بَعَثْتَ به حَنَانًا أَمْ جِنانا

بَعَثْتَ به حَنَانًا أَمْ جِنانا

وصُلْتَ بهِ لِسانًا أَم سِنانا

وصُلْتَ بهِ لِسانًا أَم سِنانا

Did you send through it tenderness—or gardens?

Did you send it as affection or madness?

And did you wield it as a tongue—or a spearhead?

Did you convey it as a tongue or teeth?

وقلَّدْتَ الطُّروسَ به كلاماً

وقلَّدْتَ الطُّروسَ به كلاماً

يُفَصَّلُ في التَّرائِبِ أَم جُمَانا

يُفَصَّلُ في التَّرائِبِ أَم جُمَانا

And did you garland the pages with words

And you adorned the birds with speech through it

strung upon the breast—or with pearls?

Is it distinctly articulated or mumbling?

قريضٌ زارَ بل روضٌ أَرِيضٌ

قريضٌ زارَ بل روضٌ أَرِيضٌ

فآتانا المحاسِنَ إِذ أَتانا

فآتانا المحاسِنَ إِذ أَتانا

Verse came visiting—nay, a luxuriant garden,

A visitor who brought a garden, nay a flower bed

and gave us beauties when it came to us.

So he brought us beauties when he came to us

نُعانِي أَو نعايِنُ منه لفظاً

نُعانِي أَو نعايِنُ منه لفظاً

مُعاناً بالبلاغة لا مُعانَى

مُعاناً بالبلاغة لا مُعانَى

We labor over—or behold—its wording,

We suffer or examine in it an expression

aided by eloquence, not labored over.

With eloquence not meanings

يَروعُ وقد يروقُ فأَيُّ بِيضٍ

يَروعُ وقد يروقُ فأَيُّ بِيضٍ

تَذَكِّرُنا القيونَ أَوِ القِيانا

تَذَكِّرُنا القيونَ أَوِ القِيانا

It awes, yet may charm: what gleaming blades or fair maidens

It startles and it may please, so which eggs

bring smiths—or singing girls—to our minds?

Remind us of cradles or coffins?

قرأْنا من محاسِنِها فنوناً

قرأْنا من محاسِنِها فنوناً

وكِدْنا أَن نُسَمِّيهَا قُرَانا

وكِدْنا أَن نُسَمِّيهَا قُرَانا

We read in it many forms of beauty,

We have read in its beauties diverse arts

and almost called it a Qur'an.

And we almost called it Quran

شرائِعُ مُوجِباتٌ أَن تُدَانَا

شرائِعُ مُوجِباتٌ أَن تُدَانَا

بدائِعُ مانِعاتٌ أَنْ تُدانَى

بدائِعُ مانِعاتٌ أَنْ تُدانَى

Laws that demand obedience;

Laws warranting our judgment

marvels that forbid being matched.

Marvels preventing our judgement

فلو حَسَّانُ فازَ بها لَحلَّى

فلو حَسَّانُ فازَ بها لَحلَّى

بجوهَرِها قلائِدَهُ الحِسانا

بجوهَرِها قلائِدَهُ الحِسانا

Had Hassan gained it, he would have adorned

If Hasan attained it he would have adorned

his lovely necklaces with its jewels.

His necklaces with its jewels

ولو رامَ ابْنُ هانِىٍءٍ اتِّصالاً

ولو رامَ ابْنُ هانِىٍءٍ اتِّصالاً

بصعب مَرَامِها يوماً لهانا

بصعب مَرَامِها يوماً لهانا

And had Ibn Hani' sought to reach

If Ibn Hani had sought to reach

its hard-to-attain goal one day, he would have been humbled.

Its difficult purpose he would have despaired

ولو أَنِّي أَطَقْتُ أَطَلْتُ قولي

ولو أَنِّي أَطَقْتُ أَطَلْتُ قولي

فلم أَتْرُكْ فلاناً أَو فلانا

فلم أَتْرُكْ فلاناً أَو فلانا

And had I been able, I would have prolonged my speech,

Had I been able I would have prolonged my words

and left out neither this man nor that.

And left no so-and-so or so-and-so

أَبا حَسَنٍ ملَكْتَ الحُسْنَ طُرًّا

أَبا حَسَنٍ ملَكْتَ الحُسْنَ طُرًّا

فأَسْقِطْ شانِياً أَوْ فَاعْلُ شَانا

فأَسْقِطْ شانِياً أَوْ فَاعْلُ شَانا

O Abu Hasan, you have possessed all beauty;

O Abu Hasan you possessed beauty as wealth

so cast down a hater, or rise in stature.

So depose a lowly one or act magnanimously

نَصَبْتَ على صِقِلِّيَةٍ لواءً

نَصَبْتَ على صِقِلِّيَةٍ لواءً

هَدَانا في دُجَى خطبٍ دَهانا

هَدَانا في دُجَى خطبٍ دَهانا

You raised a banner over Sicily,

You have raised over Sicily a banner

which guided us through the darkness of a calamity that befell us.

Guiding us in the darkness of perilous affairs

بدا عَلَمًا فكنتَ عليه نارًا

بدا عَلَمًا فكنتَ عليه نارًا

ولولا الحِلْمُ سَمَّيْتُ الدُّخانا

ولولا الحِلْمُ سَمَّيْتُ الدُّخانا

It appeared as a mountain, and you were a fire atop it;

It appeared as a flag and you were its fire

but for forbearance, I would have named the smoke.

And were it not for forbearance I would have called it smoke

وكم رُزِقَ المكانَةَ من أُناسٍ

وكم رُزِقَ المكانَةَ من أُناسٍ

لَوِ اختيروا لما وَجَدوا مكانا

لَوِ اختيروا لما وَجَدوا مكانا

And how many men have been granted standing

And how many were given status from people

who, if selection were made, would have found no place!

If chosen they would have not found a place

فديتُكَ من خليلِ لي خليلٍ

فديتُكَ من خليلِ لي خليلٍ

كُفيتُ به الزَّمانَةَ والزَّمانا

كُفيتُ به الزَّمانَةَ والزَّمانا

May I be your ransom, my own intimate friend,

I ransom you from a friend who is my friend

through whom I was spared infirmity and Time.

I was content with him in days and times

وقد شاهَدْتُ إِخوانًا ولكِنْ

وقد شاهَدْتُ إِخوانًا ولكِنْ

هُمُ الإِخوانُ إِن نظروا الخِوانا

هُمُ الإِخوانُ إِن نظروا الخِوانا

And I have seen brothers, yet

I have seen brothers but

they are brothers only when they see the dining table.

They are brothers if they look to brotherhood

وكم من تَسْكُنُ الأَجفانُ منه

وكم من تَسْكُنُ الأَجفانُ منه

إِذا أَسكنته منك الجِفانا

إِذا أَسكنته منك الجِفانا

And how many a man's eyelids grow still

How many a lid is weighed down by him

when you lodge him among your serving bowls.

When you weigh down their lids from you