لِمَنِ الشُّموسُ غَرَبْنَ في الأَكوارِ

لِمَنِ الشُّموسُ غَرَبْنَ في الأَكوارِ

وطَلَعْنَ بين معاقِدِ الأَزرار

وطَلَعْنَ بين معاقِدِ الأَزرار

Whose are the suns that set in the camel-saddles

For whom did the suns set in the horizons,

and rose between the button fastenings?

And rose between the knuckles of buttons?

القَاتلاتِ بأَعيُنٍ أَشفارُها

القَاتلاتِ بأَعيُنٍ أَشفارُها

في الفَتْكِ أَمْضَى من ظُباتِ شِفارِ

في الفَتْكِ أَمْضَى من ظُباتِ شِفارِ

The slayers with eyes whose lashes

The killers, whose eyelids in killing

are keener in killing than the edges of knives.

Are sharper than the edges of swords.

عَرَّضْنَنِي للسُّقْمِ حِينَ عَرَضْنَ لي

عَرَّضْنَنِي للسُّقْمِ حِينَ عَرَضْنَ لي

يخطِرْنَ زَهْواً كالقَنَا الخَطَّارِ

يخطِرْنَ زَهْواً كالقَنَا الخَطَّارِ

They exposed me to sickness when they appeared before me,

They exposed me to illness when they passed by,

strutting proudly like swaying spears.

Swaying coquettishly like the fluttering flag.

ولَوَيْنَ أَجياداً يُحَلِّيها النَّوَى

ولَوَيْنَ أَجياداً يُحَلِّيها النَّوَى

بفرائِدٍ من فَيْضِ دَمْعٍ جارِي

بفرائِدٍ من فَيْضِ دَمْعٍ جارِي

And they turned their necks, which separation adorns

If only they were horses fed with grains,

with precious pearls from a flood of streaming tears.

Adorned with beads of flowing tears.

سارَ الحُداةُ بمن أُحِبُّ وخلَّفوا

سارَ الحُداةُ بمن أُحِبُّ وخلَّفوا

قلبي رهينَ الوَجْدِ والتذكارِ

قلبي رهينَ الوَجْدِ والتذكارِ

The camel-drivers set off with those I love, and left

The departing beloveds took away my love,

my heart captive to longing and remembrance.

Leaving my heart hostage to passion and reminiscence.

نَضَت البَرَاقِعُ عن رياضِ محاسِنٍ

نَضَت البَرَاقِعُ عن رياضِ محاسِنٍ

لم تحتكِمْ فِيها يَدُ الأَمْطارِ

لم تحتكِمْ فِيها يَدُ الأَمْطارِ

She drew the face-veils from gardens of beauty,

The veils were lifted from gardens of beauty,

over which the hand of rain held no sway.

Untouched by the hands of rain.

وَرَنَتْ إِليَّ بطَرْفِ ريمٍ أَكْحَلٍ

وَرَنَتْ إِليَّ بطَرْفِ ريمٍ أَكْحَلٍ

فرنا الرقيبُ بطَرْفِ لَيْثٍ ضَارِ

فرنا الرقيبُ بطَرْفِ لَيْثٍ ضَارِ

And she gazed at me with the gaze of a dark-eyed white gazelle;

She glanced at me with a blue, kohl-lined eye,

then the watcher stared with the gaze of a ravening lion.

So the vigilant glanced back with a vicious, deadly eye.

كيفَ السَّبيلُ إِلى بدائِعِ جَنَّةٍ

كيفَ السَّبيلُ إِلى بدائِعِ جَنَّةٍ

حُفَّتْ لطالِبِ نَيْلِها بالنَّارِ

حُفَّتْ لطالِبِ نَيْلِها بالنَّارِ

How can one reach the marvels of a paradise

How can I reach the wonders of a garden

ringed with fire for anyone seeking to attain it?

Surrounded by fire for those seeking access?

