أضاع لديَّ الوجدُ ما حفظ الصّبرُ

أضاع لديَّ الوجدُ ما حفظ الصّبرُ

وهوَّنَ فعلَ البين ما فعل الهَجرُ

وهوَّنَ فعلَ البين ما فعل الهَجرُ

Passion destroyed within me what patience had preserved,

Longing has squandered in me what patience preserved.

and separation made light of all that estrangement had wrought.

And what estrangement wrought made separation's work seem slight.

وزالت حُمول العامرية غُدوةً

وزالت حُمول العامرية غُدوةً

وفي كل شيءٍ من هوادجها بَدْرُ

وفي كل شيءٍ من هوادجها بَدْرُ

At dawn, the litter-bearing camels of the ʿĀmirid lady departed,

And the ʿĀmirī woman's laden camels departed at dawn.

and in every one of her litters rode a full moon.

And in every one of her howdahs was a full moon.

ومَهزوزةِ الأعطاف مَهضومة الحشا

ومَهزوزةِ الأعطاف مَهضومة الحشا

من البيض فيها عن زيارَتنا ذُعْرِ

من البيض فيها عن زيارَتنا ذُعْرِ

A lithe, swaying woman, love tattooed upon her heart—

And a woman with swaying limbs and a slender waist,

among the fair women, alarmed by our visiting them.

Among the fair ones, with a dread of visiting us,

سَقتني بعينها على أشَر الصِّبا

سَقتني بعينها على أشَر الصِّبا

كؤس الهوى صرفاً فلجَّ بي السُّكْرُ

كؤس الهوى صرفاً فلجَّ بي السُّكْرُ

With her eyes she poured me, amid youth’s fiercest ardor,

Gave me drink with her eye, in youth's exuberance:

pure cups of love, until drunkenness overcame me;

Cups of love, unmixed; then drunkenness would not leave me.

وأَشنَب فيه من سُلافة بابل

وأَشنَب فيه من سُلافة بابل

ونفثه هاروتَ المدامةُ والسّحرُ

ونفثه هاروتَ المدامةُ والسّحرُ

and from a mouth of fresh, gleaming teeth, holding some of Babylon’s choicest wine,

And a cool, sweet mouth, holding, from Babylon's finest vintage

into which Hārūt had breathed wine and sorcery.

And Hārūt's spell-breath, wine and enchantment.

عرضنا لها بالحبّ مناً فاعرضت

عرضنا لها بالحبّ مناً فاعرضت

سُكينةُ عنّا لا نَوال ولا بشرُ

سُكينةُ عنّا لا نَوال ولا بشرُ

We offered her our love, but she turned away from us,

We hinted to her at our love, but she turned away—

calmly withdrawing, with neither favor nor welcoming smile.

Sukayna—from us, with neither favor nor a smile.

فيا عاذلي مَهلا لقد بلغ الهوى

فيا عاذلي مَهلا لقد بلغ الهوى

من القلب حداً حيث لا يبلغ الزَّجرُ

من القلب حداً حيث لا يبلغ الزَّجرُ

So, my reproacher, gently! Passion has indeed reached

So, my reproacher, be gentle! Love has indeed reached

a boundary in the heart beyond the reach of rebuke.

A limit in the heart where no rebuke can reach.

وما رشد مملوك الضمير بسمعه

وما رشد مملوك الضمير بسمعه

من العذل من أذنيه عن ذي الهوى وَقْرُ

من العذل من أذنيه عن ذي الهوى وَقْرُ

No sound counsel reaches, through his hearing, one whose conscience is enslaved;

No one whose heart is enslaved finds guidance by listening

against reproach, the ears of one possessed by passion are deaf.

To reproach: deafness weighs on the lover's ears.

وليل كَلّيانِ الأماني كأنّما

وليل كَلّيانِ الأماني كأنّما

كواكبه دون السُّرى عاقها أسْرُ

كواكبه دون السُّرى عاقها أسْرُ

And a night like the nights of longing—as though

And a night like the deferral of hopes, as though

its stars were captives, barred by bondage from journeying on.

Captivity had kept its stars from their nightly course.

أرِقتُ به واعتادني طائِفُ الجوى

أرِقتُ به واعتادني طائِفُ الجوى

وخامرني فيه الصَّبابة والفكرُ

وخامرني فيه الصَّبابة والفكرُ

Through it I lay awake, revisited by passion’s phantom,

I lay sleepless in it, haunted by a specter of heartache.

while yearning and anxious thought stole into me.

