أَيَلحانيdoes he blame me? عَلىfor العَبَراتِthe tears لاحِa reproacher
أَيَلحاني عَلى العَبَراتِ لاحِ
وَقَدand already يَإِسَdespaired العَواذِلُthe reproaching women مِنof صَلاحيmy reform
وَقَد يَإِسَ العَواذِلُ مِن صَلاحي
Does a reproacher blame me for my tears,
Does he chide me for shedding tears when the slender branched trees despair of my reform?
when the women who chide me have already despaired of my reform?
Passion has possessed me after obstinacy, and passion has pleased me after pride.
تَمَلَّكَنيpossessed me الهَوىlove بَعدَafter التَأَبّيresistance
تَمَلَّكَني الهَوى بَعدَ التَأَبّي
وَراضَنيand tamed me الهَوىlove بَعدَafter الجِماحِunruliness
وَراضَني الهَوى بَعدَ الجِماحِ
Love possessed me after my resistance,
The languorous, large-eyed gazelles intoxicate me;
and love tamed me after my unruliness.
The does with anklets on a wounded foot; the young women with well arranged tresses.
أَسَكرىO drunken one اللَحظِin gaze طَيِّبَةَsweet الثَناياthe front teeth
أَسَكرى اللَحظِ طَيِّبَةَ الثَنايا
هَضيمَslender الكَشحِof waist جائِلَةَloose-swaying الوِشاحِthe sash
هَضيمَ الكَشحِ جائِلَةَ الوِشاحِ
O you whose gaze is drunken, whose front teeth are sweet,
Every wild cow longed for your abode and I reached it at daybreak on my she-camel.
slender of waist, with a loose-swaying sash:
Her howdah became too strait for her when it had been roomy at the riding station.
رَمَتنيcast me نَحوَtoward دارِكِyour dwelling كُلَّevery عَنسٍsturdy she-camel
رَمَتني نَحوَ دارِكِ كُلَّ عَنسٍ
وَصَلتُI joined لَهاfor her غُدُوّيmy morning journey بِالرَواحِto the evening journey
وَصَلتُ لَها غُدُوّي بِالرَواحِ
every sturdy she-camel bore me toward your dwelling;
The zephyrs of the morn brought me to you in an agreeable company or fortune brought me to you with a good guide.
for her, I joined my morning journey to my evening journey.
A brother who for twenty years whitened his temples in sincere advice to me from a clear eye.
تَطاوَلَlengthened فَضلُthe slack of نِسعَتِهاher girth-strap وَقَلَّتand diminished
تَطاوَلَ فَضلُ نِسعَتِها وَقَلَّت
فُضولُthe loose lengths of زِمامِهاher rein عِندَat المَراحِdeparture
فُضولُ زِمامِها عِندَ المَراحِ
The slack of her girth lengthened, and dwindled
Upright columns started marching from al-Rasa'if to the abode of Life when the son of a farmer lived in it.
the slack of her rein as she set forth.
When a lord avails me in a land I ride the she-dromedaries of success towards him.
حَمَلنَthey bore إِلَيكِto you صَبّاًa lovesick man ذاpossessing اِرتِياحٍeagerness
حَمَلنَ إِلَيكِ صَبّاً ذا اِرتِياحٍ
لِقُربِكِfor your nearness أَوor مُساعِدَa helper to ذيone possessing اِرتِياحِeagerness
لِقُربِكِ أَو مُساعِدَ ذي اِرتِياحِ
They bore to you a lovesick man full of eagerness
And I have, in every land, debts against my foes in pledges of spears.
for your nearness—or a helper to one so eager.
When the horsemen of my people turned to look back and we met at dawn.
أَخاa man of عِشرينَtwenty شَيَّبَturned gray عارِضَيهِthe sides of his beard
أَخا عِشرينَ شَيَّبَ عارِضَيهِ
مَريضُlanguid اللَحظِthe gaze فيin الحَدَقِthe pupils الصِحاحِhealthy
مَريضُ اللَحظِ في الحَدَقِ الصِحاحِ
A man of twenty, the sides of whose beard were grayed
By it a party of horsemen flee to the streams amidst parties too proud to cry for quarter.
by a languid gaze in healthy eyes.
