لابدّ من وقفةً للأنيق الذّللِ

لابدّ من وقفةً للأنيق الذّللِ

بالركب يبكون بين الرّسم والطّلَلِ

بالركب يبكون بين الرّسم والطّلَلِ

There must be a pause for lowly lamentation,

A halt must be made for the docile she-camels,

while the caravan weeps between the faded trace and the ruined camp.

with the riders weeping between the traces and the standing ruins.

لولا رجاءَ دنوٍ من أحبّتنا

لولا رجاءَ دنوٍ من أحبّتنا

بغير حُزْنٍ على الأَطلال من إبلِ

بغير حُزْنٍ على الأَطلال من إبلِ

Were it not for hope of drawing near to those we love,

Were it not for the hope of drawing near to our loved ones,

without grief for the ruins, borne there on camels...

the camels would be without grief over the ruins.

أشكو الجَوى وأنا الجاني عليّ بها

أشكو الجَوى وأنا الجاني عليّ بها

فمن ألوم على من كان من قِبَلي

فمن ألوم على من كان من قِبَلي

I complain of passion, though through her I brought the wrong upon myself;

I lament love’s torment, though through her I brought it upon myself.

whom can I blame, then, for what came from my own heart?

Whom, then, can I blame for what was my own doing?

مالي يَدان بصبر مذ بها عبثتْ

مالي يَدان بصبر مذ بها عبثتْ

يَد الفراق رماكِ الله بالشّللِ

يَد الفراق رماكِ الله بالشّللِ

I have no strength for patience, since the hand of parting has toyed with it—

I have no strength for patience since she was toyed with

O hand of parting, may God strike you with palsy!

by the hand of parting—may God strike you with paralysis!

سرّ الأحبّة عندي لا أَبوح بهِ

سرّ الأحبّة عندي لا أَبوح بهِ

يوماً إذا ضاع سرّ العاشق النّذلِ

يوماً إذا ضاع سرّ العاشق النّذلِ

My beloved’s secret is in my keeping; I will not disclose it.

I hold the loved ones’ secret and do not divulge it,

The day a lover’s secret is lost, he is ignoble.

ever, even when the base lover’s secret is lost.

والحبُّ مبتذل ما لم يُراعَ به

والحبُّ مبتذل ما لم يُراعَ به

شخصُ الرّقيب ويَمع نغْمة العَذَلِ

شخصُ الرّقيب ويَمع نغْمة العَذَلِ

Love is cheapened unless one takes account within it

And love is cheapened unless due regard is paid

of the watcher’s presence and restrains the voice of reproach.

to the watcher’s presence and the sound of reproach.

وأرغد العيش ما صادفت خلوته

وأرغد العيش ما صادفت خلوته

من قلب مرتقبٍ أَو عين مختبلِ

من قلب مرتقبٍ أَو عين مختبلِ

The sweetest life is when you chance upon its solitude,

And life is most easeful when you find it free

free of a watchful heart or a distracted eye.

of a watcher’s heart or a deranged man’s eye.

فارقت بالمنزل المأنوس آنسةً

فارقت بالمنزل المأنوس آنسةً

لا عن قلىً من فؤادينا ولا ملَلِ

لا عن قلىً من فؤادينا ولا ملَلِ

At the familiar dwelling I parted from my intimate companion,

I parted, at the familiar dwelling, from a winsome maiden,

with neither aversion in our two hearts nor weariness.

not from aversion in our two hearts, nor from weariness.

عهدي بهاً رشأً أَحوى يرقرق لي

عهدي بهاً رشأً أَحوى يرقرق لي

عينَ الجداية لولا موضع الحجَلِ

عينَ الجداية لولا موضع الحجَلِ

My last sight of her was a dark-lipped gazelle fawn who felt tenderness for me,

I remember her as a dusky fawn, showing me the shimmer of

with the eye of a young gazelle—were it not for the anklets’ place.

a young gazelle’s eye—but for the place of her anklet.

حوراء مصقولة غرّ عوارضُها

حوراء مصقولة غرّ عوارضُها

هيفاء مجدولة مرتجّة الكفلِ

هيفاء مجدولة مرتجّة الكفلِ

A wide-eyed, polished maiden, the side teeth of her smile gleaming white;

Wide, dark-eyed and smooth-skinned, her teeth gleaming white,

slender-waisted, finely formed, her hips swaying.

slender-waisted and finely formed, with quivering hips.

إنْ انسً لا أُنس يوم البين عبرتها

إنْ انسً لا أُنس يوم البين عبرتها

وقد بسطت إليها كفّ مرتحلِ

وقد بسطت إليها كفّ مرتحلِ

Though I forget all else, I cannot forget her tears on the day of parting,

If I forget, I shall not forget her tear on the day of parting,

when I stretched toward her the palm of one departing.

as I stretched toward her the hand of one departing.

