You made me stagger, patterns and stripes as if

red gore of Ḍarā above the long-striding she-camels.

A wounded beast over the cushions is red

فَهَل يُعذَرَن ذو شَيبَةٍ بِصَبابَةٍ

فَهَل يُعذَرَن ذو شَيبَةٍ بِصَبابَةٍ

وَهَل يُحمَدَن بِالصَبرِ إِن كانَ يَصبِرُ

وَهَل يُحمَدَن بِالصَبرِ إِن كانَ يَصبِرُ

Will a gray-haired man be excused for ardent longing?

Can one with white hair be excused for youthfulness

And will he be praised for patience, if he is patient?

And can he be praised for patience if he is patient?

تُكَلِفُني عَيناً فُؤَادي وَحَبلُها

تُكَلِفُني عَيناً فُؤَادي وَحَبلُها

إِذا خَشِيَت مِنكَ الرَزِيَّةَ أَبتَرُ

إِذا خَشِيَت مِنكَ الرَزِيَّةَ أَبتَرُ

ʿAynā demands my heart of me, yet her cord

You task my eye and its ties, my heart

is severed when she fears harm from you.

When you fear rejection from me, lame

وَقَد عَلِمَت أَن قَد أَصابَ سِهامُها

وَقَد عَلِمَت أَن قَد أَصابَ سِهامُها

وَأَقصَدَني مِنها الَّذي كُنتُ أَحذَرُ

وَأَقصَدَني مِنها الَّذي كُنتُ أَحذَرُ

And she knows that her arrows have already struck home,

And you knew that its arrows had hit me

and what I feared from her has struck me down.

And what I feared most came to me from it

أَلَم تَعلَمَي أَن لا تَدَومَ خَليقَتي

أَلَم تَعلَمَي أَن لا تَدَومَ خَليقَتي

وَلا أَطلُبُ الوِدَّ الَّذي هو مُدبِرُ

وَلا أَطلُبُ الوِدَّ الَّذي هو مُدبِرُ

Did you not know that my disposition does not endure,

Don't you know that my nature does not last

and that I do not seek affection that turns away?

And I do not seek the affection that fades away

وَإِنّي إِذا فارَقتُ عَن خُلُقٍ أَخاً

وَإِنّي إِذا فارَقتُ عَن خُلُقٍ أَخاً

أَدومُ عَلى عَهدي وَلا أَتَغَيَّرُ

أَدومُ عَلى عَهدي وَلا أَتَغَيَّرُ

And when I part from a brother over his conduct,

And if I part from a brother's character

I keep my pledge and do not change.

I keep my vow and do not change

لَعَمرُكَ ما قَومي عَلى داءٍ بَينِهِم

لَعَمرُكَ ما قَومي عَلى داءٍ بَينِهِم

إِذا عَصَفَت بِالحَيِّ نَكباءُ صَرصَرُ

إِذا عَصَفَت بِالحَيِّ نَكباءُ صَرصَرُ

By your life, my people suffer no sickness among themselves,

By your life, my people are not ill among themselves

when a howling, icy crosswind lashes the camp;

When the wind rages among the living like the whistling north wind

إِذا الحَيُّ حَلّوا كابِيَ النَبتِ لا يُرى

إِذا الحَيُّ حَلّوا كابِيَ النَبتِ لا يُرى

بِهِ لَونُ عودٍ يَرجِعُ الطَرفَ أَخضَرُ

بِهِ لَونُ عودٍ يَرجِعُ الطَرفَ أَخضَرُ

when the tribe settles amid withered growth, where one sees no

When the living camp, the herbage cannot be seen

green tint of a twig there to draw the gaze back;

A rod returning the glance is not green

إِذا الشَولُ راحَت وَهيَ حُدبٌ ظُهورُها

إِذا الشَولُ راحَت وَهيَ حُدبٌ ظُهورُها

وَكانَ قِرى الأَضيافِ عيصٌ وَمَيسِرُ

وَكانَ قِرى الأَضيافِ عيصٌ وَمَيسِرُ

when the dry-uddered camels return at dusk with hunched backs,

When the camels are resting, their backs humped

and guests are received with brushwood and meat allotted by lots,

And the abodes of the guests were unkempt and prosperous

فَما يَسأَمُ الجارُ الغَريبُ مَحلَّنا

فَما يَسأَمُ الجارُ الغَريبُ مَحلَّنا

وَلا يَحتَوينا الطارِقُ المُتَنَوِّرُ

وَلا يَحتَوينا الطارِقُ المُتَنَوِّرُ

then the stranger under our protection never tires of our dwelling,

So the strange neighbor does not tire of our place

nor does the fire-seeking night visitor overwhelm us.

And the bright visitor cannot accommodate us

وَذلِكَ إِن لَم يَسعَ بِالسوءِ بَينَنا

وَذلِكَ إِن لَم يَسعَ بِالسوءِ بَينَنا

سَفيهٌ وَلا بِالجَهلِ كَلبٌ مُوَشَّرُ

سَفيهٌ وَلا بِالجَهلِ كَلبٌ مُوَشَّرُ

And that holds if none spreads evil among us—

That is if among us no fool acted badly

no fool, nor, in ignorance, a dog with sharpened teeth.

Nor an ignorant snarling dog

وَإِذ تَعطِفُ الأَرحامُ وَالوُدُّ بَينَنا

وَإِذ تَعطِفُ الأَرحامُ وَالوُدُّ بَينَنا

فَنَعفو عَنِ الذَنبِ العَظيمِ وَنَغفِرُ

فَنَعفو عَنِ الذَنبِ العَظيمِ وَنَغفِرُ

And when kinship and affection stir tenderness among us,

When kinship and affection are among us

we overlook the grave offense and forgive.

