ومُتَيَّمٍ زَهَرَتْ بواقِصَةٍ لهُ

ومُتَيَّمٍ زَهَرَتْ بواقِصَةٍ لهُ

مَشْبوبَةٌ تَقْتادُ طَرْفَ العاشي

مَشْبوبَةٌ تَقْتادُ طَرْفَ العاشي

And many a lovesick man—for whom at Waqisah shone

With a tamyim flower that bloomed for him

A blazing fire, drawing the gaze of the dim-sighted,

Coquettish, leading the glance of the night companion

وتُضيءُ أحْوَرَ يَسْتَفِزُّ إِلى الصِّبا

وتُضيءُ أحْوَرَ يَسْتَفِزُّ إِلى الصِّبا

نِضْوَ المَشيبِ مُحالِفَ الإرْعاشِ

نِضْوَ المَشيبِ مُحالِفَ الإرْعاشِ

And lighting a dark-eyed beauty who rouses to youth

And lighting up the dark that provokes youth

A man worn down by gray hair, a companion of trembling—

The grayness of age conforming to trembling

ألِفَ الكَرى لمّا اطْمأنَّ فِراشُهُ

ألِفَ الكَرى لمّا اطْمأنَّ فِراشُهُ

وهَجرْتُهُ قَلِقاً عليَّ فِراشي

وهَجرْتُهُ قَلِقاً عليَّ فِراشي

Took to sleep when his bed grew still;

When the fates were settled, his bed calmed

But I forsook it, my bed restless beneath me.

And I abandoned him restless upon my bed

يا مَنْ يُؤرِّقُني هَواهُ ومَدْمَعي

يا مَنْ يُؤرِّقُني هَواهُ ومَدْمَعي

هَطِلٌ كَصَوْبِ العارِضِ الرّشّاشِ

هَطِلٌ كَصَوْبِ العارِضِ الرّشّاشِ

O you whose love keeps me awake, while my tears

O he who disturbs me, his love and my tears

Pour like the downpour of a rain-shedding cloud.

Pouring like the rain of the passing cloud

لمْ يَثْوِ حُبُّكَ في فؤادي وَحْدَهُ

لمْ يَثْوِ حُبُّكَ في فؤادي وَحْدَهُ

لكنْ جَرى في أعْظُمي ومُشاشي

لكنْ جَرى في أعْظُمي ومُشاشي

Your love did not dwell in my heart alone,

Your love did not diminish in my heart alone

But coursed through my bones and my cartilage.

But it flowed in my inner self and my mind

لا تَحْسَبِ السِّرَ الذي استَوْدَعْتَني

لا تَحْسَبِ السِّرَ الذي استَوْدَعْتَني

ممّا يَفُرُّ حَشايَ عنهُ الواشي

ممّا يَفُرُّ حَشايَ عنهُ الواشي

Do not think the secret you entrusted to me

Do not think the secret I confided in you

Can be pried from my breast by a talebearer.

Is what the slanderers' hearsay escapes from

والشّوقُ يحلُمُ عنهُ لولا ناظِرٌ

والشّوقُ يحلُمُ عنهُ لولا ناظِرٌ

سُلِبَ الوَقارَ بواكِفٍ طَيّاشِ

سُلِبَ الوَقارَ بواكِفٍ طَيّاشِ

And longing would hold its peace about it, but for an eye

And longing dreams of it, were it not for a watcher

Robbed of composure by an unruly, streaming tear.

Who lost dignity frequenting the frivolous

كالعُرْفِ يَكْتُمُهُ الأغَرُّ وعرْفُهُ

كالعُرْفِ يَكْتُمُهُ الأغَرُّ وعرْفُهُ

أرِجٌ تَنُمُّ بهِ المَدائِحُ فاشِ

أرِجٌ تَنُمُّ بهِ المَدائِحُ فاشِ

Like the kindness the noble man conceals, while its fragrance

Like well known fragrance concealed by the unblemished

Is sweet, betrayed by praises, spreading abroad.

