ردّي الخيال يجد معنى واجدا

ردّي الخيال يجد معنى واجدا

أمرضته فأتاه طيفك عائدا

أمرضته فأتاه طيفك عائدا

Send the phantom back; it will find a tormented, yearning man.

My imagination finds ample meaning

You made him ill, and your apparition came to visit him.

Though you made it sick, your phantom came back to it

لم يسر بعد البين وفد رقاده

لم يسر بعد البين وفد رقاده

إلا سرى معه خيالك وافدا

إلا سرى معه خيالك وافدا

Never since parting has the delegation of his sleep traveled by night

Sleep did not travel after separation

without your phantom traveling with it as a visitor.

Except your imagination came to it as a visitor

وبلية المشتاق إن حرم الهوى

وبلية المشتاق إن حرم الهوى

يقظان واجتمعت لديه راقدا

يقظان واجتمعت لديه راقدا

And the yearning lover's torment is to be denied love

And the agony of the longing one, if love is denied

awake, though you join him as he sleeps.

Awake, it meets him while asleep

نجزت مواعيد الفراق كأنما

نجزت مواعيد الفراق كأنما

أنجزن فيها للحمام مواعدا

أنجزن فيها للحمام مواعدا

The appointed times of parting came, as though

It fulfilled the covenants of separation as if

the women had thereby kept appointments with death.

They were covenants made for the doves

وتعرضت تلك الظباء بذي الغضا

وتعرضت تلك الظباء بذي الغضا

صورا وكن بذي الأراك حوائدا

صورا وكن بذي الأراك حوائدا

Those gazelles showed themselves at Dhu al-Ghada,

And those gazelles with the cheek mole displayed

their necks inclined toward us, though at Dhu al-Arak they had turned away.

Images while the one with eyeliner was an obstructer

ضاق العناق به على أعناقها

ضاق العناق به على أعناقها

حتى تناثرت العقود فرائدا

حتى تناثرت العقود فرائدا

There the embrace tightened around their necks,

The embrace was too tight for it around their necks

until their necklaces scattered, jewel by jewel.

That the necklaces scattered, ripped apart

وجرت بعصفرة الدموع فأشبهت

وجرت بعصفرة الدموع فأشبهت

كللا على أقمارها ومجاسدا

كللا على أقمارها ومجاسدا

And tears flowed, safflower-colored, resembling

And tears flowed with amber, so they resembled

canopies and saffron-dyed robes over their moonlike faces.

Crowns over its moons and pillows

غيضن من دمع تجدد نازلا

غيضن من دمع تجدد نازلا

وحبسن من نفس ترفع صاعدا

وحبسن من نفس ترفع صاعدا

They checked the tears that fell afresh

They overflowed with tears that kept falling

and restrained the breath that rose upward.

And held in a soul that kept rising

ورأين حر قلوبنا فأبحننا

ورأين حر قلوبنا فأبحننا

نغبا تصير به الصبابة باردا

نغبا تصير به الصبابة باردا

They saw the heat within our hearts and granted us

And they saw the ardour of our hearts so they revealed

sips through which love's ardor turned cool.

A yearning that makes early youth cold

من يدع رائدة الندى من كفه

من يدع رائدة الندى من كفه

فندى ابن عبد الله يدعو الرائدا

فندى ابن عبد الله يدعو الرائدا

If anyone lets bounty's scout depart from his palm,

Who leaves the guide of dew in his palm

Ibn Abd Allah's bounty summons the scout.

So, Ibn Abdillah calls upon the guide

رد تلق ريان الجوانح صادرا

رد تلق ريان الجوانح صادرا

عنه وظمآن الجوانح واردا

عنه وظمآن الجوانح واردا

Come to drink: you will find one departing with a quenched breast

To return the current of souls flowing from it

from him, and one arriving with a thirsty breast.

And souls thirsty for it incoming

أو راحلا يحدو رواحل جوده

أو راحلا يحدو رواحل جوده

أو قاصدا يزجي إليك قصائدا

أو قاصدا يزجي إليك قصائدا

Or a traveler urging on the camels of his bounty with song,

Either a rider galloping its generosity steeds

or a poet sending odes to you.

Or heading towards you with poems

أو ما رأيت الغيث سفه رأيه

أو ما رأيت الغيث سفه رأيه

لما تشبه بالأمير فوائدا

لما تشبه بالأمير فوائدا

Or have you not seen the rain's judgment go astray

Or did you not see the rain, how unwise its view

when it sought to match the emir in its gifts?

