صَرفُ النَوى لَيسَ بِالمَكيثِ

صَرفُ النَوى لَيسَ بِالمَكيثِ

يَنبِثُ ما لَيسَ بِالنَبيثِ

يَنبِثُ ما لَيسَ بِالنَبيثِ

The vicissitudes of separation are not slow;

The turning of stars is not to stay

They unearth what has never been unearthed.

What sprouts is neither vile nor decay

هَبَّت لِأَحبابِنا رِياحٌ

هَبَّت لِأَحبابِنا رِياحٌ

غَيرُ سَواهٍ وَلا رُيوثِ

غَيرُ سَواهٍ وَلا رُيوثِ

Winds have blown upon our loved ones,

Winds blew for our loved ones

Neither heedless nor slow-moving.

Other than it and no unwholesomeness

بُدورُ لَيلِ التَمامِ حُسناً

بُدورُ لَيلِ التَمامِ حُسناً

عينُ حُقوفٍ ظِباءُ ميثِ

عينُ حُقوفٍ ظِباءُ ميثِ

In beauty, full moons on the night of their fullness;

The beauty of the night of perfection

Wide-eyed wild cows of dunes, gazelles of soft plains,

The eye of an owl, an old ruined nest

بَينَ الخَلاخيلِ وَالأَساوي

بَينَ الخَلاخيلِ وَالأَساوي

رِ وَالدَماليجِ وَالرُعوثِ

رِ وَالدَماليجِ وَالرُعوثِ

Between anklets and brace-

Among the anklets, braids, and headbands

lets, armlets, and earrings:

Fragrance, musk, and pleasant scents

مِن كُلِّ رُعبوبَةٍ تَرَدّى

مِن كُلِّ رُعبوبَةٍ تَرَدّى

بِثَوبِ فَينانِها الأَثيثِ

بِثَوبِ فَينانِها الأَثيثِ

Every tender maiden cloaking herself

From every doe who lowers her veil

In the robe of her thick, flowing hair,

With her thin dress and ornaments

كَالرَشَأِ العَوهَجِ اِطَّباهُ

كَالرَشَأِ العَوهَجِ اِطَّباهُ

رَوعٌ إِلى مُغزِلٍ رَغوثِ

رَوعٌ إِلى مُغزِلٍ رَغوثِ

Like a long-necked fawn, lured

Like a limping deer, I chased it

By fright to a doe nursing her young,

To a noisy spinning wheel it went

رَعَت جَنابَي عُوَيرِضاتٍ

رَعَت جَنابَي عُوَيرِضاتٍ

مِن خَزَماتٍ وَمِن شُثوثِ

مِن خَزَماتٍ وَمِن شُثوثِ

That grazed on both sides of Uwayridat,

My thighs enjoyed the smooth skin

On khazam plants and shuth shrubs.

Of foxes, rabbits, and fawn hence

وَلاحِبٍ مُشكِلِ النَواحي

وَلاحِبٍ مُشكِلِ النَواحي

مُنخَرِقِ السَهلِ وَالوُعوثِ

مُنخَرِقِ السَهلِ وَالوُعوثِ

And a broad track with indistinguishable reaches,

And a beautiful lover with parted hills

Cutting through level ground and difficult sands,

Crossing plains and lowlands since

لَم تُزجَرِ العيسُ في قَراهُ

لَم تُزجَرِ العيسُ في قَراهُ

مُذ عَصرِ نوحٍ وَعَصرِ شيثِ

مُذ عَصرِ نوحٍ وَعَصرِ شيثِ

No pale camels have been urged across its back

The camel-herd was never blamed in its dwellings

Since the age of Noah and the age of Seth.

Since the era of Noah and the time of Seth

كَأَنَّ صَوتَ النَعامِ فيهِ

كَأَنَّ صَوتَ النَعامِ فيهِ

إِذا دَعا صَوتُ مُستَغيثِ

إِذا دَعا صَوتُ مُستَغيثِ

As though the ostriches' call within it,

As if the ostrich's voice within

When they call, were the voice of one seeking help.

When the voice of one crying for help

قَلَّصتُهُ بِالقِلاصِ تَهوي

قَلَّصتُهُ بِالقِلاصِ تَهوي

بِالوَخدِ مِن سَيرِها الحَثيثِ

بِالوَخدِ مِن سَيرِها الحَثيثِ

I shortened it with young she-camels racing

I shortened its pace, it slid

With long strides in their headlong course:

Down the cheek in quick swift

مِن كُلِّ صُلبِ القَرا مَعوجٍ

مِن كُلِّ صُلبِ القَرا مَعوجٍ

وَكُلِّ عَيرانَةٍ دَلوثِ

وَكُلِّ عَيرانَةٍ دَلوثِ

Every hard-backed, swift-running camel,

Of every crooked gelding

And every wild-ass-like, surging she-camel,

And each dirty camel stud

ذي مَيعَةٍ مَشيُهُ الدِفَقّى

ذي مَيعَةٍ مَشيُهُ الدِفَقّى

وَذاتِ لَوثٍ بِها مَلوثِ

وَذاتِ لَوثٍ بِها مَلوثِ

One full of vigor, its gait a flowing rush,

With swaying gait, its walk wobbling

And one whose strength is woven into her.

And one filthy, soiling what it trod

يَطلُبنَ مِن عَقدِ وَعدِ موسى

يَطلُبنَ مِن عَقدِ وَعدِ موسى

غَيرَ سَحيلٍ وَلا نَكيثِ

غَيرَ سَحيلٍ وَلا نَكيثِ

They seek the bond of Musa's promise,

Seeking from Moses' promised word

Neither single-stranded nor unraveled.

