كَأَنّي لَم أَبُثَّكُما دَخيلي

كَأَنّي لَم أَبُثَّكُما دَخيلي

وَلَم تَرَيا وُلوعي مِن ذُهولي

وَلَم تَرَيا وُلوعي مِن ذُهولي

As though I had not confided my innermost thoughts to you two,

It's as if I never confided my troubles to you both,

and you two had not seen my ardor in my bewilderment,

Nor did you see my burning agitation and anxiety.

وَتَركي مُقلَتي تَحمى وَتَدمى

وَتَركي مُقلَتي تَحمى وَتَدمى

فَتَدمَعُ في الحُقوقِ وَفي الفُضولِ

فَتَدمَعُ في الحُقوقِ وَفي الفُضولِ

and my leaving my eye to burn and bleed,

I left my eyelids burning and bleeding,

so it weeps where tears are due and where they are needless.

To shed tears unjustly and excessively.

كِلاني إِنَّ راحاتي تَأَتَّت

كِلاني إِنَّ راحاتي تَأَتَّت

لِقَلبي في البُكاءِ وَفي العَويلِ

لِقَلبي في البُكاءِ وَفي العَويلِ

Leave me be, you two: my comforts have come

My respite came to my heart through weeping and wailing,

to my heart in weeping and in wailing.

And in Alexandria the plan of a house was drawn,

وَبِالإسكَندَرِيّةِ رَسمُ دارٍ

وَبِالإسكَندَرِيّةِ رَسمُ دارٍ

عَفَت فَعَفَوتُ مِن صَبري وَحولي

عَفَت فَعَفَوتُ مِن صَبري وَحولي

And in Alexandria lies the trace of a dwelling;

Which when it collapsed, I was patient and strong.

it has faded, and I am bereft of my patience and strength.

I remembered in it and through it my forgotten torments,

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ وَفيهِ مُنسِياتي

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ وَفيهِ مُنسِياتي

عَزايَ مُسَعِّراتِ لَظى غَليلي

عَزايَ مُسَعِّراتِ لَظى غَليلي

I recalled, through it and within it, those who make me forget

My burning regrets inflamed the calamities I bore.

my solace, who kindle the blaze of my burning thirst.

It continues to revive sorrow and longing

وَما زالَت تُجِدُّ أَسىً وَشَوقاً

وَما زالَت تُجِدُّ أَسىً وَشَوقاً

لَهُ وَعَلَيهِ إِخلاقُ الطُلولِ

لَهُ وَعَلَيهِ إِخلاقُ الطُلولِ

And sorrow and longing are still renewed

For it and for the morals of enduring men.

for it and over it by the weathering of the ruins.

I have missed you for so long with every kind of loss,

فَقَدتُكَ مِن زَمانٍ كُلَّ فَقدٍ

فَقَدتُكَ مِن زَمانٍ كُلَّ فَقدٍ

وَغالَت حادِثاتِكَ كُلُّ غولِ

وَغالَت حادِثاتِكَ كُلُّ غولِ

May I be rid of you utterly, O time,

And news of your affairs overwhelmed all resolution.

and may every ghoul devour your calamities!

Its setbacks erased the paths of meaning,

مَحَت نَكَباتُهُ سُبُلَ المَعاني

مَحَت نَكَباتُهُ سُبُلَ المَعاني

وَأَطفَأَ لَيلُهُ سُرُجَ العُقولِ

وَأَطفَأَ لَيلُهُ سُرُجَ العُقولِ

Its disasters have effaced the paths of meaning,

And its night extinguished the lamps of reason.

and its night has extinguished the lamps of intellect.

So the intelligent cannot comprehend its wonders,

فَما حِيَلُ الأَريبِ بِمُدرِكاتٍ

فَما حِيَلُ الأَريبِ بِمُدرِكاتٍ

عَجائِبَهُ وَلا فِكَرُ الأَصيلِ

عَجائِبَهُ وَلا فِكَرُ الأَصيلِ

So the clever man's stratagems cannot fathom

Nor can the astute conceive its meaning.

its marvels, nor can the sound-minded man's thoughts.

If the unveiling of it were published for Khalil,

فَلَو نُشِرَ الخَليلُ لَهُ لَعَفَّت

فَلَو نُشِرَ الخَليلُ لَهُ لَعَفَّت

رَزاياهُ عَلى فِطَنِ الخَليلِ

رَزاياهُ عَلى فِطَنِ الخَليلِ

For if al-Khalil were resurrected to face it,

Its mysteries would elude the understanding of Khalil.

its calamities would obliterate al-Khalil's insights.

