أقول للغيث لما سال واديه

أقول للغيث لما سال واديه

تحدثي عن جفوني يا غواديهِ

تحدثي عن جفوني يا غواديهِ

I say to the rain, when its valley flowed:

I say to the rain when it flows in its valley,

Speak of my eyelids, O its morning showers.

Speak of my eyelids, O valleys!

بيني وبينك سر توصفين به

بيني وبينك سر توصفين به

لولا الحبيب لما نمت دواعيِهِ

لولا الحبيب لما نمت دواعيِهِ

Between you and me is a secret by which you are described;

Between you and me is a secret that you should describe,

but for the beloved, its stirrings would not have grown.

If not for the beloved, its motives would not have slept.

أمرت مزنا أجفانا بكيت بها

أمرت مزنا أجفانا بكيت بها

فمن أعارا ضوء البرق من فيه

فمن أعارا ضوء البرق من فيه

Have the eyelids through which I wept milked rainclouds?

I ordered eyelids that cry with it,

Then who lent lightning its light from his mouth?

So who lent the lightning its brightness?

أما وزورته والشهب ناعسة

أما وزورته والشهب ناعسة

والليل قد رق أو كادت حواشيهِ

والليل قد رق أو كادت حواشيهِ

Indeed, by his visit, while the stars were drowsy,

As if I visited him while the stars were asleep

and the night had thinned, or its edges had nearly done so,

And the night was soft or its edges had almost disappeared.

لقد وهي عزم صبري يوم ودَّعني

لقد وهي عزم صبري يوم ودَّعني

أحوي ضعيف نطاق الخصرواهيهِ

أحوي ضعيف نطاق الخصرواهيهِ

the resolve of my patience weakened the day he bade me farewell—

When he decided to be patient the day he bid me farewell,

a dark-lipped beloved with a slender, frail waist.

My feeble will embraced the weakness of my waist.

أهون الأمر أحيانا فاعتبه

أهون الأمر أحيانا فاعتبه

واستغيث فاخشى نخوة التيهِ

واستغيث فاخشى نخوة التيهِ

Sometimes I make light of the matter and reproach him,

The matter became easy at times so blame him,

and seek help, yet fear the pride of his haughtiness.

And seek help, fearing the magnanimity of misguidance.

جنيت من خده ورد الحياء على

جنيت من خده ورد الحياء على

عمد وقد كان يحميه تجنيه

عمد وقد كان يحميه تجنيه

I plucked from his cheek the rose of modesty,

I plucked a blush rose from his cheek,

deliberately, though his unfair reproaches had guarded it.

Purposely though he protected it with his gatherings.

عصيت في حبه من بات يعذلني

عصيت في حبه من بات يعذلني

وما أطعت الهوى إلا لأعصيهِ

وما أطعت الهوى إلا لأعصيهِ

For love of him I disobeyed the one who spent the night reproaching me,

I disobeyed the one who stayed up blaming me for his love,

and I obeyed passion only to disobey him.

And I obeyed passion only to disobey it.

ورب روض بريق الدن مغتبن

ورب روض بريق الدن مغتبن

لولا ثناياك لم تعرف قاحيه

لولا ثناياك لم تعرف قاحيه

And many a garden, cheated by the wine-jar's saliva,

By God, many a garden was shining in the light of dawn.

but for your front teeth, its [daisies] would not be recognized.

If not for your cheeks, it would not have known beauty.

باكرته وعيون الزهر ساهية

باكرته وعيون الزهر ساهية

وللصبا نشطات في نواحيهِ

وللصبا نشطات في نواحيهِ

I came to it early, while the flowers' eyes were heedless,

I came to him while the eyes of flowers were sleepy,

and the east wind stirred briskly about its reaches.

And the morning breeze became active in its corners.

