قِف بالدِّيارِ وأيَّ الدَّهرِ لم تَقِفِ

قِف بالدِّيارِ وأيَّ الدَّهرِ لم تَقِفِ

على المَنَازِلِ بَينَ الظَّهرِ والنَّجَفِ

على المَنَازِلِ بَينَ الظَّهرِ والنَّجَفِ

Stand by the dwellings—for what age have you ever failed to stand

Stop at the dwellings—and when have you not stopped

at the abandoned homes between al-Ẓahr and al-Najaf?

At the homes between al-Zahr and al-Najaf?

وَمَا وُقُوفُكَ في أطلالِ مَنزِلَةٍ

وَمَا وُقُوفُكَ في أطلالِ مَنزِلَةٍ

لَولا الَّذي استحدثَت في قَلبِكَ الكَلِفِ

لَولا الَّذي استحدثَت في قَلبِكَ الكَلِفِ

What would make you stand amid the ruins of an abode

And why linger among a dwelling's ruins,

but the passion she has newly kindled in your heart?

If not for what it has stirred in your love-stricken heart?

إن كُنتَ أصبَحتَ مَشغوفاً بجارِيَةٍ

إن كُنتَ أصبَحتَ مَشغوفاً بجارِيَةٍ

فلا وَرَبِّكَ لا تَشفِيكَ مِن شَغَفِ

فلا وَرَبِّكَ لا تَشفِيكَ مِن شَغَفِ

If you have become infatuated with a young woman,

If you have become infatuated with a slave girl,

then no—by your Lord—she will not cure you of love’s fever;

Then no, by your Lord: she will not cure you of passion,

ولا تَزِيدُكَ إلّا العَلَّ مِن أسَفٍ

ولا تَزِيدُكَ إلّا العَلَّ مِن أسَفٍ

فَهَل لِقَلبِكَ مِن صَبرٍ على الأسَفِ

فَهَل لِقَلبِكَ مِن صَبرٍ على الأسَفِ

she will only give you further draughts of sorrow.

Nor bring you anything but another draught of grief.

Has your heart, then, any patience to endure that grief?

Has your heart, then, any patience for sorrow?

دَع ذا وَقُل في الذي قَد فَازَ مِن مُضَرٍ

دَع ذا وَقُل في الذي قَد فَازَ مِن مُضَرٍ

بِالمَكرُماتِ وعِزٍّ غَيرِ مُقتَرَفِ

بِالمَكرُماتِ وعِزٍّ غَيرِ مُقتَرَفِ

Leave that, and speak of the man of Muḍar who has triumphed

Leave that, and speak of him among Mudar who has excelled

through noble deeds and an honor acquired without wrongdoing.

In noble deeds and inborn honor.

هذي مَقَالَةُ شَيخٍ مِن بَني أسَدٍ

هذي مَقَالَةُ شَيخٍ مِن بَني أسَدٍ

يُهدِي السَّلامَ إلى العَبَّاسِ في الصُّحُفِ

يُهدِي السَّلامَ إلى العَبَّاسِ في الصُّحُفِ

This is the address of an old man of the Banū Asad,

This is the message of an old man of Banu Asad,

sending greetings in writing to al-ʿAbbās.

Who sends greetings to al-Abbas in these pages.

تَخُطُّها مِن جَوَاري المِصرِ كَاتِبةٌ

تَخُطُّها مِن جَوَاري المِصرِ كَاتِبةٌ

قَد طالما ضُرِبَت في اللَّام والألِفِ

قَد طالما ضُرِبَت في اللَّام والألِفِ

It is penned by a scribe from among the maidens of the city,

A female scribe among the city's slave girls writes it,

who long was beaten over the letters lām and alif,

Who has so often been beaten over lam and alif,

وَطَالَما اختَلَفَت صَيفَاً وشاتِيةً

وَطَالَما اختَلَفَت صَيفَاً وشاتِيةً

إلى مُعَلِّمِها باللَّوحِ والكَتِفِ

إلى مُعَلِّمِها باللَّوحِ والكَتِفِ

and long made her way, in summer and in winter,

And has often gone, in summer and winter,

to her teacher with tablet and shoulder blade.

To her teacher with a tablet and a shoulder blade.

