عُيونُ المَها بَينَ الرصافَةِ وَالجِسر

عُيونُ المَها بَينَ الرصافَةِ وَالجِسر

لِفَقدِ خَميسِ الزينِ أَدمُعُها تَجري

لِفَقدِ خَميسِ الزينِ أَدمُعُها تَجري

The oryx-eyed beauties between al-Rusafa and the bridge—

The eyes of the oryx between al-Rusafa and the bridge—

whose tears stream in mourning for Khamis al-Zayn.

their tears flow at the loss of Khamis al-Zayn.

وَأَسعَدَها بيضٌ نَواعٍ نَواعِمٌ

وَأَسعَدَها بيضٌ نَواعٍ نَواعِمٌ

جَلَبنَ الهَوى مِن حَيثُ أَدري وَلا أَدري

جَلَبنَ الهَوى مِن حَيثُ أَدري وَلا أَدري

Fair beauties—soft, grieving, tender—came to their aid;

And fair, tender mourners joined them in grief.

they brought longing from whence I know, and know not.

They brought love from where I know and where I do not.

أَعَدنَ لي الشَوقَ القَديمَ وَلَم أَكُن

أَعَدنَ لي الشَوقَ القَديمَ وَلَم أَكُن

نَبَذتُ الصبا أَو حُلتُ عَن قَهوَةٍ بِكرِ

نَبَذتُ الصبا أَو حُلتُ عَن قَهوَةٍ بِكرِ

They stirred anew my ancient yearning, though I had not

They restored my old longing, though I had not

cast youth aside or turned away from virgin wine.

cast off youthful passion or turned away from virgin wine.

فَلا تَحسَبا أَنّي جَليدٌ وَأَنَّني

فَلا تَحسَبا أَنّي جَليدٌ وَأَنَّني

سَلَوتُ وَلَكِن زِدنَ جَمراً عَلىَ جَمرٍ

سَلَوتُ وَلَكِن زِدنَ جَمراً عَلىَ جَمرٍ

So do not suppose, you two, that I am stouthearted, or that I

So do not think, you two, that I am stoic, or that I have

had forgotten; they merely heaped ember upon ember.

forgotten love; rather, they piled embers upon embers.

سَلِمنَ وَأَسلَمنَ القُلوبَ كَأَنَّما

سَلِمنَ وَأَسلَمنَ القُلوبَ كَأَنَّما

تَخَطَّفَها صَقرٌ وَطارَ إِلىَ وَكرِ

تَخَطَّفَها صَقرٌ وَطارَ إِلىَ وَكرِ

They greeted us, and we surrendered our hearts, as though

They remained safe and surrendered hearts, as though

a falcon had snatched them and flown with them to its nest.

a falcon had snatched them away and flown to a nest.

وَرُعنَ بِمَنعاهُ القُلوبَ فَكُلَمّا

وَرُعنَ بِمَنعاهُ القُلوبَ فَكُلَمّا

يُشَك بِأَطرافِ الردَينيَّةِ السمرِ

يُشَك بِأَطرافِ الردَينيَّةِ السمرِ

Their gleam startled hearts; and whenever

And they terrified hearts with news of his death; time after time,

they are pierced by the points of dusky Rudayni spears.

a heart is pierced by the tips of brown Rudayni spears.

وَقُلنَ لَنا نَحنُ الأَهِلَّة ما لَنا

وَقُلنَ لَنا نَحنُ الأَهِلَّة ما لَنا

هَوى بَدرُنا بِالرَغمِ مِنّا إِلى القَبرِ

هَوى بَدرُنا بِالرَغمِ مِنّا إِلى القَبرِ

They said to us, “We are the crescent moons—what has befallen us?

And they said to us, 'We are crescents—what ails us?

Our full moon has fallen, against our will, into the grave.

Our full moon fell into the grave against our will.

وَكُنّا بِأُفقِ الأُنسِ وَاللَهوِ زينَةً

وَكُنّا بِأُفقِ الأُنسِ وَاللَهوِ زينَةً

نُضيء لِمَن يَسري إِلَينا وَلا نَقري

نُضيء لِمَن يَسري إِلَينا وَلا نَقري

We once adorned the horizon of companionship and delight,

And we were an adornment on the horizon of fellowship and play.

shining for whoever journeyed by night to us, though no feast was spread.

