سَرَيْتُ وخلّيْتُ الهَوَى لكَ صاحبِي

سَرَيْتُ وخلّيْتُ الهَوَى لكَ صاحبِي

فهذا الهَوَى يُصبي وهذا السُّرى يُنْضِي

فهذا الهَوَى يُصبي وهذا السُّرى يُنْضِي

I journeyed by night and left love to you, my friend.

I journeyed by night and left passion to you, my companion,

For this love beguiles, and this night journey exhausts.

For this passion captivates, and this night-travel wears one down.

فثَوْبكَ مِنِّي سُلَّ يا أسَدَ الشَّرَى

فثَوْبكَ مِنِّي سُلَّ يا أسَدَ الشَّرَى

وطَرْفكِ عنِّي يا مَهاةَ النَّقَى غُضِّي

وطَرْفكِ عنِّي يا مَهاةَ النَّقَى غُضِّي

So draw your robe free of me, O lion of al-Sharā,

So withdraw your garment from me, O lion of the thicket,

and lower your gaze from me, O oryx of the sand dune.

And avert your glance from me, O oryx of the sand dune.

تفكّرْتُ في الدُّنيا وفي غُرْبَتِي بها

تفكّرْتُ في الدُّنيا وفي غُرْبَتِي بها

فضاقَتْ عليَّ الأرضُ في الطُّولِ والعَرضِ

فضاقَتْ عليَّ الأرضُ في الطُّولِ والعَرضِ

I reflected on the world and on my exile within it,

I reflected upon the world and my estrangement within it,

so the earth grew narrow around me in length and breadth.

So the earth narrowed against me in its length and its breadth.

لقد شَعَبَ الشَّعْبِيُّ قَلْباً صَدَعْتِهِ

لقد شَعَبَ الشَّعْبِيُّ قَلْباً صَدَعْتِهِ

كما تَصْدَعُ المظلومةَ الخيلُ بالرَّكْضِ

كما تَصْدَعُ المظلومةَ الخيلُ بالرَّكْضِ

Al-Shaʿbī has indeed mended a heart you split,

Al-Sha'bi has indeed mended a heart that you have cracked,

as horses cleave virgin earth by galloping.

Just as horses crack the hard ground with their galloping.

نَهُوضٌ لأَمْرٍ أَمَّرَتْهُ خَوارجٌ

نَهُوضٌ لأَمْرٍ أَمَّرَتْهُ خَوارجٌ

نَهُوضٌ بأعباءِ العُلا أيَّما نَهْضِ

نَهُوضٌ بأعباءِ العُلا أيَّما نَهْضِ

Ever ready for a task embittered by rebels,

He is one who rises to a matter instigated by rebels,

ever ready to bear greatness's burdens—how mightily he rises!

Rising to bear the burdens of glory—and what a rising!

جَلا عدلُه إظلامَ كلِّ ظُلامةٍ

جَلا عدلُه إظلامَ كلِّ ظُلامةٍ

وحاطَ قَناةَ الدينِ حِفْظاً من الخَفْضِ

وحاطَ قَناةَ الدينِ حِفْظاً من الخَفْضِ

His justice dispelled the darkness of every injustice,

His justice cleared away the darkness of every grievance,

and guarded religion's spear-shaft, keeping it from abasement.

And he guarded the spear-shaft of religion, preserving it from abasement.

كففت أكفَّ الظِّلمِ عن كلِّ مسلمٍ

كففت أكفَّ الظِّلمِ عن كلِّ مسلمٍ

عَرَضْنَ لمالٍ منه أو دَمٍ أوْ عِرْضِ

عَرَضْنَ لمالٍ منه أو دَمٍ أوْ عِرْضِ

You restrained the hands of oppression from every Muslim,

You restrained the hands of oppression from every Muslim,

when they reached for his wealth or blood or honor.

That sought to violate his wealth, his blood, or his honor.

تَنِمُّ بِرَيَّا جَنَّةِ الخُلْدِ رَيَّةٌ

تَنِمُّ بِرَيَّا جَنَّةِ الخُلْدِ رَيَّةٌ

لمن قطفَ الأزهارَ من رَوْضِكَ الغَضِّ

لمن قطفَ الأزهارَ من رَوْضِكَ الغَضِّ

A refreshing draught hints at the fragrance of the Garden of Eternity

A fragrance reveals the scent of the Garden of Eternity,

for whoever plucked the flowers from your lush garden.

To the one who plucks flowers from your verdant garden.

كأنّك منها مَالِكٌ وهي طِيبة

كأنّك منها مَالِكٌ وهي طِيبة

فما جمعُ أهلِ العلمِ عنكَ بمنفضِّ

فما جمعُ أهلِ العلمِ عنكَ بمنفضِّ

As though you were its Mālik, and it were Ṭayba,

As if you were Malik within it, and it were Medina,

so the gathering of the learned does not disperse from you.

So the gathering of the people of knowledge never disperses from you.

وإِنْ أُنْشِدَتْ فِي دار حُكْمِكَ مِدْحَتي

وإِنْ أُنْشِدَتْ فِي دار حُكْمِكَ مِدْحَتي

لقد جُلِيَتْ بِكْراً على خَيْرِ مُفتَضِّ

لقد جُلِيَتْ بِكْراً على خَيْرِ مُفتَضِّ

And if my praise-poem is recited in your court of judgment,

And if my praise is recited in the abode of your rule,

it has indeed been unveiled as a virgin before the finest deflowerer.

It is unveiled as a virgin bride to the noblest suitor.

لَثَمْتُ حَصا مَغْنَاكَ لمّا وَطِئْتُهُ

لَثَمْتُ حَصا مَغْنَاكَ لمّا وَطِئْتُهُ

وقُلتُ اللآلِي كيف تُظْلم بالرَّضِّ

وقُلتُ اللآلِي كيف تُظْلم بالرَّضِّ

I kissed the pebbles of your abode when I set foot in it,

I kissed the pebbles of your dwelling when I trod upon it,

and said, “How can pearls be wronged by being crushed?”

And I asked: How can pearls be wronged by such trampling?

غَذَا عِيسَنا بالبِيدِ شَدْوُ حُداتِنا

غَذَا عِيسَنا بالبِيدِ شَدْوُ حُداتِنا

بذِكرِكَ فاِستَغنتْ عن الماءِ والحَمْضِ

بذِكرِكَ فاِستَغنتْ عن الماءِ والحَمْضِ

Our camel-drivers' singing nourished our pale camels in the deserts,

The chanting of our drivers nourished our camels in the wastelands,

with mention of you, so they needed neither water nor salt-herbage.

With the mention of you, until they had no need of water or grazing.