ما لِليَراعَةِ لا رِيعَت بِحادِثَةٍ

ما لِليَراعَةِ لا رِيعَت بِحادِثَةٍ

استَعجَمَت وَلِحِبري الآنَ قَد جَمُسا

استَعجَمَت وَلِحِبري الآنَ قَد جَمُسا

What ails the reed pen—may no calamity frighten it—

What good are meadows with no spring rain,

That it has fallen mute? And why has my ink now congealed?

Hastening growth before the mind is ready.

وَلِلقَوافي قَفَت مالي فَلا أَدبٌ

وَلِلقَوافي قَفَت مالي فَلا أَدبٌ

يُملى وَلا نَشَبٌ يُريح مُبتَئِسا

يُملى وَلا نَشَبٌ يُريح مُبتَئِسا

And why have the rhymes followed my wealth? No verse

What good are rhymes when my muse has ceased,

Is dictated, nor is there wealth to comfort the distressed.

No verse comes easily from the downcast bard.

فَصفحةِ الطِّرسِ مِن دَرّي مُعَطَّلَةٌ

فَصفحةِ الطِّرسِ مِن دَرّي مُعَطَّلَةٌ

وَرَسمُ جُوديَ إِذ قَلَّلتُ قَد دَرَسا

وَرَسمُ جُوديَ إِذ قَلَّلتُ قَد دَرَسا

The manuscript's page is thus bereft of my pearls,

The page lies fallow though my hand holds the quill,

And the trace of my bounty has faded since I grew sparing.

This charity of mine has faded and lies forgotten.

وَقَد ذَوت زَهَراتُ الشِعر وا أَسَفا

وَقَد ذَوت زَهَراتُ الشِعر وا أَسَفا

لَمّا غَدا ماءُ فكري غائِراً يَبَسا

لَمّا غَدا ماءُ فكري غائِراً يَبَسا

And poetry's blossoms have withered—alas!

The blossoms of poetry have withered.

When the water of my thought sank deep and dried up.

Now my thoughts run dry like a wasted wadi.

كَأَنَّني لَم أُعَمِّر مُنتَدى أَدبٍ

كَأَنَّني لَم أُعَمِّر مُنتَدى أَدبٍ

وَلَم أَجُل لِلصِبا في حَلبَة فَرَسا

وَلَم أَجُل لِلصِبا في حَلبَة فَرَسا

As though I had never enlivened a gathering of letters,

It's as if I never founded a hall of arts,

Nor raced as a steed in youth's arena.

Never raced horses in the arena as a youth.

سَدَدتُ بابَ القِرا عَن كُلِّ مُلتمِس

سَدَدتُ بابَ القِرا عَن كُلِّ مُلتمِس

إِن كُنتُ أَسكُنُ بَعدَ العامِ أَندَلُسا

إِن كُنتُ أَسكُنُ بَعدَ العامِ أَندَلُسا

I shall bar the door of hospitality to every seeker,

I've locked the door of my library to all petitioners,

If I remain in al-Andalus beyond this year.

Though I dwell now in Andalusia, that former glory.

وَرُبَّ ذِي حَنَقٍ تَغلي مَراجِلُهُ

وَرُبَّ ذِي حَنَقٍ تَغلي مَراجِلُهُ

ناراً فَيشعِلُ من فيهِ لَنا قَبَسا

ناراً فَيشعِلُ من فيهِ لَنا قَبَسا

And many a wrathful man, whose cauldrons boil

Full of bile are those whose pots boil over,

With fire, kindling a firebrand for us from his mouth,

Lighting for us a fire to kindle our own passions.

رَأى سُموي وَما أُوتيتُ مِن شَرَفٍ

رَأى سُموي وَما أُوتيتُ مِن شَرَفٍ

فَرامَ هَتكَ حِمىً مازالَ مُحتَرَسا

فَرامَ هَتكَ حِمىً مازالَ مُحتَرَسا

Saw my lofty standing and the honor bestowed on me,

Seeing my reputation, though I'm not pretentious,

And sought to violate a sanctuary that has always been guarded.

They try to breach the fortress I still keep defended.

حِمىً حماهُ حَمِيُّ الأَنفِ ذو كَرَمٍ

حِمىً حماهُ حَمِيُّ الأَنفِ ذو كَرَمٍ

كَالأَسجَمِ اِنهَلَّ أَو كَالضَيغَمِ اِفتَرَسا

كَالأَسجَمِ اِنهَلَّ أَو كَالضَيغَمِ اِفتَرَسا

A sanctuary guarded by a proud-spirited man of bounty,

A fortress guarded by one of noble soul,

Like a rain cloud pouring down, or a lion devouring prey.

Whether provoked like a cobra or pouncing like a leopard.

مفَوَّهٌ إِن دَعا حُرَّ الكَلام أَتى

مفَوَّهٌ إِن دَعا حُرَّ الكَلام أَتى

بديعُهُ نَحوَهُ مُستَعجِلا سَلِسا

بديعُهُ نَحوَهُ مُستَعجِلا سَلِسا

Eloquent: if he summons noble speech, there comes

Well-spoken, if eloquence demands, his words flow

Its finest expression, swiftly and smoothly toward him.

Rapidly, smoothly, perfectly, and with delight.

فَمِن قَلائد يَعلُو الدُرُّ جَوهَرَها

فَمِن قَلائد يَعلُو الدُرُّ جَوهَرَها

وَمِن فَرائد يَجلُو نورُها الغَلَسا

وَمِن فَرائد يَجلُو نورُها الغَلَسا

Some are necklaces whose jewels are crowned with pearls,

Of necklaces, it's the gems that shine brightest.

