دَعَوْتُ فؤادي للسُّلُوِّ فما أجدى

دَعَوْتُ فؤادي للسُّلُوِّ فما أجدى

وظلَّ يخالُ الغَيَّ في وَجْدِه رُشْدا

وظلَّ يخالُ الغَيَّ في وَجْدِه رُشْدا

I called my heart to solace, but to no avail;

I called my heart to be calm, but to no avail,

And it kept deeming error, in its passion, right guidance.

It persisted roaming confused in its passion.

وما أنا من سلمى وسعدى بمأربٍ

وما أنا من سلمى وسعدى بمأربٍ

فلا سَلِمَتْ سلمى ولا سعدت سعدى

فلا سَلِمَتْ سلمى ولا سعدت سعدى

And I have no desire for Salma or Su'da;

I am neither from Salma nor Sa'd in Ma'rib,

So may Salma not be safe, nor Su'da happy.

So neither did Salma find peace, nor Sa'd happiness.

أقمتُ بأرضٍ غير أرضي وموطني

أقمتُ بأرضٍ غير أرضي وموطني

وما لي في أفنائها أنيقٌ تحدى

وما لي في أفنائها أنيقٌ تحدى

I dwelt in a land other than my own land and homeland,

I stayed in a land not my own,

And within its precincts I have no camels urged along by song.

With no loved ones in its plains to console me.

وأنفقتُ أيَّامي على غير طائل

وأنفقتُ أيَّامي على غير طائل

فلا منهلاً عذباً ولا عيشة رغدا

فلا منهلاً عذباً ولا عيشة رغدا

And I spent my days to no purpose:

I spent my days fruitlessly,

So no sweet watering place, nor a life of ease.

With no pleasant springs or comfortable life.

وما اخترطت غير القتاد يدي بها

وما اخترطت غير القتاد يدي بها

وغيري جنت من شوكها يده الوردا

وغيري جنت من شوكها يده الوردا

There my hand stripped nothing but thorny qatad,

My hands harvested nothing but trouble,

While another's hand gathered roses from its thorns.

While others plucked roses from its thorns.

تُؤخِّرني الأَيَّام عمَّا أُريده

تُؤخِّرني الأَيَّام عمَّا أُريده

فلم تكتسب شكراً ولم تكتسب حمدا

فلم تكتسب شكراً ولم تكتسب حمدا

The days hold me back from what I desire;

The days put off what I desire,

So they have earned neither thanks nor praise.

Gaining neither gratitude nor praise from me.

وقد قذفتني في البلاد يد النوى

وقد قذفتني في البلاد يد النوى

فلم أُبْقِ غوراً ما وطئت ولا نجدا

فلم أُبْقِ غوراً ما وطئت ولا نجدا

And the hand of separation has hurled me across the lands;

The hands of fate cast me in these lands,

So I left no lowland untrodden, nor any highland.

Where I trod no valley or plain.

نَوًى جمعتني بعد حينٍ بأحمد

نَوًى جمعتني بعد حينٍ بأحمد

سأُوسِعُها شكراً وأحمَدها حمدا

سأُوسِعُها شكراً وأحمَدها حمدا

Separation brought me, after a while, together with Ahmad;

An abode gathered me after a time with Ahmad,

I shall lavish thanks upon it and praise it richly.

I will thank it abundantly and praise it generously.

من المكرمين الوفد طبعاً وقلَّما

من المكرمين الوفد طبعاً وقلَّما

رأيتُ بهذا العصر من يكرم الوفدا

رأيتُ بهذا العصر من يكرم الوفدا

One of those who honor visitors by nature—and seldom

He is naturally one of the generous hosts,

Have I seen anyone in this age who honors visitors.

Rarely have I seen one who honors guests like him.

قريب من الحسنى سريٌ إلى النَّدى

قريب من الحسنى سريٌ إلى النَّدى

وما برحت إذ ذاك أيدٍ له تندى

وما برحت إذ ذاك أيدٍ له تندى

Close to goodness, nobly inclined to generosity,

Close to goodness, secretive to gentleness,

And his hands, then, were ever dewy with bounty.

