أفرقَ حتى ما به داءُ

أفرقَ حتى ما به داءُ

وأدركَ العذالُ ما شاؤا

وأدركَ العذالُ ما شاؤا

He recovered until no illness remained in him,

I parted though unafflicted by any disease,

and the reproachers attained what they wished.

And attained what they wished, though reluctantly.

وعالجَته من هوىً عزمةٌ

وعالجَته من هوىً عزمةٌ

إنَّ العزيماتِ أطباءُ

إنَّ العزيماتِ أطباءُ

And a firm resolve treated him for passion—

A firm resolve cured me of passion,

indeed, firm resolves are physicians.

For firm resolutions are healers.

والأغيدُ الأهيفُ أعضاؤه

والأغيدُ الأهيفُ أعضاؤه

في أنفس العشاق أهواءُ

في أنفس العشاق أهواءُ

And the supple, slender one—his limbs

The plaintive, wailing lover - his limbs

are passions in lovers' souls.

In the souls of lovers are mere caprices.

تألفت منه وسقمٌ على

تألفت منه وسقمٌ على

العلَّة أجفانٌ وأحشاءُ

العلَّة أجفانٌ وأحشاءُ

Through him, amid sickness, there came together

I recovered from it though enfeebled,

in affliction, eyelids and entrails.

The cause being languid eyelids and viscera.

وكادَ أن يقطرَ من بينهم

وكادَ أن يقطرَ من بينهم

من وَجنَتيه الخمرُ والماءُ

من وَجنَتيه الخمرُ والماءُ

And from among them there almost dripped

And there was about to trickle out from between them

wine and water from his two cheeks.

Wine and water from his tender cheeks.

ولم يبن في وجهه ثغره

ولم يبن في وجهه ثغره

إذ كان كل فيه لألاءُ

إذ كان كل فيه لألاءُ

And his mouth did not stand out in his face,

No dimple showed in his cheek,

since everything in it was radiance.

Since all of it was a beauty spot.

فطالَ مَهوى القرط في جيدِه

فطالَ مَهوى القرط في جيدِه

كما تراءَت لكَ أدماءُ

كما تراءَت لكَ أدماءُ

Thus the earring's drop along his neck was long,

Prolonged was his passion's inclination to his cheek,

as when a pale gazelle comes into your view.

As you saw the red moles.

لكنّه صدّ فلم تتفق

لكنّه صدّ فلم تتفق

في الحسن أفعالٌ وأسماءُ

في الحسن أفعالٌ وأسماءُ

But he turned away, so there was no agreement

But he checked himself; deeds and names

in beauty between deeds and names.

Were not alike in perfection and beauty.

وليلةٍ بيَّضها أنها

وليلةٍ بيَّضها أنها

في عين من يرقب سوداءُ

في عين من يرقب سوداءُ

And a night, made white by being

And on a night he whitened, which to one

black in the eye of whoever kept watch.

Who keeps watch is dark.

وكل ما لم يرَنا هرَّه

وكل ما لم يرَنا هرَّه

تحسُّسٌ فيها وإصغاءُ

تحسُّسٌ فيها وإصغاءُ

And whenever he did not see us, he was hounded by

And all that he saw not startled him -

searching and listening in the night.

Groping about and listening in it.

يخبطُ في عَشواءَ من حَولنا

يخبطُ في عَشواءَ من حَولنا

وكم عسى تخبطُ عشواءُ

وكم عسى تخبطُ عشواءُ

Whoever is around us stumbles in blind darkness,

He gropes confusedly about those around us.

and how far can a blind she-camel stumble?

And how many confused may grope!

قلت لنَدماني اسقني واحيها

قلت لنَدماني اسقني واحيها

فما صروفُ الدهرِ أحياءُ

فما صروفُ الدهرِ أحياءُ

I told my drinking companion: pour me a drink and revive it,

I said to my two boon-companions, "Give me to drink and enliven it,

for the vicissitudes of time are not alive.

For the turns of fate are not enduring."