Other than tergiversating or violating the pledge

بَنانُ موسى إِذا اِستَهَلَّت

بَنانُ موسى إِذا اِستَهَلَّت

لِلناسِ نابَت عَنِ الغُيوثِ

لِلناسِ نابَت عَنِ الغُيوثِ

Musa's fingertips, when they pour forth,

The crosses of Moses, when adorned

Take the place of rain for the people.

For people, grew devoid of any clouds

حَيثُ النَدى وَالسَدى جَميعاً

حَيثُ النَدى وَالسَدى جَميعاً

وَمَلجَأُ الخائِفِ الكَريثِ

وَمَلجَأُ الخائِفِ الكَريثِ

Where dew and night-dew gather together,

Where dew and rain come together

And refuge for the frightened, sorely distressed;

And refuge for the worried weak

حَيثُ لَبونُ النَوالِ تَهمي

حَيثُ لَبونُ النَوالِ تَهمي

غَيرَ شَطورٍ وَلا ثَلوثِ

غَيرَ شَطورٍ وَلا ثَلوثِ

Where bounty's milch-camel pours her milk,

Where the cups of drinking roam

Not yielding from only two teats, nor only three.

Without crossing any limits or borders

وَالمَجدُ مِن تالِدٍ قَديمٍ

وَالمَجدُ مِن تالِدٍ قَديمٍ

ثَمَّ وَمِن طارِفٍ حَديثِ

ثَمَّ وَمِن طارِفٍ حَديثِ

And glory from an ancient inheritance

And glory from an ancient lineage

Is there, and from newly won distinction.

Then from a noble recent source

إِن تَستَبِثهُ تَجِد عُراماً

إِن تَستَبِثهُ تَجِد عُراماً

مِن مُستَباثٍ لِمُستَبيثِ

مِن مُستَباثٍ لِمُستَبيثِ

If you rouse him, you will find ferocity

If you trace its lineage you'll find

From the one roused, for the one who rouses him;

One who avenges the avenger of the slain

وَحَيَّةً أُفعُوانَ لِصبٍ

وَحَيَّةً أُفعُوانَ لِصبٍ

يَعيثُ في مُهجَةِ العَيوثِ

يَعيثُ في مُهجَةِ العَيوثِ

And a serpent, a male viper of a rocky cleft,

And snakes, serpents for a youth

Ravaging the lifeblood of the ravager.

Who wreaks havoc on the minds of fools

تَغدو المَنايا مُسَخَّراتٍ

تَغدو المَنايا مُسَخَّراتٍ

وَقفاً عَلى سَمِّهِ النَفيثِ

وَقفاً عَلى سَمِّهِ النَفيثِ

Deaths become obedient servants,

Death comes subjugated

Waiting solely upon the venom he spits;

Standing over its terrible venom

وَصارِمَ الشَفرَتَينِ عَضباً

وَصارِمَ الشَفرَتَينِ عَضباً

غَيرَ دَدانٍ وَلا أَنيثِ

غَيرَ دَدانٍ وَلا أَنيثِ

And a blade, sharp on both its edges,

With its two sharp blades, angrily

Neither blunt nor soft of metal;

Other than to bite or to be tender

لَيثاً وَلَكِنَّهُ حِمامٌ

لَيثاً وَلَكِنَّهُ حِمامٌ

صُبَّ اِنتِقاماً عَلى اللُيوثِ

صُبَّ اِنتِقاماً عَلى اللُيوثِ

A lion—yet he is death,

A lion but he is a pigeon

Poured out in vengeance upon the lions.

Who poured revenge on the lions

أَنكِد بِأَريِ النَوالِ ما لَم

أَنكِد بِأَريِ النَوالِ ما لَم

يَحلُ مِنَ العُشبِ وَالجُثوثِ

يَحلُ مِنَ العُشبِ وَالجُثوثِ

How wretched is the honey of bounty, unless

Deny the cups of drinking what was not

It is sweet, clear of grass and beeswax.

Permissible of grass and corpses

ما الجودُ بِالجودِ أَو تَراهُ

ما الجودُ بِالجودِ أَو تَراهُ

لَيسَ بِنَزرٍ وَلا لَبيثِ

لَيسَ بِنَزرٍ وَلا لَبيثِ

Generosity is not generosity unless you see it

What is generosity with generosity? Or do you see it

Neither scant nor slow in coming.

As little or worthless?

طالَ المَدى فَاِعتَراكَ عَتبٌ

طالَ المَدى فَاِعتَراكَ عَتبٌ

مِن صادِقِ الوُدِّ مُستَريثِ

مِن صادِقِ الوُدِّ مُستَريثِ

The wait has grown long, so reproach has reached you

The journey was long so blame came

From one sincere in affection, who finds you slow.

From a sincere loving friend

خُذها فَما نالَها بِنَقصٍ

خُذها فَما نالَها بِنَقصٍ

مَوتُ جَريرٍ وَلا البَعيثِ

مَوتُ جَريرٍ وَلا البَعيثِ

Take it, for it has suffered no diminution

Take it, for it did not reach it with any deficiency

From the death of Jarir or al-Ba'ith.

The death of al-Jurayri or the resurrector

وَكُن كَريماً تَجِد كَريماً

وَكُن كَريماً تَجِد كَريماً

في مَدحِهِ يا أَبا المُغيثِ

في مَدحِهِ يا أَبا المُغيثِ

And be generous; you will find one generous

And be generous, you will find one generous

In his praise, O Abu al-Mughith.

In praising you, O helper of the seekers