قَسَماً بِمَنْ بِالصَّدِّ قَدْ أَضْنَانِي

قَسَماً بِمَنْ بِالصَّدِّ قَدْ أَضْنَانِي

وَسَقَانِ كَاسَاتٍ مِنَ الْهِجْرَانِ

وَسَقَانِ كَاسَاتٍ مِنَ الْهِجْرَانِ

I swear by the one who has worn me down with rejection,

I swear by the one whose love has tormented me,

I swear by the one who has exhausted me with his aversion,

And made me drink cups of estrangement,

And made me drink cups of estrangement,

And made me drink from the cups of abandonment,

وَغَدَا يُمَزِّقُ مُهْجَتِي بِلِحَاظِهِ

وَغَدَا يُمَزِّقُ مُهْجَتِي بِلِحَاظِهِ

وَكَسَانِ ثَوْبِيَ ذِلَّةٍ وَهَوَانِ

وَكَسَانِ ثَوْبِيَ ذِلَّةٍ وَهَوَانِ

And began tearing my heart with his glances,

In the morning he tears my spirit with his glances,

Who began to tear my very soul apart with his glances,

And clothed me in the two robes of humiliation and abasement:

And the fabric of my garment with humiliation and disgrace.

And clothed me in the garments of humiliation and disgrace—

مَا أَنْتَ إِلاَّ حَائِزٌ خَصْلَ الْعُلاَ

مَا أَنْتَ إِلاَّ حَائِزٌ خَصْلَ الْعُلاَ

مُتَضَلِّعٌ بِلآلِئِ التِّبْيَانِ

مُتَضَلِّعٌ بِلآلِئِ التِّبْيَانِ

You are none other than the winner of glory's prize,

You are the embodiment of eloquence,

That you are none other than the master of noble virtues,

Replete with pearls of lucid expression.

Adorned with the pearls of expression.

Brimming with the pearls of eloquence.

يَا ابْنَ الأُلْى هَمَعَتْ سَحَابُ أَكُفِّهِمْ

يَا ابْنَ الأُلْى هَمَعَتْ سَحَابُ أَكُفِّهِمْ

وَتَوَشَّحُوا بِمُثَقَّفِ الْمُرَّانِ

وَتَوَشَّحُوا بِمُثَقَّفِ الْمُرَّانِ

O son of those whose palms' clouds poured rain,

O son of nobility, their gathering clouds have roared,

O son of those whose hands poured forth bounty like rainclouds,

And girded themselves with straightened ash-wood lances,

And they donned the learned and refined attire.

And who adorned themselves with straightened spears of Murran wood,

وَعَدَوْا عَلَى الأَبْطَالِ فِي صَهَوَاتِهِمْ

وَعَدَوْا عَلَى الأَبْطَالِ فِي صَهَوَاتِهِمْ

وَنَمَوْا إِلَى عَدْنَانَ أَو ْقَحْطَانِ

وَنَمَوْا إِلَى عَدْنَانَ أَو ْقَحْطَانِ

And charged at champions upon their steeds' backs,

They marched against the champions arrogantly,

Charging against champions upon the backs of their steeds,

And traced their descent to Adnan or Qahtan,

And grew close to Adnan or Qahtan.

Tracing their noble lineage back to Adnan or Qahtan.

مِنْ كُلِّ قَرْمٍ بَاسِلٍ يَوْمَ الْوَغَى

مِنْ كُلِّ قَرْمٍ بَاسِلٍ يَوْمَ الْوَغَى

بَادِي السُّرُورِ إِذَا الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ

بَادِي السُّرُورِ إِذَا الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ

From every valiant chieftain on the day of battle,

From every courageous tribe on the day of battle,

From every valiant chieftain on the day of battle,

Showing joy when the two armies meet.

Showing joy when the two armies meet.

Who radiates joy when the two armies clash.

هِمْنَا بِشِعْرِكَ بَلْ بِسِحْرِكَ فَانْثَنَتْ

هِمْنَا بِشِعْرِكَ بَلْ بِسِحْرِكَ فَانْثَنَتْ

أَلْبَابُنَا سَكْرَى بِخَمْرِ بَيَانِ

أَلْبَابُنَا سَكْرَى بِخَمْرِ بَيَانِ

We were enraptured by your poetry—nay, by your magic—so back came

We swooned intoxicated with the wine of your eloquence,

We were captivated by your poetry—nay, your magic—so that

Our minds, drunk on the wine of eloquence.

