كَمhow many دونَbetween me and مَيَّةَMayya مِنof عَينٍan eye أُحاذِرُهاI guard against it
كَم دونَ مَيَّةَ مِن عَينٍ أُحاذِرُها
مَخوفَةٍfearsome وَلِسانٍand a tongue رائِعٍterrifying ذَرِبِsharp
مَخوفَةٍ وَلِسانٍ رائِعٍ ذَرِبِ
How many an eye stands between Mayya and me—an eye I must beware—
How many an eye I guard against on the way to Mayya,
fearsome, and a tongue terrifying and sharp!
fearsome, and how many a tongue, terrifying and sharp!
أَمّاas for الخَيالُthe phantom فَماso it does not يَنفَكُّcease يَطرُقُنيvisit me by night
أَمّا الخَيالُ فَما يَنفَكُّ يَطرُقُني
بَعدَafter الهُجوعِfalling asleep وَماand does not يَنفَكُّcease فيin طَلَبيpursuit of me
بَعدَ الهُجوعِ وَما يَنفَكُّ في طَلَبي
Yet her phantom never ceases visiting me by night
As for her phantom, it never ceases to visit me
after slumber, nor does it cease seeking me.
after I fall asleep, and never ceases pursuing me.
قُلsay لِلعَواذِلِto the reproachers فيconcerning ماوِيَةَMawiya اِتَّئِبواbe ashamed!
قُل لِلعَواذِلِ في ماوِيَةَ اِتَّئِبوا
فَلَستُfor I am not فيin حُبِّهاloving her يَوماًever بِمُتَّئِبِat all ashamed
فَلَستُ في حُبِّها يَوماً بِمُتَّئِبِ
Tell those who reproach me over Mawiya: be ashamed—
Tell those who reproach me for Mawiya: “Be ashamed!”
for never shall I be ashamed of loving her.
For I shall never be ashamed of loving her.
أَمسىhas become الوَفاءُfidelity لَهاfor her فيamong قَومِهاher people خُلُقاًa character trait
أَمسى الوَفاءُ لَها في قَومِها خُلُقاً
يَنأىdraws far away بِهاwith her عَنfrom مَقالِutterance الزورِfalsehood وَالكَذِبِand lies
يَنأى بِها عَن مَقالِ الزورِ وَالكَذِبِ
Loyalty toward her has become a trait among her people,
Fidelity has become her nature among her people,
keeping her far from false speech and lies.
keeping her far from false utterance and lies.
فَماso she does not تَغُرُّdeceive أَخاهاher brother إِذwhen تُحَدِّثُهُshe speaks to him
فَما تَغُرُّ أَخاها إِذ تُحَدِّثُهُ
وَلاand does not تُقارِفُapproach يَوماًever مَوطِنَa place الرِيَبِof suspicion
وَلا تُقارِفُ يَوماً مَوطِنَ الرِيَبِ
She does not deceive her kinsman when she speaks to him,
So she never deceives her brother when she speaks to him,
nor ever enter a place of suspicion.
nor ever approaches a place of suspicion.
خالَفتُI opposed فيin حُبِّهاloving her قَوميmy people الأُلىwhom عَلِمَتshe knew
خالَفتُ في حُبِّها قَومي الأُلى عَلِمَت
واحَيرَتيalas for my bewilderment! اليَومَtoday بَينَbetween التُركِthe Turks وَالعَرَبِand the Arabs
واحَيرَتي اليَومَ بَينَ التُركِ وَالعَرَبِ
For love of her I opposed my people, whom you know;
For love of her I defied my people, whom she knew;
alas for my bewilderment today between Turks and Arabs!
alas for my bewilderment today between the Turks and the Arabs!
قالواthey said هُبِلتَmay your mother lose you! أَتَبغيdo you seek بَينَهُمamong them نَسَباًkinship
قالوا هُبِلتَ أَتَبغي بَينَهُم نَسَباً
هَيهاتَfar from it! ماnot لَكَfor you فيamong الأَعرابِthe Bedouin مِنany نَسَبِkinship
هَيهاتَ ما لَكَ في الأَعرابِ مِن نَسَبِ
They said, “Confound you! Do you seek kinship among them?”
They said, “May your mother lose you! Do you seek kinship among them?
Far from it—you have no lineage among the Bedouin Arabs.
Far from it! You have no kinship among the Bedouin!”
فَقُلتُso I said وَالشِعرُand poetry تُنمينيattest my lineage رَوائِعُهُits masterpieces
فَقُلتُ وَالشِعرُ تُنميني رَوائِعُهُ
لَولاwere it not for الأَعاريبُthe Bedouin Arabs قَدindeed عُرّيتُI would be stripped مِنof أَدَبيmy literary culture
لَولا الأَعاريبُ قَد عُرّيتُ مِن أَدَبي
I replied—while poetry’s masterpieces attest my lineage—
I replied—poetry’s masterpieces attest my lineage—
“But for the Bedouin Arabs, I would indeed be stripped of my literary art.
“Without the Bedouin Arabs I would be stripped of my literary culture.