لا يُبْعِدِ الله الجمالَ مَحَبَّةً

لا يُبْعِدِ الله الجمالَ مَحَبَّةً

عَذْبَ العذابِ مُهَوِّنَ الأَخطارِ

عَذْبَ العذابِ مُهَوِّنَ الأَخطارِ

May God never banish beauty, for love's sake—

God does not keep beauty distant out of hatred,

sweet in its torment, making dangers light.

Sweet agony makes dangers tolerable.

فَدَعِ الصِّبا أَبداً شِعاري واستَمِعْ

فَدَعِ الصِّبا أَبداً شِعاري واستَمِعْ

أَوصافَ نَجمِ الدِّينِ في أَشعاري

أَوصافَ نَجمِ الدِّينِ في أَشعاري

So let youthful passion forever be my watchword, and hear

So leave forever the banner of youth as my creed,

the qualities of Najm al-Din in my verses.

And listen to descriptions of the star of faith in my poems.

مَلِكٌ يُريكَ نَوالُه وجمالُه

مَلِكٌ يُريكَ نَوالُه وجمالُه

فيضَ البحارِ وبهجةَ الأَقمارِ

فيضَ البحارِ وبهجةَ الأَقمارِ

A king whose bounty and beauty show you

A king who shows you his gifts and beauty,

the abundance of seas and the splendor of moons.

The overflowing oceans and radiance of moons.

مَا إِنْ رأيتُ أَسيرَ عُسْرٍ أَمَّهُ

مَا إِنْ رأيتُ أَسيرَ عُسْرٍ أَمَّهُ

إِلا وأَنقذه من الإِعسارِ

إِلا وأَنقذه من الإِعسارِ

Never have I seen a captive of hardship seek him

Whenever I saw a prisoner of hardship,

without his rescuing him from destitution.

I rescued him from adversity.

رَقَّ الزمانُ لنا برِقَّةِ طَبْعِه

رَقَّ الزمانُ لنا برِقَّةِ طَبْعِه

حتى لأَصبحَ كالزُّلال الجاري

حتى لأَصبحَ كالزُّلال الجاري

Time grew gentle toward us through the gentleness of his nature,

Time flowed gently for us by his kind nature,

until it truly became like clear, running water.

Until it became like pouring water.

ردَّ الهواجِرَ كالأَصائِلِ وانثنى

ردَّ الهواجِرَ كالأَصائِلِ وانثنى

فكا الليالي رَوْنَقَ الأسحارِ

فكا الليالي رَوْنَقَ الأسحارِ

He made scorching noons like late afternoons, and turned

He brought back the émigrés like noble Arabians,

to [clothe] the nights in the radiance of predawn.

Redeeming the elegance of dawns.

متقسمٌ بين الهلالِ المُجْتَلَى

متقسمٌ بين الهلالِ المُجْتَلَى

حُسْناً وبين الضَّيْغَمِ الزَّءَّارِ

حُسْناً وبين الضَّيْغَمِ الزَّءَّارِ

He is divided between the crescent, admired

Split between the crescent's beauty,

for its beauty, and the roaring lion.

And the planet Saturn's might.

فإِذا سَطَا فَالسيفُ يَضْحَكُ غُرَّةً

فإِذا سَطَا فَالسيفُ يَضْحَكُ غُرَّةً

وإِذا عفا فالمالُ ذو اسْتْعبارِ

وإِذا عفا فالمالُ ذو اسْتْعبارِ

So when he strikes, the sword laughs with a bright gleam;

When he draws his sword it laughs eagerly,

and when he pardons, wealth is moved to tears.

When he forgives, wealth holds arrogance.

جَذْلاَنُ يُطْرِبُهُ السُّؤالُ كأَنما

جَذْلاَنُ يُطْرِبُهُ السُّؤالُ كأَنما

يَسْقِيهِ سائِلُهُ بكأَسِ عُقَارِ

يَسْقِيهِ سائِلُهُ بكأَسِ عُقَارِ

Exultant, he is delighted by requests, as though

He is delighted by requests, as if

his petitioner were giving him a cup of wine to drink.

His asker quenched his thirst with a drink of life.

