أَطاعَ عاذِلَهُ في الحُبِّ إِذ نَصَحا

أَطاعَ عاذِلَهُ في الحُبِّ إِذ نَصَحا

وَكانَ نَشوانَ مِن سُكرِ الهَوى فَصَحا

وَكانَ نَشوانَ مِن سُكرِ الهَوى فَصَحا

He obeyed his reprover in love when he offered counsel,

He obeyed his reproacher in love when he gave advice,

And he was drunk with passion's intoxication, then sobered.

Yet he was intoxicated with the drunkenness of passion and became sober.

فَما يُهَيِّجُهُ نَوحُ الحَمامِ إِذا

فَما يُهَيِّجُهُ نَوحُ الحَمامِ إِذا

ناحَ الحَمامُ عَلى الأَغصانِ أَو صَدَحا

ناحَ الحَمامُ عَلى الأَغصانِ أَو صَدَحا

So the doves' lament does not stir him when

So the cooing of the doves does not arouse him when

The doves mourn upon the branches or sing.

The doves coo on the branches or chirp loudly.

وَلا يُقيضُ عَلى الأَظعانِ عَبرَتَهُ

وَلا يُقيضُ عَلى الأَظعانِ عَبرَتَهُ

إِذا نَأَينَ وَلَو جاوَزنَ مُطَّلَحا

إِذا نَأَينَ وَلَو جاوَزنَ مُطَّلَحا

Nor does he shed his tears over the camel litters

Nor do his tears flow for the little branches

When they draw far away, even if they pass beyond Muttalah.

Even if he moans and goes beyond the sand dunes.

وَرُبَّما اِستَدعَتِ الأَطلالُ عَبرَتَهُ

وَرُبَّما اِستَدعَتِ الأَطلالُ عَبرَتَهُ

وَشاقَهُ البَرقُ مِن نَجدِ إِذا لَمَحا

وَشاقَهُ البَرقُ مِن نَجدِ إِذا لَمَحا

Yet sometimes the ruined camps called forth his tears,

Sometimes the ruins evoke his tears

And lightning from Najd stirred his longing when it flashed.

And lightning from Najd startles him when it flashes.

ما كانَ شَوقي بِبِدعِ يَومَ ذاكَ وَلا

ما كانَ شَوقي بِبِدعِ يَومَ ذاكَ وَلا

دَمعي بِأَوَّلِ دَمعٍ في الهَوى سُفِحا

دَمعي بِأَوَّلِ دَمعٍ في الهَوى سُفِحا

My longing was nothing new that day, nor

My yearning was not novel that day, nor

Were my tears the first tears shed in love.

Were my tears the first to flow in passion and pour forth.

وَلِمَّةٍ كُنتُ مَشغوفاً بِجِدَّتِها

وَلِمَّةٍ كُنتُ مَشغوفاً بِجِدَّتِها

فَما عَفا الشَيبُ لي عَنها وَلا صَفَحا

فَما عَفا الشَيبُ لي عَنها وَلا صَفَحا

And hair whose freshness I adored—

But for a nation I was engrossed by its ancientness

Gray hair neither spared it for me nor showed it mercy.

For which grey hair did not excuse me nor overlook.

إِذا نَسيتُ هَوى لَيلى أَشادَ بِهِ

إِذا نَسيتُ هَوى لَيلى أَشادَ بِهِ

طَيفٌ سَرى في سَوادِ اللَيلِ إِذ جَنَحا

طَيفٌ سَرى في سَوادِ اللَيلِ إِذ جَنَحا

Whenever I forgot my love for Layla, it was proclaimed anew

When I forget the love of Layla, an apparition

By an apparition that traveled through night's blackness as it fell.

Travels in the blackness of night when it spreads its wings.

دَنا إِلَيَّ عَلى بُعدٍ فَأَرَّقَني

دَنا إِلَيَّ عَلى بُعدٍ فَأَرَّقَني

حَتّى تَبَلَّجَ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ فَاِتَّضَحا

حَتّى تَبَلَّجَ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ فَاِتَّضَحا

It drew near to me from afar and kept me sleepless,

It drew near me from afar and kept me awake

Until dawn's light broke forth and shone clear.

Until the light of dawn shone clearly.

عَجِبتُ مِنهُ تَخَطّى القاعَ مِن إِضَمٍ

عَجِبتُ مِنهُ تَخَطّى القاعَ مِن إِضَمٍ

وَجاوَزَ الرَملَ مِن خَبتٍ وَما بَرِحا

وَجاوَزَ الرَملَ مِن خَبتٍ وَما بَرِحا

I marveled at it: it crossed the plain of Idam

I was astonished at how it crossed the plain out of concealment

And passed the sands of Khabt, yet never stirred.

And traversed the sands without stopping or resting.