And yearning and thought possessed me throughout it.

فيا لكَ من ليل عليَّ مُبَّرحٍ

فيا لكَ من ليل عليَّ مُبَّرحٍ

كأنك موصول بغايتك الحَشرُ

كأنك موصول بغايتك الحَشرُ

Ah, what a night—how grievously it tormented me,

O what a night, bitterly tormenting me!

as though the Resurrection itself were joined to its farthest end!

As though your end were joined to the Resurrection.

وما الليل بالمُزدادِ طولاً فإنما

وما الليل بالمُزدادِ طولاً فإنما

تَملُّ دُجاهُ مقَلةٌ نومُها نَزرُ

تَملُّ دُجاهُ مقَلةٌ نومُها نَزرُ

The night is not truly growing longer; rather,

The night has not grown longer; it is only that

an eye with little sleep drinks its darkness to the full.

An eye whose sleep is scant grows weary of its darkness.

ولا ما طوا الليل عني بطوله

ولا ما طوا الليل عني بطوله

من الأنس يُرجى في النَّهار له نشْرُ

من الأنس يُرجى في النَّهار له نشْرُ

Nor, for all its length, has the night folded away from me

Nor can what the night, in its length, folded away from me

any solace whose unveiling might be hoped for in daylight.

Of companionship be hoped to unfold again by day.

إذا لم يكن لي في الصّباح وضوئهِ

إذا لم يكن لي في الصّباح وضوئهِ

من الهمم تفريجٌ فلا طلع الفَجْرُ

من الهمم تفريجٌ فلا طلع الفَجْرُ

If morning’s brightness brings me no relief

If in the morning and its light I find

from care, then may the dawn never rise.

No relief from my cares, then may dawn never rise.

أقول وقد عاينتُ في الدّستِ يَعرباً

أقول وقد عاينتُ في الدّستِ يَعرباً

مُضيئاً وعَمَّ النّاس وابله الغمرُ

مُضيئاً وعَمَّ النّاس وابله الغمرُ

I said, when I beheld Yaʿrub upon the throne,

I say, having beheld Yaʿrub upon the throne,

radiant, while his overwhelming downpour encompassed all mankind:

Radiant, his copious downpour encompassing the people:

أيعربُ أم بدرٌ نجلى به الدُّجى

أيعربُ أم بدرٌ نجلى به الدُّجى

وهذا النُّوال الجزلُ والغيثُ أم بحَرُ

وهذا النُّوال الجزلُ والغيثُ أم بحَرُ

Is this Yaʿrub, or a full moon by which we dispel the darkness?

Is it Yaʿrub, or a full moon by which we dispel darkness?

Is this abundant largesse and rain—or a sea?

And this lavish bounty, this rain—or is it a sea?

تَرى صورةَ مخلوقةَ من فضائل

تَرى صورةَ مخلوقةَ من فضائل

تكافأ فيها منظرُ العين والخُبزُ

تكافأ فيها منظرُ العين والخُبزُ

You behold a figure fashioned from virtues,

You see a form created from virtues,

in whom what the eye sees and what report relates agree:

In which what the eye sees and the bread are equally matched.

فتىً خرجت أخلاقهُ بسخاوةٍ

فتىً خرجت أخلاقهُ بسخاوةٍ

كما امتزجت بالماءِ في كأسها الخمرث

كما امتزجت بالماءِ في كأسها الخمرث

a youth whose character came forth stamped with generosity,

A youth whose character came forth with generosity,

as wine mingles with water in its cup.

As wine was mingled with water in its cup.

كثير ابتداع المكرمات من النّدى

كثير ابتداع المكرمات من النّدى

له كلَّ يوم فيه مكرمةٌ بِكرُ

له كلَّ يوم فيه مكرمةٌ بِكرُ

Prolific in devising noble deeds through munificence,

Ever inventing noble deeds through generosity,

each day he has a fresh noble deed.

For him, each day holds a maiden deed of nobility.

تجلّت به العلياءُ وازدانتِ النَّهى

تجلّت به العلياءُ وازدانتِ النَّهى

وتاهت به الأيامُ وافتخرَ الدّهرُ

وتاهت به الأيامُ وافتخرَ الدّهرُ

Through him high glory was revealed and minds were adorned;

Loftiness shone through him, and wisdom was adorned.

the days strutted proudly in him, and Time itself boasted.

The days strutted proudly through him, and Time took pride.