We shine for whoever comes to us by night, but offer no hospitality.

وَلا نَيلَ إِلّا مِن تَزَوَّدِ ناظِر

وَلا نَيلَ إِلّا مِن تَزَوَّدِ ناظِر

وَسَمعٍ مِنَ الزينِ المُساجِلِ لِلقُمري

وَسَمعٍ مِنَ الزينِ المُساجِلِ لِلقُمري

None could gain anything from us except provision for the gaze,

And nothing is gained except what a watching eye gathers

and the hearing of beauty that rivaled the turtledove’s song.

and an ear, from al-Zayn, who vies with the turtledove.

وَلا أَمَلٌ يُلهي المَشوقَ بِمَوعِدٍ

وَلا أَمَلٌ يُلهي المَشوقَ بِمَوعِدٍ

وَلا وَصلَ إِلّا بِالخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري

وَلا وَصلَ إِلّا بِالخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري

No promise could draw the yearning lover near,

And no hope distracts the yearning lover with a promised meeting,

and there was no union save through a phantom traveling by night.

and no union comes save through the phantom that visits by night.'

أَحينَ أَزَلنَّ القَلبَ عَن مُستَقَرّهِ

أَحينَ أَزَلنَّ القَلبَ عَن مُستَقَرّهِ

أَعَلِّلُ نَفسي بِالسلُوّ وَبالصَبرِ

أَعَلِّلُ نَفسي بِالسلُوّ وَبالصَبرِ

Now that they have displaced the heart from its resting place,

Is it when they have dislodged the heart from its resting place

shall I beguile my soul with forgetfulness and patience?

that I should console myself with forgetting and patience?

رَقُمنَ لِنَعيِ الرينِ حَسرى بِمأتَمِ

رَقُمنَ لِنَعيِ الرينِ حَسرى بِمأتَمِ

وَأدمَينَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِح وَالصَدرِ

وَأدمَينَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِح وَالصَدرِ

Grief-stricken, they fashioned mourning rites for al-Zayn

They made marks for al-Zayn's death [reading uncertain], bareheaded at a mourning gathering,

and made all between the ribs and breast bleed.

and made bleed what lies between the ribs and the breast.

أَلا قَبلَ أَن يَبدو المَشيبُ بِلمَّتي

أَلا قَبلَ أَن يَبدو المَشيبُ بِلمَّتي

وَكُنتُ كَقَيسٍ وَامرىءِ القَيسِ ذي حجر

وَكُنتُ كَقَيسٍ وَامرىءِ القَيسِ ذي حجر

Ah, before gray appeared in my forelock,

Ah, before gray hair appeared among my locks,

I was like Qays and Imru’ al-Qays, son of Hujr.

I was like Qays and Imru' al-Qays of Hujr.

وَلَكِنَّما أودى الشَبابُ وَإِنَّما

وَلَكِنَّما أودى الشَبابُ وَإِنَّما

فَقَدتُ خَميساً بَعدَ خَمسينَ مِن عُمري

فَقَدتُ خَميساً بَعدَ خَمسينَ مِن عُمري

But youth has passed; the truth is simply this:

But youth has perished, and it was only

I have lost a Khamis after fifty years of my life.

after fifty years of my life that I lost Khamis.

وَحُرِّمتُ صَيدَ الغيدِ قَسراً لأنَّها

وَحُرِّمتُ صَيدَ الغيدِ قَسراً لأنَّها

تُصادُ المَها بَينَ الشَبيبَةِ وَالوَفرِ

تُصادُ المَها بَينَ الشَبيبَةِ وَالوَفرِ

I have been forcibly barred from hunting graceful maidens, for

And I was forcibly denied the hunt for graceful beauties, for

oryx are hunted in youth and abundance.

oryxes are caught between youth and wealth.

أَما وَبَياضٌ راعَهُنَّ لَرُبَمّا

أَما وَبَياضٌ راعَهُنَّ لَرُبَمّا

بَكيَن كَما تَبكي الخُناسُ عَلىَ صَخرِ

بَكيَن كَما تَبكي الخُناسُ عَلىَ صَخرِ

As for the white hair that alarmed them—how often

Ah, by the whiteness that alarmed them, how often

they wept as al-Khansa wept for Sakhr.

they wept as al-Khunas weeps for Sakhr.

