صدودُكِ يا لمياء عني ولا البعدُ

صدودُكِ يا لمياء عني ولا البعدُ

إذا لم يكنْ من واحدٍ منهما بدّ

إذا لم يكنْ من واحدٍ منهما بدّ

Your coldness toward me, O Lamya, rather than separation,

Your reverberations, O limpid water, neither my eye nor distance

if one of the two cannot be avoided.

If there was no escape from either one

بروحيَ من لمياءَ عطفٌ إذا زها

بروحيَ من لمياءَ عطفٌ إذا زها

على الغصن قال الغصن ما أنا والقدّ

على الغصن قال الغصن ما أنا والقدّ

My soul would ransom Lamya's supple figure: when it outshines

My spirit has a kindness to the limpid water when it flows

the bough, the bough says, 'What am I beside that stature?'

On the branch, so the branch says, "I am not it and the full moon."

وعنقٌ قد استحسنتُ دمعي لأجلها

وعنقٌ قد استحسنتُ دمعي لأجلها

وفي العُنقِ الحسناء يستحسن العقد

وفي العُنقِ الحسناء يستحسن العقد

And a neck for whose sake I have come to admire my tears—

And a neck I found my tear beautiful for its sake

on a beautiful neck, a necklace is admired.

And in the beautiful neck the necklace is found beautiful

من العُرب إلا أنَّ بين جفونها

من العُرب إلا أنَّ بين جفونها

أحدّ شبا مما يجرّده الهند

أحدّ شبا مما يجرّده الهند

She is of the Arabs, yet between her eyelids

No Arab woman except that between her eyelids

are blade-points sharper than those India unsheathes.

Is one who strips away the kohl like India

على مثلها يعصى العذولُ وإنما

على مثلها يعصى العذولُ وإنما

يطاعُ على أمثالها الشوق والوجد

يطاعُ على أمثالها الشوق والوجد

For one like her, the reprover is defied;

The celibate is disobeyed for her like

for those like her, only longing and passion are obeyed.

Ardor and rapture are obeyed for her like

عزيزٌ على العذال عني صرفها

عزيزٌ على العذال عني صرفها

وللقلب في دينارِ وجنتها نقد

وللقلب في دينارِ وجنتها نقد

It is hard for reprovers to turn her away from me,

Dear to the celibate is diverting my eye from her

and my heart assays the dinar of her cheek.

And for the heart in her dinar and cheek is minted money

أعذَّالنا مهلاً فقد بان حمقكم

أعذَّالنا مهلاً فقد بان حمقكم

وقد زاد حتى ما لحمقكُم حد

وقد زاد حتى ما لحمقكُم حد

O our reprovers, hold back: your folly is plain,

O you celibates, wait, for your foolishness has become clear

and has grown until it knows no bounds.

And it has increased such that your foolishness has no limit

وقلتم قبيحٌ عندنا العشق بالفتى

وقلتم قبيحٌ عندنا العشق بالفتى

ومن أنتُم حتى يكون لكم عندُ

ومن أنتُم حتى يكون لكم عندُ

You said, 'In our view, love is shameful in a young man';

And you said, "Love is ugly to us in a young man"

who are you to have an 'in our view' at all?

And who are you that you would have an opinion?

سمحتُ بروحي للحسان فما لكم

سمحتُ بروحي للحسان فما لكم

وما لي وما هذا التعسف والجهد

وما لي وما هذا التعسف والجهد

I freely gave my soul to beauties—what is it to you,

I yielded my soul to the beauties, so what is it to you?

and what have you to do with me? Why this coercion and strain?

What is it to me? What is this imposition and effort?

وثغرٌ يتيم الدّرّ سلّمَ مهجتي

وثغرٌ يتيم الدّرّ سلّمَ مهجتي

فأتلفها من قبل ما ثبت الرّشد

فأتلفها من قبل ما ثبت الرّشد

And a mouth of peerless pearls was entrusted with my lifeblood,

And a mouth orphaned of pearls surrendered my innermost being

then squandered it before attaining sound judgment.

So it destroyed it before steadfastness was affirmed

هو البرَد الأشهى لغلة هائمٍ

هو البرَد الأشهى لغلة هائمٍ

أو الطلعُ أو نورُ الأقاحي أو الشهد

أو الطلعُ أو نورُ الأقاحي أو الشهد

It is the hail most desired by a lovesick wanderer's thirst,

It is the dearest chill to the fervor of an enamored one

or palm blossom, or daisy flowers, or honey.