ها إِنَّ سَعيَ ذَوي الآمالِ قَد نَجَحا

ها إِنَّ سَعيَ ذَوي الآمالِ قَد نَجَحا

وَإِنَّ بابَ النَدى بِالفَتحِ قَد فُتِحا

وَإِنَّ بابَ النَدى بِالفَتحِ قَد فُتِحا

Behold, the striving of those with hopes has succeeded,

Behold! The efforts of those hopeful have succeeded,

And the gate of bounty has been opened through al-Fath.

And the door of bounty has been opened wide.

أَغَرُّ يَحسُنُ مِنهُ الفِعلُ مُبتَدِئاً

أَغَرُّ يَحسُنُ مِنهُ الفِعلُ مُبتَدِئاً

نُعمى وَيَحسُنُ فيهِ القَولُ مُمتَدَحا

نُعمى وَيَحسُنُ فيهِ القَولُ مُمتَدَحا

A radiant man: fair are his deeds when he initiates

How excellent is he whose initial action is good,

A kindness, and fair are the words spoken in his praise.

While he is unseeing, and whose words earn praise.

رَدَّ المَكارِمَ فينا بَعدَما فُقِدَت

رَدَّ المَكارِمَ فينا بَعدَما فُقِدَت

وَقَرَّبَ الجودَ مِنّا بَعدَما نَزَحا

وَقَرَّبَ الجودَ مِنّا بَعدَما نَزَحا

He restored noble virtues among us after they were lost,

He restored virtues amongst us after they were lost

And brought generosity near us after it had gone far away.

And brought generosity near after it had recoiled.

لا يَكفَهِرُّ إِذا اِنحازَ الوَقارُ بِهِ

لا يَكفَهِرُّ إِذا اِنحازَ الوَقارُ بِهِ

وَلا تَطيشُ نَواحيهِ إِذا مَزَحا

وَلا تَطيشُ نَواحيهِ إِذا مَزَحا

He does not scowl when dignity draws him aside,

He does not become angry when dignity envelops him,

Nor does his bearing grow unsteady when he jokes.

Nor do his sides stir when he jokes.

خَفَّت إِلى السُؤدُدِ المَجفُوِّ نَهضَتُهُ

خَفَّت إِلى السُؤدُدِ المَجفُوِّ نَهضَتُهُ

وَلَو يُوازِنُ رَضوى حِلمُهُ رَجَحا

وَلَو يُوازِنُ رَضوى حِلمُهُ رَجَحا

Swift was his ascent to neglected eminence,

His determination softened to the pliable palm branches,

And were his forbearance weighed against Radwa, it would outweigh it.

And if his forbearance were weighed, it would prevail.

وَلَجَّ في كَرَمٍ لا يَبتَغي بَدَلاً

وَلَجَّ في كَرَمٍ لا يَبتَغي بَدَلاً

مِنهُ وَإِن لامَ فيهِ عاذِلٌ وَلَحى

مِنهُ وَإِن لامَ فيهِ عاذِلٌ وَلَحى

And he persisted in generosity, seeking no recompense

He persisted in a generosity that seeks no substitute,

For it, even if a reprover blamed him for it and rebuked him.

Even if a reproacher blames him and finds fault.

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الموفي بِغُرَّتِهِ

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الموفي بِغُرَّتِهِ

تَلَألُؤَ الشَمسِ لاحَت لِلعُيونِ ضُحى

تَلَألُؤَ الشَمسِ لاحَت لِلعُيونِ ضُحى

O king, whose radiant brow rivals

O king, fulfiller of his promise!

The sun's glitter as it appears to the eyes at midmorning,

The radiance of the sun beamed for the eyes at dawn.

هُناكَ أَنَّ أَعَزَّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

هُناكَ أَنَّ أَعَزَّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

عَلَيكَ غادى الغَداةَ الراحَ مُصطَبِحا

عَلَيكَ غادى الغَداةَ الراحَ مُصطَبِحا

May it gladden you that the dearest of all men

There, the most honorable of all people

To you sought the wine at dawn, taking his morning draught.

Came to you in the morning, happy and refreshed,

يَسُرُّهُ شُربُها طَوراً وَيَحزُنُهُ

يَسُرُّهُ شُربُها طَوراً وَيَحزُنُهُ

أَلّا تُنازِعَهُ في شُربِها القَدَحا

أَلّا تُنازِعَهُ في شُربِها القَدَحا

Drinking it delights him at times, and it saddens him

Pleased to drink it for a while, and saddened

That you do not vie with him for the cup as he drinks it.

That no goblet competes with him in drinking it.

قَدِ اِعتَلَلتَ أَوانَ اِعتَلَّ مِن شَفَقٍ

قَدِ اِعتَلَلتَ أَوانَ اِعتَلَّ مِن شَفَقٍ

عَلَيهِ فَاِصلُح لَنا بُرءاً كَما صَلَحا

عَلَيهِ فَاِصلُح لَنا بُرءاً كَما صَلَحا

You fell ill when he fell ill, out of concern

You became ill, or he became worried about you,

For him; so recover for our sake, as he has recovered.

So restore us to wellness just as you brought reconciliation.