أَلا لا تَلوميني عَلى الخَمرِ عاذِلا

أَلا لا تَلوميني عَلى الخَمرِ عاذِلا

وَلا تُهلِكيني إِنَّ في الدَهرِ قاتِلا

وَلا تُهلِكيني إِنَّ في الدَهرِ قاتِلا

Ah, do not blame me for wine, O reproacher.

Blame me not for drinking wine, though you chide,

And do not destroy me; time itself holds a killer.

Nor seek to end my life, for death's blades bide.

ذَريني فَإِنَّ الخَمرَ مِن لَذَّةِ الفَتى

ذَريني فَإِنَّ الخَمرَ مِن لَذَّةِ الفَتى

وَلَو كُنتُ مَوغولاً عَلَيَّ وَواغِلا

وَلَو كُنتُ مَوغولاً عَلَيَّ وَواغِلا

Leave me be, for wine is among a young man's pleasures,

Let me be, for wine is sweet to the youth;

Even if others intrude on my drinking, and I drink uninvited myself.

Had you but loved me once, reproach I'd abide.

وَإِنّي لَشَرّابُ الخُمورِ مُعَذَّلٌ

وَإِنّي لَشَرّابُ الخُمورِ مُعَذَّلٌ

إِذا هَرَّتِ الكَأسُ الوِخامَ التَنابِلا

إِذا هَرَّتِ الكَأسُ الوِخامَ التَنابِلا

Indeed, I am a much-reproached drinker of wines,

I who quaff the wine am shamed, when the cup

When the cup spurns the sluggish, stunted men.

Of vintage is passed round the gilded table.

أَخو الحَربِ ثَبتُ القَولِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

أَخو الحَربِ ثَبتُ القَولِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

إِذا جَشَأَت نَفسُ العَيِيِّ المَحافِلا

إِذا جَشَأَت نَفسُ العَيِيِّ المَحافِلا

A man of war, steadfast in speech in every arena,

Staunch in war, standing fast, of dauntless word,

When the tongue-tied man's spirit recoils from assemblies.

When souls of warriors in assemblies vie.

أَماوِيَّ لَولا حُبُّكِ العامَ لَم أَقَع

أَماوِيَّ لَولا حُبُّكِ العامَ لَم أَقَع

بِمِصرَ وَلَم أَنظُر بِبَيعِيَ قابِلا

بِمِصرَ وَلَم أَنظُر بِبَيعِيَ قابِلا

O Mawiyya, but for my love for you this year, I would not have come

But for your love, Amawi maid, I ne'er

To Egypt, nor delayed my sale until next year.

Had come to Egypt or ever cast my eye

كَما مَنَعَت أَسماءَ صَحبي وَمِزوَدي

كَما مَنَعَت أَسماءَ صَحبي وَمِزوَدي

عَشِيَّةَ قَرَّبتُ المَطِيَّةَ راحِلا

عَشِيَّةَ قَرَّبتُ المَطِيَّةَ راحِلا

Just as my companions and provision-bag kept Asma from me,

Upon its shores, as you forbade my friends

The evening I brought my riding camel forward to depart.

And provisions when I rode forth to fly.

مُصاحِبَ خوصٍ قَد نَحِلنَ كَأَنَّما

مُصاحِبَ خوصٍ قَد نَحِلنَ كَأَنَّما

يَقينَ النُفوسِ أَن تَمَسَّ الكَلاكِلا

يَقينَ النُفوسِ أَن تَمَسَّ الكَلاكِلا

Accompanying narrow-eyed camels grown thin, as though

They rode with me on steeds as noble decked

They shielded their souls from touching their chests.

As bodies raimented in mail entwine.

إِذا كانَ عَن حينٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ نَبَّهَت

إِذا كانَ عَن حينٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ نَبَّهَت

بِأَصواتِها زُغباً تُوافي الحَواصِلا

بِأَصواتِها زُغباً تُوافي الحَواصِلا

When a stretch of the night had passed, they roused

Dawn rose from Nejd's expanse as though the Abs

With their cries, downy chicks, their down reaching their crops,

Let fly their straight young palms with dates aload.

نَوائِمَ كُسيَت بَعدَ عُريٍ وَأُلبِسَت

نَوائِمَ كُسيَت بَعدَ عُريٍ وَأُلبِسَت

بَرانِسَ كُدراً لَم تُعَنَّ الغَوازِلا

بَرانِسَ كُدراً لَم تُعَنَّ الغَوازِلا

Sleeping, clothed after nakedness and dressed

The litter of Layla's camel, and my heart

In dusky hooded cloaks that had not wearied the spinners.

Is burdened with Layla, though to love her, vain.

طَوالِعُ مِن نَجدِ الرَحوبِ كَأَنَّما

طَوالِعُ مِن نَجدِ الرَحوبِ كَأَنَّما

رَمى الآلُ بِالأَظعانِ نَخلاً حَوامِلا

رَمى الآلُ بِالأَظعانِ نَخلاً حَوامِلا

Emerging from the highlands of al-Rahub, as though

She refused to give my soul rest in her abode,

The mirage had cast up the camel-litters as laden palms:

For none has e'er tied fast love's cord in twain.

ظَعائِنُ لَيلى وَالفُؤادُ مُكَلَّفٌ

ظَعائِنُ لَيلى وَالفُؤادُ مُكَلَّفٌ

بِلَيلى وَما تُعطي أَخا الوُدِّ طائِلا

بِلَيلى وَما تُعطي أَخا الوُدِّ طائِلا

Layla's travelling women—and my heart is enthralled

Ask the sand-ridges of Siba their lofty dunes,

By Layla, though she gives her lover nothing of worth.