Or the first light or the light of threshing floors or honey

ومرشفه المنّ الذي لا يشو به

ومرشفه المنّ الذي لا يشو به

سلوّي أو الرَّاحُ الشمولُ أو النهد

سلوّي أو الرَّاحُ الشمولُ أو النهد

And its kiss is manna that my forgetting cannot taint,

And its draft is the bounty which does not become commonplace

or all-pervading wine, or a swelling breast.

By my solace or the winds or swaying or the breast

عهدت الليالي حلوةً بارتشافهِ

عهدت الليالي حلوةً بارتشافهِ

وهنَّ الليالي لا يدوم لها عهد

وهنَّ الليالي لا يدوم لها عهد

I knew the nights as sweet through sipping from it;

I entrusted the nights sweetly with its draft

yet they are nights—no pledge of theirs endures.

And look, the nights, their promise does not last

فلا ابتسم البرق الذي كان بالحمى

فلا ابتسم البرق الذي كان بالحمى

غداةَ تفرّقنا ولا قهقهه الرَّعد

غداةَ تفرّقنا ولا قهقهه الرَّعد

May the lightning that was over the sanctuary never smile

So neither did the lightning that was in the fever smile

on the morning we parted, nor thunder laugh aloud at it.

The morning after we parted, nor did the thunder chuckle

تولت شموس الحيّ عنه ففي العلى

تولت شموس الحيّ عنه ففي العلى

سناها وفي أكباد عشاقها الوقد

سناها وفي أكباد عشاقها الوقد

The encampment's suns departed from it; in the heights

The suns of life turned away from it, so in the heights

is their radiance, and in their lovers' livers, the blaze.

Its years wasted away, and in the livers of its lovers was burning

وكم ذابحٍ للصبِّ يومَ تحملوا

وكم ذابحٍ للصبِّ يومَ تحملوا

بأخبيةٍ غنى بها للسرى سعد

بأخبيةٍ غنى بها للسرى سعد

How many a slayer of the lovelorn, the day they departed,

And how many slaughterers of resolve on the day they carried

was in tents where Sa'd sang for the night journey.

Wells brimming for the noble, Sa'd was fortunate through them

فيا قلبُ جهداً في التحرق بعدهم

فيا قلبُ جهداً في التحرق بعدهم

وهذا لعمري جهدُ منْ لا له جهدُ

وهذا لعمري جهدُ منْ لا له جهدُ

O heart, exert yourself in burning after them;

So O heart, make an effort in burning after them

by my life, this is the effort of one who has no strength.

And by my life, this is the effort of one who has no effort

ويا دمعُ فضْ وجداً بذكر خدودهم

ويا دمعُ فضْ وجداً بذكر خدودهم

فإنكَ ماءُ الوردِ إن ذهب الوَرْد

فإنكَ ماءُ الوردِ إن ذهب الوَرْد

And tears, overflow with yearning at the memory of their cheeks,

And O tears, burst into copious tears remembering their cheeks

for you are rosewater, even if the roses have gone.

For you are the water of roses, if the roses are gone

رعى الله دهراً كنت فارسَ لهوه

رعى الله دهراً كنت فارسَ لهوه

أروح إلى وصلِ الأحبةِ أو أغدو

أروح إلى وصلِ الأحبةِ أو أغدو

May God cherish a time when I was the knight of its revels,

May God protect for an age! I was the knight of his passion

going at evening or morning to union with beloveds.

I would go to join the beloved or spend the night

جوادي من الكاسات في حلبة الهنا

جوادي من الكاسات في حلبة الهنا

كميتٌ وإلاّ من صدور المها نهد

كميتٌ وإلاّ من صدور المها نهد

My steed, from winecups in the racecourse of delight,

My steed the goblets in the arena of revelry

was a bay—or else, from gazelles' chests, a swelling breast.

Are a storehouse, unless it is breasts of the bent-over idols

وفي عضدي بدر الجمال موسدٌ

وفي عضدي بدر الجمال موسدٌ

وقد قدِحت للرَّاح في خدهِ زندُ

وقد قدِحت للرَّاح في خدهِ زندُ

On my upper arm the full moon of beauty lay pillowed,

And on my arm the full moon of beauty is pillowed

and wine's fire-stick had kindled sparks upon his cheek.

And for the wind in his cheek a firebrand was ignited

وعيشي مأمون الطباق الذي أرى

وعيشي مأمون الطباق الذي أرى

فلا الشعرُ مبيضٌّ ولا الحال مسودُّ

فلا الشعرُ مبيضٌّ ولا الحال مسودُّ

And my life was safe from the contrast I see:

And my life secure in the mixed wine which I see

my hair was not white, nor my fortunes black.

