قَضى ولم يَقضِنا من عَدله وطَرا

قَضى ولم يَقضِنا من عَدله وطَرا

وكان هَيناً ملامُ المَيتِ محتَقَرا

وكان هَيناً ملامُ المَيتِ محتَقَرا

He died without satisfying our desire for his justice.

He has passed judgment, but his justice did not appease us,

And reproaching the dead was a trivial, contemptible thing.

And the one who lightly blames the dead is despised.

كُفَّا فَما أقدَر الأيامَ لو فَعَلَت

كُفَّا فَما أقدَر الأيامَ لو فَعَلَت

عليكُم والهَوى لو وافَقَ القَدَرا

عليكُم والهَوى لو وافَقَ القَدَرا

Desist, you two! How powerful the days would be, if they acted

Enough! I cannot control fate if it acts against you,

against you—and love, if it accorded with fate!

Though passion might have coincided with destiny.

لا يُبعد اللَهُ صَبراً كان ينجدُه

لا يُبعد اللَهُ صَبراً كان ينجدُه

ما كانَ أسرعَ ما ولَّى وما انتَصرا

ما كانَ أسرعَ ما ولَّى وما انتَصرا

May God not banish the patience that once aided him!

God does not abandon the patient; He comes to their aid.

How swiftly he turned away without prevailing!

What flees faster than what turns and is victorious?

ولَّيتُه في الهَوى قَلبي فَفارَقَني

ولَّيتُه في الهَوى قَلبي فَفارَقَني

وما نَهى قطُّ في قَلبي ولا أَمَرا

وما نَهى قطُّ في قَلبي ولا أَمَرا

I put him in charge of my heart in love, but he abandoned me,

I set it to wander in passion; my heart deserted me.

and never once forbade or commanded within my heart.

It never forbade or ordered anything in my heart.

وكاعِبٍ عاطلٍ حلَّت مَدامعُها

وكاعِبٍ عاطلٍ حلَّت مَدامعُها

عَنها قَلائِدَها لما جَرت غدرا

عَنها قَلائِدَها لما جَرت غدرا

And many a budding-breasted maiden, unadorned—her tears unfastened

Like a gambler without money, tears streamed down her cheeks,

her necklaces from her as they flowed in rivulets.

When treachery tore off her necklaces.

كأنَّما جيدُها في الحُسنِ صاغَ لها

كأنَّما جيدُها في الحُسنِ صاغَ لها

من دُرِّهِ فأَبَت أن تحملَ الدُّرَرا

من دُرِّهِ فأَبَت أن تحملَ الدُّرَرا

As though her neck, in its beauty, had fashioned necklaces for her

As if its beauty's collar were cast for it

from its own pearls—but she refused to wear the pearls.

From his pearls, but it refused to carry gems,

أو صيغَ من بعضِ ما أمسى يفرِّقُه

أو صيغَ من بعضِ ما أمسى يفرِّقُه

نَدى أبي الحَسنِ الأستاذِ مُعتَذِرا

نَدى أبي الحَسنِ الأستاذِ مُعتَذِرا

Or it was fashioned from some of what was scattered at evening

Or were molded from some of what the tears of

by the generosity of Abu al-Hasan, the master, apologetically.

My master al-Astar dispersed as an apology.

مَن ليسَ يُبقي نَداهُ في خَزائِنِه

مَن ليسَ يُبقي نَداهُ في خَزائِنِه

شَيئاً يُقالُ اقتَنى هَذا ولا ادَّخرا

شَيئاً يُقالُ اقتَنى هَذا ولا ادَّخرا

One whose generosity does not leave in his treasuries

One whose generosity does not keep anything in his coffers

anything of which one could say, 'He acquired this,' or 'stored it away.'

Cannot be said to have gained and hoarded this or that.

يُبادرُ الخيلَ في الغاراتِ مُبتَدئاً

يُبادرُ الخيلَ في الغاراتِ مُبتَدئاً

بالطَّعنِ والضربِ قبلَ الخيلِ مُبتَدرا

بالطَّعنِ والضربِ قبلَ الخيلِ مُبتَدرا

He outpaces the horses in raids, beginning

He spurs on his horse in raids, beginning

with spear-thrusts and blows, rushing ahead of the horses.

With a stab and blows before the horses rush.

وذاك كَيلا يَقولَ الحاسِدون له

وذاك كَيلا يَقولَ الحاسِدون له

ما كان أسرَعَ ما ولَّى وما انتَصَرا

ما كان أسرَعَ ما ولَّى وما انتَصَرا

And that is so the envious will not say to him:

That is so no enviers can say about him,

'How swiftly he turned away without prevailing!'

"What flees faster than what turns and is victorious?"

تكادُ يومَ الوَغى من طولِ ما انحطَمَت

تكادُ يومَ الوَغى من طولِ ما انحطَمَت

قَناتُه أن تُساوي سَيفَه قِصَرا

قَناتُه أن تُساوي سَيفَه قِصَرا

On battle day, from being shattered so often, his spear nearly

On a day of battle, from the length of how his spear is shattered,

equals his sword in shortness.

It almost equals his sword in shortness.

سمراءُ يَحفَظُها المَطعون كامنةً

سمراءُ يَحفَظُها المَطعون كامنةً

في صَدرِه مثلَ حِفظِ السامِر السَّمَرا

في صَدرِه مثلَ حِفظِ السامِر السَّمَرا

A brown spear that the man it pierces keeps hidden

A dark-lipped woman he defends lies hidden

in his breast, as a night companion remembers the night's conversation.

In his breast, like the defense of the sleepless their sleeplessness.