عاوَدَ القَلبَ بَثُّهُ وَخَبالُه

عاوَدَ القَلبَ بَثُّهُ وَخَبالُه

لِخَليطٍ زُمَّت بِلَيلٍ جِمالُه

لِخَليطٍ زُمَّت بِلَيلٍ جِمالُه

The heart is revisited by its anguish and derangement,

His heartache and sorrows have returned

For a beloved companion whose camels were bridled by night.

His beauty is obscured by a gloomy night

وَسَقيمٍ يُخشى بَلاهُ وَلا يُر

وَسَقيمٍ يُخشى بَلاهُ وَلا يُر

جى مِنَ السُقمِ وَالبِلى إِبلالُه

جى مِنَ السُقمِ وَالبِلى إِبلالُه

And an ailing man whose wasting is feared, with no hope

Ailing, I fear for him, though he shows no weakness

Of his recovery from sickness and decay,

Nor stoops from illness and tribulation

يسأَلُ الرَبعَ قَد تَعَفَّت رُباهُ

يسأَلُ الرَبعَ قَد تَعَفَّت رُباهُ

وَخَلَت مِن أَنيسِهِ أَطلالُه

وَخَلَت مِن أَنيسِهِ أَطلالُه

Questions the dwelling-site, its hillocks now effaced,

He asks after the meadows, their plants now withered

And its ruins empty of their familiar inhabitant,

And empty of companions are their ruins

عَن رَهيفِ القَوامِ يَجمَعُ فيهِ

عَن رَهيفِ القَوامِ يَجمَعُ فيهِ

صِفَةَ الغُصنِ لينُهُ وَاِعتِدالُه

صِفَةَ الغُصنِ لينُهُ وَاِعتِدالُه

About one of slender stature, in whom are joined

About the slender branch he gathers

A bough's qualities—his suppleness and uprightness.

Its softness and poise as attributes

قَد أَعَلَّ الفُؤادَ تَوريدُ خَدَّي

قَد أَعَلَّ الفُؤادَ تَوريدُ خَدَّي

هِ وَتَفتيرُ لَحظِهِ وَاِعتِلالُه

هِ وَتَفتيرُ لَحظِهِ وَاِعتِلالُه

The heart has been sickened by the rosiness of his cheeks,

His glances and the languor of his eyes

And the languor of his gaze and his frailty.

Have exalted my heart and left it tossed

زائِرٌ في المَنامِ يَهجُرُ يَقظا

زائِرٌ في المَنامِ يَهجُرُ يَقظا

نَ وَيَدنو مَعَ المَنامِ وِصالُه

نَ وَيَدنو مَعَ المَنامِ وِصالُه

A visitor in dreams, he shuns me in waking,

A visitor in dreams, shunning waking

And union with him draws near with sleep.

Draws near in sleep to bestow his company

طارِقٌ أَرهَقَ الزِيارَةَ وَالصُب

طارِقٌ أَرهَقَ الزِيارَةَ وَالصُب

حُ مُطِلٌّ أَو قَد دَنا إِطلالُه

حُ مُطِلٌّ أَو قَد دَنا إِطلالُه

A night visitor who delayed his visit, while dawn

A late night caller, tired from his visits

Is breaking, or is close to breaking.

Perhaps close is his appearance, or still delayed

وَأَما وَالأَراكِ في بَطنِ مَرٍّ

وَأَما وَالأَراكِ في بَطنِ مَرٍّ

يَتَفَيَأنَ بِالعَشِيِّ ظِلالُه

يَتَفَيَأنَ بِالعَشِيِّ ظِلالُه

And indeed, by the arak trees in the valley of Marr,

While you remain in the belly of the sands

Whose shadows shift back in the evening,

At night resting beneath their shadows

وَكُراعِ الغَميمِ يَنآدُ فيها

وَكُراعِ الغَميمِ يَنآدُ فيها

مُرجَحِنّاً أَثلُ الغَميمِ وَضالُه

مُرجَحِنّاً أَثلُ الغَميمِ وَضالُه

And by Kuraʿ al-Ghamim, where sway

And the lightning of the clouds calling out

The drooping tamarisks and wild lote trees of al-Ghamim,

Weighing down the clouds' load when it strays

وَاِعتِسافِ الحَجيجِ عُسفانَ إِذ تو

وَاِعتِسافِ الحَجيجِ عُسفانَ إِذ تو

قِدُ رَمضاؤُهُ وَيَخفِقُ آلُه

قِدُ رَمضاؤُهُ وَيَخفِقُ آلُه

And by the pilgrims' crossing of ʿUsfan, when

The moaning of the pilgrims when

Its scorching ground blazes and its mirage quivers:

Their fervor boils over and their passions seethe

ما اِستَعَنتُ الكَرى عَلى الشَوقِ إِلّا

ما اِستَعَنتُ الكَرى عَلى الشَوقِ إِلّا

باتَ قَيضاً مِنَ الحبيبِ خَيالُه

باتَ قَيضاً مِنَ الحبيبِ خَيالُه

Never did I seek sleep's aid against longing but

I have found no succor for yearning

His image spent the night in the beloved's stead.

