إِلى أَيِّ ضوءٍ مِن بُروقِ المُنى تَعشو

إِلى أَيِّ ضوءٍ مِن بُروقِ المُنى تَعشو

وَغَيث الصَوادي سارَ منكَ بِهِ نَعشُ

وَغَيث الصَوادي سارَ منكَ بِهِ نَعشُ

Toward which light of hope's lightning do you grope,

To what faint light from the lightning of hopes do you turn your dim eyes?

when a bier has carried away from you the rain for the thirsty?

While the rain that quenched the thirsty has departed from you, carried upon a bier.

أَلا عَمِيَت عَينُ الزَمانِ فَلا هُدى

أَلا عَمِيَت عَينُ الزَمانِ فَلا هُدى

وَشلَّت يَمينُ المَجدِ مِنكَ فَلا بَطشُ

وَشلَّت يَمينُ المَجدِ مِنكَ فَلا بَطشُ

Alas, Time's eye has gone blind: no guidance remains,

Behold, the eye of Time has gone blind, leaving no guidance,

and Glory's right hand is paralyzed at your loss, powerless to strike.

And the right hand of Glory is paralyzed by your loss, leaving no power to strike.

يَخيّلُ لي أَنَّ الضُّحى بَعدَكَ الدُجى

يَخيّلُ لي أَنَّ الضُّحى بَعدَكَ الدُجى

وَأَنَّ النَدى القَفرُ وَالأنسُ الوحشُ

وَأَنَّ النَدى القَفرُ وَالأنسُ الوحشُ

It seems to me that daylight after you is darkness,

It seems to me that the morning sun, after you, is pitch darkness,

that bounty is wasteland, and companionship desolation.

And that generosity is a barren waste, and companionship is desolation.

أَهمُّ بِنَبشي قَبركَ الطَيِّب الثَرى

أَهمُّ بِنَبشي قَبركَ الطَيِّب الثَرى

لَعَلّي أَستَشفي وَإِن حُرِّمَ النَبشُ

لَعَلّي أَستَشفي وَإِن حُرِّمَ النَبشُ

I contemplate digging up your grave, whose earth is sweet,

I yearn to unearth your grave, so fragrant is its soil,

hoping to find healing, though exhumation is forbidden.

Hoping I might find a cure, even if exhumation is forbidden.

كَأَنّي وَقَد أَودَعتكَ القَبر طائِرٌ

كَأَنّي وَقَد أَودَعتكَ القَبر طائِرٌ

كَسيرُ جَناحٍ لا فراخَ وَلا عُشُّ

كَسيرُ جَناحٍ لا فراخَ وَلا عُشُّ

As though, having laid you in the grave, I were a bird

It is as though I, having entrusted you to the grave, am a bird

with a broken wing, without fledglings or nest.

With a broken wing, possessing neither chicks nor a nest.

مَحَلٌّ لِعَيني دَمعُها وَسُهادُها

مَحَلٌّ لِعَيني دَمعُها وَسُهادُها

وَحُرمٌ عَلى جَنبي الأسرّةُ وَالفرشُ

وَحُرمٌ عَلى جَنبي الأسرّةُ وَالفرشُ

Tears and sleeplessness are lawful for my eye,

My eyes have become a dwelling place for tears and sleeplessness,

but beds and bedding are forbidden to my side.

And forbidden to my side are soft beds and mattresses.

أعَزّى وَصَوتي بِالنَعِيِّ أَمُدُّهُ

أعَزّى وَصَوتي بِالنَعِيِّ أَمُدُّهُ

كَما مَدّ بالتَحقيقِ حَمزَة أَو وَرشُ

كَما مَدّ بالتَحقيقِ حَمزَة أَو وَرشُ

I am consoled while I prolong my voice in lament,

I seek solace while prolonging my voice in wailing lament,

as Hamza or Warsh prolongs a sound in precise recitation.

Just as Hamza or Warsh elongated the vowels in recitation.

أَراضَت بِمَثواكَ القُبورُ وَلَم يَزَل

أَراضَت بِمَثواكَ القُبورُ وَلَم يَزَل

عَلَيها لِساجي المزنِ مِن أَجلِهِ خَفشُ

عَلَيها لِساجي المزنِ مِن أَجلِهِ خَفشُ

The graves have turned to meadows through your resting-place, and still

The graves have become a lush garden by your resting place, and there remains

the quiet rainclouds shed fine rain over them for its sake.