We pardon the great sin and forgive

فَقَد نِكدَت بَعدَ العَداوَةِ بَينَنا

فَقَد نِكدَت بَعدَ العَداوَةِ بَينَنا

وَقَد جَعَلَت فينا الضَغائِنُ تَكثُرُ

وَقَد جَعَلَت فينا الضَغائِنُ تَكثُرُ

But things have soured since enmity arose among us,

After enmity among us, it became miserable

and grudges have begun to multiply among us.

And it made hatred among us plentiful

تُقاطِعُ أَرحامٍ وَحَينٌ وَشِقوَةٌ

تُقاطِعُ أَرحامٍ وَحَينٌ وَشِقوَةٌ

وَمِن عَثَراتِ الجَدِّ وَالجَدُّ يَعثُرُ

وَمِن عَثَراتِ الجَدِّ وَالجَدُّ يَعثُرُ

Severed kinship ties, doom, and misery—

It cuts off kin, time, and wretchedness

and among fortune’s stumbles—for fortune does stumble.

And from the stumbling of ancestors, the ancestor stumbles

وَتوكِلُ أَعراضٌ تَحينَ كَأَنَّها

وَتوكِلُ أَعراضٌ تَحينَ كَأَنَّها

مِنَ الزَرعِ مَيسورٌ يُصاعُ فَيَحضُرُ

مِنَ الزَرعِ مَيسورٌ يُصاعُ فَيَحضُرُ

And reputations are devoured and perish, as though they were

Trusts lurk watching as if they were

readily available grain, measured out and brought to hand.

From the crops, ripe to be harvested when present

وَكُنا بَني عَمٍّ فَأَجرى غُواتُنا

وَكُنا بَني عَمٍّ فَأَجرى غُواتُنا

إِلى غايةٍ مِن مِثلِها كُنتَ أسخَرُ

إِلى غايةٍ مِن مِثلِها كُنتَ أسخَرُ

And we were cousins, but our wayward men drove us

We were cousins so our transgressions

toward an end whose like you once scorned.

Ran to the likes of which you used to ridicule

فَأصبَحَ باقي وَدِّنا نَلتَقي بِهِ

فَأصبَحَ باقي وَدِّنا نَلتَقي بِهِ

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا رَهطَ كِسرى وَحِميَرُ

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا رَهطَ كِسرى وَحِميَرُ

So now we meet with the remnant of our affection—

So the rest of our love, we meet with it

when we meet, like Kisrā’s people and Ḥimyar.

When we meet the group of Chosroes and donkeys

وَقُلتُ لِقَومي كُلِّهِم إِذ جَريتُمُ

وَقُلتُ لِقَومي كُلِّهِم إِذ جَريتُمُ

إِلى شَرِّ ما يَجري إِلَيه فَأَقصِروا

إِلى شَرِّ ما يَجري إِلَيه فَأَقصِروا

And I told all my people: “Since you have rushed

And I said to all my people when you rushed

toward the worst thing one can rush toward, desist!”

To the worst of what rushes, then stop

وَكَوني كَآسي شَجَّةٍ يَستَغيثُها

وَكَوني كَآسي شَجَّةٍ يَستَغيثُها

وَما تَحتَها ساسٌ مِنَ العَظمِ أَصفَرُ

وَما تَحتَها ساسٌ مِنَ العَظمِ أَصفَرُ

And I am like a healer seeking relief for a head wound,

And make me like a resonant cup it cries out for help

while beneath it lies yellow, rotted bone.

And under it a base of yellow bone

إِذا قُلتُ يَعفو داءُ قَومي تَحدَّبوا

إِذا قُلتُ يَعفو داءُ قَومي تَحدَّبوا

بِجِنِّيَّةٍ كادَت عَنِ العَظمِ تَخزِرُ

بِجِنِّيَّةٍ كادَت عَنِ العَظمِ تَخزِرُ

When I say my people’s sickness is fading, they rally

When I say the illness of my people will heal, they hunch

with a demonic verse that nearly strips the bone bare.

With a skull that almost detaches from the bone

يَشينُ بِها الأَعراضَ عَضبانُ شاعِرٌ

يَشينُ بِها الأَعراضَ عَضبانُ شاعِرٌ

يَطيشُ قَوافي المُفحَمينَ وَيَنفِرُ

يَطيشُ قَوافي المُفحَمينَ وَيَنفِرُ

With it, the poet ʿAḍbān tarnishes reputations;

A raging poet disgraces honors with it

he scatters the rhymes of silenced poets and drives them away.

Confusing the rhymes of the defeated and frightening

كَأَنَّ كَلامَ الناسِ جُمِّعَ عِندَهُ

كَأَنَّ كَلامَ الناسِ جُمِّعَ عِندَهُ

فَيَأخُذُ مِن أَطرافِهِ يَتَحَبَّرُ

فَيَأخُذُ مِن أَطرافِهِ يَتَحَبَّرُ

As though everyone’s speech had been gathered before him,

As if the words of the people were gathered with him

so he takes from its edges, fashioning ornate verse.

And he takes bits of it to nibble on

فَلَم يَرضَ إِلاّ كُلِّ بِكرٍ ثَقيلَةٍ

فَلَم يَرضَ إِلاّ كُلِّ بِكرٍ ثَقيلَةٍ

تَكادُ بِآنٍ مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ تَقطُرُ

تَكادُ بِآنٍ مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ تَقطُرُ

So he would accept only weighty, virgin verses,

So he was not content unless with every heavy ruin

almost dripping with scalding blood from the body’s depths.

That almost drips the blood of the gut at once