Except the phantom of the beloved visiting at night

يا أَبا بَكرٍ المَخوفَ شَذاهُ

يا أَبا بَكرٍ المَخوفَ شَذاهُ

وَالمُرَجّى كُلَّ الرَجاءِ نَوالُه

وَالمُرَجّى كُلَّ الرَجاءِ نَوالُه

O Abu Bakr, whose fierceness is feared,

Oh Abu Bakr, frightening are his whims

And in whose bounty every hope is placed,

And fulfilling all hopes is his bestowal

ما سَعى في نَقيصَةِ المُلكِ إِلّا

ما سَعى في نَقيصَةِ المُلكِ إِلّا

حائِرٌ مُرسَلٌ عَلَيهِ نَكالُه

حائِرٌ مُرسَلٌ عَلَيهِ نَكالُه

None has striven to diminish the kingdom but

None despaired of diminishing the kingdom

A misguided man upon whom his chastisement is unleashed.

Except the bewildered, upon whom his wrath descends

سَطَواتٌ بُثَّت عَلى الشَرقِ حَتّى

سَطَواتٌ بُثَّت عَلى الشَرقِ حَتّى

خَضَعَ الشَرقُ سَهلُهُ وَجِبالُه

خَضَعَ الشَرقُ سَهلُهُ وَجِبالُه

Onslaughts were unleashed upon the East until

Tyrannies unleashed upon the east

The East submitted, its plains and its mountains.

Until the east surrendered, its plains and mountains

تئلَفُ المَكرُماتُ ساحَةَ خِرقٍ

تئلَفُ المَكرُماتُ ساحَةَ خِرقٍ

حائِزٌ ذِكرَ مِثلِها أَمثالُه

حائِزٌ ذِكرَ مِثلِها أَمثالُه

Noble deeds are at home in the courtyard of a generous man,

Kindnesses come together in an honored place

Whose peers win renown for deeds like these.

Whose like has seen the accumulation of its equals

رَجُلُ الدَهرِ هِمَّةً وَاِحتِمالاً

رَجُلُ الدَهرِ هِمَّةً وَاِحتِمالاً

لِلَّذي يُعجِزُ الرِجالَ إِحتِمالُه

لِلَّذي يُعجِزُ الرِجالَ إِحتِمالُه

The man of the age in resolve and endurance

The man of the age in ambition and endurance

Of what men are powerless to bear.

For that which exhausts even the most enduring of men

حُوَّلٌ قُلَّبٌ يَسُرُّكَ مِنهُ

حُوَّلٌ قُلَّبٌ يَسُرُّكَ مِنهُ

نَهضُهُ بِالجَليلِ وَإِستِقلالُه

نَهضُهُ بِالجَليلِ وَإِستِقلالُه

Resourceful and versatile—what delights you in him

Transformed and overturned, your joy in

Is his taking up great tasks and bearing them unaided.

His rising with glory and independence

قُم تَأَمَّل فَما المَحاسِنُ إِلّا

قُم تَأَمَّل فَما المَحاسِنُ إِلّا

فُرَصُ المَجدِ عارَضَت وَإِهتِبالُه

فُرَصُ المَجدِ عارَضَت وَإِهتِبالُه

Rise and reflect: virtues are nothing but

Arise and consider, are not the virtues

Opportunities for glory that arise, and his seizing them.

But opportunities for glory that presented themselves and were seized

حَيثُ أَجرَت شِعابَها دُفَعُ الجو

حَيثُ أَجرَت شِعابَها دُفَعُ الجو

دِ وَحَقَّت لِآمِلٍ آمالُه

دِ وَحَقَّت لِآمِلٍ آمالُه

Where torrents of generosity have set their channels flowing,

Where its valleys poured the repelling of aggression

And a hopeful man's hopes have come true.

And the hopes of the hopeful were fulfilled

نَزَعَ الحاسِدُ المُنافِسُ صِفراً

نَزَعَ الحاسِدُ المُنافِسُ صِفراً

آيِساً مِن مَنالِ ما لا يَنالُه

آيِساً مِن مَنالِ ما لا يَنالُه

The envious rival withdrew empty-handed,

The envious rival withdrew yellow

Despairing of attaining what he cannot attain.

Despairing of attaining what he cannot reach

حازِمٌ لا يَني يُلَقّى صَواباً

حازِمٌ لا يَني يُلَقّى صَواباً

رَيثُهُ في الأُمورِ وَاِستِعجالُه

رَيثُهُ في الأُمورِ وَاِستِعجالُه

A prudent man, ever guided aright

Resolute, not bending, always striking true

In his deliberation in affairs and in his haste.

His composure in affairs and lack of haste

بِشرُهُ وَالرُواءُ مِنهُ وَلِلسَي

بِشرُهُ وَالرُواءُ مِنهُ وَلِلسَي

فِ جَمالانِ حَليُهُ وَصِقالُه

فِ جَمالانِ حَليُهُ وَصِقالُه

His cheerfulness and comely appearance; a sword, likewise,

Good news of him, and the whiffs from him

Has two beauties: its adornment and its polish.

And the swords have a brilliant polish

راخَنا أَمسِ جاهُهُ وَثَنى اليَو

راخَنا أَمسِ جاهُهُ وَثَنى اليَو

مَ لَنا بِالرِياشِ أَجمَعَ مالُه

مَ لَنا بِالرِياشِ أَجمَعَ مالُه

Yesterday his standing eased our lot; today

Yesterday his status was shaking and today

His wealth in full followed it with finery for us.

He has gathered for us in the winds all his money

كانَ مَعروفُهُ المُقَدَّمُ قَولاً

كانَ مَعروفُهُ المُقَدَّمُ قَولاً

فَقَفا القَولَ مِن قَريبِ فَعالُه

فَقَفا القَولَ مِن قَريبِ فَعالُه

His kindness was offered first in words,

Well known was his generosity spoken

Then his deeds soon followed his words.

Then his words were followed closely by his deeds