ليسَ على الصبِّ المغنّى جناحْ

ليسَ على الصبِّ المغنّى جناحْ

إن باح الشكوى فمن ضيمَ باحْ

إن باح الشكوى فمن ضيمَ باحْ

No blame falls upon the lover sung of.

No blame lies on the lover who complains of passion;

If he voices complaint, it is oppression that makes him speak.

If he makes known his ardour, who suffers torment complains.

أصبحتُ مشدوهاً بخالي الخشى

أصبحتُ مشدوهاً بخالي الخشى

أحور مجرى الدمع طامي الوشاحْ

أحور مجرى الدمع طامي الوشاحْ

I have become bewildered by one free of fear,

Bewildered I became through fear of my belovèd;

Dark-eyed where tears flow, his sash swelling full.

I made my tears to flow in the bed of my streaming robe.

يلوح كالبدر ويختال كالغصن

يلوح كالبدر ويختال كالغصن

وإن وافى فكالمسك فاحْ

وإن وافى فكالمسك فاحْ

He appears like the full moon and sways proudly like a branch;

She appears like the full moon and sways like a branchlet;

And when he comes, he gives fragrance like musk.

Yet, if she favours, ‘tis like musk exhaling perfume.

غدا بخيلاً بوصالي وإنْ

غدا بخيلاً بوصالي وإنْ

أمسى بأشجاني خدين السَّماحْ

أمسى بأشجاني خدين السَّماحْ

By morning he withholds union with me, though

Today she is niggardly of my union, though erewhile

By evening he is generosity's intimate in giving me sorrows.

She spent the night awake to the tale of my yearning.

أسكرني الحبُّ بأجفانه

أسكرني الحبُّ بأجفانه

وأنت يا صاحِ من الحبِّ صاحْ

وأنت يا صاحِ من الحبِّ صاحْ

The beloved intoxicated me with his eyelids,

Love made me drunk with her eyelids’ sorcery,

While you, my friend, are sober of love.

While you, my censurer, are vexed with love’s ardour.

أيسرُ ما في حبّه إنها

أيسرُ ما في حبّه إنها

جوارحٌ في كل قلب جراحْ

جوارحٌ في كل قلب جراحْ

The least of loving him is that they are

The easiest thing in loving her is that she

Predators, leaving wounds in every heart.

Has tender limbs that harbour wounds in every heart.

يقتلها آمنةً يا لها

يقتلها آمنةً يا لها

من قاتل ليس عليه جناحْ

من قاتل ليس عليه جناحْ

He kills them unsuspecting—oh, what

She kills them unsuspecting—far from her

A killer, yet no blame falls on him!

To kill one undeserving of such wrong!

سكرى فما تعرف صحواً ولا

سكرى فما تعرف صحواً ولا

خمراً مراضٌ وهي فينا صحاحْ

خمراً مراضٌ وهي فينا صحاحْ

Drunken, they know neither sobriety nor

My drunkenness knows not sobriety or wine;

Wine; ailing, yet sound among us.

In us it is diseased, in her but mirth and jest.

يطيبُ في الحبِّ افتضاحي به

يطيبُ في الحبِّ افتضاحي به

يا حبّذا في حبّه الافتضاحْ

يا حبّذا في حبّه الافتضاحْ

In love, my disgrace for his sake is sweet;

My shamefacedness delights in union with her;

How welcome disgrace is in loving him!

Well done my shamefacedness in loving her!

أشكو إلى الليل سهادي وقد

أشكو إلى الليل سهادي وقد

نام عن الشكوى وعن لحى لاحْ

نام عن الشكوى وعن لحى لاحْ

I complain to the night of my sleeplessness, though

I complain to the night of my bed, but it

It slept, heedless of complaint and a reproacher's censure.

Has slept from listening to me and dawn gleams.

يا قلبُ أين الصبرُ عن حسنه

يا قلبُ أين الصبرُ عن حسنه

وأنتَ يا جفنيَ أين الصباحْ

وأنتَ يا جفنيَ أين الصباحْ

My heart, where is the patience to forgo his beauty?

O my heart, where is your patience with her beauty?

And you, my eyelid, where is the morning?

And you, my eyelid, where is the dawn?

أيه حمامَ الأيكِ أنتَ الذي

أيه حمامَ الأيكِ أنتَ الذي

أحزنهُ وجدي فغنَّى وناحْ

أحزنهُ وجدي فغنَّى وناحْ

Sing on, dove of the thicket; you are the one

Ah, turtle-dove of the sandhill, you are she

Whom my passion grieved, who then sang and lamented.