أقول يا لائمي فيمن كلفت به

أقول يا لائمي فيمن كلفت به

اقامة الغصن أبطى أم تثنيهِ

اقامة الغصن أبطى أم تثنيهِ

I say: O you who blame me for the one I adore,

I say, O you who blame me for whom I was infatuated with:

is straightening the bough slower, or bending it?

Is keeping the branch upright better or bending it?

وذا الرلي عهاد المزن تبعثه

وذا الرلي عهاد المزن تبعثه

للرونض أم يدعون الدين توليهِ

للرونض أم يدعون الدين توليهِ

And this [unclear]—you send the clouds' recurring rain

And this supple twig, does the bending of ponds send it

to the [garden?]—or they invoke religion; you bestow upon him [wording unclear].

To the meadows, or do they call surrendering it to religion better?

لا تطلب النصر إلا من كتائبه

لا تطلب النصر إلا من كتائبه

ولا المعالي إلا من معانيه

ولا المعالي إلا من معانيه

Seek victory only from his battalions,

Do not seek victory but through his battalions,

and eminence only from his qualities.

Or glory but through his meanings.

لله أي وفاء في طويته

لله أي وفاء في طويته

وأي حزم وعزم كامن فبه

وأي حزم وعزم كامن فبه

God! What loyalty lies within his heart,

My God, what loyalty lies folded in him,

and what prudence and resolve lie hidden in him!

And what resolve and determination lies latent in him!

عضب الصرائم لم تكهم صوارمه

عضب الصرائم لم تكهم صوارمه

يوم اللقاء ولم تسلم أعاديدِ

يوم اللقاء ولم تسلم أعاديدِ

Keen in resolve, his swords did not grow blunt

The defiance of armours did not deafen his swords

on the day of battle, nor did his [enemies] escape unharmed.

The day of the meeting, nor did enemies survive.

قيل إذا قال عاف عن مواهبه

قيل إذا قال عاف عن مواهبه

قامت بحجة ما يولي دعاويهِ

قامت بحجة ما يولي دعاويهِ

A lord: when a suppliant speaks of his gifts,

It is said that when he pardons despite his gifts,

his claims stand as proof of what he bestows.

His arguments stand up for what he grants of claims.

تداركت كفه الإحسان وهو لقى

تداركت كفه الإحسان وهو لقى

فأوجدته ولجت في تلاقيهِ

فأوجدته ولجت في تلاقيهِ

His hand rescued beneficence when it lay cast aside,

His palm covered up kindness when he met

then brought it into being and persisted in meeting it.

So he manifested it and penetrated through its encountering.

يسالم القدر الجاري مسالمه

يسالم القدر الجاري مسالمه

طوعا له ويعادي من يعاديهِ

طوعا له ويعادي من يعاديهِ

Unfolding fate makes peace with whoever makes peace with him,

Fate willingly greets the flowing of his reign,

obedient to him, and opposes whoever opposes him.

And opposes whoever opposes him.

بلغت من زمني ما أرتجيه به

بلغت من زمني ما أرتجيه به

فليس ينشر ما أصبحت أطويه

فليس ينشر ما أصبحت أطويه

Through him I attained from my time what I hoped for,

I have reached in my time what I hoped for through him,

so it does not unfold what I now fold away.

So nothing spreads what I've started to fold.

يشب نار القرى والقور مظلمة

يشب نار القرى والقور مظلمة

والعام بالجدب قد شابت نواصيهِ

والعام بالجدب قد شابت نواصيهِ

He kindles hospitality's fire while the hills are dark,

The fire of torches burns while embers are dark,

and drought has grayed the forelocks of the year.

And the year is stained with drought at its tips.

خرق مرت يده خلف الرجاء لنا

خرق مرت يده خلف الرجاء لنا

فلا محالة أن يمترا راجيهِ

فلا محالة أن يمترا راجيهِ

A generous man, whose hand milked hope's teat for us,

Missing times have torn apart the hopes behind us

so whoever hopes in him is certain to [draw milk].

So it is inevitable that those hopeful will be deprived.