The stoutest cavalier, even if they are stout, are the lightest-armed horsemen in attacking.
نَزَحنَthey journeyed away مِنَfrom الرَصافَةِal-Rusafa عامِداتٍheading deliberately
نَزَحنَ مِنَ الرَصافَةِ عامِداتٍ
بِأَرضِin the land of الحَيِّthe clan حَيُّthe clan of اِبنِIbn (son of) فَلاحِFalah
بِأَرضِ الحَيِّ حَيُّ اِبنِ فَلاحِ
They journeyed from al-Rusafa, heading
The goblet of Tryphon for the Prince's sword if kings vie for draining goblets!
for the clan's land—the clan of Ibn Falah.
With the widest of them in having wide waterskins for a valley's drink and the most abundant in pouring forth the waterskin's contents.
إِذاwhen ماعَنَّever arises ليfor me أَرَبٌa need بِأَرضٍin a land
إِذا ماعَنَّ لي أَرَبٌ بِأَرضٍ
رَكِبتُI rode لَهُfor it ضَميناتِguarantors of النَجاحِsuccess
رَكِبتُ لَهُ ضَميناتِ النَجاحِ
Whenever a need arises for me in some land,
And its leader towards the streams all dusty, the daughters of the racetrack under the sons of battle!
I ride toward it on mounts that guarantee success.
His pool darkened though the air was clear, his evening though the day was bright.
وَليand I have عِندَwith العُداةِthe enemies بِكُلِّin every أَرضٍland
وَلي عِندَ العُداةِ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ
دُيونٌdebts فيunder كَفالاتِthe guarantees of الرِماحِthe spears
دُيونٌ في كَفالاتِ الرِماحِ
And in every land my enemies owe me
And every disgraced man in Life weeps over the mighty, rods of the book-boards.
debts guaranteed by spears.
They are the origin of this branch whose knolls throve, and the fountainhead of bounty.
إِذاwhen اِلتَفَّتgathered عَلَيَّaround me سَراةُthe chiefs of قَوميmy people
إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيَّ سَراةُ قَومي
وَلاقَيناand we met الفَوارِسَthe horsemen فيin الصَباحِthe morning
وَلاقَينا الفَوارِسَ في الصَباحِ
When the chiefs of my people gather around me,
The eggs' survival is the rats' lifetime, and the sword's descent lifetimes of pollen.
and we meet the horsemen in the morning,
The sword of the Prince, the decree sought in my praise of my people in spite of myself!
يَخِفُّspeeds بِهاwith them إِلىinto الغَمَراتِbattle's depths طَودٌa mountain
يَخِفُّ بِها إِلى الغَمَراتِ طَودٌ
مِنَamong الأَطوادِthe mountains مُمتَنَعُimpregnable النَواحِthe sides
مِنَ الأَطوادِ مُمتَنَعُ النَواحِ
a mountain speeds with them into battle's depths,
Though I have patience for afflictions I shall not be patient with my peers among whom I console myself.
one among mountains, impregnable on every side.
And if I proposed to my Time to be your ransom, O sons of mine, I would be proposing what I wish!
أَشَدُّthe strongest of الفارِسينَthe horsemen وَإِنand even if أَبَرّواthey excel
أَشَدُّ الفارِسينَ وَإِن أَبَرّوا
أَخَفَّthe quickest of الفارِسينَthe horsemen إِلىto الصِياحِthe battle-cry
أَخَفَّ الفارِسينَ إِلى الصِياحِ
The strongest of horsemen, however much they excel,
is the quickest of horsemen to the battle-cry.