Whose love makes me sad; then you sang and plained.

أغرَّكَ الدمع وقد شفَّني

أغرَّكَ الدمع وقد شفَّني

الشوقُ إليه فأعرني الجناحْ

الشوقُ إليه فأعرني الجناحْ

Did my tears deceive you? I have been wasted

The tears have emboldened you, and longing for her

By longing for him—so lend me your wing.

Has wasted me, so grant me your wing’s protection!

وجدك بالأغصان وجدي بها

وجدك بالأغصان وجدي بها

أقسمت ما الممنوع مثل المباحْ

أقسمت ما الممنوع مثل المباحْ

Your longing is for boughs; mine is for them.

Your love for the branches and mine for her amount to this:

I swore: the forbidden is not like the permitted.

I swore the forbidden is like the permissible.

يشوقني وادي الحمى واللوى

يشوقني وادي الحمى واللوى

أي مراح قد حمتهُ الرّماحْ

أي مراح قد حمتهُ الرّماحْ

I yearn for the valley of al-Hima and for al-Liwa—

The valley of ardour and love-desire attracts me;

What a pasture the spears have guarded!

What encampments has it harboured, pierced with spears!

وغادة هجري لها عادةٌ

وغادة هجري لها عادةٌ

تلك سجايا كل رودٍ رداحْ

تلك سجايا كل رودٍ رداحْ

And a tender maiden whose habit is to forsake me—

Her estrangement has a wonted practice,

Such are the ways of every supple, full-hipped maiden.

Such are the traits of every gently nurtured gazelle.

كم حاز ذلك الشعبُ من طفلةٍ

كم حاز ذلك الشعبُ من طفلةٍ

غيداء حلوٌ جدُّها والمزاحْ

غيداء حلوٌ جدُّها والمزاحْ

How many tender maidens that mountain cleft contains,

How excellent is the black-eyed gazelle possessed by that tribe,

Gracefully swaying, sweet in earnest and in jest!

Sweet her throat, jesting and graceful her gait!

لحنَ عشاء باسماتٍ فشمْ

لحنَ عشاء باسماتٍ فشمْ

غصونَ بانٍ مثمراتٍ أقاحْ

غصونَ بانٍ مثمراتٍ أقاحْ

They appeared at dusk, smiling—so behold

She sang a Lahn of swooning and I inhaled

Boughs of ban trees bearing daisies.

The fragrance of the budding branches of the ban.

في كل يومٍ عاشقٌ يستبي

في كل يومٍ عاشقٌ يستبي

بعد امتناع أو حمى يستباحْ

بعد امتناع أو حمى يستباحْ

Each day, a lover takes a captive,

Each day a lover is slain after refusal

After resistance, or a sanctuary is breached.

Or fever, then gains his desire and takes it by force.

قل للتي تسألُ أهل الحمى

قل للتي تسألُ أهل الحمى

عنّي عجباً لا سؤال ارتياحْ

عنّي عجباً لا سؤال ارتياحْ

Tell her who asks the people of the sanctuary

Say to her who asks the people of passion about me

About me in wonder, not from affectionate concern:

In wonderment: “Do not ask, seeking to please!”

تعجباً أن عشتُ من بعدهم

تعجباً أن عشتُ من بعدهم

لو مات من حبّكم لاستراحْ

لو مات من حبّكم لاستراحْ

In astonishment that I lived on after them—

Wonderful that I have lived after them!

Had he died of loving you, he would have found rest.

Had one like you died of love, he would have found rest.

وإنما أحيته نعمى يد الفاضلِ

وإنما أحيته نعمى يد الفاضلِ

خدن الجودِ تربِ السَّماحْ

خدن الجودِ تربِ السَّماحْ

And only the bounty of al-Fadil's hand kept him alive,

But I was kept alive by the favour of the noble one

The intimate of munificence, generosity's peer;

Of gentle birth, well-bred, endowed with clemency.

ربّ المراد الخصبِ المجتلى

ربّ المراد الخصبِ المجتلى

والموردِ العذب الفرات القراحْ

والموردِ العذب الفرات القراحْ

Lord of the lush grazing ground, fair to behold,

Lord of wishes, fertile, beautiful,

And the sweet, fresh, pure watering place.

And of the sweet, pure Euphrates, brigand of souls.