مقسم الرأي في ملكِ يدبره

مقسم الرأي في ملكِ يدبره

وعارض رجل الأرجاء يزجيه

وعارض رجل الأرجاء يزجيه

He divides his thought between a kingdom he governs

The advisor in the kingdom he arranges

and a cloud, rain-laden at its edges, that he drives onward.

And the hopeful man faces rejection.

لوسار سَاريه فيه لما سمعت

لوسار سَاريه فيه لما سمعت

أذناه من قاب قوس من يناديه

أذناه من قاب قوس من يناديه

If its night-traveler passed through it, he could not hear,

If his leadership were applied therein, his ears would not

with his ears, one calling him from a bow's length away.

Hear in the curvature of a bow anyone calling him.

يلقي على الليل ليلا من عجاجته

يلقي على الليل ليلا من عجاجته

ويقذف الشهب شهب من عواليهِ

ويقذف الشهب شهب من عواليهِ

It casts another night upon the night with its dust,

He casts upon the night a night of his violence,

and meteors from its long spears pelt the stars.

And throws stars, stars from his summits.

يقوده كل مسبوح الذراع جرى

يقوده كل مسبوح الذراع جرى

إلى الزمان فأعيا من يجاريه

إلى الزمان فأعيا من يجاريه

Every long-forelegged steed leads it, racing

Every glorified armed one whose hand flows

toward Time and exhausting whoever races alongside it.

To time races, exhausted from competing with him.

يعدو به لاحق إلا طلبن مشترف

يعدو به لاحق إلا طلبن مشترف

ما خالف الطير إلا في خوافيه

ما خالف الطير إلا في خوافيه

A lean, tall steed bears him at a gallop [middle wording unclear],

None races him except the swift-seeking

differing from birds only in its inner wing-feathers.

Who differ from birds only in their obscurities.

يعود لا يرى يوما له كفل

يعود لا يرى يوما له كفل

في غارة فهو يوم الروع هاديهِ

في غارة فهو يوم الروع هاديهِ

It returns; its rump is never seen

He returns without seeing a day for him to lean on

in a raid; on the day of terror it is his guide.

During an assault, so he is the guide of frightful days.

يغديك يا ذاكر المعروف كل فتى

يغديك يا ذاكر المعروف كل فتى

ينسى العطاء على عمد وينسيه

ينسى العطاء على عمد وينسيه

May every young man [ransom] you, O mindful of kindness,

He starts every youth who forgets

who deliberately forgets giving and makes others forget it;

Giving and intentionally forgets it.

مهون العرض ما أبيضت عوارفه

مهون العرض ما أبيضت عوارفه

للطالبين ولا أسيدت أثافيه

للطالبين ولا أسيدت أثافيه

one who cheapens his honor, whose favors have never shone white

How slight is honour whose ways are whitened

for petitioners, nor have his hearthstones [turned black].

To seekers and whose mornings are joyful!

به من البخل داء لا دواء له

به من البخل داء لا دواء له

إلا الهجاء وعندي ما يداويهِ

إلا الهجاء وعندي ما يداويهِ

He has a sickness of stinginess for which there is no cure

In him is a disease of stinginess incurable

save satire—and I have what will cure him.

Except by blame, and I have what cures him.

وما دعيت بيحيى إذ دعيت به

وما دعيت بيحيى إذ دعيت به

إلا لميت رجاء أنت محييه

إلا لميت رجاء أنت محييه

And you were not named Yahya, when you were so named,

I was not called Yahya when I was called it

save for dead hope that you bring back to life.

Except to revive a dead hope, you are its reviver.

والله لا ذل لاج أنت ناصره

والله لا ذل لاج أنت ناصره

يوما ولا ضل راج أنت هاديهِ

يوما ولا ضل راج أنت هاديهِ

By God, no one seeking refuge whom you aid will be abased,

By God, you are not weakened supporter of it,

ever; nor will a hopeful one whom you guide go astray.

One day, nor misguided, you are its guide!