I have not ceased being indebted to him since.

ومستجمع للجود إمَّا دَعوتَه

ومستجمع للجود إمَّا دَعوتَه

دعوت مجيباً قد تهيَّأَ واعتدا

دعوت مجيباً قد تهيَّأَ واعتدا

And fully ready for generosity—if ever you call upon him,

A repository of generosity, whenever called upon,

You call upon one who answers, already prepared and equipped.

He responds readily prepared and equipped.

إذا مُدَّتْ الأَيدي إليه أمدَّها

إذا مُدَّتْ الأَيدي إليه أمدَّها

بجدوى يَمين تُورِثُ الأَبحرَ المدَّا

بجدوى يَمين تُورِثُ الأَبحرَ المدَّا

When hands are stretched toward him, he sustains them

When hands are extended to him, he fills them

With the bounty of a right hand that gives the seas their tides.

With the bounty of his right hand that enriches the oceans.

كما أنَّ جدوى كفِّه يُورث الغنى

كما أنَّ جدوى كفِّه يُورث الغنى

وقد يُورثُ العلياءَ والعزَّ والمجدا

وقد يُورثُ العلياءَ والعزَّ والمجدا

Just as the bounty of his palm bestows wealth,

Just as the bounty of his palm grants wealth,

And indeed it bestows eminence, honor, and glory.

It also grants the highborn, honor and glory.

يلين لعافيه وإنْ كانَ قد قسا

يلين لعافيه وإنْ كانَ قد قسا

زمانٌ على عافيه بالعسر واشتدَّا

زمانٌ على عافيه بالعسر واشتدَّا

He is gentle with his petitioner, though harsh has grown

He is gentle despite the harshness of time,

Time toward his petitioner, with hardship and severity.

That has been severe and hard on his wellbeing.

له هممٌ في المعضلات تخالها

له هممٌ في المعضلات تخالها

كسُمر القنا طعناً وبيض الظبا حدَّا

كسُمر القنا طعناً وبيض الظبا حدَّا

He has resolves amid hard problems that you would deem

He has resolves for predicaments that make them

Like brown spears in thrusting, and white blades in sharpness.

Appear like the lance of Qanat piercing and the sword of Dhu'l-Hadda cutting.

يجرِّدها في كلِّ أمرٍ حلاحلٍ

يجرِّدها في كلِّ أمرٍ حلاحلٍ

يقدّ بهنَّ الخطب يومئذٍ قدَّا

يقدّ بهنَّ الخطب يومئذٍ قدَّا

He unsheathes them in every formidable affair;

He employs them in every difficult matter,

With them he then cleaves calamity clean apart.

Leading with them affairs when they become complex.

يحلُّ بها عقد الشدائد كلّها

يحلُّ بها عقد الشدائد كلّها

فهل مثله من وُلِّي الحلَّ والعقدا

فهل مثله من وُلِّي الحلَّ والعقدا

With them he unties all the knots of hardships;

With them he unties the knots of adversities,

Is anyone entrusted with unbinding and binding his equal?

Is there anyone like him gifted in solving and tying problems?

يرى غاية الغايات وهي خفيَّةٌ

يرى غاية الغايات وهي خفيَّةٌ

كما قد يرى خيط الصَّباح إذا امتدَّا

كما قد يرى خيط الصَّباح إذا امتدَّا

He sees the ultimate goal, though it lies hidden,

He sees the epitome of ends though hidden,

As he might see the thread of dawn when it stretches forth.

As one sees the horizon's thread when outstretched.

يضيء لنا منه شهاب إذا دجا

يضيء لنا منه شهاب إذا دجا

دُجًى من خطوب في الحوادث واسودَّا

دُجًى من خطوب في الحوادث واسودَّا

A blazing star from him shines for us when darkness falls—

It illuminates for us a flame when in darkness,

The gloom of calamities amid events, grown black.

A darkness from overwhelming calamities that blackened.

فنحن أُناسٌ لا يشقُّ غبارهم

فنحن أُناسٌ لا يشقُّ غبارهم

وأحمرة لا تلحق الضمّر الجردا

وأحمرة لا تلحق الضمّر الجردا

So we are men whose dust no one can pierce;

We are people whose dust does not rise,

And donkeys cannot catch the lean, sleek steeds.