حتّى إذا ما استَوى الثَّديَانِ وامتَلآ

حتّى إذا ما استَوى الثَّديَانِ وامتَلآ

مِنها وخِيفَ على الإسرَافِ والقَرَفِ

مِنها وخِيفَ على الإسرَافِ والقَرَفِ

At last, when her breasts had grown even and filled out,

Until, when her breasts had developed and filled out,

and excess and revulsion were feared on her account,

And fears arose for her of excess and wrongdoing,

صِينَت ثَلاثَ سِنينَ ما ترى أحداً

صِينَت ثَلاثَ سِنينَ ما ترى أحداً

كَمَا تُصَانُ بِبَحرٍ دُرَّةُ الصَّدَفِ

كَمَا تُصَانُ بِبَحرٍ دُرَّةُ الصَّدَفِ

she was guarded for three years, seeing no one,

She was kept secluded for three years, seeing no one,

as an oyster’s pearl is guarded in the sea.

As a pearl in its shell is guarded in the sea.

بينَا الفَتَى يَتَمَشَّى نَحوَ مَسجِدِهِ

بينَا الفَتَى يَتَمَشَّى نَحوَ مَسجِدِهِ

مُبَادِراً لِصَلاةِ الصُّبحِ بالسَّدَفِ

مُبَادِراً لِصَلاةِ الصُّبحِ بالسَّدَفِ

While the young man was walking toward his mosque,

While the young man walked toward his mosque,

hastening to the dawn prayer in the twilight,

Hurrying to the dawn prayer in the half-light,

حانَت له نَظرةٌ مِنها فَأَبصَرَهَا

حانَت له نَظرةٌ مِنها فَأَبصَرَهَا

مُطِلَّةً بين سِجفَيها مِنَ الغُرَفِ

مُطِلَّةً بين سِجفَيها مِنَ الغُرَفِ

a glance from her came his way, and he saw her

A glimpse of her came his way, and he saw her

peering from her chamber between her two curtains.

Leaning out between her two curtains from the upper rooms.

فَخَرَّ في التُّربِ ما يَدرِي غَدَاتَئِذٍ

فَخَرَّ في التُّربِ ما يَدرِي غَدَاتَئِذٍ

أخَرَّ مُنكَشفاً أم غَيرِ مُنكَشِفِ

أخَرَّ مُنكَشفاً أم غَيرِ مُنكَشِفِ

He fell upon the dust, not knowing that morning

Then he collapsed in the dust, unaware that morning

whether he had fallen exposed or still covered.

Whether he had fallen exposed or not.

وَجَاءَهُ القَومُ أفواجاً بِمَائِهِم

وَجَاءَهُ القَومُ أفواجاً بِمَائِهِم

لِيَنضحُوا الرَّجلَ المَغشِيَّ بالنُّطَفِ

لِيَنضحُوا الرَّجلَ المَغشِيَّ بالنُّطَفِ

The people came to him in crowds, carrying their water,

And people came to him in groups with their water,

to sprinkle drops upon the man who had fainted.

To sprinkle the unconscious man with drops.

فَوَسوَسُوا بِقُرانٍ في مَسَامِعِه

فَوَسوَسُوا بِقُرانٍ في مَسَامِعِه

خوفاً من الجِنِّ والإنسانُ لم يَخَفِ

خوفاً من الجِنِّ والإنسانُ لم يَخَفِ

They murmured Qur’anic verses into his ears,

Then they whispered the Qur'an into his ears,

fearing the jinn—though the man himself feared nothing.

For fear of jinn, though the man had not feared

شيئاً ولكِنَّهُ مِن حُب جاريةٍ

شيئاً ولكِنَّهُ مِن حُب جاريةٍ

أمسَى وأصبَحَ مَوقوفاً على التَّلَفِ

أمسَى وأصبَحَ مَوقوفاً على التَّلَفِ

It was only through love of a young woman

Anything; rather, from love of a slave girl,

that by night and morning he stood on the brink of ruin.

He spent evening and morning poised on the brink of death.

قالُوا لَكَ الخَيرُ ما أبصَرتَ قُلتُ لَهُم

قالُوا لَكَ الخَيرُ ما أبصَرتَ قُلتُ لَهُم

جِنِّيَّةٌ أقصَدَتنِي من بني خَلَفِ

جِنِّيَّةٌ أقصَدَتنِي من بني خَلَفِ

“God favor you! What did you see?” they asked. I told them,

They said, ‘Good fortune to you! What did you see?’ I told them:

“A jinni woman of the Banū Khalaf struck me down.

A she-jinn of Banu Khalaf struck me down.