هو المثلُ المضروبُ في الناس والنّدى

هو المثلُ المضروبُ في الناس والنّدى

وحيث احتبى في مجلس فهو الصَّدرُ

وحيث احتبى في مجلس فهو الصَّدرُ

He is the proverb cited among men for generosity;

He is the proverbial model among men and in generosity,

wherever he sits in council, he is the foremost.

And wherever he sits with knees drawn up in a gathering, his is the foremost place.

إذا ما ذكرنا يعرباً بين قومه

إذا ما ذكرنا يعرباً بين قومه

فليس لحيّ غيرهم في الورى فخرُ

فليس لحيّ غيرهم في الورى فخرُ

Whenever we mention Yaʿrub among his people,

When we mention Yaʿrub among his people,

no tribe but theirs can boast of glory among creation.

No tribe other than theirs has glory among mankind.

كانَّ بني نبهان في أُفقِ العلى

كانَّ بني نبهان في أُفقِ العلى

بدورٌ أضاءت حولها انجمّ زُهْرُ

بدورٌ أضاءت حولها انجمّ زُهْرُ

The sons of Nabhān upon glory’s horizon seem

It is as though the sons of Nabhān, on the horizon of glory,

full moons ablaze, with brilliant stars around them.

Were full moons, around which radiant stars shine.

همُ الماءُ صَفواً والنسيم لطافةً

همُ الماءُ صَفواً والنسيم لطافةً

على أنهم في كل نائبة صخرُ

على أنهم في كل نائبة صخرُ

They are water in purity and a breeze in gentleness,

They are water in purity, and the breeze in gentleness,

though in every calamity they are solid rock.

Though in every calamity they are rock.

عَتادُهُم في كلّ يوم كريهة

عَتادُهُم في كلّ يوم كريهة

غداة التلاقي البيضُ والدُّهُم والسّمرُ

غداة التلاقي البيضُ والدُّهُم والسّمرُ

Their equipment for every grim day,

Their equipment on every day of battle,

on the morning of encounter, is bright swords, dark steeds, and tawny lances.

At morning's encounter: white swords, black steeds, and brown spears.

حمَو شرفض العليا وسادو بني الدّنا

حمَو شرفض العليا وسادو بني الدّنا

فما مسَهم ضيمٌ ولا فاتهم وتْرُ

فما مسَهم ضيمٌ ولا فاتهم وتْرُ

They defended the honor of highest glory and ruled the sons of this world;

They defended lofty honor and ruled the sons of the world.

no injustice touched them, and no blood-claim escaped them—

So no injustice touched them, nor did any blood-debt escape them.

بكلّ أصمِّ الكعب في كل غامرٍ

بكلّ أصمِّ الكعب في كل غامرٍ

على كل طرف فوق صَهوته غَمْرُ

على كل طرف فوق صَهوته غَمْرُ

with every stout-shafted lance in every engulfing fray,

With every solid-jointed spear in every engulfing fray,

and on every thoroughbred steed, above its saddle, a dauntless champion.

On every noble steed, a generous warrior upon its back.

سأشكَرها من آل نبهان أنعُماً

سأشكَرها من آل نبهان أنعُماً

وأَعظمُ شيء يمحقُ النّعمةَ الكُفْرُ

وأَعظمُ شيء يمحقُ النّعمةَ الكُفْرُ

I shall gratefully acknowledge the House of Nabhān’s favors;

I shall give thanks for those favors from the house of Nabhān.

for the greatest thing that effaces a blessing is ingratitude.

And the greatest destroyer of blessing is ingratitude.

هم وجدوني موضعاً لصَنيعهم

هم وجدوني موضعاً لصَنيعهم

فألفوه ذُخراً حيث يُحتَسب الذَّخرُ

فألفوه ذُخراً حيث يُحتَسب الذَّخرُ

They found me a fitting recipient for their benefaction,

They found me a fitting place for their kindness,

and found it treasure laid where treasure is truly valued.

And found it a treasure where treasure is valued.

وخيرُ اصطناع البِرّ عندي لأنه

وخيرُ اصطناع البِرّ عندي لأنه

معي تظرُ النّعمى ويُستَحْسَنُ الشكْرُ

معي تظرُ النّعمى ويُستَحْسَنُ الشكْرُ

The finest investment of kindness, in my judgment, is theirs, because

And kindness is best bestowed on me, because

with me the blessing shines forth and gratitude is made beautiful.

With me, favor becomes manifest and gratitude is appreciated.

