لَجَّ في حُبِّ من هويت العَذولُ

لَجَّ في حُبِّ من هويت العَذولُ

إِذ رآني عَن حُبِّهِ لا أَزولُ

إِذ رآني عَن حُبِّهِ لا أَزولُ

The reproacher harped on my love for the one I loved,

He persists in loving one I adore

when he saw that I would not turn away from loving him.

Though he sees I won't turn from loving her

قلت لَم تدر ما الهَوى يا عَذولي

قلت لَم تدر ما الهَوى يا عَذولي

أَنتَ عِندي المَعذورُ فيما تَقولُ

أَنتَ عِندي المَعذورُ فيما تَقولُ

I said, "You do not know what love is, my reproacher;

I said "You don't know what passion is, my dear

in my eyes, you are excused for what you say."

To me you're forgiven for what you aver"

كَيفَ يَشكو من لَم يَذُق جَفنَ

كَيفَ يَشكو من لَم يَذُق جَفنَ

عينيهِ هجوعاً وَقلبه متبولُ

عينيهِ هجوعاً وَقلبه متبولُ

How can one complain whose eyelids have not tasted

How can one complain who's never felt

sleep, while his heart is love-stricken?

Sleepless eyes and a heart rent and distraught

مولع بِالغَرامِ مذ كانَ صَبّاً

مولع بِالغَرامِ مذ كانَ صَبّاً

ناحِلَ الجِسمِ قَد بَراهُ النُحولُ

ناحِلَ الجِسمِ قَد بَراهُ النُحولُ

Enthralled by passion ever since he was love-smitten,

One passion-mad since he was a lad

gaunt of body, worn away by wasting.

His body worn whom exhaustion fraught

رشأٌ أَغيدٌ دَعاني إِلَيهِ

رشأٌ أَغيدٌ دَعاني إِلَيهِ

مِن شقاء طرف أَحمّ كحيلُ

مِن شقاء طرف أَحمّ كحيلُ

A supple young gazelle—what called me to him

A sand-hill she, a dune that lured me to her

was, to my misfortune, a jet-black, kohl-dark gaze.

With the misery of a reddened charming eyelid

غُصنُ بانٍ يَميسُ غضاً رَطيباً

غُصنُ بانٍ يَميسُ غضاً رَطيباً

يَجذب الخصر منه ردفٌ ثَقيلُ

يَجذب الخصر منه ردفٌ ثَقيلُ

A bān-tree bough, swaying tender and fresh,

A willowy branch gently swaying with green freshness

his heavy haunches pulling at his waist.

That pulls at the waist - heavy of hip

يَخجل البدر في التَمامِ لحاظات

يَخجل البدر في التَمامِ لحاظات

حَواها وَجهٌ وَسيمٌ جَميلُ

حَواها وَجهٌ وَسيمٌ جَميلُ

Glances put the moon in its fullness to shame,

Ashamed is the full moon by her glances' luster

held in a handsome, beautiful face.

Her lovely face beautiful and fair

يَتَباهى بِبخلِهِ دون وَصلي

يَتَباهى بِبخلِهِ دون وَصلي

وَهوَ سمح عَلى بُعادي مُنيلُ

وَهوَ سمح عَلى بُعادي مُنيلُ

He boasts of his stinginess in denying me union,

He boasts of his stinginess from my union

yet is generous and lavish in keeping me away.

Yet he's generous to my remoteness, gentle and kind

إِن تَكُن هاجِري فَذاكَ لِذَنبٍ

إِن تَكُن هاجِري فَذاكَ لِذَنبٍ

كان مِنّي فَإِنَّني مُستَقيلُ

كان مِنّي فَإِنَّني مُستَقيلُ

If you forsake me, it is for a fault

If you're my departing one, that's for a sin

that I committed; therefore I seek pardon.

That was mine, for I am resigned

إِن تَذَكَّرت رَوضة الحَزن جادَت

إِن تَذَكَّرت رَوضة الحَزن جادَت

مِن جُفوني عليه تَترى هُمولُ

مِن جُفوني عليه تَترى هُمولُ

If I recall the meadow of al-Ḥazn, there pour

If I remember the garden of sorrow, there pours

from my eyelids upon it successive torrents of tears.

From my lids over it tear on tear

فَإِذا لَم أَنَل من الجودِ سُؤلي

فَإِذا لَم أَنَل من الجودِ سُؤلي

فَأَخو الجودِ سَيبهُ لي جَزيلُ

فَأَخو الجودِ سَيبهُ لي جَزيلُ

And if generosity does not grant my wish,

So if I don't get my request from generosity

the generous man's bounty to me is abundant.

