عادَ لَهُ مِن كَثيرَةَ الطَرَبُ

عادَ لَهُ مِن كَثيرَةَ الطَرَبُ

فَعَينُهُ بِالدُموعِ تَنسَكِبُ

فَعَينُهُ بِالدُموعِ تَنسَكِبُ

Longing for Kathirah returned to him,

Much he has gained from being oft entranced,

And his eye pours forth tears.

for his eyes spill over with tears of joy.

كوفِيَّةٌ نازِحٌ مَحَلَّتُها

كوفِيَّةٌ نازِحٌ مَحَلَّتُها

لا أَمَمٌ دارُها وَلا سَقَبُ

لا أَمَمٌ دارُها وَلا سَقَبُ

A woman of Kufa, her dwelling far away,

A wailing Kufan maiden evicted from her home,

Her house is neither near nor next door.

with neither tribesmen nor goods to fetch.

وَاللَهِ ما إِن صَبَت إِلَيَّ وَلا

وَاللَهِ ما إِن صَبَت إِلَيَّ وَلا

يُعلَمُ بَيني وَبَينَها سَبَبُ

يُعلَمُ بَيني وَبَينَها سَبَبُ

By God, she never inclined toward me, nor

By Allah, though she wept copiously unto me,

Is any bond known between me and her,

no reason betwixt us two could be sensed.

إِلّا الَّذي أَورَثَت كَثيرَةُ في ال

إِلّا الَّذي أَورَثَت كَثيرَةُ في ال

قَلبِ وَلِلحُبِّ سَورَةٌ عَجَبُ

قَلبِ وَلِلحُبِّ سَورَةٌ عَجَبُ

Except what Kathirah bequeathed within the

Save that which capricious Kathirah has instilled

Heart—and love has a wondrous surge.

within my heart, and love's thrill is so strange!

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في الغَواني فَما

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في الغَواني فَما

يُصبِحنَ إِلّا لَهُنَّ مُطَّلَبُ

يُصبِحنَ إِلّا لَهُنَّ مُطَّلَبُ

May God not bless the beauties, for never

God bless not singers! For come morn,

Do they greet the morning without some demand.

they covet but new passions and aims.

أَبصَرنَ شَيباً عَلا الذُؤابَةَ في ال

أَبصَرنَ شَيباً عَلا الذُؤابَةَ في ال

رَأسِ حَديثاً كَأَنَّهُ العُطُبُ

رَأسِ حَديثاً كَأَنَّهُ العُطُبُ

They saw gray hair spreading over the forelock on the

Grey hairs they spied upon my temples,

Head, newly appeared, as though it were cotton.

appearing as if gushing springs they were.

فَهُنَّ يُنكِرنَ ما رَأَينَ وَلا

فَهُنَّ يُنكِرنَ ما رَأَينَ وَلا

يُعرَفُ لي في لِدّاتِيَ اللَعِبُ

يُعرَفُ لي في لِدّاتِيَ اللَعِبُ

So they disapprove of what they have seen; nor

So they deny what they have seen,

Am I known among my peers for frivolity.

and see in my flirts no fun anymore.

ما ضَرَّها لَو غَدا بِحاجَتِنا

ما ضَرَّها لَو غَدا بِحاجَتِنا

غادٍ كَريمٌ أَو زائِرٌ جُنُبُ

غادٍ كَريمٌ أَو زائِرٌ جُنُبُ

What harm would it do her if our request were brought in the morning

How I wished an open-handed visitor

By a noble morning caller or a visitor from afar?

would bring us what we need come eve!

لَم يَأتِ عَن ريبَةٍ وَأَجشَمَهُ ال

لَم يَأتِ عَن ريبَةٍ وَأَجشَمَهُ ال

حُبُّ فَأَمسى وَقَلبُهُ وَصِبُ

حُبُّ فَأَمسى وَقَلبُهُ وَصِبُ

He came with no suspect intent, and was burdened by

Untroubled he came, embraced with passion,

Love; so he reached evening with an aching heart.

so he spent the night with a pounding heart.

يا حَبَّذا يَثرِبٌ وَلَذَّتُها

يا حَبَّذا يَثرِبٌ وَلَذَّتُها

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَهلِكوا وَيَحتَرِبوا

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَهلِكوا وَيَحتَرِبوا

Ah, how dear were Yathrib and its delight,

Blessed Yathrib, and the joys it harboured,

Before they perished and waged war on one another,

before they perished and turned on each other!

وَقَبلَ أَن يَخرُجَ الَّذينَ لَهُم

وَقَبلَ أَن يَخرُجَ الَّذينَ لَهُم

فيها السَناءُ العَظيمُ وَالحَسَبُ

فيها السَناءُ العَظيمُ وَالحَسَبُ

And before the departure of those who possessed

Before emerged those so virtuous within it,

Great glory and noble lineage there.

of lineage glorious and noble repute.

بَغَت عَلَيهِم بِها عَشيرَتُهُم

بَغَت عَلَيهِم بِها عَشيرَتُهُم

فَعوجِلوا بِالجَزاءِ وَاِطُّلِبوا

فَعوجِلوا بِالجَزاءِ وَاِطُّلِبوا

Their own clan transgressed against them there,

Their own kin turned on them with betrayal,

So they were swiftly met with retribution and pursued.

so they rushed to punish and take revenge.