So neither is the wine clear nor is the state clouded

زمان تولى بالشبيبةِ وانقضى

زمان تولى بالشبيبةِ وانقضى

وفي فيَّ طعمٌ من مجاجته بعدُ

وفي فيَّ طعمٌ من مجاجته بعدُ

An age that departed with youth and passed away,

An era has passed with my youth and ended

while a taste of its draught still remains in my mouth.

And in me is a flavor of its turmoil still

يزولُ وما زالتْ مذاقته الصبى

يزولُ وما زالتْ مذاقته الصبى

ويبلى وما تبلى روائحه البُردُ

ويبلى وما تبلى روائحه البُردُ

It passes, yet its savor remains youth;

It passes away but the taste of youth does not leave me

it wears away, yet its cloaks of fragrance never wear away.

It wears out but the scent of its coolness does not fade

له أبداً مني التذكر والأسى

له أبداً مني التذكر والأسى

وللأفضل الملكِ القصائدُ والقصدُ

وللأفضل الملكِ القصائدُ والقصدُ

For it, remembrance and sorrow from me forever;

For it forever from me is remembrance and sorrow

for King al-Afdal, my poems and my purpose.

And for the best King, poems and a goal

بكم آلَ أيوبٍ غنينا عن الورى

بكم آلَ أيوبٍ غنينا عن الورى

فلم نجدِ الأمداحَ فيهم ولم يجدوا

فلم نجدِ الأمداحَ فيهم ولم يجدوا

Through you, House of Ayyub, we have no need of mankind;

With how many of the House of Ayyub we dispensed with mankind

so we bestowed no praises on them, nor did they bestow gifts.

For we did not find praises in them, nor did they find

أتينا لمغناكم تجاراً وإنما

أتينا لمغناكم تجاراً وإنما

بضائعنا الآمالُ تعرضُ والحمدُ

بضائعنا الآمالُ تعرضُ والحمدُ

We came to your abode as merchants, but

We came to your panegyrics as merchants, but

our only wares on offer are hopes and praise.

Our wares were hopes displayed, and praise

فنفَّقتمُ سوق الثنا بضنائع

فنفَّقتمُ سوق الثنا بضنائع

معجّلة للوفد من سبقها وفدُ

معجّلة للوفد من سبقها وفدُ

You made the market of praise thrive with favors

So you invested the market of praise with wares

hastened to the delegation, with an advance delegation of their own.

Hastened for the delegation from those preceded by a delegation

ورِشتمْ جناح الآملين وطوّقت

ورِشتمْ جناح الآملين وطوّقت

رقابٌ بنعماكم فلا غرْوَ أن تشدو

رقابٌ بنعماكم فلا غرْوَ أن تشدو

You feathered the wing of those who hoped, and necks were encircled

And you feathered the wing of the hopeful and graced

with your blessings—no wonder they sing.

Necks with your bounties, so no wonder they sing

سقى تربةَ الملك المؤيد وابلٌ

سقى تربةَ الملك المؤيد وابلٌ

وفيٌّ على عهد المعالي له عهد

وفيٌّ على عهد المعالي له عهد

May a downpour water the soil of King al-Mu'ayyad's grave,

The ground of the kingdom of al-Mu'azzam was watered by clouds

faithful to the covenant of noble deeds, with a pledge to him.

Copious during the days of the Sublime One, for him is a time

لقد صدقتنا في الزمانِ وعودُهُ

لقد صدقتنا في الزمانِ وعودُهُ

وشيمةُ إسماعيل أن يصدق الوعد

وشيمةُ إسماعيل أن يصدق الوعد

His promises to us indeed proved true through time;

Indeed he was true to us in time with his promise

it is Isma'il's nature to keep a promise.

And the trait of Isma'il is to fulfill a promise

وولى وقد أوصى بنا الملك الذي

وولى وقد أوصى بنا الملك الذي

أبرّ على جمع العلى شخصه الفرد

أبرّ على جمع العلى شخصه الفرد

He departed after commending us to the king whose

And he succeeded when the King who

single person surpasses the whole sum of exalted virtues.

Was most righteous in gathering the elevated, his unique person, entrusted us to him

فما لبني أيُّوبَ ندٌّ من الورى

فما لبني أيُّوبَ ندٌّ من الورى

وما في بني أيوبَ عندي له ندّ

وما في بني أيوبَ عندي له ندّ

No one among mankind rivals the sons of Ayyub,

So the House of Ayyub has no equal in mankind to me

and among the sons of Ayyub none, in my eyes, rivals him.

