كانَ جَليداً فخانَه جَلَدُهْ

كانَ جَليداً فخانَه جَلَدُهْ

وعادَه بعدَ هِمَّةٍ كَمدُهْ

وعادَه بعدَ هِمَّةٍ كَمدُهْ

He was steadfast, but his fortitude betrayed him;

He was ice but his skin betrayed him

and after resolve, his grief visited him.

And he returned with determination like his pillar

وأطلقَ الشَّوقُ أَسْرَ عَبرَتِه

وأطلقَ الشَّوقُ أَسْرَ عَبرَتِه

وهو أسيرُ الفؤادِ مُضطَهَدُه

وهو أسيرُ الفؤادِ مُضطَهَدُه

And longing released his tear from captivity,

And longing released the shackles of his sadness

while he remained the heart's captive, oppressed by it.

While he is the heart's prisoner, persecuted

أَدَمْعُ ذاكَ الغزالِ فاضَ على ال

أَدَمْعُ ذاكَ الغزالِ فاضَ على ال

خدَّيْنِ أَم عِقْدُهُ وَهَتْ عُقَدُه

خدَّيْنِ أَم عِقْدُهُ وَهَتْ عُقَدُه

Did that gazelle's tears flow over the

Are those tears of that gazelle overflowing

cheeks, or did his necklace's knots come loose?

On the cheeks, or is it his necklace coming undone?

قامَ يُريدُ الوَداعَ كالغُصُنِ الرْ

قامَ يُريدُ الوَداعَ كالغُصُنِ الرْ

يَّانِ يَثني قُوامَه غَيَدُه

يَّانِ يَثني قُوامَه غَيَدُه

He rose to bid farewell, like a bough

He stood to bid farewell like the supple branch

lush with sap, his suppleness bending his frame.

Bending his stature, its greenery swaying

وذو الهَوى غَضَّةٌ صَبابَتُه

وذو الهَوى غَضَّةٌ صَبابَتُه

يُكابدُ الشَّوقَ طِبُّهُ كَبِدُه

يُكابدُ الشَّوقَ طِبُّهُ كَبِدُه

And the lover's yearning is tender;

And the loving soul is tender in his youth

he wrestles with longing; his remedy is his liver.

Bearing passionate yearning, though it pains his liver

كم بينَ تلك السُّجوفِ من مُقَلٍ

كم بينَ تلك السُّجوفِ من مُقَلٍ

تَبْذُلُ من دَمعِها الذي تَجدُه

تَبْذُلُ من دَمعِها الذي تَجدُه

How many eyes behind those curtains

How many lights are there in those chambers

give of the tears they find!

That shed the tears they find?

ومستعيرِ النُّضارِ من رَشإِ

ومستعيرِ النُّضارِ من رَشإِ

لم يُخْطِهِ لحظُه ولا جَيَدُه

لم يُخْطِهِ لحظُه ولا جَيَدُه

And many a borrower of gold from a fawn,

And borrowed radiance from a head

whom neither his glance nor his neck missed.

That his glances did not sketch, nor hands shape

لا يرتجي الصَّبُّ بَرْدَ غُلَّتِه

لا يرتجي الصَّبُّ بَرْدَ غُلَّتِه

ما ضَنَّ عنه بريقِه بَرَدُه

ما ضَنَّ عنه بريقِه بَرَدُه

The lovesick lover hopes for no cooling of his thirst

The pouring rain hopes not for the coolness of its hardship

so long as those hailstone teeth deny him their saliva.

Its coldness never stinted its downpour

غدا ابنُ فهدٍ والمجدُ شيمَتُه

غدا ابنُ فهدٍ والمجدُ شيمَتُه

والجودُ والمجدُ لهوُه وَدَدُه

والجودُ والمجدُ لهوُه وَدَدُه

Ibn Fahd has glory for his nature;

Tomorrow the son of Fahd, and glory is his mark

and generosity and glory are his pastime and play.

Generosity and glory are what he loves and wants

فتىً فَتى السَّماحِ مُكتَهِلُ ال

فتىً فَتى السَّماحِ مُكتَهِلُ ال

حِلْمِ ذَكيُّ الفُؤادِ مُتَّقِدُه

حِلْمِ ذَكيُّ الفُؤادِ مُتَّقِدُه

A youth, a champion of generosity, mature in

A boy, a boy of generosity, mature in patience

forbearance, keen of heart, his heart ablaze.

Sharp of mind, his heart kindled

ومُسرِفُ الجُودِ حينَ يَقتَصِدُ ال

ومُسرِفُ الجُودِ حينَ يَقتَصِدُ ال

غَيْثُ رَفيقُ الفَعالِ مُقتَصِدُه

غَيْثُ رَفيقُ الفَعالِ مُقتَصِدُه

And lavish in bounty when sparing is the

Extravagant in generosity when the rain is measured

rain; gentle and measured in his deeds.

A gentle rain, measured in its actions

كم من صباحٍ سَناهُ عَزْمَتُه

كم من صباحٍ سَناهُ عَزْمَتُه

ومن أيادٍ سِماتُهنَّ يَدُه

ومن أيادٍ سِماتُهنَّ يَدُه

How many a morning has his resolve for its light,

How many dawns has his resolve brought forth

and how many favors have his hand for their hallmark!

