بَعضَ هَذا المَلامِ وَالتَفنيدِ

بَعضَ هَذا المَلامِ وَالتَفنيدِ

لَيسَ هَجرُ النَوى كَهَجرِ الصُدودِ

لَيسَ هَجرُ النَوى كَهَجرِ الصُدودِ

Less of this reproach and fault-finding!

Some of this blame and refutation

Separation through distance is not separation through rejection.

Is not like abandoning the loved ones and estrangement

زَعَمَ العاذِلونَ أَنَّ الَّذي يُص

زَعَمَ العاذِلونَ أَنَّ الَّذي يُص

بيهِ نُجلُ العُيونِ غَيرُ رَشيدِ

بيهِ نُجلُ العُيونِ غَيرُ رَشيدِ

The reproachers claimed that he whom

The critics claimed that the one struck

wide eyes captivate is without good sense.

By the arrows of eyes is not wise

كَذَبَ العاذِلونَ قَد يَحسُنُ الحُب

كَذَبَ العاذِلونَ قَد يَحسُنُ الحُب

بُ بِمَن لَيسَ قَلبُهُ مِن حَديدِ

بُ بِمَن لَيسَ قَلبُهُ مِن حَديدِ

The reproachers lied: love may well be fitting

The critics lied, love can be good

for one whose heart is not of iron.

To one whose heart is not made of iron

يا رُبوعَ الدِيارِ إِنّي عَلى ما

يا رُبوعَ الدِيارِ إِنّي عَلى ما

قَد أَراهُ مِنكُنَّ غَيرُ جَليدُ

قَد أَراهُ مِنكُنَّ غَيرُ جَليدُ

O dwelling-grounds, faced with what

Oh dwellings of the home, I am unlike

I see of you, I have no strength to endure.

What I see in you, not unfeeling

أَخلَقَ الدَهرُ عَهدَكُنَّ وَلِلدَه

أَخلَقَ الدَهرُ عَهدَكُنَّ وَلِلدَه

رِ صُروفٌ يَخلِقنَ كُلَّ جَديدِ

رِ صُروفٌ يَخلِقنَ كُلَّ جَديدِ

Time has worn away your former days; and time

Time created your covenant and time

has vicissitudes that wear out every new thing.

Creates every new thing

فَرَّقَت شَملَنا النَوى بَعدَما كُنّا

فَرَّقَت شَملَنا النَوى بَعدَما كُنّا

جَميعاً في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ حَميدِ

جَميعاً في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ حَميدِ

Separation scattered our company after we had been

It separated our group after we were

together in the shade of a pleasant life.

Together in the shade of a pleasant life

لَو تَرانا عِندَ الوَداعِ وَقَد لَوَّ

لَو تَرانا عِندَ الوَداعِ وَقَد لَوَّ

نَ سَكبُ الدُموعِ وَردَ الخُدودِ

نَ سَكبُ الدُموعِ وَردَ الخُدودِ

If only you had seen us at farewell, when

If you could see us at the farewell when

the flow of tears colored the roses of our cheeks,

We shed tears and the cheeks turned back

حينَ ساروا بِغانِياتٍ وَسامٍ

حينَ ساروا بِغانِياتٍ وَسامٍ

آنِساتٍ حورِ المَدامِعِ غيدِ

آنِساتٍ حورِ المَدامِعِ غيدِ

when they departed with beautiful, fair women,

They walked away with melodies, renown

companionable, with dark pupils and bright whites, supple of figure.

Delightful, doe-eyed darlings of tears

يَتَلَفَّتنَ مِن بَعيدٍ وَيَنظِر

يَتَلَفَّتنَ مِن بَعيدٍ وَيَنظِر

نَ اِستِراقاً إِلى المُحِبِّ العَميدِ

نَ اِستِراقاً إِلى المُحِبِّ العَميدِ

They turn back from afar, and look

They glance from afar and look

furtively toward the love-stricken lover.

Secretly at the steadfast lover

يَتَهادَينَ حَولَ مُحوَرَّةِ العَي

يَتَهادَينَ حَولَ مُحوَرَّةِ العَي

نَينِ مُصفَرَّةِ التَرائِبِ رودِ

نَينِ مُصفَرَّةِ التَرائِبِ رودِ

They sway gracefully around one with eyes dark against white,

Circling around the pivot of eyes

yellow-tinted at the upper breast, tender and supple.

Yellowed by vigil and cares

أَعجَسلَتها النَوى فَما نِلتُ مِنها

أَعجَسلَتها النَوى فَما نِلتُ مِنها

طائِلاً غَيرَ نَظرَةٍ مِن بَعيدِ

طائِلاً غَيرَ نَظرَةٍ مِن بَعيدِ

Departure hurried her away; I gained from her

Their love busied them so I got

nothing of worth except a glance from afar.

