أَلا فَاِنصَحا مَن رامَ حَمدان شاعِراً

أَلا فَاِنصَحا مَن رامَ حَمدان شاعِراً

وَقولا لَهُ أَن لا يُعيد وَلا يُبدي

وَقولا لَهُ أَن لا يُعيد وَلا يُبدي

Come, you two, advise whoever sought Hamdan as a poet;

Listen well, whoever aspires to be praised as a poet

And tell him neither to repeat nor to begin.

Say to him not to repeat or express overly

لَقَد وَفَدت لِلشام مِنهُ خَريدة

لَقَد وَفَدت لِلشام مِنهُ خَريدة

وَفي جيدِها طَوق مِن الشُكر وَالحَمد

وَفي جيدِها طَوق مِن الشُكر وَالحَمد

A maiden indeed arrived in al-Sham from him,

She came to Damascus as an unripe date

With a necklace of gratitude and praise about her neck.

With, around her neck, a collar of gratitude and praise

وَأَمهرها مَن لَيسَ في الناس كُفؤُها

وَأَمهرها مَن لَيسَ في الناس كُفؤُها

فَضلت لَدى تِلكَ المَنازل عَن رَشد

فَضلت لَدى تِلكَ المَنازل عَن رَشد

And one who was no match for her among men gave her a dowry,

And she was married off to one not her equal among people

So by those dwellings she strayed from the right way.

So she went astray in those dwellings, lost from the right path

رَأَت كُل دارٍ غلَّق الشح بابَها

رَأَت كُل دارٍ غلَّق الشح بابَها

وَسَدَدها بِالجص وَالحَجَر الصَلد

وَسَدَدها بِالجص وَالحَجَر الصَلد

She saw every house: miserliness had locked its door,

She saw every house whose door was locked by stinginess

And sealed it with plaster and solid stone.

And blocked with plaster and hard stone

وَأَدركها اللَيل البَهيم فَحيرَت

وَأَدركها اللَيل البَهيم فَحيرَت

وَلا شَكَ إِن البكر تَخشى مِن الجُند

وَلا شَكَ إِن البكر تَخشى مِن الجُند

Pitch-black night overtook her, leaving her bewildered;

And the brutal night overtook her, so she wandered in confusion

And no doubt a virgin fears the soldiers.

No doubt a young woman fears the soldiers

عَرَتها لِفَقد الأَهل دَهشة غُربة

عَرَتها لِفَقد الأَهل دَهشة غُربة

فَقامَت عَلى الأَقدام تَرجف كَالسَعدي

فَقامَت عَلى الأَقدام تَرجف كَالسَعدي

Without her family, the shock of exile seized her,

Loneliness in a strange land terrified her

So she stood on her feet, trembling like al-Sa'di.

So she stood on her feet, shaking like a little bird

مُمَزَقة الجُلباب مَحلولة العَرى

مُمَزَقة الجُلباب مَحلولة العَرى

مُضيعة السروال بادية النهد

مُضيعة السروال بادية النهد

Her outer robe torn, its fastenings undone,

With her robe torn, her bodice undone

Her trousers lost, her breast exposed.

Her pants lost, her breasts exposed

تَقول أَضاع اللَهُ شَيخاً أَضاعَني

تَقول أَضاع اللَهُ شَيخاً أَضاعَني

وَيَهدي وَلَم يَدرِ الهَدايا لِمَن يَهدي

وَيَهدي وَلَم يَدرِ الهَدايا لِمَن يَهدي

She says, "May God ruin the old man who ruined me,

She says, “God has lost an old man and lost me

Who gives gifts without knowing to whom he gives them."

And guides whoever He wants, though He knows not who He guides.”

وَقالَت تَرى هَل أَبصَر الآن غيرة

وَقالَت تَرى هَل أَبصَر الآن غيرة

أَصون بِها عَرضي فَقُلت لَها عِندي

أَصون بِها عَرضي فَقُلت لَها عِندي

And she said, "Do you think I might now find protective zeal

She said, “Can I see any sign of jealousy now

To guard my honor?" I told her, "Here with me."

To protect my honor?” So I said to her, “I am here.”

فَقالَت لَعَل الدار دار ابن منجك

فَقالَت لَعَل الدار دار ابن منجك

أَمير دِمَشق الشام قُلت نَعَم جدي

أَمير دِمَشق الشام قُلت نَعَم جدي

She said, "Perhaps this is the house of Ibn Manjak,

She said, “Perhaps this is the house of Ibn Munjik

Emir of Damascus in al-Sham?" I said, "Yes—my grandfather."

The ruler of Damascus in Syria?” I said, “Yes, indeed.”

فَقابَلتها مني بِكُل تَحيَّة

فَقابَلتها مني بِكُل تَحيَّة

وَأَمهَرتها روحي وَافرَشتَها خَدي

وَأَمهَرتها روحي وَافرَشتَها خَدي

So I welcomed her with all my greetings,

So I greeted her courteously

And gave her my soul as dowry, and made my cheek her bed.

And lavished my soul upon her and offered her my cheek

وَمَتَعت فيها حَيث أَوهَمت أَنَّها

وَمَتَعت فيها حَيث أَوهَمت أَنَّها

ترد شَبابي إِذ خَلَوت بِها وَحدي

ترد شَبابي إِذ خَلَوت بِها وَحدي

And I took delight in her, for she made me imagine that she

And enjoyed myself with her, making her think

Would restore my youth when I was alone with her.

That I could regain my youth when alone with her

فَقُلتُ لِمَن وافيت قالَت مُروعة

فَقُلتُ لِمَن وافيت قالَت مُروعة

إِلى ذَلِكَ الجردان في صُحبة القرد

إِلى ذَلِكَ الجردان في صُحبة القرد

Then I asked, "To whom did you go?" She answered, terrified,

So I said, “To whom have you come?” She said, frightened,

"To that animal's penis, in the monkey's company."