When it resembled the Prince abundant virtues

لما تزايد قلت لست بمشبه

لما تزايد قلت لست بمشبه

إنعام سيف الدولة المتزايدا

إنعام سيف الدولة المتزايدا

When it increased, I said, 'You are no match for

When it increased, I said you are not similar

Sayf al-Dawla's ever-increasing bounty.'

To the increasingly growing favours of Sayf al-Dawla

غيث تحث الأريحية مزنه

غيث تحث الأريحية مزنه

حتى يعم أقاربا وأباعدا

حتى يعم أقاربا وأباعدا

A rain whose clouds are spurred onward by generous zeal,

A rain that prompts the meadows until it

until it reaches kin and strangers alike.

Spreads to relatives and distances

ومعيد سابغة المواهب بعدما

ومعيد سابغة المواهب بعدما

بدأت فأغنت أن تكون عوائدا

بدأت فأغنت أن تكون عوائدا

And one who renews his ample gifts after

And repetitively bestows gifts after

their first bestowal had already made renewal needless.

It began and sufficed so as not to be renewed

عشق الجهاد فكلما منع العدا

عشق الجهاد فكلما منع العدا

اضحى نداه لما حواه مجاهدا

اضحى نداه لما حواه مجاهدا

He loved holy war; whenever denied battle with the foe,

It loved jihad so whenever it prevented the enemies

his generosity waged war on all he possessed.

Its voice became the voice of one striving

باتت عزائمه تجشم خيله

باتت عزائمه تجشم خيله

شم الجبال نوازلا وصواعدا

شم الجبال نوازلا وصواعدا

Through the night his determination drove his horses to brave

Its determination made its horses sniff

the lofty mountains, descending and climbing.

The mountains, climbing up and descending

يرمي بها الأعداء طورا سائقا

يرمي بها الأعداء طورا سائقا

يحمي أواخرها وطورا قائدا

يحمي أواخرها وطورا قائدا

He hurls them against the foe, at times driving them from behind,

It throws them at the enemies, leading them one time

guarding their rear, and at times leading them.

And protecting their rear another time

قبا إذا نهدت إلى أوطانهم

قبا إذا نهدت إلى أوطانهم

لم يبق إلا مخطفا أو ناهدا

لم يبق إلا مخطفا أو ناهدا

Lean-bellied steeds: when they advance toward the foes' homelands,

Domes, when they slope towards their homelands

none remain but the slender or the powerfully built.

Nothing remains except a kidnapper or hermit

يخطو الفرات بهن إما ذائبا

يخطو الفرات بهن إما ذائبا

تسمو غواربه وإما جامدا

تسمو غواربه وإما جامدا

He strides across the Euphrates on them, whether flowing,

It marches the Euphrates with them sometimes melting

its wave-crests soaring, or frozen solid.

Its waves rise at times frozen

ملك يطارد بالرماح ملوكهم

ملك يطارد بالرماح ملوكهم

حتى يشلهم لديه طارئدا

حتى يشلهم لديه طارئدا

A king who chases their kings with spears,

A King chasing their kings with spears

until he drives them before him as hunted quarry.

Until he paralyzes them, striking with his steed

في فتية لبسوا الحديد مغافرا

في فتية لبسوا الحديد مغافرا

وبراقعا وسوابغا وسواعدا

وبراقعا وسوابغا وسواعدا

Among young warriors who donned iron as mail hoods,

With young men dressed in iron armor

visors, full coats of mail, and armguards.

And burqas, bracelets, and muscular arms

يقتادهم أسد النزال وإنما

يقتادهم أسد النزال وإنما

يقتاد أسدا منهم وأساودا

يقتاد أسدا منهم وأساودا

The lion of battle leads them; in truth he leads

The lion of war leads them even though

only lions and black serpents from their ranks.

He leads a lion from among them and lionesses

ملكوا محل الملك من أعدائهم

ملكوا محل الملك من أعدائهم

فغدت بقاع الأرض منه مساجدا

فغدت بقاع الأرض منه مساجدا

They seized the seat of kingship from their foes,

They possessed the position of kings from their enemies

so through that the earth's expanses became places of prostration.

So the corners of earth became from it mosques

كر يعيد الجو أسود حالكا

كر يعيد الجو أسود حالكا

ويرد وجه الأرض أحمر جاسدا

ويرد وجه الأرض أحمر جاسدا

A charge turns the air pitch-black

A King who brings back the air as pitch black

and turns the earth's face red, encrusted with blood.

