لا يَبعَدِ اللَهوُ في أَيّامِنا المودي

لا يَبعَدِ اللَهوُ في أَيّامِنا المودي

وَلا غُلُوُّ الهَوى في الغارَةِ الرودِ

وَلا غُلُوُّ الهَوى في الغارَةِ الرودِ

May the vanishing pleasure of our days never perish,

Playfulness in our days is no stranger,

nor love's excess for the gentle, jealous woman,

Nor the excess of passion in the ardent lover.

وَجِدَّةُ الشَعَراتِ السودِ يُرجِعُها

وَجِدَّةُ الشَعَراتِ السودِ يُرجِعُها

بيضاً تَتابُعُ مَرِّ البيضِ وَالسودِ

بيضاً تَتابُعُ مَرِّ البيضِ وَالسودِ

nor the freshness of black hairs, which are turned

The blackness of my hair makes it white again,

white by the successive passing of white days and black nights.

Successive white and black as days go by.

لَو كانَ في الحِلمِ مِن جَهلٍ مَضى عِوَضٌ

لَو كانَ في الحِلمِ مِن جَهلٍ مَضى عِوَضٌ

لَم أَذمُمِ الشَيبَ في قَولي وَمَعقودي

لَم أَذمُمِ الشَيبَ في قَولي وَمَعقودي

If wisdom offered recompense for folly gone by,

If there was compensation in dreams for past ignorance,

I would not condemn gray hair in my words and inward convictions.

I would not regret the white in my words and poems.

تِلكَ البَخيلَةُ ما وَصلي بِمُنصَرِفٍ

تِلكَ البَخيلَةُ ما وَصلي بِمُنصَرِفٍ

عَنها وَلا صَدُّها عَنّي بِمَصدودِ

عَنها وَلا صَدُّها عَنّي بِمَصدودِ

That ungenerous woman—my devotion does not turn

That miserly one did not connect with me,

away from her, nor is her rejection of me checked.

Neither her turning away nor my being turned from her.

أَلَمَّ بي طَيفُها وَهناً فَأَعوَزَهُ

أَلَمَّ بي طَيفُها وَهناً فَأَعوَزَهُ

عِندي وُجودُ كَرىً بِالدَمعِ مَطرودِ

عِندي وُجودُ كَرىً بِالدَمعِ مَطرودِ

Her phantom visited me late at night, but could not find

Her phantom pained me in my weakness,

sleep with me, for tears had driven it away.

And I was consoled by shedding copious tears.

إِن يَثلِمِ الحُبُّ في رَأيٍ فَرُبَّتَما

إِن يَثلِمِ الحُبُّ في رَأيٍ فَرُبَّتَما

عَزمٍ ثَلَمتُ بِهِ صُمَّ الجَلاميدِ

عَزمٍ ثَلَمتُ بِهِ صُمَّ الجَلاميدِ

If love chips away at my judgment, yet many a

If love breaks resolve now and then

resolve have I used to cleave unyielding boulders.

I have broken the resolve of mighty heroes.

قَد عَلِمَ الباحِثُ الشَنآنُ ما حَسبي

قَد عَلِمَ الباحِثُ الشَنآنُ ما حَسبي

وَبانَ لِلعاجِمِ المُجتَسِّ ما عودي

وَبانَ لِلعاجِمِ المُجتَسِّ ما عودي

The hostile inquirer has learned what honor is mine,

The hostile investigator knew my worth,

and the probing tester has seen what timber I am made of.

And the foreigner understood my custom.

لا أَمدَحُ المَرءَ أَقصى ما يَجودُ بِهِ

لا أَمدَحُ المَرءَ أَقصى ما يَجودُ بِهِ

نَيلٌ يُكَسَّرُ مِن حافاتِ جُلمودِ

نَيلٌ يُكَسَّرُ مِن حافاتِ جُلمودِ

I do not praise a man whose utmost giving is

I do not praise a man to the utmost he gives

a gift chipped from the edges of a boulder.

A brook bursts forth from the sides of ice.

حَسبي بِأَحمَدَ إِحساناً يُبَلِّغُني

حَسبي بِأَحمَدَ إِحساناً يُبَلِّغُني

مَدى الغِنى وَبِفِعلٍ مِنهُ مَحمودِ

مَدى الغِنى وَبِفِعلٍ مِنهُ مَحمودِ

Ahmad is enough for me, with kindness that brings me

I am content with Ahmed's kindness,

to the fullness of wealth, and with praiseworthy deeds from him.

It shows me the extent of wealth and his praise.

رَطبُ الغَمامِ إِذا ما اِستُمطِرَت يَدُهُ

رَطبُ الغَمامِ إِذا ما اِستُمطِرَت يَدُهُ

جاءَت مَواهِبُهُ قَبلَ المَواعيدِ

جاءَت مَواهِبُهُ قَبلَ المَواعيدِ

His cloud is rain-laden; whenever his hand is asked for rain,

The ripe fruit of the clouds, when his hand rains,

his gifts arrive ahead of their promised times.

His gifts come before their time.

مُثرٍ مِنَ الحَسَبِ الزاكي إِذا ذَكَروا

مُثرٍ مِنَ الحَسَبِ الزاكي إِذا ذَكَروا

عُلاهُ أَلقَوا إِلَيهِ بِالمَقاليدِ

عُلاهُ أَلقَوا إِلَيهِ بِالمَقاليدِ

Rich in flourishing honor; whenever they mention

The proud noble stock, when they mention

his eminence, they surrender the keys to him.