The brother of generosity will leave me ample

رفده ناشىءٌ عَليَّ قَديماً

رفده ناشىءٌ عَليَّ قَديماً

وَحَديثاً إِلى التَنادي بطولُ

وَحَديثاً إِلى التَنادي بطولُ

His bounty has come to me in times past,

Sustained me, a youth, of old

and anew, enduring until the Day of Calling.

And still we have long converse

أَنا لَولاهُ لَم أُفارِق بِلادي

أَنا لَولاهُ لَم أُفارِق بِلادي

لا وَلا كنت عَن بِلادي أَزولُ

لا وَلا كنت عَن بِلادي أَزولُ

Without him, I would not have left my homeland;

Without him, I'd not have left my country

no, nor would I have gone away from my homeland.

Nor from my homeland parted

كل عافٍ يَهزُّهُ لِنَوالٍ

كل عافٍ يَهزُّهُ لِنَوالٍ

فَهوَ كايل سُنحُه مَبذولُ

فَهوَ كايل سُنحُه مَبذولُ

Every supplicant stirs him to bestow,

Each gainsayer it shakes into desiring

so he measures out gifts; his bounty is freely given.

So he pours out his gifts given free

لَم يَزد فيهِ ذاك عُجباً وَلَكِن

لَم يَزد فيهِ ذاك عُجباً وَلَكِن

زادَه رُتبة جداه الجَزيلُ

زادَه رُتبة جداه الجَزيلُ

That did not increase his conceit; rather,

That didn't increase wonder in him, but

his abundant giving raised him in rank.

Raised his rank, of great renown

هِمَّة همُّها اكتِسابُ المَعالي

هِمَّة همُّها اكتِسابُ المَعالي

فوق قطب العيوق لَيسَ يَزولُ

فوق قطب العيوق لَيسَ يَزولُ

An ambition intent on attaining lofty honors,

His ambition's ambition is attaining the heights

above the pole of al-ʿAyyūq, never wavering.

Above the celestial sphere he'll not descend

مَلِكٌ عِندَ سلمِهِ تأمن الدَهرَ وَفي حَربِهِ

مَلِكٌ عِندَ سلمِهِ تأمن الدَهرَ وَفي حَربِهِ

حُسامٌ صَقيلُ

حُسامٌ صَقيلُ

A king: in his peace you are safe from Time; in his war,

A king - in his peace safety is guaranteed, and in his war

a polished sword.

A sharpened blade

يا أَبا النَصرِ قَد نصرت ثغوراً

يا أَبا النَصرِ قَد نصرت ثغوراً

بَعدَ ما كانَ قَد عَلاه الخُمولُ

بَعدَ ما كانَ قَد عَلاه الخُمولُ

O Abū al-Naṣr, you have aided frontier towns,

O victor's father! You have given victory to frontiers

after obscurity had overshadowed them.

After they were bound in inertia

وَحقنت الدِماء في كُلِّ ثَغرٍ

وَحقنت الدِماء في كُلِّ ثَغرٍ

بك قَد قام عندك التَهليلُ

بك قَد قام عندك التَهليلُ

And you stemmed bloodshed in every frontier town;

And stopped bloodshed in every borderland

through you, the cry 'There is no god but God' arose in your presence.

Through you thanksgiving was upheld

هَكَذا تُملَك المَعاي فيبنى الحَمد

هَكَذا تُملَك المَعاي فيبنى الحَمد

وَالمَجد وَالثَناء الجَزيلُ

وَالمَجد وَالثَناء الجَزيلُ

Thus [lofty honors] are won, and praise is built,

Thus kingdoms are ruled, and praise built

and glory and abundant acclaim.

And ample glory and acclaim

وَالحَصيف الأَريب لا يَلزم الهَمَّ

وَالحَصيف الأَريب لا يَلزم الهَمَّ

بُدنياً عَمّا قَليل تَزولُ

بُدنياً عَمّا قَليل تَزولُ

The prudent, discerning man does not cling to worry

While the wary stranger does not persist

over a world that will soon pass away.

In worldly cares, little will endure

فابق واسلم ما دارَت الشَمس في الدُنيا

فابق واسلم ما دارَت الشَمس في الدُنيا

وَما قابل الغداة الأَصيلُ

وَما قابل الغداة الأَصيلُ

So live on and be safe, as long as the sun circles the world,

So live and be safe as long as the sun circles in the world

and as long as evening faces morning.

And the brisk east wind blows