Upon them, for his sake, a dimness cast by the quiet, heavy rain clouds.

نَعَتكَ مَعي زَهرُ الشُموسِ ثَواكِلاً

نَعَتكَ مَعي زَهرُ الشُموسِ ثَواكِلاً

وَفي وردها طَلُّ المَدامِعِ وَالخمشُ

وَفي وردها طَلُّ المَدامِعِ وَالخمشُ

The radiant suns mourned you beside me, bereaved,

The radiant suns of beauty mourned you with me, bereaved mothers all,

and their roses bear tear-dew and scratches.

Upon their rose-cheeks lie the dew of tears and the marks of scratching.

فَسودٌ مِنَ التَكحيلِ حُمرٌ مِنَ البُكا

فَسودٌ مِنَ التَكحيلِ حُمرٌ مِنَ البُكا

عَلَيكَ وَملسٌ مِن نَعيمِ الصبا حَرشُ

عَلَيكَ وَملسٌ مِن نَعيمِ الصبا حَرشُ

Thus black with kohl, red with weeping

Blackened by kohl, reddened by weeping,

for you; smooth with youth's softness, now rough.

Grieving for you, while smooth skin from the comfort of youth turns rough.

شغلنَ عَنِ الحمامِ وَالطيبِ وَالحلى

شغلنَ عَنِ الحمامِ وَالطيبِ وَالحلى

فَما مُيِّزَت مِنهُنَّ عفرُ الفَلا الحمشُ

فَما مُيِّزَت مِنهُنَّ عفرُ الفَلا الحمشُ

They were kept from bathing, perfume, and ornaments,

They were distracted from the bath, from perfume, and from ornaments,

so the slim, dust-colored gazelles of the wild could not be told apart from them.

So that the wild, dusty gazelles of the desert could not be distinguished from them.

وَرَدَّ يَدي عَن حرِّ وَجهي حَياؤُهُ

وَرَدَّ يَدي عَن حرِّ وَجهي حَياؤُهُ

فَإِن كانَ لَم يَخدِش فَفي قَلبيَ الخَدشُ

فَإِن كانَ لَم يَخدِش فَفي قَلبيَ الخَدشُ

His modesty held my hand back from my cheek;

His modesty turned my hand away from striking the heat of my face,

and if no scratch was made there, the scratch is in my heart.

So if the cheek was not scratched, the scratch lies deep within my heart.

بِرغمِ أَبيكَ اللَيث بَزّتكَ عَن يَدٍ

بِرغمِ أَبيكَ اللَيث بَزّتكَ عَن يَدٍ

يَدٌ يَتَساوى عِندَها الشِبلُ وَالجَحشُ

يَدٌ يَتَساوى عِندَها الشِبلُ وَالجَحشُ

Despite your lion-father, you were snatched from his hand

Despite your father being a lion, a hand snatched you away by force,

by a hand to which lion cub and donkey foal are alike.

A hand to which the lion's cub and the donkey's foal are equal.

وَلَو فَهِمت مَعنى الزَمانِ بهيمَةٌ

وَلَو فَهِمت مَعنى الزَمانِ بهيمَةٌ

لَأَعرَضَ خَوفَ النَسلِ عَن شاتِنا الكَبشُ

لَأَعرَضَ خَوفَ النَسلِ عَن شاتِنا الكَبشُ

If a beast understood the meaning of Time,

And if a dumb beast understood the true meaning of Time,

the ram would shun our ewe, fearing offspring.

The ram would turn away from our ewe for fear of bringing forth offspring.

وَمن عَرَفَ الدُنيا صَحا مِن سُرورِهِ

وَمن عَرَفَ الدُنيا صَحا مِن سُرورِهِ

وَأَمسى كَما أَمسَيتُ مِن هَمِّهِ يَنشو

وَأَمسى كَما أَمسَيتُ مِن هَمِّهِ يَنشو

Whoever knows the world sobers from his joy,

He who knows the world sobers up from his joy,

and ends, as I have ended, drunk on his grief.

And ends his day, as I have, intoxicated by his grief.