His excellence, they submit to him.

مُحَسَّدٌ وَكَأَنَّ المَكرُماتُ أَبَت

مُحَسَّدٌ وَكَأَنَّ المَكرُماتُ أَبَت

أَن توجِدَ الدَهرَ إِلّا عِندَ مَحسودِ

أَن توجِدَ الدَهرَ إِلّا عِندَ مَحسودِ

Much envied—as though noble virtues refused

Envied, as if favors refused

ever to be found except in an envied man.

To be found in anyone but the envied.

وَأَصيَدُ الخَدِّ عَن إِكثارِ عاذِلِهِ

وَأَصيَدُ الخَدِّ عَن إِكثارِ عاذِلِهِ

إِنَّ النَدى مِن عَتادِ السادَةِ الصيدِ

إِنَّ النَدى مِن عَتادِ السادَةِ الصيدِ

And he proudly turns his cheek from his critic's repeated blame;

And the prey of the cheek is too busy for the critics,

for generosity is part of the equipment of proud lords.

Dew comes from the implements of the masters of the chase.

إِسلَم أَبا جَعفَرٍ يَسلَم لَنا كَرَمٌ

إِسلَم أَبا جَعفَرٍ يَسلَم لَنا كَرَمٌ

وَبَيتُ مَجدٍ إِلى عُلياكَ مَردودِ

وَبَيتُ مَجدٍ إِلى عُلياكَ مَردودِ

Live unharmed, Abu Ja'far, so generosity may endure for us,

Make peace with Abu Ja'far and a generosity will be ours,

and a house of glory traced to your eminence.

And the house of glory will be returned to your heights.

إِذا جَحَدتُ سِجالَ الغَيثِ رَيَّقَهُ

إِذا جَحَدتُ سِجالَ الغَيثِ رَيَّقَهُ

فَإِنَّ جودَكَ عِندي غَيرُ مَجحودِ

فَإِنَّ جودَكَ عِندي غَيرُ مَجحودِ

If I denied the abundant rain's first, finest flow,

When I deny the downpour of rain, it is gentle,

your generosity would certainly not be denied by me.

For your generosity with me is never denied.

وَلَو طَلَبتُ سِوى نُعماكَ لي لَجَأً

وَلَو طَلَبتُ سِوى نُعماكَ لي لَجَأً

لَظَلتُ أَطلُبُ شَيئاً غَيرَ مَوجودِ

لَظَلتُ أَطلُبُ شَيئاً غَيرَ مَوجودِ

And if I sought a refuge for myself outside your bounty,

If I sought other than your blessings for myself

I would keep seeking something that does not exist.

I would still be seeking something non-existent.

مَوَدَّةٌ وَعَطاءٌ مِنكَ نِلتُهُما

مَوَدَّةٌ وَعَطاءٌ مِنكَ نِلتُهُما

وَرُبَّ مُعطي نَوالٍ غَيرُ مَودودِ

وَرُبَّ مُعطي نَوالٍ غَيرُ مَودودِ

Affection and bounty—I have received both from you,

Affection and gifts I got from you

yet many a giver of bounty is unloved.

While many givers of boons are ungenerous.

إِمّا تَوَجَّهتَ نَحوَ الشَرقِ مُعتَسِفاً

إِمّا تَوَجَّهتَ نَحوَ الشَرقِ مُعتَسِفاً

بِاليَعمَلاتِ هُزونَ اللَيلِ وَالبيدِ

بِاليَعمَلاتِ هُزونَ اللَيلِ وَالبيدِ

If you have set out toward the east, taking a pathless course

Whether you turn eastward, wrapped

on swift she-camels through the rugged reaches of night and desert,

In the darkness, shaking the hem of night and wilderness,

فَقَد تَرَكتَ بِقِنَّسرينِ أَفئِدَةً

فَقَد تَرَكتَ بِقِنَّسرينِ أَفئِدَةً

مَجروحَةً وَعُيوناً ذاتَ تَسهيدِ

مَجروحَةً وَعُيوناً ذاتَ تَسهيدِ

then you have left behind in Qinnasrin hearts

You left behind in my heart one wounded

wounded, and eyes held sleepless.

With eyes full of sadness.

أَولَيتَهُم حُسنَ آلاءٍ فَكُلُّهُمُ

أَولَيتَهُم حُسنَ آلاءٍ فَكُلُّهُمُ

في حالِ مَستَعبَدٍ بِالطولِ مَكدودِ

في حالِ مَستَعبَدٍ بِالطولِ مَكدودِ

You bestowed gracious favors on them, so each of them

You gave them the beauty of kindness, so they are all

is like a weary slave, bound by your bounty.

In a state of servitude, bound by longing.

وَإِن صُرِفتَ وَلَم تُصرَف لِبائِقَةٍ

وَإِن صُرِفتَ وَلَم تُصرَف لِبائِقَةٍ

عَنِ الخَراجِ فَلَم تُصرَف عَنِ الجودِ

عَنِ الخَراجِ فَلَم تُصرَف عَنِ الجودِ

And though you were dismissed—and not for any misdeed—

And if you turn away but do not turn from

from the land-tax administration, you were not turned from generosity.

Sparing the tax, you do not turn from generosity.