A scent by which praises thrive and multiply

نَشَزَتْ عَرانينُ العُداةِ على البُرى

نَشَزَتْ عَرانينُ العُداةِ على البُرى

فأذَلّها بأزِمّةٍ وخِشاشِ

فأذَلّها بأزِمّةٍ وخِشاشِ

The enemies' noses rebelled against their nose-rings,

The forelocks of the enemies rose against the land

So he humbled them with reins and a nose-peg.

So he humiliated them with a firm and decisive blow

يَجلو دَياجيرَ الأمورِ برأيهِ

يَجلو دَياجيرَ الأمورِ برأيهِ

والدّهْرُ أغْبَرُ والخُطوبُ غَواشِ

والدّهْرُ أغْبَرُ والخُطوبُ غَواشِ

He dispels the deep darkness of affairs with his judgment,

His opinion clears the unknown of matters

While time is dust-dark and calamities engulf it.

And time is dusty, and calamities raging

وتُظِلُّ منهُ السّمْهَريّةُ ضَيْغَماً

وتُظِلُّ منهُ السّمْهَريّةُ ضَيْغَماً

قَلِقَ الصّوارِمِ مُطمَئِنَّ الجاشِ

قَلِقَ الصّوارِمِ مُطمَئِنَّ الجاشِ

And his stout spears shade a lion,

The swords gleam under its shade

With restless swords and an untroubled heart.

Disturbed, settled, ready to unsheathe

وكأنّ حائِمَةَ النّسورِ إذا غَزا

وكأنّ حائِمَةَ النّسورِ إذا غَزا

تأوي منَ القَتْلى إِلى أعْشاشِ

تأوي منَ القَتْلى إِلى أعْشاشِ

And the circling vultures, when he goes to war, seem

And it is as if the circle of eagles, when they invaded

To find refuge in nests made of the slain.

Swooped on the slain to their nests

يا سَعْدُ إنّ الصِّلَّ عِندَكَ مُطْرِقٌ

يا سَعْدُ إنّ الصِّلَّ عِندَكَ مُطْرِقٌ

فاحْذَرْ سُؤورَ مُنَضْنِضٍ نَهّاشِ

فاحْذَرْ سُؤورَ مُنَضْنِضٍ نَهّاشِ

O Sa'd, indeed the asp beside you has its head bowed;

Oh Saad, reconciliation with you has vanished

So beware the lunge of a tongue-flicking, fierce biter.

So beware the evils of a grumbling backbiter

واجْنُبْ أخاكَ كُلَّ حادِثِ نِعْمَةٍ

واجْنُبْ أخاكَ كُلَّ حادِثِ نِعْمَةٍ

آنَسْتَهُ فَجَزاكَ بالإيحاشِ

آنَسْتَهُ فَجَزاكَ بالإيحاشِ

And keep your brother clear of every newly wealthy man

And avoid, for your brother, any change of blessing

Whom you befriended, only to be repaid with estrangement.

You thought him a friend, yet he rewarded you with rejection

جَهِلَ الفَضيلَةَ فهْوَ يُنْكِرُ أهْلَها

جَهِلَ الفَضيلَةَ فهْوَ يُنْكِرُ أهْلَها

والشّمْسُ تُعْشي ناظِرَ الخَفّاشِ

والشّمْسُ تُعْشي ناظِرَ الخَفّاشِ

He knows no virtue, so he rejects those who possess it;

He is ignorant of merit, so he denies people of merit

And the sun blinds the bat's eye.

And the sun becomes dark to the eyes of bats

ويَشُبُّ ناراً لا يَرُدُّ زَفيرُها

ويَشُبُّ ناراً لا يَرُدُّ زَفيرُها

والليلُ مُعْتَكِرٌ طَنينَ فَراشِ

والليلُ مُعْتَكِرٌ طَنينَ فَراشِ

And he kindles a fire whose roar cannot repel—

He kindles a fire whose flames cannot be extinguished

While night is pitch-dark—the buzzing of moths.

And the night is camping, echoing with the sounds of mattresses

طارَتْ بهِ الخُيلاءُ إذْ جَذَبِ الغِنى

طارَتْ بهِ الخُيلاءُ إذْ جَذَبِ الغِنى

ضَبْعَيْهِ والطّيرانُ للمُرْتاشِ

ضَبْعَيْهِ والطّيرانُ للمُرْتاشِ

Pride carried him aloft when wealth tugged

Haughtiness carried him away when wealth pulled

At his upper arms; flight belongs to the feathered.

