إِذا المُزنُ أَغفى وَالكَلالُ يَمسُّهُ

إِذا المُزنُ أَغفى وَالكَلالُ يَمسُّهُ

تَشَبَّثَ بِالأَضلاعِ مِن جَمرِهِ وَقدُ

تَشَبَّثَ بِالأَضلاعِ مِن جَمرِهِ وَقدُ

When the rainclouds doze, and weariness touches them,

When sadness overwhelms and lethargy touches him,

a blaze from their embers clings to my ribs,

He clings to the ribs with the embers of his passion,

يَلوحُ كتوشيعِ اليماني وَأَدمُعي

يَلوحُ كتوشيعِ اليماني وَأَدمُعي

تَفيضُ وَقَد شابَ النَجيعَ بها الوَجدُ

تَفيضُ وَقَد شابَ النَجيعَ بها الوَجدُ

gleaming like Yemeni patternwork, while my tears

My tears flow copiously and my lament has turned grey,

overflow, longing having mingled fresh blood with them.

Between Warqah and Al-Hima there still remains a house,

فَلا زالَ دارٌ بَينَ وَجرَةَ وَالحِمى

فَلا زالَ دارٌ بَينَ وَجرَةَ وَالحِمى

يَروحُ إِلى أَطلالِها لِها الصَبُّ أَو يَغدو

يَروحُ إِلى أَطلالِها لِها الصَبُّ أَو يَغدو

So may a dwelling between Wajrah and al-Hima endure,

He goes to its ruins, morning or evening,

the lovelorn visiting its ruins for her sake, at evening or dawn.

When you look, the white gazelle dances with its glance,

إِذا نَظَرتَ فالرِّيمُ يَرنو بِطَرفِها

إِذا نَظَرتَ فالرِّيمُ يَرنو بِطَرفِها

وَإِن سَفَرَت فالشَّمسُ مِن وَجهِها تَبدو

وَإِن سَفَرَت فالشَّمسُ مِن وَجهِها تَبدو

When you look, the white gazelle gazes through her eyes;

And when it travels, the sun rises from its face,

and if she unveils, the sun appears from her face.

Mimicking the she-camel’s gait and slim at the waist,

تُحاكي النَّقا رِدفاً وَبالخَصرِ دِقَّهٌ

تُحاكي النَّقا رِدفاً وَبالخَصرِ دِقَّهٌ

وَأَعلى القَنا لَحظاً وَسائِرُهُ قَدُّ

وَأَعلى القَنا لَحظاً وَسائِرُهُ قَدُّ

Her hips resemble a sand dune, and her waist is slender;

Higher up slender, the rest firm,

her glance resembles spearheads, and her stature their shafts.

Like a garden dripping dew from its freshness,

وَكالرَّوضِ يَرفَضُّ النَّدى مِن عِذارِهِ

وَكالرَّوضِ يَرفَضُّ النَّدى مِن عِذارِهِ

غَدا يَرتَوي مِن فَيضِ عَبرَتِها الخَدُّ

غَدا يَرتَوي مِن فَيضِ عَبرَتِها الخَدُّ

And like a meadow from whose borders dew spills,

In the morning the cheek imbibes from the stream of its tears,

her cheek came to drink its fill from the flood of her tears.

At parting it stretched out fingers,

وَقَد بَسَطَت عِندَ الوَداعِ أَنامِلاً

وَقَد بَسَطَت عِندَ الوَداعِ أَنامِلاً

لَها في دَمي لَونٌ وَمِن دَمعِها جِلْدُ

لَها في دَمي لَونٌ وَمِن دَمعِها جِلْدُ

And at farewell she stretched out fingers

That matched my blood in color and my skin from its tears,

whose color was in my blood, whose skin was of her tears.

I brought my forearms close for a journey,

وَقَرَّبتُ فَتلاءَ الذِّراعِ لِرِحلَةٍ

وَقَرَّبتُ فَتلاءَ الذِّراعِ لِرِحلَةٍ

بِها تُدفَعُ الجُلَّى وَيُستَمطَرُ الرِّفدُ

بِها تُدفَعُ الجُلَّى وَيُستَمطَرُ الرِّفدُ

And I brought up a strong-forelegged she-camel for a journey,

With it jewels are shed and rain is sought.

on which great calamity is repelled and bounty sought like rain.

And my friends when they mounted their racing steeds,

وَصَحبي إِذا أَغْشَوْا مَطيَّهُمُ الرُّبا

وَصَحبي إِذا أَغْشَوْا مَطيَّهُمُ الرُّبا

دَعا بِالَّذي تَحثوهُ مِن تُربِها الوَهدُ

دَعا بِالَّذي تَحثوهُ مِن تُربِها الوَهدُ

And my companions, when they drive their mounts over the hills,

Called out what the soil urges from its affection.

the hollows calling for the soil scattered from those hills,

They say why do you ride in the fading dusk,

يَقولونَ لي كَم أَمتَطي غارِبَ الدُّجى

يَقولونَ لي كَم أَمتَطي غارِبَ الدُّجى

وَتَبغي الغِنَى وَالجِدُّ يَعنيكَ لا الكَدُّ

وَتَبغي الغِنَى وَالجِدُّ يَعنيكَ لا الكَدُّ

say to me: 'How long must I ride the crest of darkness,

Seeking wealth while toil concerns you not poverty.

while you seek wealth? Fortune, not toil, is what concerns you.'

