وَنَى في التَّصابي بعدَما كان شمَّرا

وَنَى في التَّصابي بعدَما كان شمَّرا

وقَصَّرَ في شأوِ الزَّمانِ فأقصرَا

وقَصَّرَ في شأوِ الزَّمانِ فأقصرَا

He slackened in youthful dalliance after once being ardent;

He turned away in seclusion, after being sociable,

and fell short in the race against time, then desisted.

And shortened in the path of time, so it shortened.

وشابَ بلونِ الصُّبحِ ليلُ شَبابِه

وشابَ بلونِ الصُّبحِ ليلُ شَبابِه

فأصبحَ شتَّى الحُلَّتَيْنِ مُشَهَّرا

فأصبحَ شتَّى الحُلَّتَيْنِ مُشَهَّرا

The night of his youth turned gray with the hue of dawn,

The night of his youth grew light with the color of dawn,

and he became conspicuous in two contrasting robes.

So he shone, clad in both his garments.

ولا عادَ رَدُّ المُستَعارِ مُسلَّماً

ولا عادَ رَدُّ المُستَعارِ مُسلَّماً

وَقُدَّمَ رَيعانُ الصَّبا وتأخَّرا

وَقُدَّمَ رَيعانُ الصَّبا وتأخَّرا

Nor was the return of what was borrowed any longer accepted;

No longer is borrowed finery returned as customary,

and youth's bloom was sent ahead, while he lingered behind.

And the prime of youth came first, and the old came last.

فلم يبقَ إلاّ الرَّاحُ بينَ كُؤوسِها

فلم يبقَ إلاّ الرَّاحُ بينَ كُؤوسِها

مُذاكَرَةٌ كالرَّوْضِ جِيدَ فأَزهَرا

مُذاكَرَةٌ كالرَّوْضِ جِيدَ فأَزهَرا

So only wine remained; amid its cups,

So nothing remained but joy between its cups,

conversation was like a garden rained upon and blossoming.

Conversing, like a garden in bloom, then flowering.

أحاديثُ لو يجتازُها نَفَسُ الصَّبا

أحاديثُ لو يجتازُها نَفَسُ الصَّبا

تأَرَّجَ من أنفاسِها وتعطَّرا

تأَرَّجَ من أنفاسِها وتعطَّرا

Conversations that, if the east wind's breath passed through them,

Conversations - if the morning breeze were to pass through them,

would make it fragrant with their breath and perfumed.

It would be perfumed by their breaths and scented.

وساقيةٌ تَشدو فتُحسِنُ شَدوَها

وساقيةٌ تَشدو فتُحسِنُ شَدوَها

وتَبسِمُ أحياناً فتَحسُنُ مَنظَرا

وتَبسِمُ أحياناً فتَحسُنُ مَنظَرا

And a woman serving wine sings, and sings beautifully,

A cupbearer who sings beautifully in her singing,

and sometimes smiles, becoming lovelier to behold.

And sometimes smiles beautifully in appearance.

هجرتُ النُّدامى إذ بلوْتْ خِلالَهم

هجرتُ النُّدامى إذ بلوْتْ خِلالَهم

ونادَمْتُ كِسرى في الزُّجاجِ وقَيصرَا

ونادَمْتُ كِسرى في الزُّجاجِ وقَيصرَا

I forsook my drinking companions once I had tested their character,

I abandoned the remorseful when I tested their morals,

and drank with Kisra and Caesar in the glass.

And regretted Chosroes in glass and Caesar in images.

أُعرِّيهما طَوراً وطَوراً أراهُما

أُعرِّيهما طَوراً وطَوراً أراهُما

يَجُرَّانِ مصقولَ البنائقِ أحمرا

يَجُرَّانِ مصقولَ البنائقِ أحمرا

At times I strip them both; at times I see them

I strip them both sometimes, and other times I see them

trailing a red robe with polished gussets.

Dragging their polished litters, red.

فلو لم يكونا جَوْهَرَيْنِ كِلاهُما

فلو لم يكونا جَوْهَرَيْنِ كِلاهُما

نَفيسَينِ ما حَلاَّ من الكاسِ جَوهرا

نَفيسَينِ ما حَلاَّ من الكاسِ جَوهرا

For had they not both been two gems,

If they were not two precious gems, both of them,

precious, they would not have dwelt in the cup's crystal.

Exquisite, no sprinkling would trickle from the cup of essence.