أبصَرتُ جَاريَةً مَحجُوبَةً لَهُمُ

أبصَرتُ جَاريَةً مَحجُوبَةً لَهُمُ

تَطَلَّعَت من أعالي القَصرِ ذي الشُّرُفِ

تَطَلَّعَت من أعالي القَصرِ ذي الشُّرُفِ

I saw a secluded young woman of theirs

I saw a slave girl of theirs, kept secluded,

peer down from the heights of the turreted palace.”

Who peered out from the heights of the battlemented palace.

فَقُلتُ مَن أيُّكُم واللهُ يَأجُرُهُ

فَقُلتُ مَن أيُّكُم واللهُ يَأجُرُهُ

يُعيرُ قُوَّتَهُ مِنّي إلى ضَعَفِي

يُعيرُ قُوَّتَهُ مِنّي إلى ضَعَفِي

I said, “Which of you—may God reward him—

So I said, ‘Which of you—may God reward him—

will lend his strength to aid my weakness?”

Will lend his strength to the weakness within me?’

فَقَامَ شَيخٌ بَهِيٌّ مِن تِجَارِهِمُ

فَقَامَ شَيخٌ بَهِيٌّ مِن تِجَارِهِمُ

قَد طَالَمَا خَدَعَ الأقوامَ بالحَلِفِ

قَد طَالَمَا خَدَعَ الأقوامَ بالحَلِفِ

Then a handsome old man, one of their merchants, arose,

Then a fine-looking old man among their merchants rose,

who had long deceived people with his oaths.

Who had so often deceived people with oaths.

فابتَاعَها لي بِألفي دِرهَمٍ فَغَدَا

فابتَاعَها لي بِألفي دِرهَمٍ فَغَدَا

بِها إلَيَّ فألقاها على كَتِفِي

بِها إلَيَّ فألقاها على كَتِفِي

He bought her for me for two thousand dirhams, then next morning

So he bought her for me for two thousand dirhams, then came in the morning

brought her to me and laid her upon my shoulder.

With her to me, and cast her onto my shoulder.

فَبِتُّ ألثِمُها طَوراً وتَلثِمُنِي

فَبِتُّ ألثِمُها طَوراً وتَلثِمُنِي

طَوراً ونَفعَلُ بَعضَ الشَّيء في اللُّحُفِ

طَوراً ونَفعَلُ بَعضَ الشَّيء في اللُّحُفِ

I spent the night kissing her at times, and she kissing me

So I spent the night kissing her at times, and she kissed me

at times, while beneath the covers we did a certain something.

At others, and we did a little something under the blankets.

بِتنا كذلِكَ حتّى جاءَ صَاحِبُها

بِتنا كذلِكَ حتّى جاءَ صَاحِبُها

يَبغِي الدَّنَانِيرَ بِالمِيزانِ ذي الكَفَفِ

يَبغِي الدَّنَانِيرَ بِالمِيزانِ ذي الكَفَفِ

We passed the night so, until her former owner came

We spent the night like that, until her owner came,

seeking his dinars, weighed on a balance with two pans.

Demanding the dinars on a balance equipped with pans.

وذَاكَ حَقٌّ على زَندٍ وكَيفَ بهِ

وذَاكَ حَقٌّ على زَندٍ وكَيفَ بهِ

والحَقُّ في طَرَفٍ والعَينُ في طَرَفِ

والحَقُّ في طَرَفٍ والعَينُ في طَرَفِ

That debt is indeed owed by Zand—but how can he pay it,

And that is a debt upon Zand—how will he fare,

when the debt is at one end and the cash at the other?

When the debt is on one side and the cash on another?

وبَينَ ذاك شُهُودٌ لم أُبالِ بِهِم

وبَينَ ذاك شُهُودٌ لم أُبالِ بِهِم

أكُنتُ مُعتَرِفاً أم غَيرَ مُعتَرِفِ

أكُنتُ مُعتَرِفاً أم غَيرَ مُعتَرِفِ

And between the two stand witnesses whom I did not heed,

And between the two stand witnesses; I paid them no heed,

whether I admitted the debt or denied it.

Whether I acknowledged the debt or not.

فإن تَصِلنِي قَضَيتُ القَومَ حَقَّهُمُ

فإن تَصِلنِي قَضَيتُ القَومَ حَقَّهُمُ

وإن تقل لا فَحَقُّ القومِ في تَلَفِ

وإن تقل لا فَحَقُّ القومِ في تَلَفِ

If you favor me with a gift, I shall pay the people their due;

So if you favor me with a gift, I will pay the people their due;

but if you say no, the people’s claim is lost.

And if you say ‘No,’ the people's due is lost.