And deeds which are tokens of his hand

مناقبٌ يَنطوي الحَسودُ لها

مناقبٌ يَنطوي الحَسودُ لها

على جَوىً أو يُميتُه حَسَدُه

على جَوىً أو يُميتُه حَسَدُه

Virtues over which the envious man broods

Virtues that the envious fold into their bosoms

in burning anguish—or his envy kills him.

Out of hatred, or that hatred kills them

جَرى فبَذَّ المُلوكَ حينَ جَرى

جَرى فبَذَّ المُلوكَ حينَ جَرى

وفاتَ أقصَى مَداهُمُ أَمَدُه

وفاتَ أقصَى مَداهُمُ أَمَدُه

He raced, outstripping kings as he raced;

He surpassed kings when he surpassed

his range surpassed their farthest reach.

And went beyond the extent of their days

وكيفَ يَرجو لَحاقَه مَلِكٌ

وكيفَ يَرجو لَحاقَه مَلِكٌ

يَضيقُ عن رَحْبِ صَدْرِهِ بَلَدُه

يَضيقُ عن رَحْبِ صَدْرِهِ بَلَدُه

And how could a king hope to catch him,

How can a king hope to reach him

when his realm is too narrow for that spacious breast?

When his country falls short of the breadth of his chest?

رَبْعٌ كأنَّ الرَّبيعَ ألبَسَه

رَبْعٌ كأنَّ الرَّبيعَ ألبَسَه

غَرائبَ النَّوْرِ يانعاً خَضَدُه

غَرائبَ النَّوْرِ يانعاً خَضَدُه

An abode that spring seems to have clothed

A garden, as if spring had adorned it

in wondrous blossoms, its tender boughs flourishing.

With wondrous blossoms, vibrant and green

ومَنهَلٌ راقَ وِردُه فغَدا

ومَنهَلٌ راقَ وِردُه فغَدا

يَطرُدُ عنَّا الإعْدامَ مُطَّرَدُه

يَطرُدُ عنَّا الإعْدامَ مُطَّرَدُه

And a watering place whose draught delights, so

And a meadow whose stream refreshed it

its steady flow now drives want away from us.

Banishing darkness, steadily dispelling it

وصارمٌ لم يَشِمْه ذو زَرَدٍ

وصارمٌ لم يَشِمْه ذو زَرَدٍ

إلا تَفرَّى عن حَدِّهِ زَرَدُه

إلا تَفرَّى عن حَدِّهِ زَرَدُه

And a keen sword no mail-clad man has sheathed

A blade that no coat of mail tasted

without his mail splitting open before its edge.

Without its links scattering from its sharpness

إذا ارتدى مُهجةَ الكَميِّ غَدا

إذا ارتدى مُهجةَ الكَميِّ غَدا

مُضرَّجاً من جِسادِهِ جَسَدُه

مُضرَّجاً من جِسادِهِ جَسَدُه

When it dons a warrior's lifeblood, then

When he dons the garb of battle he becomes

its body turns crimson with his blood-dye.

Drenched in the blood of his foes, body by body

يَعضُدُ قَرْماً تَقِلُّه يَدُه

يَعضُدُ قَرْماً تَقِلُّه يَدُه

طَوْراً وطَوْراً يَكُنُّه عَضُدُه

طَوْراً وطَوْراً يَكُنُّه عَضُدُه

It lends strength to a chieftain whose hand carries it

Supporting a spear that his hand can barely lift

at times, and at times his upper arm shelters it.

At times, and at times gripped tight in his grasp

يَلقَى المَنايا مَنْ راحَ يوعده

يَلقَى المَنايا مَنْ راحَ يوعده

حَتماً ويَلقى النَّجاحَ مَنْ بَعِدُه

حَتماً ويَلقى النَّجاحَ مَنْ بَعِدُه

Whoever he sets out to threaten meets death,

Death is destined for whoever challenges him

inevitably; and whoever he promises meets success.

And triumph for whoever comes after him

صَنيعُه سائرٌ يلوحُ وهل

صَنيعُه سائرٌ يلوحُ وهل

يَخْفى صَنيعٌ مدائحي بُرُدُه

يَخْفى صَنيعٌ مدائحي بُرُدُه

His beneficence travels far and shines—and can

His work is manifest, brilliant

a benefaction be hidden when my praises are its cloaks?

Can the eloquence of my poems conceal it?

وَقفٌ علينا الثَّناءُ ما اطَّرَدَتْ

وَقفٌ علينا الثَّناءُ ما اطَّرَدَتْ

حُسْناً معانيه واستوى أَوَدُه

حُسْناً معانيه واستوى أَوَدُه

Praise is reserved to us, so long as

Praise stopped us - how excellent

its meanings flow in beauty and its crookedness is straightened.

Were its meanings, and how far its love reached!

وكلَّما أخلَقَتْ بدائِعُهُ

وكلَّما أخلَقَتْ بدائِعُهُ

جاءَتْ إليه مُجِدَّةً جُدُدُه

جاءَتْ إليه مُجِدَّةً جُدُدُه

And whenever its marvels grow threadbare,

And whenever his wonders create anew

fresh ones come hastening to him.

His glories come to him, made fresh