ظلْنا ومهمَا سفحنا من مدامعنا

ظلْنا ومهمَا سفحنا من مدامعنا

على الخدود ترشَّفناه بالقُبَلِ

على الخدود ترشَّفناه بالقُبَلِ

We lingered; and however many tears we poured

We remained thus, and whatever tears we shed

down our cheeks, we sipped them away with kisses.

upon the cheeks, we sipped away with kisses.

قامت تلوذ بأَعطافي وقد فرقت

قامت تلوذ بأَعطافي وقد فرقت

من الفراق وفيها حيرة الوجلِ

من الفراق وفيها حيرة الوجلِ

She rose and sought refuge in my embrace, terrified

She rose, seeking refuge at my sides, frightened

by parting, while within her was fear’s bewilderment.

of parting, with the bewilderment of fear within her.

ما أَحدث البعد عندي قد منعت به

ما أَحدث البعد عندي قد منعت به

صَبراً فأسلو وما استبدلت من بدلِ

صَبراً فأسلو وما استبدلت من بدلِ

Distance has wrought nothing in me save that through it I have been denied

Through what distance has wrought in me, I have been denied

the patience to forget; nor have I taken any substitute.

patience to find solace; nor have I taken any substitute.

إذا عراني من حرّ الهوى ظمأٌ

إذا عراني من حرّ الهوى ظمأٌ

ذكرت بَرد ثنايا ثغركِ الرتّلِ

ذكرت بَرد ثنايا ثغركِ الرتّلِ

Whenever a thirst born of passion’s heat assails me,

When thirst overtakes me from passion’s heat,

I remember the coolness of the incisors in your evenly set mouth.

I recall the coolness of your mouth’s evenly spaced front teeth.

وإن شممْت نسيم الرّيح ذكّرني

وإن شممْت نسيم الرّيح ذكّرني

عند التّبلُّج ريّا نشركِ الخَضلِ

عند التّبلُّج ريّا نشركِ الخَضلِ

And whenever I smell the wind’s soft breeze, it reminds me,

And if I smell the wind’s breeze, it reminds me,

at daybreak, of the fragrance of your dew-fresh scent.

at daybreak, of the fragrance of your dewy perfume.

حَيّيتُ مغناك واعتاد الحيا هصَلا

حَيّيتُ مغناك واعتاد الحيا هصَلا

يسقيه عَلاً مع الأسحار والأُصلِ

يسقيه عَلاً مع الأسحار والأُصلِ

I salute your dwelling; may the rain return to it in torrents,

I have saluted your dwelling; may rain revisit it in torrents,

watering it shower after shower at dawn and evening,

watering it again and again in predawn hours and late afternoons,

حتَّى يغادرَ ما بين الربُّى غُدُرا

حتَّى يغادرَ ما بين الربُّى غُدُرا

كأنّما وكفَت فيهنَّ كفُّ عليِّ

كأنّما وكفَت فيهنَّ كفُّ عليِّ

until it leaves pools among the hills,

until it leaves pools between the hills,

as though the hand of Ali had dripped into them—

as though Ali’s hand had dripped into them—

كفّ تصوب نُضاراً كلَّ صابحةٍ

كفّ تصوب نُضاراً كلَّ صابحةٍ

على العُفاة كصوب العارض الهطلِ

على العُفاة كصوب العارض الهطلِ

a hand that pours pure gold, all of it, every morning,

a hand that rains pure gold every morning

upon the needy, like the downpour of a teeming raincloud.

upon supplicants, like a torrential cloud’s downpour.

حَوى أبو القاسم القسم الموفّر من

حَوى أبو القاسم القسم الموفّر من

مَجدٍ طريفٍ وعن آبائه الأَولِ

مَجدٍ طريفٍ وعن آبائه الأَولِ

Abu al-Qasim has gained the abundant share

Abu al-Qasim has gained the ample share of

of glory—both newly won and inherited from his earliest forefathers.

newly won glory and that from his forefathers of old.

الماجد الحائز المسعى الشريف له

الماجد الحائز المسعى الشريف له

فضلُ المكارم بين القول والعملِ

فضلُ المكارم بين القول والعملِ

The glorious possessor of noble endeavor—to him belongs

The glorious man who attains the noble goal; his is

preeminence in every virtue, in both word and deed;

the excellence of noble virtues in word and deed.