And returns the face of the earth crimson, defeated

أضحت فلول البيض عنه نواطقا

أضحت فلول البيض عنه نواطقا

وكلوم لبات الجياد شواهدا

وكلوم لبات الجياد شواهدا

The nicks in bright swords have become spokesmen for it,

The remnants of eggs became from it vocal

and wounds in the steeds' breasts bear witness.

And the shadows of the settled horses, witnesses

وأنامل نفد السؤال بها فلو

وأنامل نفد السؤال بها فلو

ضاهى نداها البحر أصبح نافدا

ضاهى نداها البحر أصبح نافدا

And fingers that exhaust all asking: were

And fingers that depleted inquiries with them, so if

the sea to match their bounty, it would run dry.

Their equals filled the sea, it would be depleted

لا يعدمنّك ذو الوفاق موافقا

لا يعدمنّك ذو الوفاق موافقا

ما ترتضيه وذو العناد معاندا

ما ترتضيه وذو العناد معاندا

May the loyal never lack you as an ally

May he who has conformity not deprive you conforming

in what you approve, nor the defiant as an opponent.

And the obstinate one, disputing

فالدين قد شمخت ذرا أركانه

فالدين قد شمخت ذرا أركانه

والكفر قد أودى ذرا وقواعدا

والكفر قد أودى ذرا وقواعدا

For the summits of faith's pillars have risen high,

For religion, its pillars are now revered

while unbelief has perished, summits and foundations alike.

And disbelief, its pillars are now collapsed

والروم لم يبق السباء بأرضهم

والروم لم يبق السباء بأرضهم

ولدا ولم تبق الأسنة والدا

ولدا ولم تبق الأسنة والدا

And in the Romans' land, captive-taking has left

And the Romans, no boy nor newborn remained in their land

no child, nor have spearheads left a father.

The month of fasting passed while bowing

أفنيت شهر الصوم إما راكعا

أفنيت شهر الصوم إما راكعا

جم الخشوع به وإما ساجدا

جم الخشوع به وإما ساجدا

You spent the month of fasting either bowing,

Filled with humility or prostrating

with profound devotion in it, or prostrate.

It passed, and if a praiser praised its fasting

فمضى ولو حمد آمرؤ لصيامه

فمضى ولو حمد آمرؤ لصيامه

وقيامه أهدى إليك محامدا

وقيامه أهدى إليك محامدا

So it passed; were a man praised for his fasting

And standing, he would send more praise to you

and nightly prayer, it would have offered you praises.

So I met your breakfast with arrival

فلقيت بالإقبال فطرك مقبلا

فلقيت بالإقبال فطرك مقبلا

ورأيت عيدك بالسرور معاودا

ورأيت عيدك بالسرور معاودا

May you greet your approaching feast of fast-breaking with good fortune,

And I saw your feast recurring with joy

and see your festival return with joy.

And if I shunned sights of regret

ولئن هجرت من الندام مشاهدا

ولئن هجرت من الندام مشاهدا

فلقد وصلت من الحمام مشاهدا

فلقد وصلت من الحمام مشاهدا

And though you forsook the gatherings of drinking companions,

I attained sights of the doves

you indeed frequented the scenes of death.

And I craved the cup of asceticism

ورغبت في كأس البرية رغبة

ورغبت في كأس البرية رغبة

تركتك في كأس المدامة زاهدا

تركتك في كأس المدامة زاهدا

You desired the cup of humankind with such longing

Leaving you craving the cup of wine

that it left you abstaining from the cup of wine.

It dressed me in bounties that changed for me

ألبستني النعم التي غيرن لي

ألبستني النعم التي غيرن لي

ود الصديق فعاد منها حاسدا

ود الصديق فعاد منها حاسدا

You clothed me in favors that altered

The love of a friend, so it returned from it envious

a friend's affection for me, making him envious because of them.

So may it dress praise walking

فلتلبسن بها الثناء مسيرا

فلتلبسن بها الثناء مسيرا

ومخلدا ما دام يذبل خالدا

ومخلدا ما دام يذبل خالدا

So for them you shall surely wear praise carried far and wide,

And immortalized, as long as an immortal fades

and made immortal as long as Yadhbul endures,

Spare every subtle utterance for its gold

من كل ريقة كفاك بلفظها

من كل ريقة كفاك بلفظها

ذهبا يروق وحسبها بك ناقدا

ذهبا يروق وحسبها بك ناقدا

from every choice ode, whose wording suffices you

And judge it by you as the assayer

as dazzling gold; and you suffice it as an assayer.