Wind-rounded, hiding all landmarks from ken.

أَبَت أَن تَرُدَّ النَفسَ في مُستَقَرِّها

أَبَت أَن تَرُدَّ النَفسَ في مُستَقَرِّها

وَما وَصَلَت حَبلَ اِمرِئٍ كانَ واصِلا

وَما وَصَلَت حَبلَ اِمرِئٍ كانَ واصِلا

She refused to return my soul to its resting place,

As though camel-leaders guard a cistern there

Nor joined the cord of a man who had kept the bond.

And water the herds of two hill-lines between.

فَسَلِّ لُباناتِ الصِبا بِجُلالَةٍ

فَسَلِّ لُباناتِ الصِبا بِجُلالَةٍ

جُمالِيَّةٍ تَطوي عَلَيها المَجاهِلا

جُمالِيَّةٍ تَطوي عَلَيها المَجاهِلا

So soothe youth's longings with a mighty she-camel,

Ten he shelters, seeing life only in them,

Stout as a male camel, on whose back you cross the unknown wastes.

Yearning over them, wakeful, watchful e'en

كَأَنَّ قُتودَ الرَحلِ فَوقَ مُصَدَّرٍ

كَأَنَّ قُتودَ الرَحلِ فَوقَ مُصَدَّرٍ

تَرعى قِفافَ الأَنعَمَينِ فَعاقِلا

تَرعى قِفافَ الأَنعَمَينِ فَعاقِلا

As though the saddle's wooden supports were on a broad-chested wild ass,

When down they knelt, athirst, and he drove them off,

Grazing the stony hills of al-An'amayn, then Aqil.

Fearing the arrows of hunters, the cords' keen sway.

يُحَوِّزُ عَشراً لا يَرى العَيشَ غَيرَها

يُحَوِّزُ عَشراً لا يَرى العَيشَ غَيرَها

مُشيحاً عَلَيها في المَراغِ وَحاظِلا

مُشيحاً عَلَيها في المَراغِ وَحاظِلا

He herds ten she-asses, seeing no life beyond them,

Till he saw the appointed time had come and gone,

Watchful over them in the dust-wallow, holding them back.

And the first followed the law's latter day.

فَظَلَّت عِطاشاً وَهوَ حامٍ يَذودُها

فَظَلَّت عِطاشاً وَهوَ حامٍ يَذودُها

يَخافُ رُماةً موفِقينَ وَحابِلا

يَخافُ رُماةً موفِقينَ وَحابِلا

So they remained thirsty while he guarded and drove them back,

Then he heard the birds' wings whirr and the rocks crash

Fearing archers with arrows nocked, and a snare-setter,

As the rain poured down, and the water made way.

إِلى أَن رَأى أَنَّ الشَريعَةَ قَد خَلَت

إِلى أَن رَأى أَنَّ الشَريعَةَ قَد خَلَت

وَأَتبَعَ مِنها الآخِراتِ الأَوائِلا

وَأَتبَعَ مِنها الآخِراتِ الأَوائِلا

Until he saw that the watering-place was empty,

When the clouds uncovered, we saw Shibel's sire

And made the hindmost of them follow the foremost.

Mid the rainy waste and ruins standing plain.

غِشاشاً وُقوعَ الطَيرِ ثُمَّ تَصَدَّعَت

غِشاشاً وُقوعَ الطَيرِ ثُمَّ تَصَدَّعَت

وَقَد أَشخَصَ الماءُ الكُلى وَالشَواكِلا

وَقَد أَشخَصَ الماءُ الكُلى وَالشَواكِلا

Hastily, like birds alighting; then they scattered,

Then he turned and sped them, as though his friends

With water swelling their kidneys and flanks.

Were friends of wine, and the camels felt the rein.

وَأَبصَرنَ إِذ أَجلَينَ عَن كُلِّ تَولَبٍ

وَأَبصَرنَ إِذ أَجلَينَ عَن كُلِّ تَولَبٍ

أَبا الشِبلِ بَينَ الغَيضِ وَالفَيضِ ماثِلا

أَبا الشِبلِ بَينَ الغَيضِ وَالفَيضِ ماثِلا

And they saw, as they moved away from every foal,

I joyed when I walked among men, for I found

The cub's father, looming between ebb and flood.

Zeid's renown had waned at break of day.

فَأَدبَرَ يَحدوها كَأَنَّ زِمالَهُ

فَأَدبَرَ يَحدوها كَأَنَّ زِمالَهُ

زِمالُ شَروبٍ وَجعَ مِنهُ الأَباجِلا

زِمالُ شَروبٍ وَجعَ مِنهُ الأَباجِلا

Then he turned away, driving them on, as though his swaying gait

Were a heavy drinker's stagger, aching in the veins of his limbs.

لَقَد سَرَّني إِذ سِرتُ في الناسِ أَنَّني

لَقَد سَرَّني إِذ سِرتُ في الناسِ أَنَّني

أَرى ذِكرَ زَيدِ اللَهِ أَصبَحَ خامِلا

أَرى ذِكرَ زَيدِ اللَهِ أَصبَحَ خامِلا

Indeed, it pleased me, as I went among the people, that I

Saw Zayd Allah's renown fallen into obscurity.