Live in comfort or cease to tend to my rights,

أَعَيّاشُ اِرعَ أَو لا تَرعَ حَقّي

أَعَيّاشُ اِرعَ أَو لا تَرعَ حَقّي

وَصِل أَو لا تَصِل أَبَداً وَسيلي

وَصِل أَو لا تَصِل أَبَداً وَسيلي

O Ayyash, honor my due—or do not;

Connect or never connect my line.

and maintain my bonds—or never maintain them.

When I see you and who sees you straying,

أَراكَ وَمَن أَراكَ الغَيَّ رُشداً

أَراكَ وَمَن أَراكَ الغَيَّ رُشداً

سَتَلبَسُ حُلَّتَي قالٍ وَقيلِ

سَتَلبَسُ حُلَّتَي قالٍ وَقيلِ

I see that you—and whoever showed you error as right guidance—

You will wear the garb of uncertainty and speculation.

will wear the two robes of 'he said' and 'it was said':

Epic poems forget the reading of your father,

مَلاحِمُ مِن لُبابِ الشِعرِ تُنسي

مَلاحِمُ مِن لُبابِ الشِعرِ تُنسي

قِراةَ أَبيكَ كُتبَ أَبي قَبيلِ

قِراةَ أَبيكَ كُتبَ أَبي قَبيلِ

epic battles from poetry's essence, making you forget

The books of my father's tribe.

your father's reading of Abu Qabil's books.

If I were like you, would hope be expected,

أَمِثلُكَ يُرتَجى لَولا تَنائي

أَمِثلُكَ يُرتَجى لَولا تَنائي

أُموري وَاِلتِياثي في حَويلي

أُموري وَاِلتِياثي في حَويلي

Would anyone like you be looked to, were it not for the scattering of

Given my confused affairs and worries surround me?

my affairs and my entanglement in my own devices?

The fancy of postponed ambition misleads me,

تَوَهُّمُ آجِلِ الطَمَعِ المُفيتي

تَوَهُّمُ آجِلِ الطَمَعِ المُفيتي

تَيَقُّنُ عاجِلِ اليَأسِ المَنيلِ

تَيَقُّنُ عاجِلِ اليَأسِ المَنيلِ

Imagining hope's deferred promise deprives me of

The certainty of present despair at hand thwarts me.

the certainty of despair's immediate bounty.

A hope that displaced the breadth of my heart,

رَجاءٌ حَلَّ مِن عَرَصاتِ قَلبي

رَجاءٌ حَلَّ مِن عَرَصاتِ قَلبي

مَحَلَّ البُخلِ مِن قَلبِ البَخيلِ

مَحَلَّ البُخلِ مِن قَلبِ البَخيلِ

Hope has settled in the courtyards of my heart,

As miserliness occupies the heart of the miser.

in the place miserliness holds in a miser's heart.

And a view that shook my good faith until

وَرَأيٌ هَزَّ حُسنَ الظَنِّ حَتّى

وَرَأيٌ هَزَّ حُسنَ الظَنِّ حَتّى

جَرى ماءاهُ في عَرضي وَطولي

جَرى ماءاهُ في عَرضي وَطولي

And a judgment shook my good opinion until

Its waters flowed over my honor and integrity.

its two waters flowed through my breadth and length.

So my stance awaiting you brings benefit

فَأَجدى مَوقِفي بِنَداكَ جَدوى

فَأَجدى مَوقِفي بِنَداكَ جَدوى

وُقوفِ الصَبِّ بِالطَلَلِ المُحيلِ

وُقوفِ الصَبِّ بِالطَلَلِ المُحيلِ

Thus my stand before your bounty yielded the gain

Like the early morning rain on arid ruins.

of a lovesick lover's stand at a weathered ruin.

And I bent my wishes within my own breast,

وَأَعكَفتُ المُنى في ذاتِ صَدري

وَأَعكَفتُ المُنى في ذاتِ صَدري

عُكوفَ اللَحظِ في الخَدِّ الأَسيلِ

عُكوفَ اللَحظِ في الخَدِّ الأَسيلِ

And I kept my wishes fixed within my breast,

As sight lingers on the soft cheek.

as a gaze stays fixed on a smooth cheek.

I once took pride in contentment more than the content,

وَكُنتُ أَعَزَّ عِزّاً مِن قَنوعٍ

وَكُنتُ أَعَزَّ عِزّاً مِن قَنوعٍ

تَعَوَّضَهُ صَفوحٌ عَن جَهولِ

تَعَوَّضَهُ صَفوحٌ عَن جَهولِ

And I was loftier in honor than contentment

Who forfeited ignorance for great disgrace.

taken by a forbearing man in place of an ignorant fool.