وعندي احتفاظٌ واحتمَالُ كريهة

وعندي احتفاظٌ واحتمَالُ كريهة

وكتمان سرّ لا اغتيابٌ ولا غَدْرُ

وكتمان سرّ لا اغتيابٌ ولا غَدْرُ

Within me are faithful remembrance and endurance of hardship,

And I have fidelity and endurance of hardship,

and the keeping of secrets—no backbiting and no treachery.

And the keeping of secrets—neither backbiting nor betrayal.

أَمرُّ غضيضَ الطّرف كلُّ خريدة

أَمرُّ غضيضَ الطّرف كلُّ خريدة

لها من ردائي دونَ زينتها سَتْرُ

لها من ردائي دونَ زينتها سَتْرُ

I pass every secluded maiden with my gaze lowered;

I pass with lowered gaze; every secluded maiden

my cloak, rather than her finery, serves as her veil.

Has a screen from my cloak to shield her adornment.

إذا لم يكن للقوم في الحمد رغبةٌ

إذا لم يكن للقوم في الحمد رغبةٌ

فأكسدُ شيء في ديارهمُ الشِّعْرُ

فأكسدُ شيء في ديارهمُ الشِّعْرُ

If a people have no desire for praise,

If a people have no desire for praise,

then poetry is the least marketable thing in their lands.

Then poetry is the least saleable thing in their lands.

لئن ظفرتْ كفّايَ من فضل ما لهم

لئن ظفرتْ كفّايَ من فضل ما لهم

فأعراضهم يا صاح من مدَحيّ صفْرُ

فأعراضهم يا صاح من مدَحيّ صفْرُ

Though my two hands have gained some surplus of their wealth,

Even if my two hands obtain some of their surplus wealth,

their honor, my friend, has gained nothing from my praise.

Yet their reputations, my friend, are empty of my praise.

ولستُ براضٍ ان تراني موضعاً

ولستُ براضٍ ان تراني موضعاً

صنيعة مدحي حيث ليس لها قَدْرُ

صنيعة مدحي حيث ليس لها قَدْرُ

Nor am I content that you should see me placing

Nor am I willing for you to see me bestowing

the handiwork of my praise where it is held of no worth.

The gift of my praise where it has no worth.

وما هو إلاّ الفقرُ يا قوم مُلزمي

وما هو إلاّ الفقرُ يا قوم مُلزمي

تكلُّفَ ما لا ينبغي لُعن الفقْرُ

تكلُّفَ ما لا ينبغي لُعن الفقْرُ

It is nothing but poverty, O people, that compels me

It is only poverty, O people, that compels me

to undertake what does not befit me—accursed be poverty!

To undertake what ought not be done—may poverty be cursed!

أَرى في بني نبهان للمدح مَذهباً

أَرى في بني نبهان للمدح مَذهباً

تذال بُه الحُسنى ويكْتَسب الأْجرُ

تذال بُه الحُسنى ويكْتَسب الأْجرُ

Among the sons of Nabhān I see a worthy path for praise,

In the sons of Nabhān I see a path for praise,

by which noble goodness is made accessible and reward is earned.

Through which goodness is freely bestowed and reward is earned.

أبا العرَب احتلّ الفناءَ وعزهُ

أبا العرَب احتلّ الفناءَ وعزهُ

محلك معمورٌ وطال لكَ العُمْرُ

محلك معمورٌ وطال لكَ العُمْرُ

Father of the Arabs, your dwelling has claimed the courtyard and its pride,

O Abū al-ʿArab, occupy the court and its glory.

ever flourishing—and long may your life endure.

May your dwelling flourish, and may your life be long.

وأُعطيتَ في العيد السعادَةَ والمنىَ

وأُعطيتَ في العيد السعادَةَ والمنىَ

ولا زال معتاداً لك الصومُ والفطرُ

ولا زال معتاداً لك الصومُ والفطرُ

May happiness and fulfilled wishes be granted you at the Feast,

And may you be granted happiness and wishes fulfilled at the feast.

and may fasting and its breaking return habitually to you.

And may fasting and the breaking of the fast ever return to you.

فافضح بعادات النّدى كل حاسدٍ

فافضح بعادات النّدى كل حاسدٍ

مساعيك هَذي بين أَحشائه جَمْرُ

مساعيك هَذي بين أَحشائه جَمْرُ

Put every envier to shame through your customary generosity:

So shame every envier with your habitual generosity.

these endeavors of yours are burning embers within his entrails.

These deeds of yours are burning coals within his entrails.