وتراهُ فِي ويوم الوغى وكأَنه

وتراهُ فِي ويوم الوغى وكأَنه

من نفسه في عسكرٍ جرَّارِ

من نفسه في عسكرٍ جرَّارِ

And you see him on the day of battle, as though he

You see him on days of turmoil as if

were amid a vast army drawn from himself alone.

He were an army on his own in battle.

من معشرٍ ما فيهمُ إِلا فتىً

من معشرٍ ما فيهمُ إِلا فتىً

طامِي عُبابِ الجودِ رحبِ الدارِ

طامِي عُبابِ الجودِ رحبِ الدارِ

He is of a people among whom each man is a gallant,

His company contains only young heroes,

whose generosity's tide runs high, whose house is spacious.

Seeking vast generosity and hospitality.

وَلرُبَّ أَصْفَرَ في يَدَيْهِ فَعَالُه

وَلرُبَّ أَصْفَرَ في يَدَيْهِ فَعَالُه

ينْسِيكَ فِعْلَ الأَبيضِ البَتَّارِ

ينْسِيكَ فِعْلَ الأَبيضِ البَتَّارِ

And many a yellow pen in his hands—its deeds

By his deeds, many a yellow man makes you forget

make you forget the work of the white, cleaving sword.

The actions of sharp white swords.

كالحَيَّةِ النَّضْنَاضِ إِلا أَنَّهُ

كالحَيَّةِ النَّضْنَاضِ إِلا أَنَّهُ

مُتَقَسَّمٌ للنفعِ والإِضرارِ

مُتَقَسَّمٌ للنفعِ والإِضرارِ

Like a tongue-flicking snake, except that it

Like the hissing cobra, except

is divided between bringing benefit and causing harm.

He alternates harm and benefit.

الله جارُكَ قد بَنَيْتَ مراتباً

الله جارُكَ قد بَنَيْتَ مراتباً

في المجدِ لا تَفْنَى مع الأَعْصارِ

في المجدِ لا تَفْنَى مع الأَعْصارِ

God be your protector! You have built lofty stations

God protects you, you built heights of glory

in glory that will not perish with the ages.

That will not fade away over time.

أَجريتَ من يمناكَ بحرَ سماحةٍ

أَجريتَ من يمناكَ بحرَ سماحةٍ

وَقَفَتْ عليكَ نَتَائِجَ الأَفكارِ

وَقَفَتْ عليكَ نَتَائِجَ الأَفكارِ

From your right hand you set flowing a sea of generosity

You let your generosity flow like a sea from your right hand,

that has devoted to you the fruits of thought.

And sound principles stand by you.

وإِذَا جَعَلْتَ الجودَ غَرْسَكَ لم تَزَلْ

وإِذَا جَعَلْتَ الجودَ غَرْسَكَ لم تَزَلْ

تَجْنِي ثِمارَ الشَّكْرِ خَيْرَ ثِمارَ

تَجْنِي ثِمارَ الشَّكْرِ خَيْرَ ثِمارَ

And when you make generosity your planting, you never cease

When you make generosity your livelihood, you will keep

to gather the fruits of gratitude—the finest fruits.

Reaping the fruits of gratitude, the best fruits.

وعزائمٍ لك ما السيوفُ قواطعٌ

وعزائمٍ لك ما السيوفُ قواطعٌ

أَنَّي تُعَدُّ ولا النجومُ سوارى

أَنَّي تُعَدُّ ولا النجومُ سوارى

And you have resolves beside which swords are no cutters,

You have resolves no swords can match,

however they are reckoned, nor stars travelers by night.

How can they be counted when the stars are not?

تمضي متى أَمْضَيْتَها فكأَنما

تمضي متى أَمْضَيْتَها فكأَنما

تأْتي على قَدَرٍ مع الأَقدار

تأْتي على قَدَرٍ مع الأَقدار

They take effect whenever you enact them, as though

They prevail when you prevail them, as if

they come by decree, in concert with the decrees of fate.

They come to pass along with destiny.