أَمسى الشَبابُ مُوَدِّعاً مَحمودا

أَمسى الشَبابُ مُوَدِّعاً مَحمودا

وَالشَيبُ مُؤتَنِفَ المَحَلِّ جَديدا

وَالشَيبُ مُؤتَنِفَ المَحَلِّ جَديدا

Youth now bids farewell, held in praise,

Youth bids farewell, and age begins anew,

And gray hair begins its stay, newly arrived.

As speckled eggs change hue when freshly laid.

وَتُغَيِّرُ البيضُ الأَوانِسُ بَعدَما

وَتُغَيِّرُ البيضُ الأَوانِسُ بَعدَما

حَمَّلتُهُنَّ مَواثِقاً وَعُهودا

حَمَّلتُهُنَّ مَواثِقاً وَعُهودا

And the fair young maidens change, after

They keep their word if pleased, like tempered steel,

I charged them with pledges and covenants.

Provoked, like iron wrought and keen of blade.

يَرعَينَ عَهدَكَ في الرِضا وَيَصِنَّهُ

يَرعَينَ عَهدَكَ في الرِضا وَيَصِنَّهُ

فَإِذا غَضِبنَ حَسَبتَهُنَّ حَديدا

فَإِذا غَضِبنَ حَسَبتَهُنَّ حَديدا

They honor your covenant when content and preserve it,

O Lofty One, if we must part, then make

But when they grow angry, you would think them iron.

Our separation harder still to bear!

يا ذا المَعارِجِ إِن قَضَيتَ فِراقُها

يا ذا المَعارِجِ إِن قَضَيتَ فِراقُها

فَاِجعَل يَزيدَ عَلى الفِراقِ جَليدا

فَاِجعَل يَزيدَ عَلى الفِراقِ جَليدا

O Lord of the ascents, if You have decreed parting from her,

My word, they were the joy of all mankind,

Then make Yazid steadfast in separation.

Like the soft-breathing grapes their veils once hid.

عَهدي بِها زَمَنُ الجَميعِ بِرامَةٍ

عَهدي بِها زَمَنُ الجَميعِ بِرامَةٍ

شَنباءَ طَيِّبَةِ اللِثامِ بَرودا

شَنباءَ طَيِّبَةِ اللِثامِ بَرودا

My memory of her is from our days together at Ramah:

Their cooling breath could cure a fevered brow,

With fresh, white teeth, sweet to kiss and cool of mouth.

When pillowed softly on a cheek new-dyed.

يُشفي الضَجيعَ مِنَ الصُداعِ نَسيمُها

يُشفي الضَجيعَ مِنَ الصُداعِ نَسيمُها

وَهُنا إِذا لَحَفَ الوِسادَ خُدودا

وَهُنا إِذا لَحَفَ الوِسادَ خُدودا

Her breath cures her bedfellow of headache,

When freely spending, loosed, the head-shawl falls

Late at night, when cheeks mantle the pillow.

Divulging yet the neckband’s grace restrained.

وَمُدِلَّةٍ عِندَ التَبَذُّلِ يَفتَري

وَمُدِلَّةٍ عِندَ التَبَذُّلِ يَفتَري

مِنها الوِشاحُ مُخَصَّرا أُملودا

مِنها الوِشاحُ مُخَصَّرا أُملودا

And many a coy woman, in her everyday dress, is revealed

I fought with Time for them - for Time will rob

By her sash as slender-waisted and supple.

The best of men - what better fights are waged?

نازَعتُها عَنَمَ الصَبا إِنَّ الصَبا

نازَعتُها عَنَمَ الصَبا إِنَّ الصَبا

قَد كانَ مِنّي لِلكَواعِبِ عيدا

قَد كانَ مِنّي لِلكَواعِبِ عيدا

I shared with her passion's red-fruited ʿanam; for passion

At dawn, the powers of youth in them would stir,

Had been, through me, a feast for budding-breasted maidens.

Yet fail at parting to keep plighted faith.

يا لِلرِجالِ وَإِنَّما يَشكو الفَتى

يا لِلرِجالِ وَإِنَّما يَشكو الفَتى

مَرَّ الحَوادِثِ أَو يَكونَ جَليدا

مَرَّ الحَوادِثِ أَو يَكونَ جَليدا

Men, to my aid! A young man can only lament

I fancied I could bear the cruel pangs -

The bitterness of misfortunes—or stand firm.

But distance taught endurance beyond my worth.

بَكَرَت نُوارُ تَجِدُّ باقِيَةَ القِوى

بَكَرَت نُوارُ تَجِدُّ باقِيَةَ القِوى

يَومَ الفِراقِ وَتَخلِفُ المَوعودا

يَومَ الفِراقِ وَتَخلِفُ المَوعودا

Nuwar set out early, severing the remaining strands,

I come back, after absence has worked divorce,

On the day of parting, and breaking her promise.

