لَوَت بِالسَلامِ بَناناً خَضيبا

لَوَت بِالسَلامِ بَناناً خَضيبا

وَلَحظاً يَشوقُ الفُؤادَ الطَروبا

وَلَحظاً يَشوقُ الفُؤادَ الطَروبا

She bent henna-dyed fingers in greeting,

With greetings of peace I visited a leafy grove,

and a glance that makes the rapturous heart yearn.

And a glance that made my heart flutter with joy.

وَزارَت عَلى عَجَلٍ فَاِكتَسى

وَزارَت عَلى عَجَلٍ فَاِكتَسى

لِزَورَتِها أَبرَقُ الحَزنِ طيبا

لِزَورَتِها أَبرَقُ الحَزنِ طيبا

And she visited in haste; then was clothed,

She came in haste and was adorned,

at her visit, Abraq al-Hazn in fragrance.

Her brief visit made sorrow shine beautifully.

فَكانَ العَبيرُ بِها واشِياً

فَكانَ العَبيرُ بِها واشِياً

وَجَرسُ الحُلِيِّ عَلَيها رَقيبا

وَجَرسُ الحُلِيِّ عَلَيها رَقيبا

Thus the perfume became an informer against her,

The perfume followed her,

and the jingling of jewelry a watcher over her.

And the tinkle of her jewelry kept pace.

وَلَم أَنسَ لَيلَتَنا في العِنا

وَلَم أَنسَ لَيلَتَنا في العِنا

قِ لَفَّ الصَبا بِقَضيبٍ قَضيبا

قِ لَفَّ الصَبا بِقَضيبٍ قَضيبا

Nor have I forgotten our night in an embrace:

I cannot forget our night in the thorns,

the east wind entwined one branch with another.

When youth coiled the staff tightly.

سُكوتٌ يَحُرُّ عَلَيهِ الهَوى

سُكوتٌ يَحُرُّ عَلَيهِ الهَوى

وَشَكوى تَهيجُ البُكى وَالنَحيبا

وَشَكوى تَهيجُ البُكى وَالنَحيبا

A silence over which passion burns,

A silence that inflames love,

and lament that stirs weeping and sobbing,

And a lament that stirs tears and weeping.

كَما اِفتَنَّتِ الريحُ في مَرِّها

كَما اِفتَنَّتِ الريحُ في مَرِّها

فَطَوراً خُفوتاً وَطَوراً هُبوبا

فَطَوراً خُفوتاً وَطَوراً هُبوبا

as the wind varied in its passing:

As the wind flirted in its course,

now subsiding, now blowing.

At times gently, at times stormily.

عَنَت كَبِدي قَسوَةٌ مِنكَ ما

عَنَت كَبِدي قَسوَةٌ مِنكَ ما

تَزالُ تَجَدَّدُ فيها نُدوبا

تَزالُ تَجَدَّدُ فيها نُدوبا

A cruelty from you tormented my liver, and does not

Your harshness has pained my liver with wounds,

cease to renew scars within it.

That are continuously renewed.

وَهُمِّلتُ عِندَكِ ذَنبَ المَشـ

وَهُمِّلتُ عِندَكِ ذَنبَ المَشـ

ـيبِ حَتّى كَأَنّي اِبتَدَعتُ المَشيبا

ـيبِ حَتّى كَأَنّي اِبتَدَعتُ المَشيبا

And I was neglected by you for the fault of gray hair,

I overlooked the sin of old age near you,

so that it was as though I had invented gray hair.

As if I had invented old age itself.

وَمَن يَطَّلِع شَرَفَ الأَربَعيـ

وَمَن يَطَّلِع شَرَفَ الأَربَعيـ

ـنِ يُحَيِّ مِنَ الشَيبِ زَوراً غَريبا

ـنِ يُحَيِّ مِنَ الشَيبِ زَوراً غَريبا

And whoever ascends the crest of forty

He who sees the honor of forty

greets in gray hair a strange visitor.

Deceives grey hair with false youth.

بَلَونا ضَرائِبَ مَن قَد نَرى

بَلَونا ضَرائِبَ مَن قَد نَرى

فَما إِن رَأَينا لِفَتحٍ قَريبا

فَما إِن رَأَينا لِفَتحٍ قَريبا

We have tested the natures of those we see,

We tested the taxes of the one whose

and have seen none who comes close to Fath.