“To that monkey in the company of monkeys.”

وَغَنَت بِبَيت ما سَمعت بِمِثلِهِ

وَغَنَت بِبَيت ما سَمعت بِمِثلِهِ

كَسانيَ في قَيظ الزَمان حَلى البَرد

كَسانيَ في قَيظ الزَمان حَلى البَرد

And she sang a verse the like of which I had never heard,

And she sang a verse the likes of which I’d never heard

Which clothed me, in the scorching heat of time, in cold's adornments:

That pierced through the heat of time like ice.

أَخا عَزمات لَو يَنال بِبَعضِها

أَخا عَزمات لَو يَنال بِبَعضِها

مِن النَقد الواهي وَهَت صَولة الأَسَد

مِن النَقد الواهي وَهَت صَولة الأَسَد

"O man of resolves—if through some of them he gained

“Dear brother, your resolve, if even partly gained

Some paltry coin, the lion's onslaught would falter;

From unstable money, would fell the lion’s charge

وَذاكَ الَّذي ما لَيسَ يَشري بشعرة

وَذاكَ الَّذي ما لَيسَ يَشري بشعرة

وَلَو نَبَتت مِنهُ السبال عَلى فَهد

وَلَو نَبَتت مِنهُ السبال عَلى فَهد

And he is the one who will not buy for so much as a hair,

And that one who does not pay for a single hair

Even if his whiskers sprouted on a leopard."

Even if the tresses sprouted on his noble steed.”

فَظنت باني لا أُطيل مَقامَها

فَظنت باني لا أُطيل مَقامَها

لَدَيَّ وَخافَت وَسمة الطَرد وَالبُعد

لَدَيَّ وَخافَت وَسمة الطَرد وَالبُعد

She thought that I would not prolong her stay

I thought to not prolong her stay with me

With me, and feared the stigma of expulsion and separation.

And she feared the threat of expulsion and banishment

فَقُلت أَنعِمي بالاً وَقري أَعيُناً

فَقُلت أَنعِمي بالاً وَقري أَعيُناً

فَمِن بَرّ نادينا الأَرامل تَستَجدي

فَمِن بَرّ نادينا الأَرامل تَستَجدي

I said, "Be at ease, and let your eyes rejoice;

So I said, “Live comfortably and rest your eyes

For widows seek alms from our assembly's bounty.

For it is righteous to host widows seeking charity.”

أَقيمي إِلى أَن تَشتَهي السَير عِندَنا

أَقيمي إِلى أَن تَشتَهي السَير عِندَنا

وَرُوحي لِمَن تَبغي وَخِفي بِلا طَرد

وَرُوحي لِمَن تَبغي وَخِفي بِلا طَرد

Stay with us until you wish to leave,

“Stay as long as you wish to leave us

And go to whomever you wish; depart without being driven out."

And go wherever you want, without expulsion.”

فَقالَت تَرفق ما التَحَجُب عادَتي

فَقالَت تَرفق ما التَحَجُب عادَتي

وَلا أَنا في حَجر الصِيانة مِن مَهدي

وَلا أَنا في حَجر الصِيانة مِن مَهدي

She said, "Be gentle: veiling is not my custom,

She said, “I’m not accustomed to seclusion

Nor, since my cradle, have I been in chastity's keeping."

Nor was I raised in the lap of chastity from my cradle.”

فَغابَت وَأَبَت مثل لَمحة بارق

فَغابَت وَأَبَت مثل لَمحة بارق

وَتَبكي بُكاءَ المُستَهام مِن الوَجد

وَتَبكي بُكاءَ المُستَهام مِن الوَجد

Then she vanished and returned like a flash of lightning,

She left suddenly like a flashing lightning

And wept with longing like one maddened by love.

And cried the crying of one in anguish and ecstasy

فَقُلت عَلى مَن تَندبين فَولولت

فَقُلت عَلى مَن تَندبين فَولولت

وَقالَ لَقَد ماتَ الحِمار مِن الكَد

وَقالَ لَقَد ماتَ الحِمار مِن الكَد

I asked, "For whom do you lament?" She wailed

I said, “For whom do you wail?” She howled

And said, "The donkey has indeed died of toil.

“Alas the donkey is dead from exhaustion!”

وَعِنديَ شوم لَو طَرحت أَقلهُ

وَعِنديَ شوم لَو طَرحت أَقلهُ

عَلى كُل مِن بَعدي لَكانَ بِهِ يَعدي

عَلى كُل مِن بَعدي لَكانَ بِهِ يَعدي

And I bear such ill fortune that, were I to cast the least of it

“And I have bad luck—if I threw just a little

Upon all who come after me, each would spread its contagion."

It would afflict all who come after me.”

فَقُلتُ إِلى أَي المَناحيس تَنتَمي

فَقُلتُ إِلى أَي المَناحيس تَنتَمي

فَقالَت طويس كانَ زَوجي بِلا عَقد

فَقالَت طويس كانَ زَوجي بِلا عَقد

I asked, "To which of the ill-starred do you belong?"

I said, “To which perversions do you belong?”

She said, "Tuways was my husband, without a marriage contract."

She said, “I was the wife of the baboon without marriage contract.”

فَقُلت اِذهَبي ايان شئت ذَميمة

فَقُلت اِذهَبي ايان شئت ذَميمة

وَراجعة مِن غَير إرث وَلا نَقدِ

وَراجعة مِن غَير إرث وَلا نَقدِ

I said, "Go whenever you please, despised,

So I said, “Go wherever you want, despicable one,

And returning with neither inheritance nor cash."

Returning without inheritance or dowry.”