لِمَن طَلَلٌ لَم أُشجِهِ وَشَجاني

لِمَن طَلَلٌ لَم أُشجِهِ وَشَجاني

وَهاجَ الهَوى أَو هاجَهُ لِأَلوانِ

وَهاجَ الهَوى أَو هاجَهُ لِأَلوانِ

Whose ruined campsite is this? I caused it no grief, yet it grieved me,

For whom is a long separation though it grieved me not,

Whose ruins are these? I wronged them not, yet they brought me grief,

And stirred desire—or stirred it for varied hues.

And passion surged or it surged for various colors?

And passion was stirred—or perhaps passion stirred them—by their shifting hues.

بَلى فَازدَهَتني لِلصِبا أَريَحِيَّةٌ

بَلى فَازدَهَتني لِلصِبا أَريَحِيَّةٌ

يَمانِيَّةٌ إِنَّ السَماحَ يَماني

يَمانِيَّةٌ إِنَّ السَماحَ يَماني

Yes, an openhearted impulse swept me toward youthful passion,

Rather, a young gazelle of Yemen enchanted me,

Nay, but a spirited impulse of youth seized me,

A Yemeni one—for generosity is Yemeni.

A Yemeni one, for the generous are Yemeni.

A Yemeni spirit, for true generosity is Yemeni born.

وَلَو شِئتُ قَد دارَت بِذي قَرقَلٍ يَدي

وَلَو شِئتُ قَد دارَت بِذي قَرقَلٍ يَدي

مِنَ اللَمسِ إِلّا مِن يُدَيِّ حَصانِ

مِنَ اللَمسِ إِلّا مِن يُدَيِّ حَصانِ

And had I wished, my hand would have circled one in a sleeveless tunic,

Had I wished, my hands would have fondled the smooth skinned,

Had I wished, my hand could have embraced a beauty in silk,

With caresses—save those of a chaste woman's little hand.

Except for the hands of a steed or beautiful women.

A touch denied, save for the hands of the chaste.

وَلَكِنَّني عاهَدتُ مَن لا أَخونُهُ

وَلَكِنَّني عاهَدتُ مَن لا أَخونُهُ

فَأَيُّ وَفِيٍّ يا يَزيدُ تَراني

فَأَيُّ وَفِيٍّ يا يَزيدُ تَراني

But I pledged myself to one I do not betray;

But I made a pact with one I will not betray,

But I have pledged a covenant to one I shall not betray;

So how faithful do you find me, Yazid?

So what faithful person, O Yazid, do you see me as?

So what manner of loyal friend, O Yazid, do you see in me?

وَخِرقٍ يَجِلُّ الكَأسَ عَن مَنطِقِ الخَنا

وَخِرقٍ يَجِلُّ الكَأسَ عَن مَنطِقِ الخَنا

وَيُنزِلُها مِنهُ بِكُلِّ مَكانِ

وَيُنزِلُها مِنهُ بِكُلِّ مَكانِ

And many a discerning fellow holds the cup above obscene speech,

And a liquor drinker who lifts the cup from the circle of booze,

I am a noble soul who exalts the wine-cup above vulgar speech,

And grants it every place of honor with him.

And brings it down everywhere from it.

And grants it its rightful dignity in every gathering.

تَراهُ لَما ساءَ النَدامى ابنَ عَلَّةٍ

تَراهُ لَما ساءَ النَدامى ابنَ عَلَّةٍ

وَلِلشَيءِ لَذّوهُ رَضيعَ لِبانِ

وَلِلشَيءِ لَذّوهُ رَضيعَ لِبانِ

You see him a half-brother to what vexes his drinking companions,

When the repentant became miserable, son of disgrace,

You see him as a distant stranger to that which vexes his boon companions,

And a milk-brother to whatever they relish.

And the infant sucked its sweetness for milk.

But to that which delights them, he is a brother nursed at the same breast.