فَأَيُّ شَبابٍ لا يفلُّ شَباتهُ

فَأَيُّ شَبابٍ لا يفلُّ شَباتهُ

وَأَيُّ حَشاً لِلحرِّ بِالحرِّ لا يَحشو

وَأَيُّ حَشاً لِلحرِّ بِالحرِّ لا يَحشو

What youth is there whose edge it does not blunt,

For what blade of youth is there whose edge is not dulled?

and what noble man's heart does it not fill with burning heat?

And what heart is there that does not stuff burning heat with more heat?

حَبيبي الَّذي لا صَدرهُ لي يَنطَوي

حَبيبي الَّذي لا صَدرهُ لي يَنطَوي

عَلى غَيرِ ما أَرضى وَلا سرّهُ يَفشو

عَلى غَيرِ ما أَرضى وَلا سرّهُ يَفشو

My beloved, whose breast does not harbor toward me

My beloved, whose heart never harbored against me

anything I dislike, and whose secret is never divulged.

Anything other than what I desire, nor was his secret ever divulged.

وَكُلُّ حَبيبٍ ما خَلا الوَلد الَّذي

وَكُلُّ حَبيبٍ ما خَلا الوَلد الَّذي

تَقرُّ بِهِ العَينان في حُبِّهِ غشُّ

تَقرُّ بِهِ العَينان في حُبِّهِ غشُّ

Every beloved, except the child who

And every beloved—except the child who

cools both eyes, has deceit in his love.

Brings delight to the eyes—has deception in their love.

خلقتَ كَريماً في السَناءِ وَفي السنى

خلقتَ كَريماً في السَناءِ وَفي السنى

وَمتَّ صَغيراً لا فجورٌ وَلا فُحشُ

وَمتَّ صَغيراً لا فجورٌ وَلا فُحشُ

You were created noble in eminence and radiance,

You were created noble in eminence and in radiance,

and died young, without wickedness or obscenity.

And you died young, untouched by vice or obscenity.

حَلَلتَ بِطوبى وَاِحتَلَلتَ جَزيرَةً

حَلَلتَ بِطوبى وَاِحتَلَلتَ جَزيرَةً

يروّعني فيها اِبنُ رَدمير وَاِدفننشُ

يروّعني فيها اِبنُ رَدمير وَاِدفننشُ

You settled in Tuba, and I settled on an island

You have settled by the Tuba tree of Paradise and occupied an island,

where Ibn Radmir and Adfanansh terrify me.

Wherein Ibn Radmir and Adfuns strike terror into me.

أَفاعي يفاع نَحنُ بَينَ نُيوبِها

أَفاعي يفاع نَحنُ بَينَ نُيوبِها

رقاها بيوتُ المالِ لَو أمِنَ النَهشُ

رقاها بيوتُ المالِ لَو أمِنَ النَهشُ

Vipers of the heights: we are between their fangs;

Vipers of the high ground, we are caught between their fangs;

their charms are treasuries—if only one were safe from their bite.

Their charm is the treasury's wealth, if only the biting could be secured against.

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا جُنّتى وَتَميمَتي

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا جُنّتى وَتَميمَتي

إِذا عَضّت الأَيّامُ أَو عَضَّتِ الرقشُ

إِذا عَضّت الأَيّامُ أَو عَضَّتِ الرقشُ

You were nothing but my shield and my amulet

And you were nothing but my shield and my talisman,

when the days bit, or the speckled serpents bit.

When the days bit, or the speckled serpents struck.

فَقَد أفردَت مِنكَ المَنِيَّة وَاِشتَفَّت

فَقَد أفردَت مِنكَ المَنِيَّة وَاِشتَفَّت

عداً طَعَنوا بِالكيدِ مِنهُم وَإِن بَشّوا

عداً طَعَنوا بِالكيدِ مِنهُم وَإِن بَشّوا

Death has left me alone without you, and I am drained

Death has singled you out from me, and enemies have gloated,

by foes who stabbed me with their guile, even when they smiled.

Those who stabbed with treachery, even as they smiled in my face.

وَلا حَولَ إِلّا بِالإلهِ وَقُوَّةً

وَلا حَولَ إِلّا بِالإلهِ وَقُوَّةً

بِهِ مِن كَلامٍ طَيِّبٍ حُمل العَرشِ

بِهِ مِن كَلامٍ طَيِّبٍ حُمل العَرشِ

There is no might except through God, nor strength

There is no power nor strength save in God,

save through Him—goodly words by which the Throne was borne.