Nothing from them but a distant glance

سَوفَ أُعطي السُلُوَّ وَالصَبرَ ما أُم

سَوفَ أُعطي السُلُوَّ وَالصَبرَ ما أُم

نَعُ مِن طارِفِ الهَوى وَالتَليدِ

نَعُ مِن طارِفِ الهَوى وَالتَليدِ

I shall give forgetfulness and patience what

I will give patience and solace all they

I am denied of love, both newly gained and long-held,

Prevent me of the passion and amity

بِالمَهارى يَلبَسنَ ثَوباً جَديداً

بِالمَهارى يَلبَسنَ ثَوباً جَديداً

مُستَفادَن في كُلِّ وَقتٍ جَديدِ

مُستَفادَن في كُلِّ وَقتٍ جَديدِ

through Mahri she-camels that don a new garment,

With finesse they don new clothes

newly acquired at every new moment.

Profitable at every new time

فَهِيَ طولَ النَهارِ بيضٌ وَطولَ ال

فَهِيَ طولَ النَهارِ بيضٌ وَطولَ ال

لَيلِ في أَقمُصٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ سودِ

لَيلِ في أَقمُصٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ سودِ

So all day they are white, and all

So they are white all day and all night

night they wear black tunics made of night.

In a black shirt from the night

طالِباتٌ في الغَوثِ غَوثاً سَكوباً

طالِباتٌ في الغَوثِ غَوثاً سَكوباً

وَحَميدَن في آلِ عَبدِ الحَميدِ

وَحَميدَن في آلِ عَبدِ الحَميدِ

Seeking overflowing succor in al-Ghawth,

Seeking relief intensely

and a praiseworthy man in the house of Abd al-Hamid.

And praiseworthy through the house of Abdul Hameed

جادَ حَتّى لَو اِستَزيدَ مِنَ الجَو

جادَ حَتّى لَو اِستَزيدَ مِنَ الجَو

دِ لَما كانَ عِندَهُ مِن مَزيدِ

دِ لَما كانَ عِندَهُ مِن مَزيدِ

He was so generous that, were he asked for greater generosity,

He was generous to the point that

he would have no more to add.

If asked for more, he had nothing left to give

خُلقٌ يا مُحَمَّدُ اِبنُ حُمَيدٍ

خُلقٌ يا مُحَمَّدُ اِبنُ حُمَيدٍ

حُزتَهُ عَن أُبُوَّةٍ وَجُدودِ

حُزتَهُ عَن أُبُوَّةٍ وَجُدودِ

A virtue, O Muhammad son of Humayd,

Oh Muhammad, son of Humeid

you inherited from fathers and forebears.

You took your morals not from fatherhood or ancestry

تَشهَدُ الحَربُ مِنكَ لَيثَ عَرينٍ

تَشهَدُ الحَربُ مِنكَ لَيثَ عَرينٍ

غَيرَ هَيّابَةٍ وَلا رِعديدِ

غَيرَ هَيّابَةٍ وَلا رِعديدِ

War witnesses in you a lion of the lair,

War sees you as a lion in its lair

neither fearful nor a trembling coward.

Without fear or thunder

أَسَدٌ يَركَبُ السُيوفَ إِذا ما

أَسَدٌ يَركَبُ السُيوفَ إِذا ما

قَلَّ تَحتَ السُيوفِ صَبرَ الأُسودِ

قَلَّ تَحتَ السُيوفِ صَبرَ الأُسودِ

A lion who rides upon swords whenever

A lion who rides the swords when

the fortitude of lions beneath swords wanes.

The patience of lions grows scarce under swords

يَتَخَطّى فيها رِقابَ المَنايا

يَتَخَطّى فيها رِقابَ المَنايا

غَيرَ ما ناكِلٍ وَلا مَزؤودِ

غَيرَ ما ناكِلٍ وَلا مَزؤودِ

He strides through it over the necks of death,

You stride over the necks of death

never recoiling, never terrified.

Without reluctance or being pushed

في نَهارٍ مِنَ السُيوفِ مُضيءٍ

في نَهارٍ مِنَ السُيوفِ مُضيءٍ

تَحتَ لَيلٍ مِن مُستَثارِ الصَعيدِ

تَحتَ لَيلٍ مِن مُستَثارِ الصَعيدِ

In a shining day made of swords,

In a day of shining swords

beneath a night of earth stirred into dust,

Under an aroused, dark night

وَعَوانٍ تُحَلُّ تَحتَ وَغاها

وَعَوانٍ تُحَلُّ تَحتَ وَغاها

عُقدَةُ الفارِسِ الشُجاعِ النَجيدِ

عُقدَةُ الفارِسِ الشُجاعِ النَجيدِ

and in a renewed battle, beneath whose din is undone

And helpers who under its haze

the knot of the brave, valiant horseman's resolve.

Undo the knot of the brave, excellent knight

يَخرَسُ الدارِعونَ فيها فَما يُس

يَخرَسُ الدارِعونَ فيها فَما يُس

مَعُ فيها إِلّا كَلامُ الحَديدِ

مَعُ فيها إِلّا كَلامُ الحَديدِ

The mail-clad men fall mute there, so nothing

The armored are silenced there, nothing

is heard there but the speech of iron.

Is heard but the speech of iron