وهيَّجَ من وَجدي حنينُ ابنِ قينةٍ

وهيَّجَ من وَجدي حنينُ ابنِ قينةٍ

إذا استَنطَقَتْه بالأناملِ زمجرَا

إذا استَنطَقَتْه بالأناملِ زمجرَا

And the plaint of a songstress's son stirred my yearning:

And the yearning of Ibn Qayna’s son aroused from my bosom,

when she made it speak with her fingertips, it roared.

When fingers provoked it to growl.

خَفيفٍ إذا لا قاكَ في ذَهَبيَّةٍ

خَفيفٍ إذا لا قاكَ في ذَهَبيَّةٍ

مزَّنرةٍ أرضاكَ مَرْأىً ومَخبَرا

مزَّنرةٍ أرضاكَ مَرْأىً ومَخبَرا

Light, when it meets you in a golden garment,

Light, if housed in a gilded,

girdled, it delights you in outward form and inner worth.

Engraved object, you would be pleased with its sight and tale.

بَراهُ صِناعُ القَلبِ والكَفِّ كلما

بَراهُ صِناعُ القَلبِ والكَفِّ كلما

تَعذَّرَ مَعناه البديعُ تفكَّرا

تَعذَّرَ مَعناه البديعُ تفكَّرا

A maker deft of mind and hand fashioned it; whenever

The makers of heart and hand saw it whenever

its ingenious design proved elusive, he pondered.

Its ingenious meaning was hard to unravel.

وضَمَّتْهُ رَيَّا المِرْطِ ينفُضُ جِسمُها

وضَمَّتْهُ رَيَّا المِرْطِ ينفُضُ جِسمُها

على جِسْمِه مِسْكاً ذكيّاً وعَنبرا

على جِسْمِه مِسْكاً ذكيّاً وعَنبرا

And a woman full-bodied in her mantle clasped it, her body scattering

And the silk wrapper gathered it, shedding its body

over its body strong-scented musk and ambergris.

On its body - sweet, high-quality musk and ambergris.

فساقَ قلوبَ الشَّرْبِ إذ حنَّ غُلَّبا

فساقَ قلوبَ الشَّرْبِ إذ حنَّ غُلَّبا

وراقَ عيونَ البيضِ حينَ توقَّرا

وراقَ عيونَ البيضِ حينَ توقَّرا

Then it drove the drinkers' stubborn hearts when it cried plaintively,

It led the hearts to drink when it moaned languorously,

and delighted fair women's eyes when it grew still and stately.

And pleased the eyes of the white, when it flowed gently.

سأبَعثُ حَمْدي غازياً وَفْرَ سيِّدٍ

سأبَعثُ حَمْدي غازياً وَفْرَ سيِّدٍ

إذا ما غزاه الحمدُ عاد مظفَّرا

إذا ما غزاه الحمدُ عاد مظفَّرا

I shall send my praise to raid the wealth of a lord:

I will send my praise invading with the cavalry of the master,

whenever praise raids him, it returns victorious.

If praise invades it, it will return victorious.

كأنَّ ثَنَائي غِبَّ جَدواه مَرتَعٌ

كأنَّ ثَنَائي غِبَّ جَدواه مَرتَعٌ

تبسَّمَ غِبَّ السَّارياتِ ونَوَّرا

تبسَّمَ غِبَّ السَّارياتِ ونَوَّرا

My praise after his bounty is like a pasture

It is as if my praise of its beauty is a pasture

that smiles after the night rains and bursts into bloom.

On which the beauty of the striders smiled and gleamed.

قديمٌ على الأيَّامِ إنْ عُدَّ مَعْشَرٌ

قديمٌ على الأيَّامِ إنْ عُدَّ مَعْشَرٌ

حديثُ المعالي عند عادٍ وحِمْيرَا

حديثُ المعالي عند عادٍ وحِمْيرَا

He is ancient beyond the ages, if a clan

Ancient over the days, if a group is counted,

of recent glories is counted alongside 'Ad and Himyar.

The new glories with ‘Aad and Himyar.

تسهَّلَ لي في أحمدَ الشِّعرُ طائعاً

تسهَّلَ لي في أحمدَ الشِّعرُ طائعاً

ولو رُمْتُه في غيرِه لتعذَّرا

ولو رُمْتُه في غيرِه لتعذَّرا

Poetry about Ahmad came easily to me, obedient,

Poetry came easily to me concerning Ahmad, willingly,

and had I sought it about anyone else, it would have proved difficult.