قومٌ هُمُ الأَكثَرونَ قِبصَ حَصىً

قومٌ هُمُ الأَكثَرونَ قِبصَ حَصىً

في الحَيِّ وَالأَكرَمونَ إِن نُسِبوا

في الحَيِّ وَالأَكرَمونَ إِن نُسِبوا

A people most numerous, like a heap of pebbles,

A people most populous, honourable if traced,

Within the tribe, and noblest when their descent is traced.

valorous, and gen’uns when enraged.

ما نَقَموا مِن بَني أُمَيَّةَ إِلّا

ما نَقَموا مِن بَني أُمَيَّةَ إِلّا

أَنَّهُم يَحلُمونَ إِن غَضِبوا

أَنَّهُم يَحلُمونَ إِن غَضِبوا

They resented nothing in the sons of Umayyah except

Naught did they resent of Banu Umayyah,

That they show forbearance when angered,

save that they show clemency when angered.

وَأَنَّهُم مَعدِنُ المُلوكِ فَلا

وَأَنَّهُم مَعدِنُ المُلوكِ فَلا

تَصلُحُ إِلّا عَلَيهِمُ العَرَبُ

تَصلُحُ إِلّا عَلَيهِمُ العَرَبُ

And that they are the mine of kings; for

That they are the spring of kings, so none

Only under them can the Arabs prosper.

deserve the Arabs’ leadership but them.

إِنَّ الفَنيقَ الَّذي أَبوهُ أَبو ال

إِنَّ الفَنيقَ الَّذي أَبوهُ أَبو ال

عاصي عَلَيهِ الوَقارُ وَالحُجُبُ

عاصي عَلَيهِ الوَقارُ وَالحُجُبُ

Indeed, the pampered camel-bull whose father is Abu al-

The phoenix whom Abu Al-‘Aas was its father,

'Asi is surrounded by dignity and veils,

upon him dignity and glory abounds.

خَليفَةُ اللَهِ فَوقَ مِنبَرِهِ

خَليفَةُ اللَهِ فَوقَ مِنبَرِهِ

جَفَّت بِذاكَ الأَقلامُ وَالكُتُبُ

جَفَّت بِذاكَ الأَقلامُ وَالكُتُبُ

God's caliph atop his pulpit;

God's Caliph atop his pulpit,

On that the pens and records have dried.

by him pens and books were stilled.

يَعتَدِلُ التاجُ فَوقَ مَفرِقِهِ

يَعتَدِلُ التاجُ فَوقَ مَفرِقِهِ

عَلى جَبينٍ كَأَنَّهُ الذَهَبُ

عَلى جَبينٍ كَأَنَّهُ الذَهَبُ

The crown rests level above the parting of his hair,

The crown adorns his brow,

Upon a brow that is like gold.

as if it were made of gold itself!

أَحفَظَهُم قَومُهُم بِباطِلِهِم

أَحفَظَهُم قَومُهُم بِباطِلِهِم

حَتّى إِذا حارَبوهُمُ حَرِبوا

حَتّى إِذا حارَبوهُمُ حَرِبوا

Their people enraged them with their falsehood,

His people shielded him with their falsehood,

Until, when they fought them, they grew furious.

until when warred against they too did fight.

تَجَرَّدوا يَضرِبونَ باطِلَهُم

تَجَرَّدوا يَضرِبونَ باطِلَهُم

بِالحَقِّ حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ الكَذِبُ

بِالحَقِّ حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ الكَذِبُ

They stripped for battle, striking their falsehood

Bare of falsehood they struck with truth,

With truth, until the lie became clear.

until falsehood was exposed and debunked!

لَيسوا مَفاريحَ عِندَ نَوبَتِهِم

لَيسوا مَفاريحَ عِندَ نَوبَتِهِم

وَلا مَجازيعَ إِن هُمُ نُكِبوا

وَلا مَجازيعَ إِن هُمُ نُكِبوا

They are not overjoyed when their turn comes,

Unlike peasants are they when their turn comes,

Nor prone to panic if they suffer calamity.

nor lowlives if they stumble and fail.

إِن جَلَسوا لَم تَضِق مَجالِسُهُم

إِن جَلَسوا لَم تَضِق مَجالِسُهُم

وَالأُسدُ أُسدُ العَرينِ إِن رَكِبوا

وَالأُسدُ أُسدُ العَرينِ إِن رَكِبوا

When they sit, their assemblies are not cramped,

If seated, their gatherings feel not confined,

And lions—lions of the lair—when they ride.

nor are they less lions if mounted and charged!

لَم تُنكِحِ الصُمُّ مِنهُمُ عَزَباً

لَم تُنكِحِ الصُمُّ مِنهُمُ عَزَباً

وَلا يُعابونَ إِن هُمُ خَطَبوا

وَلا يُعابونَ إِن هُمُ خَطَبوا

The hard rocks have wedded no bachelor among them,

No deaf among them did wed a spinster,

Nor are they faulted when they seek marriage.

nor are their manners by wooers found lack.