لو لم يرد بحر نداهُ الورى

لو لم يرد بحر نداهُ الورى

لسار يبغيهم نداه وساحْ

لسار يبغيهم نداه وساحْ

Had humankind not come to the sea of his bounty,

Had the sea of his munificence not flowed to mankind,

His bounty would have journeyed in search of them and roamed.

It would have journeyed to seek them, wandering about.

يا ابن أجلِّ الناس بيتاً

يا ابن أجلِّ الناس بيتاً

على النجم وأزكاهم جميعاً مزاحْ

على النجم وأزكاهم جميعاً مزاحْ

O son of the noblest of men, whose house rises

O best of men in dwelling, and most chaste in character,

Above the star, and the purest of them all in jest!

Pleasantest in jest of all the deadly serious!

لأثبتُ من رضوى جناناً إذا

لأثبتُ من رضوى جناناً إذا

رضوى دحتهُ ريحُ خوفٍ فطاحْ

رضوى دحتهُ ريحُ خوفٍ فطاحْ

Truly firmer in heart than Radwa, even when

I would establish, if you were pleased, gardens of contentment

A wind of fear thrust Radwa aside and it fell.

Which, if the wind of fear blew on, would be laid waste.

مغتبقٌ بالحمد نشوانُ من

مغتبقٌ بالحمد نشوانُ من

قهوتهِ صبٌّ إلى الاصطباحْ

قهوتهِ صبٌّ إلى الاصطباحْ

Drinking praise at evening, intoxicated by

Exultant in praise of the giver of his morning draught,

Its wine, enamored of the morning draught.

Which takes from his love what the dawn takes from joy.

يأخذهُ من وجده بالعلى

يأخذهُ من وجده بالعلى

ما يأخذ الصبَّ من الابتياحْ

ما يأخذ الصبَّ من الابتياحْ

His yearning for the heights grips him

He seizes thereby from the Exalted

As ravishment grips the lovesick lover.

What the dawn takes from delight and pleasance.

وكل غيرانَ أغار القرى

وكل غيرانَ أغار القرى

في دوره فاغتال حمر اللقاحْ

في دوره فاغتال حمر اللقاحْ

And every man jealous of honor, whom hospitality raided

And every jealous one in his abode

In his homes, so he slew the red milch camels.

Exulted in him, then assaulted the red camels.

قد عوّدتْ راحته راحة العافي

قد عوّدتْ راحته راحة العافي

وفي الحرب صفاح الصفاحْ

وفي الحرب صفاح الصفاحْ

His palm has made the petitioner's ease a custom,

His rest has accustomed restfulness to dwell with well-being,

And, in war, the clash of sword blades.

And in war, the clashing of arms with arms.

إنْ لفحت حرب بأبياتهم

إنْ لفحت حرب بأبياتهم

قالوا لأطراف القنا لا براحْ

قالوا لأطراف القنا لا براحْ

If war scorched their households,

If war’s lightning flashed around their abodes,

They told the spearpoints: no retreat!

They said to the lance-bearers: “Do not go away!”

قد بدلوا أموال أعدائهم

قد بدلوا أموال أعدائهم

بحيث أمَّا قدح أو قداحْ

بحيث أمَّا قدح أو قداحْ

They have turned their enemies' wealth

They exchanged the wealth of their enemies

Into either a drinking bowl or gaming arrows.

For that they should have either a wine-flask or cups.

ما شئت من ظبي حمى مورد

ما شئت من ظبي حمى مورد

الحياء من خدّيه ليثٌ وقاحْ

الحياء من خدّيه ليثٌ وقاحْ

A gazelle of the preserve to your heart's desire, blushing with

You may take at will from the gazelles that pasture

Modesty in his cheeks, yet a dauntless lion!

At the spring of modesty, lion and insolent.

أولي الوجوه والأنوف الشمّ

أولي الوجوه والأنوف الشمّ

والأنفسِ الزُّهر من الارتياحْ

والأنفسِ الزُّهر من الارتياحْ

Men of lofty faces and proud noses,

Choice in countenance and nose,

And souls radiant with generous joy.

In soul flowers of joy and comfort.

كم أمَّهُ من مقعدٍ حظهُ

كم أمَّهُ من مقعدٍ حظهُ

وراش بالجود جناح النجاحْ

وراش بالجود جناح النجاحْ

How many a man crippled by his fortune has sought him!

How often he brought bliss to an assembly whose portion

And he feathered the wing of success with generosity.

Was misery, and sprinkled with bounty the wing of success!