والطّاعن الخيل في يُمناه ذابلُه

والطّاعن الخيل في يُمناه ذابلُه

يعلّها من نجيع الفارس البطَلِ

يعلّها من نجيع الفارس البطَلِ

he who thrusts at the cavalry, his slender spear in his right hand,

And the piercer of the cavalry, his slender lance in his right hand,

giving it repeated draughts of the valiant horseman’s lifeblood.

gives them repeated draughts of the heroic horseman’s blood.

متوّج ببهاء المجد في حسبٍ

متوّج ببهاء المجد في حسبٍ

محله من صميم المجد في القُلَلِ

محله من صميم المجد في القُلَلِ

Crowned with glory’s splendor in a noble lineage,

Crowned with glory’s splendor, in a noble lineage

his station, in glory’s purest core, is upon the summits.

whose place lies in glory’s very heart, upon the peaks.

يحفّه من بني نبهان كل فتى

يحفّه من بني نبهان كل فتى

مكرّم برداء الفَضل مشتملِ

مكرّم برداء الفَضل مشتملِ

Around him gather, from the sons of Nabhan, all the young men,

He is surrounded by every young man of Banu Nabhan,

ennobled and wrapped in the robe of excellence—

honored, enfolded in the cloak of excellence.

صيد بهاليل أبطال إذا ركبوا

صيد بهاليل أبطال إذا ركبوا

يوماً أسالوا دمَ الفرسان بالاسلِ

يوماً أسالوا دمَ الفرسان بالاسلِ

lionhearted chiefs, noble lords, and champions who, whenever they ride,

Proud, magnanimous lords, heroes who, whenever they ride

make the horsemen’s blood flow beneath their spears.

on any day, make horsemen’s blood flow with lances.

وما أقَام قنا العَلْياء من أَوَدٍ

وما أقَام قنا العَلْياء من أَوَدٍ

إلاّ اعوجاجُ قنا الخَطيّة الذُّبلِ

إلاّ اعوجاجُ قنا الخَطيّة الذُّبلِ

No crookedness in the spear of lofty honor was ever made straight

And nothing straightened the shafts of high honor from crookedness

except by the bending of their slender Khattian spears.

except the bending of the slender Khatti spear-shafts.

هم الّذين أبانوا كل مكرمة

هم الّذين أبانوا كل مكرمة

وأوضحوا في المَعالي مسْلك السُبلِ

وأوضحوا في المَعالي مسْلك السُبلِ

They are the ones who made every noble virtue manifest

They are the ones who made every noble virtue manifest

and made clear the roads that lead to lofty honors.

and made clear the pathways to lofty attainment.

لم يعرفِ الجودَ إلاَ منهمُ وكذا

لم يعرفِ الجودَ إلاَ منهمُ وكذا

لولاهمُ لجهلنا مُنكَر البخلِ

لولاهمُ لجهلنا مُنكَر البخلِ

Generosity was known only through them; and likewise,

Generosity has been known only through them; and likewise,

but for them, we would not know how blameworthy miserliness is.

but for them, we would not have known the vileness of miserliness.

لما بَدا بينهم برقُ السّماحة في

لما بَدا بينهم برقُ السّماحة في

طُرق النّوال اهتداها وافد الأملِ

طُرق النّوال اهتداها وافد الأملِ

When the lightning of generosity flashed among them

When generosity’s lightning shone among them on

along the roads of bounty, hope’s envoy found its way.

the paths of bounty, the hopeful visitor found his way along them.

يهني أَبا القاسم الزّاكي مكارمُه

يهني أَبا القاسم الزّاكي مكارمُه

فإنها في المعالي غايةُ المثلِ

فإنها في المعالي غايةُ المثلِ

May his virtues bring joy to the pure Abu al-Qasim,

May his noble deeds gladden the virtuous Abu al-Qasim,

for in lofty deeds they are the utmost exemplar.

for in lofty attainments they are the highest ideal.

ودام للْمَجد والعَلْياءِ مغتذياً

ودام للْمَجد والعَلْياءِ مغتذياً

دَرّ المسرَّة بين المال والخَوَلِ

دَرّ المسرَّة بين المال والخَوَلِ

May he endure, nourished by glory and high estate,

And may he endure for glory and high honor, nourished by

while joy pours abundantly amid wealth and retainers.

joy’s flowing milk, amid wealth and retainers.

هذا ودونك بكراً بنتَ ساعتها

هذا ودونك بكراً بنتَ ساعتها

عجّلتُها فأتت في زِيّ مُعتدَلِ

عجّلتُها فأتت في زِيّ مُعتدَلِ

Here it is—take it: a virgin poem, daughter of its very hour;

Here, then, take a maiden poem, daughter of her very hour;

though I hurried its composition, it came in well-proportioned attire.

I hastened her, and she came in well-proportioned attire.