Bent by your poetry, nay, by your magic.

Our minds swayed, intoxicated by the wine of your eloquence.

مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ لَفْظٍ أَرَقَّ مِنَ الْهَوَى

مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ لَفْظٍ أَرَقَّ مِنَ الْهَوَى

وَأَلَذَّ فِي الأَسْمَاعِ مِنْ عِيدَانِ

وَأَلَذَّ فِي الأَسْمَاعِ مِنْ عِيدَانِ

All you could wish for in words more tender than love,

Whatever word you chose was gentler than love,

Commanding whatever words you desire, more delicate than passion,

And more delightful to the ear than lutes,

And sweeter to the ears than fresh branches.

And sweeter to the ear than the melodies of lutes,

وَبِدِيعِ مَعْنًى كَالنَّسِيمِ لَطَافَةً

وَبِدِيعِ مَعْنًى كَالنَّسِيمِ لَطَافَةً

أَحْلَى مِنَ الرَّشَفَاتِ مِنْ غِزْلاَنِ

أَحْلَى مِنَ الرَّشَفَاتِ مِنْ غِزْلاَنِ

And exquisite meaning, as delicate as the breeze,

With excellent meaning like a delicate breeze,

With wondrous meanings, as gentle as the breeze,

Sweeter than kisses sipped from gazelles.

Sweeter than gazelle drafts from a meadow.

Sweeter than stealing sips from the lips of gazelles.

مَالْبُحْتُرِي وَأَبُوفِرَاسٍ وَالْبَهَا

مَالْبُحْتُرِي وَأَبُوفِرَاسٍ وَالْبَهَا

بِأَرَقَّ مِنْكَ وَلاَ الْفَتَى الْهَمَذَانِي

بِأَرَقَّ مِنْكَ وَلاَ الْفَتَى الْهَمَذَانِي

Neither al-Buhturi nor Abu Firas nor al-Baha

Al-Buhturi and Abu Firas and Al-Mutanabbi

Al-Buhturi, Abu Firas, and Al-Baha' are not

Is more tender than you, nor is the youth al-Hamadhani.

Are not as subtle as you, nor the young Hamadani.

More refined in verse than you, nor is the youth of Hamadhan.

حُزْتَ الْبَرَاعَةَ وَالْيَرَاعَةَ وَالْعُلاَ

حُزْتَ الْبَرَاعَةَ وَالْيَرَاعَةَ وَالْعُلاَ

وَسَبَقْتَ فِي مِضْمَارِ هَذَا الشَّانِ

وَسَبَقْتَ فِي مِضْمَارِ هَذَا الشَّانِ

You have gained excellence, command of the reed pen, and glory,

You have won brilliance, excellence, and greatness,

You have mastered brilliance, the pen, and high nobility,

And taken the lead on the racecourse of this art.

And preceded in the field of this lofty affair.

And outpaced all others in the racecourse of this art.

وَإِلَيْكَهَا تُسْدِي إِلَيْكَ تَحِيَّةً

وَإِلَيْكَهَا تُسْدِي إِلَيْكَ تَحِيَّةً

أَذْكَى شَذاً مِنْ نَفْحَةِ الْبُسْتَانِ

أَذْكَى شَذاً مِنْ نَفْحَةِ الْبُسْتَانِ

And here it is for you, offering you a greeting,

To you this ode sends the freshest greeting,

So receive these verses, offering you a greeting

Richer in fragrance than a breath from the garden,

More fragrant than the scent of a garden.

More fragrant in scent than the breath of the garden,

مَا اهْتَاجَ قُمْرِيٌّ بِأَفْنَانِ الرُّبَى

مَا اهْتَاجَ قُمْرِيٌّ بِأَفْنَانِ الرُّبَى

وَتَمَايَسَتْ هَيْفَا غُصُونِ الْبَانِ

وَتَمَايَسَتْ هَيْفَا غُصُونِ الْبَانِ

As long as a turtledove stirs among the boughs of the hills,

Qumri did not boast of the beauties of maidens,

Enduring as long as the turtledove stirs upon the branches of the hills,

And the slender boughs of the ban tree sway gracefully.

Nor did the branches of Al-Ban pine.

And the slender boughs of the ban tree gently sway.