ومستغيث من زمانٍ حوى

ومستغيث من زمانٍ حوى

عدلاً صريحاً بعد ظللم صراحْ

عدلاً صريحاً بعد ظللم صراحْ

And many a man seeking aid against his times obtained

And saved many a man of the age from the

Clear justice after blatant wrong.

Injustice, after grievous wrong, with patent equity.

يجود كالغيث على الحزن

يجود كالغيث على الحزن

من أحوالنا منه كحظّ البطاحْ

من أحوالنا منه كحظّ البطاحْ

He gives like rain upon the rugged uplands

He bestows generously, like rain, upon grief

Of our fortunes; their share of him is like the plains' share.

From our woes—such as is the portion of outcasts.

يا آمناً جرح اختلالي بنعماهُ

يا آمناً جرح اختلالي بنعماهُ

وقد أثخن فيَّ الجراحْ

وقد أثخن فيَّ الجراحْ

O you, safe from the wound of my want through his bounty—

O you whose favour has healed my sickness of estrangement

Though it has inflicted grievous wounds on me.

And it had multiplied wounds within me!

عاندني دهري ومن ذا الذي

عاندني دهري ومن ذا الذي

أنزلهُ الدهرُ على الاقتراحْ

أنزلهُ الدهرُ على الاقتراحْ

My age opposed me; and who is there

My fortune opposed me—and who is it

Whom time has lodged according to his wishes?

That fate casts down despite his will?

عبيدكَ الأيامُ قد حاربتْ

عبيدكَ الأيامُ قد حاربتْ

صبري وقد ألقى إليها السلاحْ

صبري وقد ألقى إليها السلاحْ

The days, your servants, have waged war upon

The days, your servants, have warred

My patience, which has surrendered its weapons to them.

Against my endurance, and I have cast away my arms.

حمت عليَّ الشعر مذ أعوز

حمت عليَّ الشعر مذ أعوز

الأجيادُ حاشاك وعزَّ الملاحْ

الأجيادُ حاشاك وعزَّ الملاحْ

They barred poetry to me ever since there grew scarce

Poetry protected me when the noble steeds

Fair necks—excepting you—and beauties became rare.

Failed me—God forbid the boats should fail!

لولاك لم أنسب ولم أعرف

لولاك لم أنسب ولم أعرف

الدهر على دهر ولا الامتداحْ

الدهر على دهر ولا الامتداحْ

Without you I would compose no love verse, nor distinguish

Had it not been for you, I would not have attributed

One age above another, nor know praise poetry.

Lineage to past time or praise to the present.

ما شئتَ عاقبني به عامداً

ما شئتَ عاقبني به عامداً

سوى بعادي عنك والانتزاحْ

سوى بعادي عنك والانتزاحْ

Punish me deliberately with whatever you please,

Whatever you have decided to afflict me with,

Except distance from you and removal afar.

Apart from separation from you and avoidance.

لا تطرحني إنَّ لي منطقاً

لا تطرحني إنَّ لي منطقاً

ماضي الشَّبا يأبى لي الافتضاح

ماضي الشَّبا يأبى لي الافتضاح

Do not cast me aside; I possess speech

Do not cast me off, I have a reason

Keen of edge, which refuses to let me be disgraced.

For which my past flow of youth refuses disgrace.

فجنح آمالي كوجه الضُّحى

فجنح آمالي كوجه الضُّحى

مذ لاح في ناديك أمَّ الفلاحْ

مذ لاح في ناديك أمَّ الفلاحْ

For my hopes' wing is like the face of morning,

So may the wings of my hopes, like the face of dawn,

Since it shone in your assembly, seeking success.

Gleam, since the mother of well-being shone in your circle!

تضيق أبوابك عني وقد

تضيق أبوابك عني وقد

أضحتْ على العالمِ جمعاً فساحْ

أضحتْ على العالمِ جمعاً فساحْ

Are your doors too narrow for me, although

Your doors are closed to me, yet to

They have become spacious for the whole world?

The world they have opened wide.

كم لك في العافينَ والوفد منْ

كم لك في العافينَ والوفد منْ

عرضٍ مصونٍ ونوالٍ مباحْ

عرضٍ مصونٍ ونوالٍ مباحْ

How much you have, among petitioners and delegations, of

How many noble and how many suppliant

Protected honor and freely offered bounty!

For inviolable honour and lawful portion!

