قَد كانَ لي حَمدانُ ذا زَورَةٍ

قَد كانَ لي حَمدانُ ذا زَورَةٍ

يَأخُذُهُ الشَوقُ بِإِقلاقِ

يَأخُذُهُ الشَوقُ بِإِقلاقِ

Hamdan once used to pay me visits,

Once I had a companion, Hamdan, a man of valor,

Hamdan was once a constant guest,

Longing would seize him and make him restless,

Seized by yearning and unease.

Seized by a longing that gave him no rest.

في القُرِّ إِن كانَ وَفي يَومِ لا

في القُرِّ إِن كانَ وَفي يَومِ لا

يَبرُزُ إِلّا كُلُّ مُشتاقِ

يَبرُزُ إِلّا كُلُّ مُشتاقِ

In the cold, if cold there was, and on a day when none

If he was near, or far away on a day when

In biting cold, or on days of heat,

Would venture out save those who yearned.

None ventured out but the lovelorn,

When none but the desperate walked the street.

فَقُلتُ إِذ أَوحَشَني فَقدُهُ

فَقُلتُ إِذ أَوحَشَني فَقدُهُ

وَكُنتُ ذا رَعيٍ لِميثاقي

وَكُنتُ ذا رَعيٍ لِميثاقي

So I said, when his absence left me lonely,

I said, when his absence saddened me,

I spoke when his absence brought me gloom,

And I was careful to keep my pledge:

For I was bound by oath:

For I keep the vows of friendship in bloom.

لا بُدَّ أَن أَفحَصَ عَن شَأنِهِ

لا بُدَّ أَن أَفحَصَ عَن شَأنِهِ

جَمَّت إِلَيَّ الغَيَّ أَشواقي

جَمَّت إِلَيَّ الغَيَّ أَشواقي

I must inquire into his affairs.

I must inquire about him, though

"I must inquire of his state and place,"

My yearnings heaped waywardness upon me.

My passions pulled me into ruin.

As my longing grew to a dizzying pace.

فَقالَ ذو الخُبرِ بِهِ بَعدَما

فَقالَ ذو الخُبرِ بِهِ بَعدَما

سَكَّنتُ نَفساً ذاتِ إِشفاقِ

سَكَّنتُ نَفساً ذاتِ إِشفاقِ

Then one acquainted with him said, after

The well-informed man told me after

Then spoke a witness who knew his tale,

I had calmed an anxious soul:

I had calmed my anxious soul:

After I soothed my soul, fearful and pale:

أَما تَراهُ وَهوَ في قُرطُقٍ

أَما تَراهُ وَهوَ في قُرطُقٍ

مُشَمِّراً فيهِ عَنِ الساقِ

مُشَمِّراً فيهِ عَنِ الساقِ

Do you not see him wearing a short tunic,

“Can you not see him in a tattered robe

"Do you not see him in a tunic dressed,

With it tucked up to bare his shin?

With his sleeves rolled up above his legs?

With shins exposed and hemlines pressed?

في وَجهِهِ مِن حُمَمٍ جالِبٌ

في وَجهِهِ مِن حُمَمٍ جالِبٌ

كَأَنَّما عُلَّ بِأَلياقِ

كَأَنَّما عُلَّ بِأَلياقِ

On his face is a charcoal-black coating,

His inflamed face attracts

Upon his face lies a smear of soot,

As though soaked in ink from inkwell wads.

As if he were adorned with scarlet patches.

As if dipped in ink from head to foot.

تَرى سَواداً قَد عَلا حُمرَةً

تَرى سَواداً قَد عَلا حُمرَةً

مِثلَ تَهاويلِ الشِقِرّاقِ

مِثلَ تَهاويلِ الشِقِرّاقِ

You see blackness that has risen over redness,

You see blackness dominating redness

You see blackness rising o'er a red glow,

Like the gaudy markings of a roller.

Like the inky scribbles of a quack.

Like the Roller bird’s motley, painted show.

إِن رابَهُ مِن أَمرِهِ رائِبٌ

إِن رابَهُ مِن أَمرِهِ رائِبٌ

فَما لَهُ مِن دونِها واقِ

فَما لَهُ مِن دونِها واقِ

If anything in his affairs unsettled him,

If his condition troubles him, he conceals it,

If a mishap strikes in his humble trade,

Then he had no shield against it,

Having no confidant.

He stands exposed, without shield or aid.

حَتّى رَآها سامِياً فَرعُها

حَتّى رَآها سامِياً فَرعُها

مِن بَعدِ ما كانَت بِإِرماقِ

مِن بَعدِ ما كانَت بِإِرماقِ

Until he saw its crown rising high,

Until he saw it flourishing aloft

He watches the flames leap high in the air,

After it had been feeble.

After it had withered.

After they faded to a dying glare.

أَبَعدَ سِربالِ اِمرِئٍ عالِمٍ

أَبَعدَ سِربالِ اِمرِئٍ عالِمٍ

أَصبَحتَ في سِربالِ مُرّاقِ

أَصبَحتَ في سِربالِ مُرّاقِ

After the garb of a learned man,

“After the mantle of a learned man

After the scholar’s robe of dignified grace,

Have you come to wear a broth-maker's garb?

You don robes of a charlatan.

You don the rags of the rogue and the base.

بَعدَ غُدُوٍّ لِاِكتِسابِ العُلى

بَعدَ غُدُوٍّ لِاِكتِسابِ العُلى

تَغدو عَلى رُبدٍ وَحُرّاقِ

تَغدو عَلى رُبدٍ وَحُرّاقِ

After going out at dawn to seek distinction,

After rising to seek distinction

Once you rose early for glory’s height,

You go out at dawn to soot-darkened pots and tinder.

You spend your day in rags and ashes.

Now you wake to ash and the burner’s light.

حاسِرُ كَفَّيكَ عَلى هاوُنٍ

حاسِرُ كَفَّيكَ عَلى هاوُنٍ

لِدَقِّ ثومٍ أَو لِسُمّاقِ

لِدَقِّ ثومٍ أَو لِسُمّاقِ

With both your hands bared over a mortar,

Chafing your palms on a mortar

Baring your palms on the mortar’s stone,

To pound garlic or sumac.

To pound garlic or lye.

To pound the garlic and sumac alone.

إِذا اِنتَهى القَومُ إِلى شِبعِهِم

إِذا اِنتَهى القَومُ إِلى شِبعِهِم

فَأَنتَ في حِلٍّ مِنَ الباقي

فَأَنتَ في حِلٍّ مِنَ الباقي

When the company have eaten their fill,

When people finish eating their fill,

When the guests have eaten and had their fill,

Then you are free to take what remains:

You glean from what is left.

You are free to take the scraps at will—

كُلُّ رَغيفٍ ناصِعٍ لَونُهُ

كُلُّ رَغيفٍ ناصِعٍ لَونُهُ

مِن سابِرِيِّ الخُبزِ بَرّاقِ

مِن سابِرِيِّ الخُبزِ بَرّاقِ

Every loaf, pure white in color,

Every fresh-hued loaf of bread

Every loaf of a brilliant white hue,

Of fine sābirī bread, gleaming bright.

From the hands of bakers, you covet.”

Of fine, glistening bread, left over for you."