مُستَجيرُ الهَوى بِغَيرِ مُجيرِ

مُستَجيرُ الهَوى بِغَيرِ مُجيرِ

وَمُضامُ الهَوى بِغَيرِ نَصيرِ

وَمُضامُ الهَوى بِغَيرِ نَصيرِ

The one seeking refuge from love has no protector,

The seeker of love without a protector,

and the one wronged by love has no champion.

The bearer of love without a helper,

ما لِمَن وَكَّلُ الهَوى مُقلَتَيهِ

ما لِمَن وَكَّلُ الهَوى مُقلَتَيهِ

بِاِنسِكابٍ وَقَلبَهُ بِزَفيرِ

بِاِنسِكابٍ وَقَلبَهُ بِزَفيرِ

What of one whose eyes love has charged

What is for he who entrusts his love to tears

with streaming tears, and whose heart with sighs?

Flowing and a sighing heart?

فَهوَ مابَينَ عُمرِ لَيلٍ طَويلٍ

فَهوَ مابَينَ عُمرِ لَيلٍ طَويلٍ

يَتَلَظّى وَعُمرِ يَومٍ قَصيرِ

يَتَلَظّى وَعُمرِ يَومٍ قَصيرِ

Thus, between the span of a long night

He is between a long night’s life

and the span of a short day, he burns.

Suffering, and a short day’s life.

لا أَقولُ المَسيرُ أَرَّقَ عَيني

لا أَقولُ المَسيرُ أَرَّقَ عَيني

قَد تَناهى البَلاءُ قَبلَ المَسيرِ

قَد تَناهى البَلاءُ قَبلَ المَسيرِ

I do not say the journey made my eye sleepless;

I do not say the journey has deprived my eye of sleep,

the affliction had already reached its height before the journey.

Affliction had reached its peak before the journey.

ياكَثيباً مِن تَحتِ غُصنٍ رَطيبٍ

ياكَثيباً مِن تَحتِ غُصنٍ رَطيبٍ

يَتَثَنّى مِن تَحتِ بَدرٍ مُنيرِ

يَتَثَنّى مِن تَحتِ بَدرٍ مُنيرِ

O sand dune beneath a tender bough,

O bending branch beneath fragrant boughs

swaying beneath a radiant full moon!

Bending beneath a shining full moon.

شَدَّ ماغَيَّرَتكَ بَعدي اللَيالي

شَدَّ ماغَيَّرَتكَ بَعدي اللَيالي

يا قَليلَ الوَفا قَليلَ النَظيرِ

يا قَليلَ الوَفا قَليلَ النَظيرِ

How greatly the nights have changed you in my absence,

How much the nights have changed you after me

O you of little loyalty and few peers!

O little loyal, matchless one.

لَكَ وَصفي وَفيكَ شِعري وَلا أَع

لَكَ وَصفي وَفيكَ شِعري وَلا أَع

رِفُ وَصفَ المَوّارَةِ العَيسَجورِ

رِفُ وَصفَ المَوّارَةِ العَيسَجورِ

My descriptions are for you, my poetry about you; I do not

My description is yours and my poetry is yours

know how to describe the swift-moving, sturdy she-camel.

I know not how to describe the unruly, unbridled one.

وَلِقَلبي مِن حُسنِ وَجهِكَ شُغلٌ

وَلِقَلبي مِن حُسنِ وَجهِكَ شُغلٌ

عَن هَوى قاصِراتِ تِلكَ القُصورِ

عَن هَوى قاصِراتِ تِلكَ القُصورِ

And the beauty of your face distracts my heart

And my heart is preoccupied with your beautiful face

from love for the secluded women of those palaces.

From the love of the girls of these palaces.

قَد مَنَحتُ الرُقادَ عَينَ خَلِيٍّ

قَد مَنَحتُ الرُقادَ عَينَ خَلِيٍّ

باتَ خِلواً مِمّا يُجِنُّ ضَميري

باتَ خِلواً مِمّا يُجِنُّ ضَميري

I have granted sleep to the eye of a carefree man,

I have granted sleep to a waking eye

who passed the night free of what my heart conceals.

That slept devoid of what hurts my conscience.

لابَلا اللَهُ مَن أُحِبُّ بِحُبٍّ

لابَلا اللَهُ مَن أُحِبُّ بِحُبٍّ

وَشَفى كُلَّ عاشِقٍ مَهجورِ

وَشَفى كُلَّ عاشِقٍ مَهجورِ

May God not afflict the one I love with love,

May God not test one who loves with love

and may He heal every forsaken lover.

And heal every abandoned lover.

إِنَّ لي مُذ نَأَيتَ جِسمَ مَريضٍ

إِنَّ لي مُذ نَأَيتَ جِسمَ مَريضٍ

وَبَكا ثاكِلٍ وَذُلَّ أَسيرِ

وَبَكا ثاكِلٍ وَذُلَّ أَسيرِ

Indeed, since you went away, I have a sick man's body,

Since you left, I have a sick body

and a bereaved parent's weeping and a captive's abasement.