وَحُلنَ عَنِ العَهدِ الوَثيقِ وَطالَما

وَحُلنَ عَنِ العَهدِ الوَثيقِ وَطالَما

عَبَرنَ بِنا ما بَينَ سَحرٍ إِلى نَحِرِ

عَبَرنَ بِنا ما بَينَ سَحرٍ إِلى نَحِرِ

They slipped free of the binding covenant, though for so long

And they turned away from the firm pledge, though so often

they had borne us across the space between breast and throat.

they carried us through the space between bosom and throat.

وَبِتنا عَلى رَغمِ الحَسودِ كَأَنَّنا

وَبِتنا عَلى رَغمِ الحَسودِ كَأَنَّنا

حَلَلنا مَكانَ السِرِّ مِن كاتِمِ السِرِّ

حَلَلنا مَكانَ السِرِّ مِن كاتِمِ السِرِّ

We spent the night, despite the envier, as though

And we spent the night in defiance of the envier, as though we

we lodged in the secret place of one who guards his secret.

had settled where a secret dwells within its keeper.

تَمازَجَتِ الأَرواحُ مِنّا فَخِلتُها

تَمازَجَتِ الأَرواحُ مِنّا فَخِلتُها

خَليطَين مِن ماءِ الغَمامَةِ وَالخَمرِ

خَليطَين مِن ماءِ الغَمامَةِ وَالخَمرِ

Our spirits mingled, until I imagined them

Our souls mingled, so I imagined them

two blended streams: rain-cloud water and wine.

two mingled elements: cloud-water and wine.

وَإِن حُلنَ أَو أَنكَرنَ عَهداً عَهِدنَهُ

وَإِن حُلنَ أَو أَنكَرنَ عَهداً عَهِدنَهُ

وَدَهراً مَضى وَهوَ النَفيسُ مِنَ العُمرِ

وَدَهراً مَضى وَهوَ النَفيسُ مِنَ العُمرِ

Should they turn away, or disavow a covenant once made,

And if they turn away, or disown a pledge they made,

and an age now vanished—the choicest portion of life—

and a time gone by, the precious portion of life,

وَحاوَلنَ غَدراً بَعدَ بُعدِكَ في الثَرى

وَحاوَلنَ غَدراً بَعدَ بُعدِكَ في الثَرى

فَغَيرُ بَعيدٍ لِلغَواني وَلا نُكرِ

فَغَيرُ بَعيدٍ لِلغَواني وَلا نُكرِ

and should they, after you lie far away in the earth, attempt betrayal,

and attempt betrayal after you have gone far away into the earth,

then betrayal by beauties is neither unlikely nor strange.

that is neither unlikely for lovely women nor strange.

كَفى بِالهَوى شُغلاً وَبِالشَيبِ رادِعاً

كَفى بِالهَوى شُغلاً وَبِالشَيبِ رادِعاً

وَبالمَوتِ تَهديداً وَباللَّحدِ في القَبرِ

وَبالمَوتِ تَهديداً وَباللَّحدِ في القَبرِ

Love is burden enough, and gray hair deterrent enough;

Love suffices as preoccupation, and gray hair as a deterrent,

death is threat enough, and the grave’s niche restraint enough.

and death as a threat, and the burial niche within the grave.

أَلَم يَكُ في مَعناهُ يا صاحِ زاجِراً

أَلَم يَكُ في مَعناهُ يا صاحِ زاجِراً

لَو أَنَّ الهَوى مِمّا يُنَهنَهُ بِالزَجرِ

لَو أَنَّ الهَوى مِمّا يُنَهنَهُ بِالزَجرِ

Does its very meaning not hold warning enough, my friend—

Was it not, in its meaning, my friend, a deterrent,

if love were something that rebuke could ever restrain?

if love were something that could be checked by rebuke?

خَليليّ ما أَحلى الهَوى وَأَمَرهُ

خَليليّ ما أَحلى الهَوى وَأَمَرهُ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا الشُهدُ قَد شيبَ بِالصَبرِ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا الشُهدُ قَد شيبَ بِالصَبرِ

My two friends, how sweet love is—and how bitter!

My two friends, how sweet love is, and how bitter!

It is but honey mingled with bitter aloe.

And it is nothing but honey mixed with bitter aloe.