And in the House of Ayyub, no one equals him to me

مليكٌ له في الملك أصلٌ ومكسبٌ

مليكٌ له في الملك أصلٌ ومكسبٌ

وحظّ فنعم الجدّ والجدُّ والجدّ

وحظّ فنعم الجدّ والجدُّ والجدّ

A king whose kingship rests on ancestry, achievement,

A King whose origin and livelihood are in kingship

and fortune—excellent his grandfather, his diligence, and his luck!

And fortune, so excellent is his grandfather, and father, and grandfather

حوته العلى قبل الحجورِ وهزَّهُ

حوته العلى قبل الحجورِ وهزَّهُ

حديث الثنا من قبل ما هزَّه المهد

حديث الثنا من قبل ما هزَّه المهد

Nobility embraced him before laps did, and

Kingship contained him before enclosures and rocked him

tales of praise rocked him before the cradle rocked him.

Reports of praise before the cradle rocked him

وغذَّته للعلياء قبلَ لبانهِ

وغذَّته للعلياء قبلَ لبانهِ

لباناً لها من مثله مخضَ الزُّبدُ

لباناً لها من مثله مخضَ الزُّبدُ

And it nourished him for the heights before his first milk,

And it nurtured him for supremacy before his milk

with milk whose butter, for those heights, was churned from one like him.

Milk for it the likes of him curdled cream

فجاءَ كما ترضى السيادةُ والعلى

فجاءَ كما ترضى السيادةُ والعلى

وحيداً على أبوابه للورى حشدُ

وحيداً على أبوابه للورى حشدُ

He came forth as lordship and nobility approve,

So he came just as sovereignty and highness desire

peerless, with humanity thronging at his gates.

Alone at its doors for mankind gathered

رعى خلقه ربُّ العبادِ وخُلقه

رعى خلقه ربُّ العبادِ وخُلقه

فحسَّنَ ما يخفى لديه وما يبدو

فحسَّنَ ما يخفى لديه وما يبدو

The Lord of His servants cared for his form and his character,

May the Lord of servants and his manners guard him

beautifying what is hidden within him and what appears.

So He made beautiful what is hidden from Him and what appears

ألم ترني يمَّمتُ كعبة بيتهِ

ألم ترني يمَّمتُ كعبة بيتهِ

لحجِّ ولائي لا سُواعٌ ولا ودُّ

لحجِّ ولائي لا سُواعٌ ولا ودُّ

Have you not seen me turn toward the Kaaba of his house,

Have you not seen me head towards the Kaaba of his house

for the pilgrimage of my allegiance, not to Suwa' or Wadd?

For the Hajj of my loyalty, neither distraction nor love?

علقتُ بحبلٍ من حبالِ محمدٍ

علقتُ بحبلٍ من حبالِ محمدٍ

أمنتُ به من طارقِ الدهر أنْ يعدو

أمنتُ به من طارقِ الدهر أنْ يعدو

I clung to a cord among Muhammad's cords,

I clung to a rope from the ropes of Muhammed

safe through it from the assault of time's night visitor.

I felt safe through it from the assailant of fate that he may transgress

ويممت مغناه بركب مدائح

ويممت مغناه بركب مدائح

يسيل بها غوْرٌ ويطفو بها نجد

يسيل بها غوْرٌ ويطفو بها نجد

I headed for his abode with a caravan of praises:

And I set out as a caravan with praises

lowlands flow with them, and highlands float upon them.

Through which gushing springs flow and through which Najd floats

من اللاءِ أجدى كُثرُها فتكاثرت

من اللاءِ أجدى كُثرُها فتكاثرت

لديّ بها الأتباعُ والأصلُ والولدُ

لديّ بها الأتباعُ والأصلُ والولدُ

Among those whose abundance brought bounty, so that

From the refrain I gained through its plentitude so they proliferated for me

through them my followers, capital, and offspring multiplied.

Through it the followers, and origin, and children

وأعجبني المرعى الخصيب ببابه

وأعجبني المرعى الخصيب ببابه

فحالي به الأهنى وعيشي به الرَّغدُ

فحالي به الأهنى وعيشي به الرَّغدُ

The lush pasture at his gate delighted me;

And I loved the fertile pasture at his door

through him my lot is happiest and my life easeful.

So through it my state was comfortable and my life luxurious

أيا ملكاً لولا حماهُ وجودُهُ

أيا ملكاً لولا حماهُ وجودُهُ

لما ملح المرعى ولا عذُبَ الوِرْدُ

لما ملح المرعى ولا عذُبَ الوِرْدُ

O king, without whose protection and generosity

O King, were it not for his existence protecting him

the pasture would not be pleasant, nor the water sweet.