His forearms, and flying is for bats

ولقد بُليتُ بهِ بَلاءَ مُهَنَّدٍ

ولقد بُليتُ بهِ بَلاءَ مُهَنَّدٍ

بأبَلَّ لا وَرَعٍ ولا بَطّاشِ

بأبَلَّ لا وَرَعٍ ولا بَطّاشِ

And I have indeed been tried by him, as an Indian-steel sword is tried

And I was certainly afflicted with him an affliction of degradation

By a hardened rogue, neither devout nor fierce in battle.

With recklessness, neither dignity nor composure

فسَدَ الأنامُ فكُلُّ مَنْ صاحَبْتُهُ

فسَدَ الأنامُ فكُلُّ مَنْ صاحَبْتُهُ

راجٍ يُنافِقُ أو مُداجٍ خاشِ

راجٍ يُنافِقُ أو مُداجٍ خاشِ

Humankind has grown corrupt: everyone I have befriended

People are corrupt, so everyone I accompanied

Is a hopeful hypocrite or a fearful dissembler.

Was either a pretender or a rude lowlife

وإذا اخْتَبَرْتُهُمُ ظَفِرْتُ بباطِنٍ

وإذا اخْتَبَرْتُهُمُ ظَفِرْتُ بباطِنٍ

متجهِّمٍ وبِظاهِرٍ نَشّاشِ

متجهِّمٍ وبِظاهِرٍ نَشّاشِ

And when I test them, I find an inner self

And when I tested them, I found inside

Sullen, and a smiling exterior.

A scowling face, and outside, a smiling one

لا شِمْتُ بارِقَةَ اللّئيمِ وإنْ غَدَتْ

لا شِمْتُ بارِقَةَ اللّئيمِ وإنْ غَدَتْ

إبِلي تَلوبُ على صَرًى نَشّاشِ

إبِلي تَلوبُ على صَرًى نَشّاشِ

May I never watch for the ignoble man's lightning, even if

I do not gloat at the gleam of the miserable one, even if

My camels should circle thirstily around stagnant, sizzling water,

My camels stumble over rocky terrain

والشّمسُ راكِدةٌ يَذوبُ لُعابُها

والشّمسُ راكِدةٌ يَذوبُ لُعابُها

والظِّلُّ يَكْنِسُ تارَةً ويُماشي

والظِّلُّ يَكْنِسُ تارَةً ويُماشي

While the sun stands still, its spittle melting,

And the inactive sun, its spittle melting

And shade now hides in its lair, now keeps pace.

While shade sweeps, sometimes its sweeps slowly

وكأنّهُنَّ وهُنَّ يأْلَفْنَ الصّدَى

وكأنّهُنَّ وهُنَّ يأْلَفْنَ الصّدَى

مِنْ صَبْرِهنَّ عليهِ غَيْرُ عِطاشِ

مِنْ صَبْرِهنَّ عليهِ غَيْرُ عِطاشِ

And they seem, as they grow accustomed to thirst,

And it is as if they, while they adapt to the echo

Through their endurance of it, not to be thirsty.

With their patience upon it, not thirsty

فتبَرُّضُ العافي عُفافَةَ مِنْحَةٍ

فتبَرُّضُ العافي عُفافَةَ مِنْحَةٍ

يَحْبو بِها اللّؤَماءُ شَرُّ مَعاشِ

يَحْبو بِها اللّؤَماءُ شَرُّ مَعاشِ

So for a supplicant to milk the last drops of a bounty

So the lofty overlook the granting of gifts

Granted by the ignoble is the worst livelihood.

By which the despicable thrive, the worst livelihood

رُفِعَ الأظَلُّ على السّنامِ وأوطِئَتْ

رُفِعَ الأظَلُّ على السّنامِ وأوطِئَتْ

قِمَمَ السُّراةِ أخامِصَ الأوْباشِ

قِمَمَ السُّراةِ أخامِصَ الأوْباشِ

The camel's sole was raised above its hump, and trampled down

The heights were raised over the idols and the

Were the nobles' summits beneath the rabble's soles.

Tops of the mountains were lowered to the pits of lowlives