إِذا هُوَ أَلقى الكَأسَ يُمناهُ خانَهُ

إِذا هُوَ أَلقى الكَأسَ يُمناهُ خانَهُ

أَماويتُ فيها وَارتِعاشُ بَنانِ

أَماويتُ فيها وَارتِعاشُ بَنانِ

When his right hand offers the cup, he is betrayed

When he cast the cup aside, it betrayed its right,

When he sets down the cup, his right hand betrays him,

By fits of weakness in it and trembling fingers.

I wavered in it and the fingertips trembled.

Amidst the swirling mix within and the trembling of fingertips.

تَمَنَّعتُ مِنهُ ثُمَّ أَقصَرَ باطِلي

تَمَنَّعتُ مِنهُ ثُمَّ أَقصَرَ باطِلي

وَصَمَّمتُ كَالجاري بِغَيرِ عِنانِ

وَصَمَّمتُ كَالجاري بِغَيرِ عِنانِ

I held back from him; then my folly ceased,

I refused it then my vain efforts shortened,

I abstained from it, and my folly came to an end,

And I pressed resolutely on, like a runner without a rein.

And I resolved like an unrestrained slave girl.

And I charged forward like a steed rushing without reins.

وَعَنسٍ كَمِرداةِ القِذافِ ابتَذَلتُها

وَعَنسٍ كَمِرداةِ القِذافِ ابتَذَلتُها

لِبِكرٍ مِنَ الحاجاتِ أَو لِعَوانِ

لِبِكرٍ مِنَ الحاجاتِ أَو لِعَوانِ

And a sturdy she-camel, like a catapult's boulder, I put to hard use

And an old maid degraded like a whore’s stirrup,

Upon a sturdy she-camel, like a hurled stone, which I wore down

For a maiden need, or a seasoned one.

For an unmarried man or for helpers.

In pursuit of needs both virgin-new and long-recurring.

فَلَمّا قَضَت نَفسي مِنَ السَيرِ ما قَضَت

فَلَمّا قَضَت نَفسي مِنَ السَيرِ ما قَضَت

عَلى ما بَلَت مِن شِدَّةٍ وَلَيانِ

عَلى ما بَلَت مِن شِدَّةٍ وَلَيانِ

Then, when my soul had taken its fill of travel,

So when my soul fulfilled what it fulfilled,

And when my soul had satisfied its measure of journeying,

Through all it had experienced of hardship and ease,

Through the severity and twists it reached.

Through all it endured of hardship and ease,

أَخَذتُ بِحَبلٍ مِن حِبالِ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَخَذتُ بِحَبلٍ مِن حِبالِ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَمِنتُ بِهِ مِن نائِبِ الحَدَثانِ

أَمِنتُ بِهِ مِن نائِبِ الحَدَثانِ

I grasped one of Muhammad's ropes;

I took the rope of Muhammad’s ropes,

I grasped a cord from the sturdy ropes of Muhammad,

Through it I was safe from Time's calamities.

I felt safe with it from the vicissitudes of events.

Finding safety thereby from the calamities of Fortune.

تَغَطَّيتُ مِن دَهري بِظِلِّ جَناحِهِ

تَغَطَّيتُ مِن دَهري بِظِلِّ جَناحِهِ

فَعَيني تَرى دَهري وَلَيسَ يَراني

فَعَيني تَرى دَهري وَلَيسَ يَراني

I sheltered from Time in the shadow of his wing;

I covered myself in the shade of his wing from my fate,

I hid myself from my Age beneath the shadow of his wing,

So my eye sees Time, but Time does not see me.

So my eye sees my fate but it does not see me.

So my eye beholds the Age, yet the Age sees me not.

فَلَو تَسأَلَ الأَيّامَ ما اسمي لَما دَرَت

فَلَو تَسأَلَ الأَيّامَ ما اسمي لَما دَرَت

وَأَينَ مَكاني ما عَرَفنَ مَكاني

وَأَينَ مَكاني ما عَرَفنَ مَكاني

So if you asked the days what my name was, they would not know;

If the days were asked what my name is, they would not know,

Were you to ask the Days my name, they would not know,

And if asked where I am, they would not know my place.