إِذَنthen لَماwould not اِنبَعَثَتissue forth عَنّيfrom me مُغَلغَلَةٌa far-traveling poem
إِذَن لَما اِنبَعَثَت عَنّي مُغَلغَلَةٌ
مِنَof القَوافيrhymes تَهُزُّshakes الأَرضَthe earth بِاللَجَبِwith clamor
مِنَ القَوافي تَهُزُّ الأَرضَ بِاللَجَبِ
Then no far-ranging ode would ever have sprung from me,
Then no far-traveling poem would have issued from me,
woven of rhymes that shake the earth with their clamor—
in rhymes that shake the earth with clamor,
مِنَamong المُسَوَّمَةِthe marked ones اللاتيwhich رَمَيتُI aimed بِهاwith them
مِنَ المُسَوَّمَةِ اللاتي رَمَيتُ بِها
صَيدَquarry المُلوكِof kings فَلَمso did not تُخطِئmiss وَلَمand did not تَخِبِfail
صَيدَ المُلوكِ فَلَم تُخطِئ وَلَم تَخِبِ
one of those marked poems that I launched
among those marked verses I aimed
at kings as quarry, never missing and never failing.
at royal quarry: they neither missed nor failed.”
ياO اِبنَson الخَلائِفِof the caliphs أَبقواthey left enduring كُلَّevery مَنقَبَةٍnoble deed
يا اِبنَ الخَلائِفِ أَبقوا كُلَّ مَنقَبَةٍ
شَمّاءَlofty باذِخَةًtowering غابواthey departed وَلَمand did not تَغِبِvanish
شَمّاءَ باذِخَةً غابوا وَلَم تَغِبِ
O son of caliphs, they bequeathed every glorious virtue,
O son of the caliphs who left behind every noble deed,
lofty and towering; they vanished, but it did not.
lofty and towering: they departed, but it did not vanish.
لَقُمتَyou have indeed risen فيناamong us بِأَمرِby the command of اللَهِGod مُرتَقِباًkeeping watch
لَقُمتَ فينا بِأَمرِ اللَهِ مُرتَقِباً
تَرُدُّyou repel عَنّاfrom us العِدىthe enemies مِنfrom كُلِّevery مُرتَقِبِlookout
تَرُدُّ عَنّا العِدى مِن كُلِّ مُرتَقِبِ
Surely you arose among us at God’s command, keeping watch,
You have indeed risen among us, by God’s command, keeping watch,
warding our enemies from every lookout where they lie in wait.
warding enemies off from us wherever they lie in wait.
وَرُبَّand many a ذيone with عِلَّةٍan ailment داوَيتَyou treated عِلَّتَهُhis ailment
وَرُبَّ ذي عِلَّةٍ داوَيتَ عِلَّتَهُ
بِالمَشرَفِيِّwith the Mashrafi sword فَلَمyet you did not تَظلِمwrong وَلَمand did not تَحُبِsin
بِالمَشرَفِيِّ فَلَم تَظلِم وَلَم تَحُبِ
Many an afflicted man—you treated his affliction
And many an ailing man—you treated his ailment
with the Mashrafi blade, without acting unjustly or showing favoritism.
with the Mashrafi sword, yet you neither wronged nor sinned.
إِنَّindeed الخَليفَةَthe caliph لَوif صَكَّتstruck عَزائِمُهُhis resolves
إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ لَو صَكَّت عَزائِمُهُ
نَوائِبَthe calamities الدَهرِof time ذيfull of الحِدثانِvicissitudes لَمwould not تَنُبِbefall
نَوائِبَ الدَهرِ ذي الحِدثانِ لَم تَنُبِ
Indeed, were the caliph’s firm resolves ever struck
Indeed, were the caliph’s resolves to strike
by Time’s calamities—Time, lord of vicissitudes—they would not recoil.
the calamities of ever-changing time, none would befall.
بُشرىglad tidings الحَجيجِfor the pilgrims إِذاwhen سارَtravels البُخارُsteam بِهِwith them
بُشرى الحَجيجِ إِذا سارَ البُخارُ بِهِ
غَداًtomorrow فَأَنساهُand so makes them forget سَيرَtravel الأَينُقِthe she-camels النُجُبِthe noble-bred
غَداً فَأَنساهُ سَيرَ الأَينُقِ النُجُبِ
Glad tidings for the pilgrims when the steamship bears them along,
Glad tidings for the pilgrims when steam carries them
tomorrow making them forget the journey of noble she-camels—
tomorrow, making them forget the pace of noble she-camels.
تَشكوthey complain of الوَنىweariness وَالوَجىand sore feet إِنif كُلِّفَتthey are made to خَبَباًtrot
تَشكو الوَنى وَالوَجى إِن كُلِّفَت خَبَباً
وَمَنand who لِواهِنَةِfor one weak in الأَعضادِthe forelegs بِالخَبَبِwith trotting
وَمَن لِواهِنَةِ الأَعضادِ بِالخَبَبِ
camels that complain of weariness and sore feet if forced to trot,
They complain of weariness and sore feet if forced to trot;
and those whose limbs have been weakened by trotting.
and who can make one with feeble forelegs trot?
هَذيthis الخِلافَةُthe caliphate طابَتbecame content نَفسُهاits spirit وَغَدَتand became
هَذي الخِلافَةُ طابَت نَفسُها وَغَدَت
فَرحىjoyful وَلَولاكَand but for you لَمwould not تَفرَحrejoice وَلَمand would not تَطِبِbe content
فَرحى وَلَولاكَ لَم تَفرَح وَلَم تَطِبِ
This Caliphate’s soul is content and has become
This caliphate is content at heart, and has become
joyful; but for you it would neither rejoice nor be content.
joyful; but for you, it would neither rejoice nor be content.