And nobles who do not overburden the barefoot camel.

وهيهات ما بين الثُّريَّا إلى الثرى

وهيهات ما بين الثُّريَّا إلى الثرى

ألا إنَّ فيما بين جمعها بعدا

ألا إنَّ فيما بين جمعها بعدا

And how far it is from the Pleiades to the earth!

Alas! Between Thurayya and the ground,

Indeed, a gulf separates them even when gathered together.

Indeed, between gathering them is such a distance!

ترى نفثات السّحر في كلماته

ترى نفثات السّحر في كلماته

وتجني بأيدي السَّمع من لفظه شهدا

وتجني بأيدي السَّمع من لفظه شهدا

You see the breaths of magic in his words,

You see the breaths of sorcery in his words,

And with hearing's hands you gather honey from his speech.

And reap with listening hands honey from his utterance.

لسانٌ كحدِّ السَّيف أو كجنانه

لسانٌ كحدِّ السَّيف أو كجنانه

به مفحم للخصم ألسِنَةً لدا

به مفحم للخصم ألسِنَةً لدا

A tongue like a sword's edge, or like his heart;

A tongue sharp as the edge of a sword or its blade,

With it he silences the stubborn tongues of adversaries.

With it he silences the tongues of disputants.

وها هو في جدِّ الكلام وهزله

وها هو في جدِّ الكلام وهزله

يصوغ من الأَلفاظ ما يشبه العقدا

يصوغ من الأَلفاظ ما يشبه العقدا

And behold him, in serious speech and in jest,

There he is, serious or jesting in speech,

Fashioning from words what resembles a necklace.

Composing from words what resembles necklaces.

أماناً من الأَيَّام أمسى ولاؤه

أماناً من الأَيَّام أمسى ولاؤه

يلاحظ وفد الكلّ من يده الرفدا

يلاحظ وفد الكلّ من يده الرفدا

His friendship has become a refuge from the days;

Protection from days, his loyalty kept guard,

All visitors look for bounty from his hand.

Observing the arrival of all seeking his support.

وها أنا منه حيث طاشت سهامها

وها أنا منه حيث طاشت سهامها

لبست به عن كلِّ نائبة سردا

لبست به عن كلِّ نائبة سردا

And here I am, through him, where their arrows miss—

Wearing through him, armor against every affliction.

Through him I have donned chain mail against every calamity.

I thank his hands that shame modesty,

وأشكرُ منه أيدياً تخجل الحيا

وأشكرُ منه أيدياً تخجل الحيا

ويترك حرَّ القوم إحسانُه عبدا

ويترك حرَّ القوم إحسانُه عبدا

And I thank him for favors that put the rain to shame;

Leaving the noble through his favors a slave.

And his kindness makes a free man of the people a slave.

To me he has longstanding virtues befitting him,

عليَّ له من فضل قديم ما هو أهله

عليَّ له من فضل قديم ما هو أهله

إليَّ وكم من نعمة منه قد أسدى

إليَّ وكم من نعمة منه قد أسدى

I am in his debt for favors of old, such as befit him,

And how many blessings from him were bestowed upon me!

Toward me—and how many a blessing he has bestowed!

I will repay, but never fully thank him,

سأقضي ولن أقضي له حقّ شكره

سأقضي ولن أقضي له حقّ شكره

وإنْ أعجزَ العبدَ القضاءُ فما أدَّى

وإنْ أعجزَ العبدَ القضاءُ فما أدَّى

I shall die, and never discharge his due of thanks;

Though the servant is too weak to fully repay.

And if repayment is beyond the servant, he has not paid his due.

I dedicate my praise as best I could for his glory,

وأُهدي ثنائي ما استطعت لمجده

وأُهدي ثنائي ما استطعت لمجده

وما غيره عندي لعلياه ما يهدى

وما غيره عندي لعلياه ما يهدى

And I offer my praise, as best I can, to his glory;

None other than him deserves what I gift.

And I have nothing else to offer to his eminence.