قضَت من الحَسرة في وقت ما

قضَت من الحَسرة في وقت ما

قضى عليها زكريَّاءُ

قضى عليها زكريَّاءُ

They died of grief at the time when

It accomplished from grief in a time

Zakariyya put an end to them.

What Zacharias accomplished against it.

شيخ العلى أيام أشياخها

شيخ العلى أيام أشياخها

والناس إذ ذلك أكفاءُ

والناس إذ ذلك أكفاءُ

The elder of eminence in the days of its elders,

Shaykh of the Exalted, in the days of its shaykhs,

and people then were equals.

While the people then were all peers.

فما تَرى والقوم لما مَضوا

فما تَرى والقوم لما مَضوا

ما استخلفوا فيها ولا جاؤا

ما استخلفوا فيها ولا جاؤا

So what do you see, since those men, when they departed,

So what do you see, when the tribe passed away,

left no successors in it, nor returned?

That they left behind or brought?

فالمجدُ والجود له والنُّهى

فالمجدُ والجود له والنُّهى

والفضل والمعروف أبناءُ

والفضل والمعروف أبناءُ

For glory, generosity, wisdom,

To Him belong glory, munificence, propriety

excellence and kindness are his sons.

And bounty and kindness are His children.

وكيف لا يعلو العلى من له

وكيف لا يعلو العلى من له

فيها على الأيام بناءُ

فيها على الأيام بناءُ

And how could one not rise above the heights, when he has

How should the Sublime not be lofty, for One whose

in them an edifice enduring through the days?

Foundation in it is firm against the days?

وللأيادي من نداهُ يدٌ

وللأيادي من نداهُ يدٌ

عامرةٌ بالجودِ غناءُ

عامرةٌ بالجودِ غناءُ

And benefactions have a hand from his bounty,

The generous hands of one whose munificence approaches Him

flourishing with generosity, luxuriant.

Are prosperous, bountifully bestowing.

عارفةٌ بالجودِ معروفةٌ

عارفةٌ بالجودِ معروفةٌ

وغارةٌ في العُدم شَعواءُ

وغارةٌ في العُدم شَعواءُ

Versed in generosity and well known,

Knowing munificence, renowned for kindness

and a fierce onslaught against poverty.

And attacking obscurity fiercely.

وهمَّة لما علت أشرقت

وهمَّة لما علت أشرقت

كأنها الزهرة زهراءُ

كأنها الزهرة زهراءُ

And an ambition that shone when it rose high,

When its aspiration mounted high, it shone

as though it were Venus, radiant.

As if it were the flower Zahrāʾ.

تستخرجُ الأَضغان ألفاظُه

تستخرجُ الأَضغان ألفاظُه

كأنها فيهنّ حواءُ

كأنها فيهنّ حواءُ

His words draw out grudges,

The words extract from his fingers

as though they were a snake-charmer among them.

As if Eve were in them.

وساحةُ العافينَ من داره

وساحةُ العافينَ من داره

ممطورةٌ بالجودِ خضراءُ

ممطورةٌ بالجودِ خضراءُ

And the petitioners' courtyard in his home

The courtyard of the healthy through his house

is showered with generosity, green.

Is watered with munificence, verdant.

إذا الملماتُ تعاوَرنَه

إذا الملماتُ تعاوَرنَه

وهنَّ للأفهامِ أعداءُ

وهنَّ للأفهامِ أعداءُ

When calamities take turns assailing him,

When ideas attack him,

and they are enemies of understanding,

And they are hostile to perceptions.

كفاهُ بالدّربة من حل ما

كفاهُ بالدّربة من حل ما

أشكل تلويحٌ وإيماءُ

أشكل تلويحٌ وإيماءُ

through experience, all he needs, to solve what

It suffices him for piercing what is intricate,

is obscure, is a hint and a gesture.

An allusion or a sign.

لا شيء في الأمر وفيه إذا

لا شيء في الأمر وفيه إذا

شطّت عراه بكَ أشياءُ

شطّت عراه بكَ أشياءُ

There is nothing to the matter; yet within it, when

There is nothing in the matter, and in it, when

its bonds lead you far afield, there are many things.

He bared his eloquence, were many things.