Deliverance we did not foresee as near.

هُوَ المَرءُ أَبدَت لَهُ الحادِثا

هُوَ المَرءُ أَبدَت لَهُ الحادِثا

تُ عَزماً وَشيكاً وَرَأياً صَليبا

تُ عَزماً وَشيكاً وَرَأياً صَليبا

He is the man in whom events revealed

He whose principles events

swift resolve and firm judgment.

Revealed as resolute, decisive and steadfast.

تَنَقَّلُ في خُلُقى سُؤدُدٍ

تَنَقَّلُ في خُلُقى سُؤدُدٍ

سَماحاً مُرَجّى وَبَأساً مَهيبا

سَماحاً مُرَجّى وَبَأساً مَهيبا

He moves between two qualities of nobility:

Fickleness plays in my nature,

generosity hoped for, and might held in awe.

Generosity hoped for, and awe-inspiring power.

فَكَالسَيفِ إِن جِئتَهُ صارِخاً

فَكَالسَيفِ إِن جِئتَهُ صارِخاً

وَكَالبَحرِ إِن جِئتَهُ مَستَثيبا

وَكَالبَحرِ إِن جِئتَهُ مَستَثيبا

Thus, like a sword if you come to him crying for help,

Like a sword if you cry out to it,

and like the sea if you come seeking bounty.

And like the sea if you come to it conciliated.

فَتىً كَرَّمَ اللَهُ أَخلاقَهُ

فَتىً كَرَّمَ اللَهُ أَخلاقَهُ

وَأَلبَسَهُ الحَمدَ غَضّاً قَشيبا

وَأَلبَسَهُ الحَمدَ غَضّاً قَشيبا

A young man whose character God has ennobled,

A young man whom God honored in manners

and clothed him in praise, fresh and new.

And clothed in praised austerity.

وَأَعطاهُ مِن كُلِّ فَضلٍ يُعَدُّ

وَأَعطاهُ مِن كُلِّ فَضلٍ يُعَدُّ

حَظّاً وَمِن كُلِّ مَجدٍ نَصيبا

حَظّاً وَمِن كُلِّ مَجدٍ نَصيبا

And He gave him, of every merit that is counted,

And gave him a share of every merit,

a share, and of every glory a portion.

And a portion of all glory.

فَدَيناكَ مِن أَيِّ خَطبٍ عَرا

فَدَيناكَ مِن أَيِّ خَطبٍ عَرا

وَنائِبَةٍ أَوشَكَت أَن تَنوبا

وَنائِبَةٍ أَوشَكَت أَن تَنوبا

May we ransom you from any calamity that has struck,

Who will protect you from any misfortune

and any misfortune about to befall.

Or impending calamity that may befall?

وَإِن كانَ رَأيُكَ قَد حالَ فِيَّ

وَإِن كانَ رَأيُكَ قَد حالَ فِيَّ

فَلَقَّيتَني بَعدَ بِشرٍ قُطوبا

فَلَقَّيتَني بَعدَ بِشرٍ قُطوبا

And even if your judgment of me has changed,

If your opinion turned against me,

and so you greeted me with frowns after smiles,

You met me later with happy tidings.

وَخَيَّبتَ أَسبابِيَ النازِعا

وَخَيَّبتَ أَسبابِيَ النازِعا

تِ إِلَيكَ وَما حَقُّها أَن تَخيبا

تِ إِلَيكَ وَما حَقُّها أَن تَخيبا

and you made my cords fail as they strained

And thwarted my hopes pulling me to you,

toward you, though they deserved not to fail,

Though they do not deserve to be thwarted.

يُريبُني الشَيءُ تَأتي بِهِ

يُريبُني الشَيءُ تَأتي بِهِ

وَأُكبِرُ قَدرَكَ أَن أَستَريبا

وَأُكبِرُ قَدرَكَ أَن أَستَريبا

what you do arouses my suspicion,

I am made uneasy by what you bring,

yet I esteem your worth too highly to harbor suspicion.

And magnify your worth, though I am apprehensive.

وَأَكرَهُ أَن أَتَمادى عَلى

وَأَكرَهُ أَن أَتَمادى عَلى

سَبيلِ اِغتِرارٍ فَأَلقى شُعوبا

سَبيلِ اِغتِرارٍ فَأَلقى شُعوبا

And I hate to persist on

And I hate to persist

a path of self-deception and so encounter Death.