So I became more abject than the subtle meaning,

فَصِرتُ أَذَلَّ مِن مَعنىً دَقيقٍ

فَصِرتُ أَذَلَّ مِن مَعنىً دَقيقٍ

بِهِ فَقرٌ إِلى ذِهنٍ جَليلِ

بِهِ فَقرٌ إِلى ذِهنٍ جَليلِ

So I became lowlier than a subtle meaning

Which in its poverty needs a brilliant mind.

that needs a mighty mind.

So I don't know whether it's me who strayed

فَما أَدري عَمايَ عَنِ اِرتِيادي

فَما أَدري عَمايَ عَنِ اِرتِيادي

دَهاني أَم عَماكَ عَنِ الجَميلِ

دَهاني أَم عَماكَ عَنِ الجَميلِ

I do not know whether my blindness in my quest

Or you who abandoned excellence.

has afflicted me, or your blindness to kindness.

When did the harvest ripen and branches thrive

مَتى طابَت جَنىً وَزَكَت فُروعٌ

مَتى طابَت جَنىً وَزَكَت فُروعٌ

إِذا كانَت خَبيثاتِ الأُصولِ

إِذا كانَت خَبيثاتِ الأُصولِ

When have branches borne sweet fruit and flourished,

If their roots were rotten?

if their roots were foul?

I blamed you for neglect yet you are vain,

نَدَبتُكَ لِلجَزيلِ وَأَنتَ لَغوٌ

نَدَبتُكَ لِلجَزيلِ وَأَنتَ لَغوٌ

ظَلَمتُكَ لَستَ مِن أَهلِ الجَزيلِ

ظَلَمتُكَ لَستَ مِن أَهلِ الجَزيلِ

I summoned you to lavish giving, though you are worthless;

Wronging you, for you don't deserve neglect.

I wronged you: you are not one of the lavish givers.

Though both your parents are from Yemen,

كِلا أبَوَيكَ مِن يَمَنٍ وَلَكِن

كِلا أبَوَيكَ مِن يَمَنٍ وَلَكِن

كِلا أَبَوَي نَوالِكَ مِن سَلولِ

كِلا أَبَوَي نَوالِكَ مِن سَلولِ

Both your parents are from Yemen, but

The origins of your fortune are from thieves.

both the parents of your bounty are from Salul.

Go slowly, your ignorance will soon pass,

رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ جَهلَكَ سَوفَ يَجلو

رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ جَهلَكَ سَوفَ يَجلو

لَكَ الظَلماءَ عَن خِزيٍ طَويلِ

لَكَ الظَلماءَ عَن خِزيٍ طَويلِ

Hold back: your ignorance will clear away

Leaving you in long disgrace.

the darkness for you, exposing lasting disgrace.

When you plot against me, reduce it, for your fires

وَأَقلِل إِنَّ كَيدَكَ حينَ تَصلى

وَأَقلِل إِنَّ كَيدَكَ حينَ تَصلى

بِنيراني أَقَلُّ مِنَ القَليلِ

بِنيراني أَقَلُّ مِنَ القَليلِ

And restrain yourself: your plotting, when you burn

Are fewer than the few.

in my fires, is less than the least.

The bitterness of this abode will pardon you

مَراراتُ المُقامِ عَلَيكَ تَعفو

مَراراتُ المُقامِ عَلَيكَ تَعفو

وَتَذهَبُ في حَلاواتِ الرَحيلِ

وَتَذهَبُ في حَلاواتِ الرَحيلِ

The bitter pains of staying with you fade

And disappear in the sweetness of departure.

and vanish in the sweet delights of departure.

I will moan knowing no cure will heal

سَأَظعَنُ عالِماً أَن لَيسَ بُرءٌ

سَأَظعَنُ عالِماً أَن لَيسَ بُرءٌ

لِسُقمي كَالوَسيجِ وَكَالذَميلِ

لِسُقمي كَالوَسيجِ وَكَالذَميلِ

I shall depart, knowing there is no cure

My sickness, like knots or shackles.

for my sickness like a swift camel pace and a light, easy gait,

Even if your hand were a thousand seas

وَلَو كانَت يَمينُكَ أَلفَ بَحرٍ

وَلَو كانَت يَمينُكَ أَلفَ بَحرٍ

يَفيضُ لِكُلِّ بَحرٍ أَلفُ نيلِ

يَفيضُ لِكُلِّ بَحرٍ أَلفُ نيلِ

even if your right hand were a thousand seas,

Overflowing, each sea pouring a thousand Niles.

with a thousand Niles flowing into each sea.