With neither half-success nor credit earned.

قَد كُنتُ أَحسَبُني مُطيقاً صَرمَها

قَد كُنتُ أَحسَبُني مُطيقاً صَرمَها

جَلداً فَكَلَّفَني البُعادُ صُعودا

جَلداً فَكَلَّفَني البُعادُ صُعودا

I had thought myself able to endure separation from her,

Mishaps in love breed late remorse sometimes,

Resolute—yet separation burdened me with a steep ascent.

And what we shun may prove to be our guide.

وَرَجَعتُ بَعدَ بُعادَةٍ باعَدتُها

وَرَجَعتُ بَعدَ بُعادَةٍ باعَدتُها

لا آخِذاً نِصفاً وَلا مَحمودا

لا آخِذاً نِصفاً وَلا مَحمودا

And I returned after an estrangement in which I had kept her at a distance,

When shadows fall, horrors and freezing rains,

Neither obtaining fair treatment nor being praised.

I drive the ducks, huddled in lines close-serried.

وَلَرُبَّ أَمرِ هَوى يَكونَ نَدامَةً

وَلَرُبَّ أَمرِ هَوى يَكونَ نَدامَةً

وَسَبيلِ مُكرَهَةٍ يَكونَ رَشيدا

وَسَبيلِ مُكرَهَةٍ يَكونَ رَشيدا

And many a deed born of desire ends in regret,

Their necks, like booty from the robber stripped,

And many an unwelcome path proves right.

Seem melting pearls, or white brows shorn of locks.

وَإِذا الظَلامُ تَعَرَّضَت أَهوالُهُ

وَإِذا الظَلامُ تَعَرَّضَت أَهوالُهُ

وَكَسا العَجاجُ يُلامِقاً وَبُرودا

وَكَسا العَجاجُ يُلامِقاً وَبُرودا

And when darkness's terrors loom,

No charms avail ‘gainst rancour of the base;

And dust clothes it in long coats and striped cloaks,

Though left alone, I shall not play the weak.

كَلَّفتُهُ قَلصاً تَرى بِدُفوفِها

كَلَّفتُهُ قَلصاً تَرى بِدُفوفِها

ماءَ الهَواجِرِ ذائِباً وَعَقيدا

ماءَ الهَواجِرِ ذائِباً وَعَقيدا

I set young she-camels to face it; on their flanks you see

To hatred I oppose its counterparts,

The water of scorching noons, liquid and congealed.

And evil plots with evil counterplots.

يَرقُلنَ فيهِ كَأَنَّما أَعناقُها

يَرقُلنَ فيهِ كَأَنَّما أَعناقُها

بيضٌ سُلِبنَ حَمائِلاً وَغُمودا

بيضٌ سُلِبنَ حَمائِلاً وَغُمودا

They trot swiftly through it, as though their necks

O Camel-driver, though the twisted wands

Were gleaming swords stripped of baldrics and sheaths.

Are shorn, with me thou wouldst have support still.

لا أَتَّقي حَسَكَ الضَغائِنِ بِالرُقى

لا أَتَّقي حَسَكَ الضَغائِنِ بِالرُقى

فِعلَ الذَليلِ وَإِن بَقيتُ وَحيدا

فِعلَ الذَليلِ وَإِن بَقيتُ وَحيدا

I do not ward off the thorns of grudges with charms,

Give me my wings again that I may be

As a servile man would, even if I remain alone.

A match for those who mock me to my face.

لَكِنَّ أَجرَدَ لِلضَغائِنِ مِثلَها

لَكِنَّ أَجرَدَ لِلضَغائِنِ مِثلَها

حينَ تَموتُ وَلِلحُقودِ حُقودا

حينَ تَموتُ وَلِلحُقودِ حُقودا

But I unsheathe matching grudges against grudges,

When they die, and against hatreds, hatreds.

يا عُقبَ قَد شَذَبَ اللِحاءَ عَنِ العَصا

يا عُقبَ قَد شَذَبَ اللِحاءَ عَنِ العَصا

عَنّي وَكُنتُ مُؤَزَّراً مَحمودا

عَنّي وَكُنتُ مُؤَزَّراً مَحمودا

O ʿUqb, the bark has been stripped from the staff—

From me, though once I was well-supported and praised.

صِل لي جَناحي وَاِتَّخِذني عِدَّةً

صِل لي جَناحي وَاِتَّخِذني عِدَّةً

تَرمي بِيَ المُتَعاشِيَ الصِنديدا

تَرمي بِيَ المُتَعاشِيَ الصِنديدا

Mend my wing for me, and take me as your reserve,

To hurl me at the mighty champion who feigns blindness.