I said do not despair for I

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَيأَسوا مِنهُ إِنَّني

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَيأَسوا مِنهُ إِنَّني

أُحاوِلُهُ ما دامَ مِن صارِمي حَدُّ

أُحاوِلُهُ ما دامَ مِن صارِمي حَدُّ

So I told them: 'Do not despair of it, for I

Will keep trying as long as my sword is sharp,

pursue it as long as my keen sword retains an edge.'

I have not turned the sad one back though his breath

وَلَم أَستَدِرَّ المُزنَ يَقدُمُ وَدقَهُ

وَلَم أَستَدِرَّ المُزنَ يَقدُمُ وَدقَهُ

بُرَيقٌ كَما يَفتَرُّ عَن سِقطِهِ الزِّندُ

بُرَيقٌ كَما يَفتَرُّ عَن سِقطِهِ الزِّندُ

Nor have I coaxed rain from clouds whose showers are heralded

Pants like sparks bursting forth from collision of flint.

by a faint flash, like a fire-stick smiling to bare its sparks.

For me many graces for relieving religion,

فَلي مِن غياثِ الدِّينِ نَعماءُ ثَرَّةٌ

فَلي مِن غياثِ الدِّينِ نَعماءُ ثَرَّةٌ

يُقَطِّعُ أَنفاسَ الحَيا دونَها الجَهْدُ

يُقَطِّعُ أَنفاسَ الحَيا دونَها الجَهْدُ

For I have abundant bounty from Ghiyath al-Din,

That sever the neck veins before it exertion.

exhaustion cutting off rain's breath before it can match it.

And he who possessed the hoped for lightning, his gifts

وَمَن مَلَكَ البَرقَ المُرَجّى نَوالُهُ

وَمَن مَلَكَ البَرقَ المُرَجّى نَوالُهُ

نَدىً لَم يُراقِب دونَ نَفحَتِهِ الرَّعدُ

نَدىً لَم يُراقِب دونَ نَفحَتِهِ الرَّعدُ

And whoever possesses the lightning whose bounty is hoped for

A freshness that thunder does not monitor without its breeze.

as largesse need not await thunder before its outpouring.

When you visit him and weakness burns his fang,

إِذا زُرتَهُ وَالوَهنُ يَحرِقُ نابَهُ

إِذا زُرتَهُ وَالوَهنُ يَحرِقُ نابَهُ

ثَنى صَرفَهُ عَنّي وَأَنيابُهُ دَردُ

ثَنى صَرفَهُ عَنّي وَأَنيابُهُ دَردُ

When you visit him, while weakness gnashes its fang,

He turns it away from me though it gnashes,

he turns its affliction away from me, its fangs blunted.

Savagery prevails and his day is always

وَيَغشى الوَغى وَاليَومُ قانٍ أَديمُهُ

وَيَغشى الوَغى وَاليَومُ قانٍ أَديمُهُ

بَعَضبٍ لَهُ مِن هامَةِ البَطَلِ الغِمدُ

بَعَضبٍ لَهُ مِن هامَةِ البَطَلِ الغِمدُ

And he plunges into battle, the day's skin crimson,

Hostile, possessing the wrath of the sheathed hero’s sword,

with a keen blade whose sheath is a champion's skull.

A short man brings them near what they intend,

يُقَرِّبُهُم مِمّا يَرومونَ ضُمَّرٌ

يُقَرِّبُهُم مِمّا يَرومونَ ضُمَّرٌ

عِتاقٌ تَساوى عِندَها القُربُ وَالبُعدُ

عِتاقٌ تَساوى عِندَها القُربُ وَالبُعدُ

Lean steeds bring them nearer to what they seek,

Equalizing proximity and distance before it.

nobly bred, for whom nearness and distance are alike.

From coarse villages he left it for him,

مِنَ القرَياتِ الجُلحِ خَلَّفَها لَهُ

مِنَ القرَياتِ الجُلحِ خَلَّفَها لَهُ

أَبٌ حينَ واراهُ وُقيتَ الرَدى لَحدُ

أَبٌ حينَ واراهُ وُقيتَ الرَدى لَحدُ

from the bare villages, left to him

A father when he entrusted him the time of calamity.

by a father, when a grave hid him—may you be spared death.

When spring arrives it does not tremble

وليسَ إذا حلَّ الرَّبيعُ نِطاقَهُ

وليسَ إذا حلَّ الرَّبيعُ نِطاقَهُ

يَرِفُّ بِها الحَوذانُ والنَّفَلُ الجعدُ

يَرِفُّ بِها الحَوذانُ والنَّفَلُ الجعدُ

Nor, when spring loosens its girdle,

With joy or fresh shoots or the tufted greenery,

do buttercups and curly clover sway there.

The muddy partridge fears losing its way in it,

وَيَخشى القَطا الكُدْرِيُّ فيها ضَلالَهُ

وَيَخشى القَطا الكُدْرِيُّ فيها ضَلالَهُ

وَيَشكو لَظاها في أَداحيِّها الرُّبْدُ

وَيَشكو لَظاها في أَداحيِّها الرُّبْدُ

The dusky sandgrouse fears losing its way there,

And complains of its harshness in its plains the dew.

and gray ostriches complain of that scorching heat in their ground-nests.