أَراكَ أَكبَرتَ إِدماني عَلى الدِمَنِ

أَراكَ أَكبَرتَ إِدماني عَلى الدِمَنِ

وَحَملي الشَوقَ مِن بادٍ وَمُكتَمِنِ

وَحَملي الشَوقَ مِن بادٍ وَمُكتَمِنِ

I see you have made me overindulge my haunting of the ruined camps,

I see you deem excessive my constant haunting of the ruined camps,

and my bearing of longing, both manifest and concealed.

and the longing I bear, both open and concealed.

لا تُكثِرَنَّ مَلامي إِن عَكَفتُ عَلى

لا تُكثِرَنَّ مَلامي إِن عَكَفتُ عَلى

رَبعِ الحَبيبِ فَلَم أَعكُف عَلى وَثَنِ

رَبعِ الحَبيبِ فَلَم أَعكُف عَلى وَثَنِ

Do not heap blame upon me if I linger at

Do not heap reproach on me if I have kept vigil at

the beloved’s dwelling; blame me if I devote myself to an idol.

the beloved's dwelling; I have not kept vigil at an idol.

سَلَوتُ إِن كُنتُ أَدري ما تَقولُ إِذَن

سَلَوتُ إِن كُنتُ أَدري ما تَقولُ إِذَن

مَجَّت مَقالَتَها في وَجهِها أُذُني

مَجَّت مَقالَتَها في وَجهِها أُذُني

I would forget her, if I could understand what she says; then

If I understand what you say, then I have ceased to love!

my ear would spit her words back into her face.

My ear spat her words back into her face.

الحُبُّ أَولى بِقَلبي في تَصَرُّفِهِ

الحُبُّ أَولى بِقَلبي في تَصَرُّفِهِ

مِن أَن يُغادِرَني يَوماً بِلا شَجَنِ

مِن أَن يُغادِرَني يَوماً بِلا شَجَنِ

Love has the greater claim upon my heart in governing it

Love has too strong a claim upon my heart, in its sway,

than to leave me, even for a day, without sorrow.

to leave me a single day without sorrow.

حَلَبتُ صَرفَ النَوى صَرفَ الأَسى وَحَداً

حَلَبتُ صَرفَ النَوى صَرفَ الأَسى وَحَداً

بِالبَثِّ في دَولَةِ الإِغرامِ وَالدَدَنِ

بِالبَثِّ في دَولَةِ الإِغرامِ وَالدَدَنِ

I milked from separation’s vicissitudes the pure essence of grief, alone,

I milked pure sorrow from separation's vicissitudes, alone

by lingering in the dominion of passion and the ruined camps.

with anguish, in the reign of infatuation and play.

فَما وَجَدتُ عَلى الأَحشاءِ أَوقَدَ مِن

فَما وَجَدتُ عَلى الأَحشاءِ أَوقَدَ مِن

دَمعٍ عَلى وَطَنٍ لي في سِوى وَطَني

دَمعٍ عَلى وَطَنٍ لي في سِوى وَطَني

And I found nothing more fiercely kindling to my vitals than

So I found nothing more searing to the innards than

tears for a home of mine in a place other than my homeland.

tears for a home of mine outside my homeland.

صَيَّرتُ لي مِن تَباري عَبرَتي سَكَناً

صَيَّرتُ لي مِن تَباري عَبرَتي سَكَناً

مُذ صِرتُ فَرداً بِلا إِلفٍ وَلا سَكَنِ

مُذ صِرتُ فَرداً بِلا إِلفٍ وَلا سَكَنِ

From my tears’ racing I made myself a dwelling,

I made my racing tears a source of solace,

since I became solitary, with neither companion nor home.

since I became solitary, with neither companion nor solace.

مَن ذا يُعَظِّمُ مِقدارَ السُرورِ بِمَن

مَن ذا يُعَظِّمُ مِقدارَ السُرورِ بِمَن

يَهوى إِذا لَم يُعَظِّم مَوضِعَ الحَزَنِ

يَهوى إِذا لَم يُعَظِّم مَوضِعَ الحَزَنِ

Who can prize the measure of joy in the one

Who values the measure of joy in someone

he loves, if he does not also prize the place of grief?

he loves, unless he values sorrow's place?

العيسُ وَالهَمُّ وَاللَيلُ التِمامُ مَعاً

العيسُ وَالهَمُّ وَاللَيلُ التِمامُ مَعاً

ثَلاثَةٌ أَبَداً يُقرَنَّ في قَرَنِ

ثَلاثَةٌ أَبَداً يُقرَنَّ في قَرَنِ

The white camels, care, and night in its fullness—all together:

The pale camels, care, and the night at its longest, together—

three things forever coupled in a single tether.

three forever bound by a single tether.

أَقولُ لِلحُرَّةِ الوَجناءِ لا تَهِني

أَقولُ لِلحُرَّةِ الوَجناءِ لا تَهِني

فَقَد خُلِقتِ لِغَيرِ الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ

فَقَد خُلِقتِ لِغَيرِ الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ

I say to the noble, strong-cheeked she-camel: Do not weaken;

I tell the noble, thick-cheeked she-camel: 'Do not flag;

for you were created for more than the watering pool and camel pen.

for you were made for something other than the trough and the waterside resting-ground.'