The pasture would not have been salted, nor would the roses have been fresh

تجمّع في علياك كلّ مفرَّق

تجمّع في علياك كلّ مفرَّق

من الوصف حتى الضدّ يظهره الضدُّ

من الوصف حتى الضدّ يظهره الضدُّ

Every scattered quality gathers in your greatness,

Collected in your heights is every dispersed thing

until even an opposite is revealed by its opposite:

In description until the opposite reveals its opposite

فقربك والعليا وحلمك والسطا

فقربك والعليا وحلمك والسطا

وحزمك والجدوى وملكك والزهد

وحزمك والجدوى وملكك والزهد

your nearness and loftiness, your forbearance and might,

So your nobility and the Highest, your clemency and just rule

your prudence and bounty, your kingship and asceticism.

Your decisiveness and benefit, your kingdom and asceticism

وعنك استفاد الناسُ مدحاً بمثله

وعنك استفاد الناسُ مدحاً بمثله

على الشب يشدو أو على الركب إذ يحدو

على الشب يشدو أو على الركب إذ يحدو

From you people learned praise of a kind

And from you people gained praise the like of which

one sings among the young, or to riders while chanting them onward.

The youth sing of, or travelers when pace quickens

فدونكها مني على البعد غادةً

فدونكها مني على البعد غادةً

يظل عبيداً وهو من خلفها عبدُ

يظل عبيداً وهو من خلفها عبدُ

Take her, then, from me across the distance, a graceful maiden;

So from me, far away, compose it as an ode

a servant following behind her overshadows 'Ubayd.

That will remain your servant though behind it a servant

على أنها تحتك منك بناقدٍ

على أنها تحتك منك بناقدٍ

يرجى له نقدٌ ويخشى له نقد

يرجى له نقدٌ ويخشى له نقد

Though in you she encounters a critic

Even if with a critic from you of minted coins

whose coin is hoped for and whose criticism is feared.

Expected for it cash and dreaded for it cash

عريق العلى ألفاظهُ كدُروعهِ

عريق العلى ألفاظهُ كدُروعهِ

غدا والوغى والسلم يحكمه سرْد

غدا والوغى والسلم يحكمه سرْد

Rooted in nobility, his words are like his coats of mail:

Lofty is its wording like his coats of mail

in battle and peace, close-knit weaving has made him secure.

Tomorrow and fray and peace it commands arranged

حمى الله من ريبِ الحوادثِ ملكهُ

حمى الله من ريبِ الحوادثِ ملكهُ

ولا زال للأقدارِ من حوله جند

ولا زال للأقدارِ من حوله جند

May God protect his kingdom from the vicissitudes of events,

May God protect his kingdom from the doubt of events

and may fate's army forever surround him.

And may defenders remain around it forever

هو الكافل الدنيا بأنعمهِ فما

هو الكافل الدنيا بأنعمهِ فما

يحسّ لمفقودٍ بأيامه فقد

يحسّ لمفقودٍ بأيامه فقد

He sustains the world with his blessings, so

He who provides for the world with his bounty so one does not

in his days, no missing thing is felt as a loss.

Feel anything lost in his days has passed

وإني وإنْ أخرتُ سعياً لأرتجي

وإني وإنْ أخرتُ سعياً لأرتجي

عوائد من نعماه تسعى بها البرد

عوائد من نعماه تسعى بها البرد

Though I have delayed my journey, I surely hope

And if I am late in striving in hopes

for recurring gifts from his bounty, borne swiftly by couriers.

Of gifts from his bounty that the cold seeks

إذا المرء لم يشدد إلى الغيث رحله

إذا المرء لم يشدد إلى الغيث رحله

أتى نحو مغناه حيا الغيث يشتدُّ

أتى نحو مغناه حيا الغيث يشتدُّ

If a man does not fasten his saddle to seek the rain,

When a man does not take his mount to the rain clouds

the rain's reviving showers hurry toward his home.

The rain cloud comes passionately raining heavily

وما أنا إلا العبدُ ما في رجائه

وما أنا إلا العبدُ ما في رجائه

ولا ظنّهِ عيبٌ ولا يمكنُ الردُّ

ولا ظنّهِ عيبٌ ولا يمكنُ الردُّ

I am nothing but the servant: neither his hope

And I am but a servant, there is no fault in his hopes

nor his expectation is flawed, and refusal is impossible.

Or speculations, nor can it be rejected