تَرَوحَنَ حَتّى بَثَّ لي سِرَّ كُنهِهِ

تَرَوحَنَ حَتّى بَثَّ لي سِرَّ كُنهِهِ

وَأَعلَمَني بِالحُلوِ مِنهُ وَبالمُرِّ

وَأَعلَمَني بِالحُلوِ مِنهُ وَبالمُرِّ

It grew spirit-like until it disclosed to me the secret of its essence,

It became spiritual, until it disclosed to me the secret of its essence,

and taught me the sweetness within it and the bitterness.

and taught me what is sweet in it and what is bitter.

بِما بَينَنا مِن رَحمَةٍ هَل رَأَيتُما

بِما بَينَنا مِن رَحمَةٍ هَل رَأَيتُما

حَكيماً دَرى قَبلي بِما فيهِ مِن سِرِّ

حَكيماً دَرى قَبلي بِما فيهِ مِن سِرِّ

By your bond, you two, have you ever seen

By the compassion we share, have you two seen

a sage before me who knew the secret hidden in it?

a sage who knew before me what secret lies within it?

وَهَل شِمتُما في خالَتَيهِ شَمائِلاً

وَهَل شِمتُما في خالَتَيهِ شَمائِلاً

أَرَقَّ مِنَ الشَكوى وَأَقسى مِنَ الهَجرِ

أَرَقَّ مِنَ الشَكوى وَأَقسى مِنَ الهَجرِ

Have you discerned, in its two aspects, qualities

And have you two discerned, in its two states [reading uncertain], qualities

subtler than complaint and harsher than abandonment;

more tender than complaint and harsher than estrangement,

وَأَفضَحَ مِن عَينِ المُحَبِّ لِسِرِّهِ

وَأَفضَحَ مِن عَينِ المُحَبِّ لِسِرِّهِ

غَداةَ نَعوا مَن يَملأُ السَمعَ بِالدُرِّ

غَداةَ نَعوا مَن يَملأُ السَمعَ بِالدُرِّ

more revealing of its secret than a lover’s eye

and more revealing of a lover's secret than his eye,

on the morning when one who fills the ear with pearls brings news of death?

on the morning they announced the death of him who fills the ear with pearls?

تَبوحُ بِما يُخفي الشَجيُّ مِنَ الهَوى

تَبوحُ بِما يُخفي الشَجيُّ مِنَ الهَوى

وَلا سِيَّما إِن أَطلَقَت عَبرَةً تَجري

وَلا سِيَّما إِن أَطلَقَت عَبرَةً تَجري

It divulges all the heartsick lover conceals of passion,

It reveals the love the grief-stricken one conceals,

especially when he lets a tear run free.

and especially if it releases a flowing tear.

تَنُمّ عَلى أَيّامِ أُنسٍ بِهِ مَضَت

تَنُمّ عَلى أَيّامِ أُنسٍ بِهِ مَضَت

سَقى عَهدَها المُنهَلُّ مِن وابِلِ القَطرِ

سَقى عَهدَها المُنهَلُّ مِن وابِلِ القَطرِ

It discloses bygone days of companionship with him;

It tells of bygone days of companionship with him—

may streaming cloudbursts water their memory with pelting rain.

may the torrent of pouring rain water their memory.

سَلامٌ عَلى اللَذاتِ بَعدَكَ كالصبا

سَلامٌ عَلى اللَذاتِ بَعدَكَ كالصبا

وَباللَهِ يا رَيحَ الصبا عِندَما تَسري

وَباللَهِ يا رَيحَ الصبا عِندَما تَسري

Farewell to pleasures after you, as farewell to youth;

Farewell to pleasures after you, as to youth.

by God, O east wind, whenever you journey,

And by God, O east wind, when you travel by night,

تُبَلِّغ خَميسَ الزينَ عَنّي تَحيَّةً

تُبَلِّغ خَميسَ الزينَ عَنّي تَحيَّةً

تَسيرُ عَلى الأَيّامِ طَيِّبَةَ النَشرِ

تَسيرُ عَلى الأَيّامِ طَيِّبَةَ النَشرِ

carry to Khamis al-Zayn a greeting from me—

convey to Khamis al-Zayn a greeting from me

a greeting traveling through the days, sweet with fragrance.

that travels across the days, sweet in fragrance.