On the path of delusion only to face hardships.

أُكَذِّبُ ظَنّي بِأَن قَد سَخِطـ

أُكَذِّبُ ظَنّي بِأَن قَد سَخِطـ

ـتَ وَما كُنتُ أَعهَدُ ظَنّي كَذوبا

ـتَ وَما كُنتُ أَعهَدُ ظَنّي كَذوبا

I deny my suspicion that you have become displeased,

I deny my suspicion that you became angry,

though I have never known my suspicion to lie.

When I never knew my hunch to be false.

وَلَو لَم تَكُن ساخِطاً لَم أَكُن

وَلَو لَم تَكُن ساخِطاً لَم أَكُن

أَذُمُّ الزَمانَ وَأَشكو الخُطوبا

أَذُمُّ الزَمانَ وَأَشكو الخُطوبا

And were you not displeased, I would not be

If you were not angry I would not

blaming Time and lamenting calamities.

Endure time and complain of adversities.

وَلا بُدَّ مِن لَومَةٍ أَنتَحي

وَلا بُدَّ مِن لَومَةٍ أَنتَحي

عَلَيكَ بِها مُخطِئاً أَو مُصيبا

عَلَيكَ بِها مُخطِئاً أَو مُصيبا

And there must be a reproach I direct

Blame is inevitable, whether I fault

at you, whether wrong or right.

Or praise you.

أَيُصبِحُ وِردِيَ في ساحَتَيـ

أَيُصبِحُ وِردِيَ في ساحَتَيـ

ـكَ طَرقاً وَمَرعايَ مَحلاً جَديبا

ـكَ طَرقاً وَمَرعايَ مَحلاً جَديبا

Will my watering place in your two courtyards become

Does my pasture in your dwelling

fouled, and my pasture drought-stricken and barren?

Become paved roads and my watering place a barren valley?

أَبيعُ الأَحِبَّةَ بَيعَ السَوامِ

أَبيعُ الأَحِبَّةَ بَيعَ السَوامِ

وَآسى عَلَيهِم حَبيباً حَبيبا

وَآسى عَلَيهِم حَبيباً حَبيبا

I sell my loved ones as grazing livestock is sold,

Do I sell loved ones like chattel

and grieve for them, beloved after beloved.

And grieve for a dear beloved?

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا مَوقِفٌ

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا مَوقِفٌ

يُشَقِّقُ فيهِ الوَداعُ الجُيوبا

يُشَقِّقُ فيهِ الوَداعُ الجُيوبا

Each day there is a scene for us

Every day we have a stance

where farewell rends the collars of our robes.

Where parting rends our robes.

وَما كانَ سُخطُكَ إِلّا الفِراقَ

وَما كانَ سُخطُكَ إِلّا الفِراقَ

أَفاضَ الدُموعَ وَأَشجى القُلوبا

أَفاضَ الدُموعَ وَأَشجى القُلوبا

And your displeasure was nothing but separation:

Your anger was nothing but parting

it made tears flow and grieved hearts.

That poured out tears and bruised hearts.

وَلَو كُنتُ أَعرِفُ ذَنباً لَما

وَلَو كُنتُ أَعرِفُ ذَنباً لَما

تَخالَجَني الشَكُّ في أَن أَتوبا

تَخالَجَني الشَكُّ في أَن أَتوبا

And had I known of a fault, I would not

Had I known a sin I would not

have been troubled by doubt about repenting.

Be troubled with doubt over repentance.

سَأَصبِرُ حَتّى أُلاقي رِضا

سَأَصبِرُ حَتّى أُلاقي رِضا

كَ إِمّا بَعيداً وَإِمّا قَريبا

كَ إِمّا بَعيداً وَإِمّا قَريبا

I shall be patient until I find your approval,

I will be patient until I encounter

whether far off or near.

Your approval, sooner or later.

أُراقِبُ رَأيَكَ حَتّى يَصِحَّ

أُراقِبُ رَأيَكَ حَتّى يَصِحَّ

وَأَنظُرُ عَطفَكَ حَتّى يَثوبا

وَأَنظُرُ عَطفَكَ حَتّى يَثوبا

I keep watch on your judgment until it is sound,

I will watch your opinion until it is sound,

and await your kindness until it returns.

And await your kindness until it returns.