By Him, and by good words, is the Throne sustained.

رَضيتُ بِحُكمِ اللَهِ وَاِسمكَ وَالأَسى

رَضيتُ بِحُكمِ اللَهِ وَاِسمكَ وَالأَسى

ثبوتانِ في قَلبي كَما ثَبَتَ النَقشُ

ثبوتانِ في قَلبي كَما ثَبَتَ النَقشُ

I accepted God's judgment; your name and sorrow

I have accepted God's decree; yet your name and my sorrow

are fixed in my heart as an engraving is fixed.

Are two fixtures in my heart, permanent as an engraving.

وَهُنتُ عَلى أَنّي فَتى الفِئَةِ الَّتي

وَهُنتُ عَلى أَنّي فَتى الفِئَةِ الَّتي

غَطارفَةُ الدُنيا إِلى نارِهِم تَعشو

غَطارفَةُ الدُنيا إِلى نارِهِم تَعشو

I have grown weak, though I am a man of that company

I have become insignificant, though I am the youth of that faction

whose fire the world's nobles seek.

Toward whose fire the masters of the world turn their dim eyes.

كرامٌ يَنابيعُ النَدى في أَكُفِّهِم

كرامٌ يَنابيعُ النَدى في أَكُفِّهِم

إِذا غَرِقوا ظَنّوا بِأَنَّهُم رشّوا

إِذا غَرِقوا ظَنّوا بِأَنَّهُم رشّوا

Noble men, the springs of bounty are in their palms;

Noble ones, in whose palms are springs of generosity;

when they inundate, they think they have only sprinkled.

If they drown men in gifts, they deem they have merely sprinkled water.

تَسَلَّوا بِماءِ الكرمِ أَيّامَ عَصرِهِ

تَسَلَّوا بِماءِ الكرمِ أَيّامَ عَصرِهِ

وَعافوهُ لمّا قيلَ حَرَّمَهُ النَشُّ

وَعافوهُ لمّا قيلَ حَرَّمَهُ النَشُّ

They took solace in the vine's juice in the days of its pressing,

They found solace in the water of the vine during the days of its pressing,

and shunned it when told that fermentation had made it forbidden.

And abandoned it when it was said that intoxication made it forbidden.

وَقَد تَركَبُ الخَيلَ العِتاقَ عَبيدُهُم

وَقَد تَركَبُ الخَيلَ العِتاقَ عَبيدُهُم

وَيَرضونَ حُبّاً لِلتَواضُعِ أَن يَمشوا

وَيَرضونَ حُبّاً لِلتَواضُعِ أَن يَمشوا

Their slaves sometimes ride thoroughbred horses,

Their slaves may ride upon noble steeds,

while they are content to walk, out of love for humility.

While they are content, for the love of humility, to walk.

يَرى حَسَناتي ذو الجَهالَةِ حاسِدي

يَرى حَسَناتي ذو الجَهالَةِ حاسِدي

وذو العِلمَ أَرأى لَيسَ كَالنَخلِ الحَفشُ

وذو العِلمَ أَرأى لَيسَ كَالنَخلِ الحَفشُ

My ignorant envier sees my virtues;

My ignorant envier sees only my apparent fortunes,

the learned sees more clearly: scrub is not like palm trees.

But the man of knowledge sees deeper; the bad dates are not like the lush palm.

مَغانيكَ يا عَبدَ الغَنِيَّ حُبَيّبي

مَغانيكَ يا عَبدَ الغَنِيَّ حُبَيّبي

بِها عَطَشٌ هَل مَن حباكَ لَها طَشُّ

بِها عَطَشٌ هَل مَن حباكَ لَها طَشُّ

Your haunts, O Abd al-Ghani, my little beloved,

Your dwelling places, O Abd al-Ghani, my little beloved,

are thirsty; has He who bestowed you a light shower for them?

Suffer a thirst within them; has the One who gifted you sent them a sprinkle of rain?