And a crying forsaken one and a humbled prisoner.

يا أَخي يا أَبا زُهَيرٍ أَلي عِن

يا أَخي يا أَبا زُهَيرٍ أَلي عِن

دَكَ عَونٌ عَلى الغَزالِ الغَريرِ

دَكَ عَونٌ عَلى الغَزالِ الغَريرِ

O my brother, O Abu Zuhayr, have you

O brother, O Abu Zuhair, is there no

any help for me against the guileless gazelle?

Help from you against the sly gazelle?

لَم تَزَل مُشتَكايَ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ

لَم تَزَل مُشتَكايَ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ

وَمُعيني وَعُدَّتي وَنَصيري

وَمُعيني وَعُدَّتي وَنَصيري

You have always been my recourse in every matter,

You have never ceased to be my confidant in all matters

and my helper, my resource, and my champion.

My supporter, my weapon and my helper.

وَرَدَت مِنكَ يا اِبنَ عَمّي هَدايا

وَرَدَت مِنكَ يا اِبنَ عَمّي هَدايا

تَتَهادى في سُندُسٍ وَحَريرِ

تَتَهادى في سُندُسٍ وَحَريرِ

Gifts have arrived from you, O my cousin,

Gifts have come to me, O cousin

gliding gracefully in fine brocade and silk,

Passing in silks and satins.

بِقَوافٍ أَلَذُّ مِن بارِدِ الما

بِقَوافٍ أَلَذُّ مِن بارِدِ الما

ءِ وَلَفظٍ كَاللُؤلُؤِ المَنثورِ

ءِ وَلَفظٍ كَاللُؤلُؤِ المَنثورِ

with rhymes more delightful than cool water,

In phrases sweeter than cold water

and diction like scattered pearls:

And words like scattered pearls.

مُحكَمٌ قَصَّرَ الفَرَزدَقُ وَالأَخ

مُحكَمٌ قَصَّرَ الفَرَزدَقُ وَالأَخ

طَلُ عَنهُ وَفاقَ شِعرَ جَريرِ

طَلُ عَنهُ وَفاقَ شِعرَ جَريرِ

Well-wrought: al-Farazdaq and al-Akhtal fell short

Flawless, which al-Farazdaq and al-Akhṭal fell short of

of it, and it surpassed Jarir's poetry.

And surpassed Jarir’s poetry.

أَنتَ لَيثُ الوَغى وَحَتفُ الأَعادي

أَنتَ لَيثُ الوَغى وَحَتفُ الأَعادي

وَغِياثُ المَلهوفِ وَالمُستَجيرِ

وَغِياثُ المَلهوفِ وَالمُستَجيرِ

You are the lion of battle and the death of enemies,

You are the lion of battles and the protector of foes

and the succor of the distressed and the refuge-seeker.

And the rescuer of the anguished and the seeker of refuge.

طُلتَ في الضَربِ لِلطُلا عَن شَبيهٍ

طُلتَ في الضَربِ لِلطُلا عَن شَبيهٍ

وَتَعالَيتَ في العُلا عَن نَظيرِ

وَتَعالَيتَ في العُلا عَن نَظيرِ

In striking necks, you have towered beyond any match,

You have excelled in striking to be unmatched

and in glory you have risen above any peer.

And transcended in supremacy without peer.

كُنتَ جَرَّبتَني وَأَنتَ كَثيرُ ال

كُنتَ جَرَّبتَني وَأَنتَ كَثيرُ ال

كَيسِ طَبٌّ بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ كَبيرِ

كَيسِ طَبٌّ بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ كَبيرِ

You had tested me, and you have much

You have tested me while you are of great wisdom

discernment, being expert in every weighty matter.

Good in every great matter.

وَإِذا كُنتَ يا اِبنَ عَمّي قَنوعاً

وَإِذا كُنتَ يا اِبنَ عَمّي قَنوعاً

بِجَوابي قَنِعتَ بِالمَيسورِ

بِجَوابي قَنِعتَ بِالمَيسورِ

And if, O my cousin, you are content

And if you, my cousin, are content

with my reply, you are content with what is at hand.

With my answer, you would be content with the feasible.

هاجَ شَوقي إِلَيكَ حينَ أَتَتني

هاجَ شَوقي إِلَيكَ حينَ أَتَتني

هاجَ شَوقُ المُتَيَّمِ المَهجورِ

هاجَ شَوقُ المُتَيَّمِ المَهجورِ

My longing for you flared when they reached me;

My longing has stirred for you when

the longing of a love-enslaved, forsaken man flared.

The longing of the forsaken, abandoned one came to me.