لِسَيفِto the Sword of الدَولَةِthe State القِدحُthe lottery arrow المُعَلّىthe highest-winning
لِسَيفِ الدَولَةِ القِدحُ المُعَلّى
إِذاwhen اِستَبَقَraced one another المُلوكُthe kings إِلىfor القِداحِthe lottery arrows
إِذا اِستَبَقَ المُلوكُ إِلى القِداحِ
To Sayf al-Dawla belongs the highest winning arrow,
when kings race for the lottery arrows:
لِأَوسَعِهِمto the broadest of them مَذانِبِwatercourses of ماءِwater of وادٍa valley
لِأَوسَعِهِم مَذانِبِ ماءِ وادٍ
وَأَغزَرِهِمand the most copious of them مَدافِعِoutflows of سَيبِbounty from راحِpalms
وَأَغزَرِهِم مَدافِعِ سَيبِ راحِ
to him whose valley's watercourses are widest among them,
and whose palms pour forth the richest streams of bounty,
وَقائِدِهاand their leader إِلىinto الغَمَراتِbattle's depths شُعثاًdisheveled
وَقائِدِها إِلى الغَمَراتِ شُعثاً
بَناتِdaughters of السَبقِspeed تَحتَbeneath بَنيsons of الكِفاحِcombat
بَناتِ السَبقِ تَحتَ بَني الكِفاحِ
and who leads them disheveled into battle's depths—
daughters of speed beneath sons of combat.
تَكَدَّرَgrew murky نَقعُهُhis battle-dust وَالجَوُّand the sky صافٍclear
تَكَدَّرَ نَقعُهُ وَالجَوُّ صافٍ
وَأَظلَمَand grew dark وَقتُهُhis hour وَاليَومُand the day صاحِbright
وَأَظلَمَ وَقتُهُ وَاليَومُ صاحِ
His battle-dust grew murky, though the sky was clear,
and his hour darkened, though the day was bright.
وَكُلُّand every مُعَذَّلٍreproached man فيin الحَيِّthe clan آبٍrefusing to yield
وَكُلُّ مُعَذَّلٍ في الحَيِّ آبٍ
عَلىagainst العُذّالِthe reproachers عَصّاءُobstinately disobedient to اللَواحيthe censurers
عَلى العُذّالِ عَصّاءُ اللَواحي
And every reproached man in the clan refuses to yield
to reproachers, stubbornly defying his censurers.
وَهُمand they أَصلٌa root لِهَذاfor this الفَرعِbranch طابَتwas noble
وَهُم أَصلٌ لِهَذا الفَرعِ طابَت
أُرومَتُهُits stock وَمَنبَعُand a wellspring لِلسَماحِof generosity
أُرومَتُهُ وَمَنبَعُ لِلسَماحِ
And they are the root of this branch; noble is
its stock, and they are a wellspring of generosity.
بَقاءُsurvival of البيضِthe fair women عُمرُlifespan of السُمرِthe tawny spears فيهِمamong them
بَقاءُ البيضِ عُمرُ السُمرِ فيهِم
وَحَطُّand laying down السَيفِthe sword أَعمارُthe lifespans of اللِقاحِthe milch camels
وَحَطُّ السَيفِ أَعمارُ اللِقاحِ
Among them, fair women live as long as tawny spears endure,
and milch camels live while the sword lies idle.
أَسَيفَO Sword of الدَولَةِthe State الحَكَمَthe arbiter المُرَجّىlooked to with hope
أَسَيفَ الدَولَةِ الحَكَمَ المُرَجّى
أَفيis there in مَدحيmy praise لِقَوميof my people مِنany جُناحِfault
أَفي مَدحي لِقَومي مِن جُناحِ
O Sayf al-Dawla, the arbiter in whom we hope,
is there any fault in my praise of my people?
وَلَستُand I am not وَإِنand even though صَبَرتُI endured patiently عَلىin the face of الرَزاياthe calamities
وَلَستُ وَإِن صَبَرتُ عَلى الرَزايا
أُلاحيI quarrel with مَعشَريmy kinsfolk وَبِهِمand with their support أُلاحيI quarrel
أُلاحي مَعشَري وَبِهِم أُلاحي
And though I bear calamities patiently, I do not
quarrel with my kinsfolk; with their support I contend.
وَلَوand if أَنّيthat I اِقتَرَحتُmade a request عَلىof زَمانيmy age
وَلَو أَنّي اِقتَرَحتُ عَلى زَماني
لَكُنتُمyou would indeed be يابَنيO sons of وَرقاWarqa اِقتِراحيmy request
لَكُنتُم يابَني وَرقا اِقتِراحي
And were I to make a request of my age,
you, sons of Warqa, would be what I requested.
Partial English translation: 24 of 46 Arabic lines translated.