جَعَلتُ أُداوي عِلَّتَيك تَعِلَّةً

جَعَلتُ أُداوي عِلَّتَيك تَعِلَّةً

عَسى الدَمُ يرقا وَالتَوَرُّمَ يَنفَشُّ

عَسى الدَمُ يرقا وَالتَوَرُّمَ يَنفَشُّ

I kept treating your two ailments, sustaining hope,

I tried to treat your two ailments as a mere distraction,

that the bleeding might stop and the swelling subside.

Hoping the blood would cease to flow and the swelling would subside.

سَأَلتُ أَطِبّاءَ المَرِيَّةِ عَنهُما

سَأَلتُ أَطِبّاءَ المَرِيَّةِ عَنهُما

وَقُرطُبَة حَتّى الَّذي دارهُ أَلشُ

وَقُرطُبَة حَتّى الَّذي دارهُ أَلشُ

I asked Almeria's physicians about them both,

I asked the physicians of Almería about them,

and Cordoba's, even the one whose home is Elche.

And those of Córdoba, even he whose home is in Elche.

فَحارَت عُيونُ القَومِ فيكَ مِنَ السَنا

فَحارَت عُيونُ القَومِ فيكَ مِنَ السَنا

كَأَنَّكَ شَمسٌ قابَلتهُم وَهُم عُمشُ

كَأَنَّكَ شَمسٌ قابَلتهُم وَهُم عُمشُ

The men's eyes were bewildered by your radiance,

But the eyes of the people were bewildered by you, from the radiance,

as though you were a sun facing them while they were bleary-eyed.

As if you were a sun confronting them while they were dim-sighted.

وَفهم سُلَيمانٍ لِفَضلِ قَضائِهِ

وَفهم سُلَيمانٍ لِفَضلِ قَضائِهِ

لَدى نَفش غَيري يَقولُ لَهُ نَفشُ

لَدى نَفش غَيري يَقولُ لَهُ نَفشُ

Even Solomon's understanding, with his excellent judgment

And Solomon’s understanding, by the virtue of his judgment,

in the matter of night-grazing, which another calls 'nafsh',

Regarding the straying sheep of another, pronounces: 'It was a night-pasture'.

خَبا وَنَبا لَمّا أَتاهُ حمامُهُ

خَبا وَنَبا لَمّا أَتاهُ حمامُهُ

فَخَرّ لقىً وَالجِنُّ عَن أَمرِهِ تَعشو

فَخَرّ لقىً وَالجِنُّ عَن أَمرِهِ تَعشو

dimmed and faltered when his death came;

He faded and departed when his appointed death came to him,

he fell lifeless, while the jinn were blind to his state.

He fell down, a cast-off corpse, while the Jinn were blind to his condition.

ثَكلتُ أَحبّائي فَهَل كُلُّ شامِتٍ

ثَكلتُ أَحبّائي فَهَل كُلُّ شامِتٍ

عَلى ثِقَةٍ أَن لا يُغَشّى الَّذي غَشّوا

عَلى ثِقَةٍ أَن لا يُغَشّى الَّذي غَشّوا

I have lost my loved ones; is every gloater

I have been bereaved of my loved ones; so is every gloater

certain that what shrouded them will not shroud him?

Confident that he will not be covered by the same fate that covered them?

تَزَهّدت في الدُنيا وَتُهتُ عَلى المَلا

تَزَهّدت في الدُنيا وَتُهتُ عَلى المَلا

فَلَو بِتُّ أطوى لَم أَقُل لَهُما عشّوا

فَلَو بِتُّ أطوى لَم أَقُل لَهُما عشّوا

I renounced the world and held myself above the crowd;

I have renounced the world and wandered lost from the crowd,

even if I spent the night hungry, I would not tell either, 'Serve supper,'

So if I spent the night starving, I would not say to them, 'Give me supper'.

بِمَوتِ الَّذي يسقي وَيُطعِمُ مالَهُ

بِمَوتِ الَّذي يسقي وَيُطعِمُ مالَهُ

وَمَن شُربُه وَغلٌ وَمَطعَمُهُ وَرشُ

وَمَن شُربُه وَغلٌ وَمَطعَمُهُ وَرشُ

for death takes him whose wealth gives him drink and food,

Because of the death of the one who used to give drink and feed from his wealth,

and him who gatecrashes for drink and sponges for food.

While his own drink was dregs and his food was a hasty snatch.