And if I had cast it towards another, it would have been difficult.

أطلْتُ وما اتسغرقتُ وصفَ خِلالِه

أطلْتُ وما اتسغرقتُ وصفَ خِلالِه

فرحتُ مُطيلاً في الثَّناءِ مُقَصِّرا

فرحتُ مُطيلاً في الثَّناءِ مُقَصِّرا

I spoke at length, yet did not exhaust the account of his virtues;

I prolonged, and did not hurry, describing its merits,

so I went on at length in praise, still falling short.

So I was happy, prolonging the praise, and shortening.

أأحمدُ إني بينَ قومً تبرَّؤُوا

أأحمدُ إني بينَ قومً تبرَّؤُوا

من العُرْفِ حتَّى قد حَسِبناهُ مُنكَرا

من العُرْفِ حتَّى قد حَسِبناهُ مُنكَرا

O Ahmad, I am among people who have renounced

Ahmad! I am among a people who have

kindness, till we have come to think it something alien.

Renounced decency, until we considered it forbidden.

إذا نزَلوا أبصرتُ للجهلِ نادياً

إذا نزَلوا أبصرتُ للجهلِ نادياً

وإن رَحَلوا أبصرتُ للبُخلِ عسكَرا

وإن رَحَلوا أبصرتُ للبُخلِ عسكَرا

When they settle, I see a gathering-place for ignorance;

Whenever they came down, I saw an encampment for ignorance,

and when they depart, I see an army of miserliness.

And if they departed, I saw an army for stinginess.

أقولُ وقد عاينتُهم عَدَدَ الحَصى

أقولُ وقد عاينتُهم عَدَدَ الحَصى

عَدِمْتُكَ جيلاً ما أقلَّ وأكثرَا

عَدِمْتُكَ جيلاً ما أقلَّ وأكثرَا

I say, having seen them as numerous as pebbles:

I say, and I have seen them, countless as pebbles,

May I be rid of you, generation—how few you are, and how many!

I missed you, a generation, however small or great.

كأنَّكَ فيهمِ شارقٌ في دِجنَّةٍ

كأنَّكَ فيهمِ شارقٌ في دِجنَّةٍ

إذا أغبشَتْ مُربَدَّةُ اللَّونِ أسفَرا

إذا أغبشَتْ مُربَدَّةُ اللَّونِ أسفَرا

Among them you are like a rising sun in deep gloom:

It is as if you among them are a lamp in the darkness,

when that dusky gloom grows murky, it shines forth.

When the ugly of color gloomed, yellow.

أتتْكَ القوافي الغُرُّ تطلُبُ حاجةً

أتتْكَ القوافي الغُرُّ تطلُبُ حاجةً

جزاؤُكَ فيها أن تُثابَ وتُشكَرا

جزاؤُكَ فيها أن تُثابَ وتُشكَرا

Radiant verses have come to you, seeking a favor;

The wonderful rhymes came to you seeking something,

your recompense through them is to be repaid and thanked.

Your reward is to be rewarded and thanked.

غرائبُ لو نادَيْنَ في المَحْلِ عارضاً

غرائبُ لو نادَيْنَ في المَحْلِ عارضاً

أجابَ ولو ناشدْنَ صخراً تَفجَّرا

أجابَ ولو ناشدْنَ صخراً تَفجَّرا

Rare marvels: if they called a raincloud in drought,

Wonders! If they called in the abode to match,

it would answer; if they implored a rock, it would gush.

It would answer, even if they invoked a boulder, it would gush.

عَدَلْتُ عن النابي الكَهامِ بِحَلْيِها

عَدَلْتُ عن النابي الكَهامِ بِحَلْيِها

وألبسْتُه منك الحُسامَ المُذكَّرا

وألبسْتُه منك الحُسامَ المُذكَّرا

I turned their adornment away from the blunt blade that fails to bite,

I turned from the reprehensible censurers in their garb,

and dressed in it the keen, hard-tempered sword that is you.

And dressed you in the commendable sword, causer of light.

فلا تَردُدِ العِقْدَ المُفَضَّلَ خائباً

فلا تَردُدِ العِقْدَ المُفَضَّلَ خائباً

بصدِّكَ عنه والرِّداءَ المُحبَّرا

بصدِّكَ عنه والرِّداءَ المُحبَّرا

So do not send the prized necklace back disappointed

So do not disappoint the favored poetry, returning it denied

by spurning it, nor the richly patterned cloak.

By your refusal and the saffron garment.