And where is my place, they would not know my place.

Nor would they know my dwelling, nor where I abide.

أَذَلَّ صِعابَ المُشكِلاتِ مُحَمَّدٌ

أَذَلَّ صِعابَ المُشكِلاتِ مُحَمَّدٌ

فَأَصبَحَ مَمدوحاً بِكُلِّ لِسانِ

فَأَصبَحَ مَمدوحاً بِكُلِّ لِسانِ

Muhammad tamed the most stubborn problems,

Muhammad made the difficulties of problems subside,

Muhammad has humbled the most stubborn of difficulties,

And so became praised by every tongue.

So he became praised by every tongue.

Becoming the praised one upon every tongue.

يُجَلُّ عَنِ التَشبيهِ جودُ مُحَمَّدٍ

يُجَلُّ عَنِ التَشبيهِ جودُ مُحَمَّدٍ

إِذا مَرِحَت كَفّاهُ بِالهَطَلانِ

إِذا مَرِحَت كَفّاهُ بِالهَطَلانِ

Muhammad's generosity is beyond comparison

Muhammad's generosity is too lofty for comparison,

The generosity of Muhammad transcends all comparison,

When his two hands revel in pouring like rain.

When his palms rain with gifts.

When his palms rejoice in their torrential giving.

يُغِبُّكَ مَعروفُ السَماءِ وَكَفُّهُ

يُغِبُّكَ مَعروفُ السَماءِ وَكَفُّهُ

تَجودُ بِسَحِّ العُرفِ كُلَّ أَوانِ

تَجودُ بِسَحِّ العُرفِ كُلَّ أَوانِ

The sky's bounty visits you at intervals, but his hand

The heavens' favors and his palm make you oblivious,

The sky's bounty may visit you intermittently, but his palm

Pours forth torrents of bounty at every hour.

It is generous with the nectar of palms at all times.

Pours forth a continuous rain of kindness at every hour.

وَإِن شَبَّتِ الحَربَ العُوانُ سَما لَها

وَإِن شَبَّتِ الحَربَ العُوانُ سَما لَها

بِصَولَةِ لَيثٍ في مَضاءِ سِنانِ

بِصَولَةِ لَيثٍ في مَضاءِ سِنانِ

And if seasoned war flares up, he rises to meet it

And if the aid of spears grew firm in war, for it

And if fierce war is kindled, he rises to meet it

With a lion's onslaught and a spearpoint's keenness.

With the boldness of a lion in the striking of its canines.

With the assault of a lion and the resolve of a spearhead.

فَلا أَحَدٌ أَسخى بِمُهجَةِ نَفسِهِ

فَلا أَحَدٌ أَسخى بِمُهجَةِ نَفسِهِ

عَلى المَوتِ مِنهُ وَالقَنا مُتَدانِ

عَلى المَوتِ مِنهُ وَالقَنا مُتَدانِ

For no one is more lavish with his own lifeblood

So no one is more openhanded with his soul’s sacrifice,

No one is more lavish with his very lifeblood

In facing death than he, when spears draw close.

For death and the spears are outstretched.

In the face of death, when the lances draw near.

خَلَفتَ أَبا عُثمانَ في كُلِّ صالِحٍ

خَلَفتَ أَبا عُثمانَ في كُلِّ صالِحٍ

وَأَقسَمتُ لا يَبني بَناءَكَ بانِ

وَأَقسَمتُ لا يَبني بَناءَكَ بانِ

You have succeeded Abu Uthman in every virtue,

You succeeded Abu Uthman in every righteousness,

You have succeeded Abu Uthman in every virtue,

And I have sworn: no builder can build your edifice.

And I swore none will build your building after you.

And I swear that no builder shall ever raise a structure like yours.