ما يُحسِنُ الدَهرُ أَن يَسطو عَلى رَجُلٍ

ما يُحسِنُ الدَهرُ أَن يَسطو عَلى رَجُلٍ

إِذا تَعَلَّقَ حَبلاً مِن أَبي حَسَنِ

إِذا تَعَلَّقَ حَبلاً مِن أَبي حَسَنِ

Fate cannot well assail a man

Time knows not how to assail a man

once he has grasped a rope of protection from Abu Hasan.

once he clings to a rope from Abu Hasan.

كَم حالَ فَيضُ نَداهُ يَومَ مُعضِلَةٍ

كَم حالَ فَيضُ نَداهُ يَومَ مُعضِلَةٍ

وَبَأسُهُ بَينَ مَن يَرجوهُ وَالمِحَنِ

وَبَأسُهُ بَينَ مَن يَرجوهُ وَالمِحَنِ

How often, on a day of crisis, has the flood of his bounty

How often, on a day of hardship, has the flood of his bounty stood,

and his valor stood between one who hopes in him and afflictions!

with his might, between those who look to him and trials!

كَأَنَّني يَومَ جَرَّدتُ الرَجاءَ لَهُ

كَأَنَّني يَومَ جَرَّدتُ الرَجاءَ لَهُ

عَضباً أَخَذتُ بِهِ سَيفاً عَلى الزَمَنِ

عَضباً أَخَذتُ بِهِ سَيفاً عَلى الزَمَنِ

It was as though, the day I unsheathed my hope in him,

It was as though, the day I unsheathed my hope in him

I had grasped a keen blade—a sword against Fate.

as a keen blade, I had thereby grasped a sword against Time.

فَتىً تَريشُ جَناحَ الجودِ راحَتُهُ

فَتىً تَريشُ جَناحَ الجودِ راحَتُهُ

حَتّى يُخالَ بِأَنَّ البُخلَ لَم يَكُنِ

حَتّى يُخالَ بِأَنَّ البُخلَ لَم يَكُنِ

A young lord whose palm feathers the wing of generosity,

A young man whose palm feathers generosity's wing,

until one imagines miserliness never existed.

until it seems that miserliness never existed.

وَتَشتَري نَفسُهُ المَعروفَ بِالثَمَنِ ال

وَتَشتَري نَفسُهُ المَعروفَ بِالثَمَنِ ال

غالي وَلَو أَنَّها كانَت مِنَ الثَمَنِ

غالي وَلَو أَنَّها كانَت مِنَ الثَمَنِ

His soul purchases beneficence at the price—the

And his soul buys good deeds at a price—

dear price—even were that soul itself part of the price.

a high one—even if that soul itself were part of the price.

أَموالُهُ وَعِداهُ مِن مَواهِبِهِ

أَموالُهُ وَعِداهُ مِن مَواهِبِهِ

وَبَأسُهُ يَطلُبونَ الدَهرَ بِالإِحَنِ

وَبَأسُهُ يَطلُبونَ الدَهرَ بِالإِحَنِ

His wealth and his foes spring from his gifts

His wealth and his foes, because of his gifts

and his valor; his foes pursue him forever in rancor.

and his might, pursue Time with rancor.

يُقَشِّعُ الفِتَنَ المُسوَدَّ جانِبُها

يُقَشِّعُ الفِتَنَ المُسوَدَّ جانِبُها

وَمالُهُ مِن نَداهُ الدَهرَ في فِتَنِ

وَمالُهُ مِن نَداهُ الدَهرَ في فِتَنِ

He scatters the dark-flanked trials,

He dispels strife whose side is blackened,

and his wealth, born of his bounty, scatters Fate amid trials.

yet his wealth, through his bounty, is forever amid strife.

إِذا بَدا لَكَ مُرٌّ في كَتائِبِهِم

إِذا بَدا لَكَ مُرٌّ في كَتائِبِهِم

لَم يُحجَبِ المَوتُ عَن روحٍ وَلا بَدَنِ

لَم يُحجَبِ المَوتُ عَن روحٍ وَلا بَدَنِ

Whenever some bitter peril appears before you among his battalions,

When Murr appears before you amid their battalions,

death is withheld from neither soul nor body.

death is kept from neither soul nor body.

كَم في العُلى وَالمَجدِ مِن بِدَعٍ

كَم في العُلى وَالمَجدِ مِن بِدَعٍ

إِذا تُصُفِّحَت اِختيرَت عَلى السُنَنِ

إِذا تُصُفِّحَت اِختيرَت عَلى السُنَنِ

How many unprecedented deeds there are in high rank and glory—

How many innovations in eminence and glory,

when closely examined, they are preferred to established ways.

when examined, are preferred to established ways!

قَومٌ إِذا هَطَلَت جوداً أَكُفُّهُمُ

قَومٌ إِذا هَطَلَت جوداً أَكُفُّهُمُ

عَلِمتَ أَنَّ النَدى مُذ كانَ في اليَمَنِ

عَلِمتَ أَنَّ النَدى مُذ كانَ في اليَمَنِ

A people whose palms, whenever they rain down generosity,

A people—when their palms rain down largesse,

make you know that munificence, since it first existed, has dwelt in Yemen.

you know that generosity has been in Yemen since its birth.