حسَّنتَ بالفضل وجوهَ العلى

حسَّنتَ بالفضل وجوهَ العلى

وقبل تحسينك كانت قباحْ

وقبل تحسينك كانت قباحْ

Through bounty you beautified the faces of greatness;

You have beautified by your goodness the faces

Before your beautifying, they were ugly.

Of the noble, and before your beautifying they were ugly.

فيا بني الآمال إني أمروءٌ

فيا بني الآمال إني أمروءٌ

كففتُ عن شيم الأكفّ الشحاحْ

كففتُ عن شيم الأكفّ الشحاحْ

So, sons of hope, I am a man—

So, O son of hopes, I am a man

I have ceased eyeing miserly palms.

Who has curbed the greed of close-fisted hands.

كافحتُ بالقنع ليليَّ وللقنعُ

كافحتُ بالقنع ليليَّ وللقنعُ

وإن جلَّ ضعيفُ الطفاحْ

وإن جلَّ ضعيفُ الطفاحْ

I battled my nights with contentment; as for contentment,

I have struggled with contentment by night, and contentment,

However great, it is scant in its overflow.

Though the going is hard, spurns being carried.

فقدتني قودَ ذليل وقد كنتُ

فقدتني قودَ ذليل وقد كنتُ

عليهنَّ شديدَ الجماحْ

عليهنَّ شديدَ الجماحْ

So you led me like a humbled man, though I had been

Loss of me made an abject man mighty,

Fiercely unbridled against them.

When I had been harsh and ungentle toward them.

كم من نبيهٍ قد عفا ذكرهُ

كم من نبيهٍ قد عفا ذكرهُ

كأنما عاجلهُ محو ماحْ

كأنما عاجلهُ محو ماحْ

How many an eminent man has had his memory fade,

How many a wise man has time blotted out,

As though an eraser's erasure swiftly overtook him!

As though dispatching him with erasure!

تحدَّثت عنهُ الليالي ألا

تحدَّثت عنهُ الليالي ألا

إنَّ أحاديث الليالي صحاحْ

إنَّ أحاديث الليالي صحاحْ

The nights have spoken of him—take heed:

The nights have spoken of him—but

Indeed, the stories of the nights are true.

The nights’ discourses are veridical.

عجماءَ ألاَّ أنَّ أفعالها

عجماءَ ألاَّ أنَّ أفعالها

في كونها تعربُ عنها فصاحْ

في كونها تعربُ عنها فصاحْ

Speechless, except that their deeds,

Dumb, but verily their deeds

In their occurrence, speak eloquently on their behalf.

In respect of them are eloquent.

فليتَ من ليست لهُ نعمةٌ

فليتَ من ليست لهُ نعمةٌ

قابلها بالشكر لا الاجتراحْ

قابلها بالشكر لا الاجتراحْ

Would that whoever has no blessing

Would that he who has no favour

Repaid it with thanks, not wrongdoing.

Should reciprocate, not complain!

فكنْ لقلبٍ قلبٍ صبرهُ

فكنْ لقلبٍ قلبٍ صبرهُ

غدا عليه كلُّ همٍ رواحْ

غدا عليه كلُّ همٍ رواحْ

So be there for a heart whose patience wavers:

So be as a heart to a heart whose patience

Every sorrow visits it at dawn and at dusk.

Was lost when every sorrow came to it by turns.

واسمعْ قريضاً هام وجداً بهِ

واسمعْ قريضاً هام وجداً بهِ

بيضُ المقاصير وبيضُ الأداحْ

بيضُ المقاصير وبيضُ الأداحْ

And hear verse adored with passion by

And listen to aperc ̧u of a love-sick, heart-stricken one,

The fair women of secluded chambers and the white eggs of ostrich nests.

Purer than the full moons, or than white tumblers!

يثملُ من يثملُ في سمعهِ

يثملُ من يثملُ في سمعهِ

كأنما سقيتهُ كأس راحْ

كأنما سقيتهُ كأس راحْ

It intoxicates whoever grows drunk at hearing it,

Let him be choked who is choked

As though you had given him a cup of wine.

By listening, as though you made him drink lees.

وقلْ لمن حاول نظمي أتَّئد

وقلْ لمن حاول نظمي أتَّئد

ليس زئيرُ الأسدِ مثلَ النباحْ

ليس زئيرُ الأسدِ مثلَ النباحْ

And tell whoever attempts my verse: take your time—

And say to him who has tried to censure me: “Does the

The lion's roar is not like barking.

Roaring of lions resemble the barking of curs?”