أتَاني أنَّ مَنزِلَهَا الهِضَابُ

أتَاني أنَّ مَنزِلَهَا الهِضَابُ

وَمَنزِلَنَا الأبَاطِحُ والرّحَابُ

وَمَنزِلَنَا الأبَاطِحُ والرّحَابُ

Word reached me that her home was in the highlands,

News came that her abode was the highlands

And ours among the gravelly valleys and open expanses.

While ours were the flat plains and wide spaces

فَخَامَرَني لِرؤُيَتِهَا غَرَامٌ

فَخَامَرَني لِرؤُيَتِهَا غَرَامٌ

يَهُونُ لِمِثِلِهِ الخُطَطُ الصّعَابُ

يَهُونُ لِمِثِلِهِ الخُطَطُ الصّعَابُ

So a longing to see her possessed me,

So I was seized by a passion to see her

For such longing, arduous undertakings become easy.

For one like it obstacles seem easy

وَفي طَرقِي مَفَاوِزَ لَيسَ يَدرِي

وَفي طَرقِي مَفَاوِزَ لَيسَ يَدرِي

مَسَالِكَهَا لِبيضَتِهِ العُقابُ

مَسَالِكَهَا لِبيضَتِهِ العُقابُ

And on my way lay deserts where not even

My route held open deserts where none knows

The eagle knew the paths to its egg.

The paths but the soaring eagles

فَخُضتُ لَهَا التَّنَائِفَ تَحْتَ لَيلٍ

فَخُضتُ لَهَا التَّنَائِفَ تَحْتَ لَيلٍ

جَفَانِي فِيهِ أهْلِي والصّحَابُ

جَفَانِي فِيهِ أهْلِي والصّحَابُ

So for her I crossed the trackless wastes beneath a night

I crossed the wastes in the dark of night

In which my kin and companions had forsaken me,

My tribe and friends left behind

سِوى سَرجٍ تَحَمَّلَهُ سَبُوحٌ

سِوى سَرجٍ تَحَمَّلَهُ سَبُوحٌ

وَغَضْبٍ لا يَلَذُّ لَهُ قِرَابُ

وَغَضْبٍ لا يَلَذُّ لَهُ قِرَابُ

Save for a saddle borne by a swift steed,

Save a mount that bore me, Sabuh

And a keen sword that took no pleasure in a sheath.

And rage no kin can withstand

قَرَنْتُ بَيَاضَهُ بِسَوَادِ عَيِني

قَرَنْتُ بَيَاضَهُ بِسَوَادِ عَيِني

وَجَمَّعَنِي وَطَلْعَتَهُ النِّقَابُ

وَجَمَّعَنِي وَطَلْعَتَهُ النِّقَابُ

I paired its whiteness with the black of my eye,

I paired its whiteness to my eyes' darkness

And the veil brought me together with its face.

And my veil gathered me and its ascent

صَرَفْتُ ظِباهُ نَحْوَ

صَرَفْتُ ظِباهُ نَحْوَ

يُكَلِّمُهُ إذَا انْفَحَمَ الخِطَّابُ

يُكَلِّمُهُ إذَا انْفَحَمَ الخِطَّابُ

I turned its edges toward...

I turned its muzzle where none can speak

It speaks to him when speech is struck dumb.

When resolve is shattered and words fade

فَأنَّسَنِي وَوَحشُ اللَّيلِ يَسطُو

فَأنَّسَنِي وَوَحشُ اللَّيلِ يَسطُو

عَلَى أمْثَالِهِ ظُفُرٌ ونَابُ

عَلَى أمْثَالِهِ ظُفُرٌ ونَابُ

So it comforted me, while the beasts of night pounced

It gave me company though the night's beasts raged

Upon their own kind with claw and fang.

With claws and fangs against its like

وَشَاهَدْتُ المَنِيةَ دوُنَ سَلمَى

وَشَاهَدْتُ المَنِيةَ دوُنَ سَلمَى

وَكَانَ بُلُوغَهَا العجب العَجَابُ

وَكَانَ بُلُوغَهَا العجب العَجَابُ

And I beheld death before reaching Salma,

And I saw death itself short of Salma

And reaching her was the wonder of wonders.

And reaching it was wondrous strange

فَقَالَتْ مَن تُرَاهُ أعَزَّ مِنِّي

فَقَالَتْ مَن تُرَاهُ أعَزَّ مِنِّي

فَقُلْتُ وَحَقِّك المَلِكُ المُهَابُ

فَقُلْتُ وَحَقِّك المَلِكُ المُهَابُ

Then she said: Whom do you deem dearer than me?

It said "Who do you see mightier than I?"

I replied: By your honor, the king held in awe—

I said "By your truth, the mighty revered king"

أبو الحَسَنِ المُفِيضِ عَلى البَرَايَا

أبو الحَسَنِ المُفِيضِ عَلى البَرَايَا

مَحَاسِنَ لا يُحِيطُ بِهَا الحِسَابُ

مَحَاسِنَ لا يُحِيطُ بِهَا الحِسَابُ

Abu al-Hasan, who lavishes upon all creation

Abu al-Hasan the rain overflowing the land

Favors that no reckoning can encompass.

With beauties beyond all reckoning

هوَ البَاشَا الذِي خَضَعَتْ وذَلَّتْ

هوَ البَاشَا الذِي خَضَعَتْ وذَلَّتْ

لِسَطوتِهِ مِنَ الأمُمِ الرّقَابُ

لِسَطوتِهِ مِنَ الأمُمِ الرّقَابُ

He is the Pasha, to whom have bowed and yielded

He is the Pasha whom the nations' necks

The necks of nations before his might,

Bowed and bent to his might

بِنَفسٍ لاَ تَمِيلُ إلى وَضِيعٍ

بِنَفسٍ لاَ تَمِيلُ إلى وَضِيعٍ

وَكَفٍّ لاَ يُعادِلُهُ السَّحَابُ

وَكَفٍّ لاَ يُعادِلُهُ السَّحَابُ

With a soul that inclines to no base person,

With a soul that declines no disgrace

And a hand that the clouds cannot match,

And a palm no clouds equal

وَعَزمٍ يَنشدُ الثَّقَلانِ فِيِه

وَعَزمٍ يَنشدُ الثَّقَلانِ فِيِه

بِغَيِرِكَ صَارِماً ثُلِمَ الضّرّابُ

بِغَيِرِكَ صَارِماً ثُلِمَ الضّرّابُ

And a resolve of which humans and jinn chant:

A purpose seeking the two weights

With anyone but you as a sword, blows would blunt it.

Where without you the keenest blade is blunted