And some are peerless gems whose light dispels the predawn gloom.

Of poems, it's the subtlety that glows most splendid.

أَعجِب بِهِ مِن خَطيبٍ ماهِرٍ نَدسٍ

أَعجِب بِهِ مِن خَطيبٍ ماهِرٍ نَدسٍ

إِن قِستَ قَساً بِهِ تَخالُهُ وَدَسا

إِن قِستَ قَساً بِهِ تَخالُهُ وَدَسا

Marvel at him: an orator, skilled and astute!

More wondrous than any silver-tongued orator,

If you compare Quss with him, you would deem him a nobody.

Measured beside him, their boasts seem only empty chatter.

بَل العُجابُ مُقامي بَينَ ذي وَحَرٍ

بَل العُجابُ مُقامي بَينَ ذي وَحَرٍ

وَحاسِدٍ بِسِوى الأَعراضِ ما نَبَسا

وَحاسِدٍ بِسِوى الأَعراضِ ما نَبَسا

Rather, the wonder is my staying between a man of rancor

But most strange is my station between the jealous

And an envier who speaks of nothing but people's reputations.

And the sincere - though silent, their hearts have volumes unspoken.

قَومٌ إِذا غِبتُ قالوا ما يليقُ بِهم

قَومٌ إِذا غِبتُ قالوا ما يليقُ بِهم

وَإِن حَضَرتُ تَراهُم خُشَّعا نُكُسا

وَإِن حَضَرتُ تَراهُم خُشَّعا نُكُسا

People who, when I am absent, say what befits them,

Some, when I'm absent, say things to suit themselves,

But when I am present, you see them meek, heads bowed.

Yet in my presence they bow their heads, broken and bent.

ذَنبي إِلَيهِم نُفُوذي حينَ تفجَؤُهُم

ذَنبي إِلَيهِم نُفُوذي حينَ تفجَؤُهُم

مُسَغَّباتٌ يُدَلِّهنَ الفَتى النَدُسا

مُسَغَّباتٌ يُدَلِّهنَ الفَتى النَدُسا

My fault in their eyes is my resourcefulness when they are struck

My crime, in their eyes, is my rising fortune

By famines that bewilder even an astute young man.

That catches them unawares, like birds snared in the night.

وَإِنَّني مثلُ ماءِ المُزنِ لا رَنَقٌ

وَإِنَّني مثلُ ماءِ المُزنِ لا رَنَقٌ

كَذاكَ بردي نَقيٌ ما رَأى دَنَسا

كَذاكَ بردي نَقيٌ ما رَأى دَنَسا

And I am like rain-cloud water, without murk;

But I'm like pure rainwater from the heavens,

Likewise my cloak is pure; it has never seen a stain.

Stainless and cool, though some may try to sully my name.

ما كانَ ضَرَّهُمُ لَو أَنصَفُوا رَجُلاً

ما كانَ ضَرَّهُمُ لَو أَنصَفُوا رَجُلاً

ما نامَ وَهناً عَلى هَجرٍ وَلا هَجَسا

ما نامَ وَهناً عَلى هَجرٍ وَلا هَجَسا

What harm would it have done them to treat a man fairly,

No harm if they'd only grant a man his due -

Who never slept at night after speaking ill, nor even thought it?

One who has lost sleep, exiled, wandering ceaselessly.

أَما دَرَوا أَنَّني لَو شِئتُ أَفضَحُهُم

أَما دَرَوا أَنَّني لَو شِئتُ أَفضَحُهُم

بِمُفصِحاتٍ وَإِن أَبصَرتَها خُرُسا

بِمُفصِحاتٍ وَإِن أَبصَرتَها خُرُسا

Do they not know that, if I wished, I could disgrace them

Don't they know, if I wished, I could shame them all

With eloquent verses, though you behold them mute,

With revelations, though seen by none but the mute?

مِن كُلِّ شارِدَةٍ عَذراءَ ناهِدَةٍ

مِن كُلِّ شارِدَةٍ عَذراءَ ناهِدَةٍ

يَكونُ إِهداؤُها لَهُم لَها عُرُسا

يَكونُ إِهداؤُها لَهُم لَها عُرُسا

With every far-ranging verse, a virgin with budding breasts,

Seduce each maiden, dark-eyed and blameless,

Whose presentation to them would be her wedding,

Make her surrender to me her promised husband.

وَكُلِّ فاصِمَةٍ للظَهرِ قاصمةٍ

وَكُلِّ فاصِمَةٍ للظَهرِ قاصمةٍ

تَرُدُّ مَن كانَ جَذلانا حَليفَ أَسى

تَرُدُّ مَن كانَ جَذلانا حَليفَ أَسى

And every verse that cracks and crushes the back,

Tempt every slender-waisted girl from her virtue,

Turning a once-joyful man into sorrow's companion?

Lead back to me those whose hopes have all faded.

لَكن نَهانيَ عَنهُم أَنَّهُم نَجَسٌ

لَكن نَهانيَ عَنهُم أَنَّهُم نَجَسٌ

وَمقوَلي قَد أَبى أَن يذكُرَ النَجَسا

وَمقوَلي قَد أَبى أَن يذكُرَ النَجَسا

But what restrained me from them is that they are filth,

But my faith has forbidden the unclean to me,

And my tongue has refused to mention filth.

So I shall not speak of the unclean in my verses.