لَيتَ الخَليطَ الَّذي قَد بانَ لَم يَبِنِ

لَيتَ الخَليطَ الَّذي قَد بانَ لَم يَبِنِ

بَل لَيتَ ما كانَ مِن حُبّيكِ لَم يَكُنِ

بَل لَيتَ ما كانَ مِن حُبّيكِ لَم يَكُنِ

Would that the companions who departed had not departed.

I wish the mixture that has appeared had not appeared

Rather, would that my love for you had never been.

Rather I wish what was of your love had not been

أَحرى العُيونِ بِأَن تَدمى مَدامِعُها

أَحرى العُيونِ بِأَن تَدمى مَدامِعُها

عَينٌ بَكَت شَجوَها مِن مَنظَرٍ حَسَنِ

عَينٌ بَكَت شَجوَها مِن مَنظَرٍ حَسَنِ

The eye whose tear ducts most deserve to bleed

It is more fitting for the eyes that their tears should flow

Is one that wept its grief at a beautiful sight.

An eye cried its passion at a beautiful sight

ما أَحسَنَ الصَبرَ إِلّا عِندَ فُرقَةِ مَن

ما أَحسَنَ الصَبرَ إِلّا عِندَ فُرقَةِ مَن

بِبَينِهِ صِرتُ بَينَ البَثِّ وَالحَزَنِ

بِبَينِهِ صِرتُ بَينَ البَثِّ وَالحَزَنِ

How fine patience is—except at parting from one

Patience is best at the separation of a beloved

Whose departure left me between anguish and sorrow.

Between remoteness I am between misery and grief

يا فَرحَةً لي مِنَ الشَمسِ الَّتي طَلَعَت

يا فَرحَةً لي مِنَ الشَمسِ الَّتي طَلَعَت

في الرائِحينَ بِسِربِ الرَبرَبِ القَطِنِ

في الرائِحينَ بِسِربِ الرَبرَبِ القَطِنِ

Oh, what joy was mine from the sun that rose

O joy for me from the sun that rose

Among those departing, with the herd of resident antelopes.

In the meadows amidst a flock of fluttering moths

كَثيبُ رَملٍ عَلى عَليائِهِ فَنَنٌ

كَثيبُ رَملٍ عَلى عَليائِهِ فَنَنٌ

وَشَمسُ دَجنٍ بِأَعلى ذَلِكَ الفَنَنِ

وَشَمسُ دَجنٍ بِأَعلى ذَلِكَ الفَنَنِ

A mound of sand, upon whose summit stands a bough,

A sandy dune in its loftiness, so alluring

And a sun amid clouds at the top of that bough.

With a morning sun at the top of that allure

ما تَقَعُ العَينُ مِنها حينَ تَلحَظُها

ما تَقَعُ العَينُ مِنها حينَ تَلحَظُها

إِلّا عَلى فِتنَةٍ مِن أَقتَلِ الفِتَنِ

إِلّا عَلى فِتنَةٍ مِن أَقتَلِ الفِتَنِ

The eye, when it gazes at her, finds nothing in her

When the eye falls upon it, it falls

But an allure among the deadliest allures.

Only on a seduction among the most fatal seductions

قامَت تَثَنّى فَلانَت في مَجاسِدِها

قامَت تَثَنّى فَلانَت في مَجاسِدِها

حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَضيبَ البانِ لَم يَلِنِ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَضيبَ البانِ لَم يَلِنِ

She rose, swaying, and grew so supple within her robes

She stood, bending in her stature

That the bān-tree's slender branch seemed never to have bent.

As if the staff of the myrtle had not bent

لي عَن قَليلٍ ضَميرٌ لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ

لي عَن قَليلٍ ضَميرٌ لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ

وَجدٌ عَلَيكِ وَقَلبٌ غَيرُ مُرتَهَنِ

وَجدٌ عَلَيكِ وَقَلبٌ غَيرُ مُرتَهَنِ

Soon I shall have a mind unvisited

In a little while, I will have a conscience that does not blame me

By yearning for you, and a heart not held in pledge.

And a heart that is not hostage to passion for you

إِنَّ الهُمومَ إِذا أَوطَنَّ في خَلَدٍ

إِنَّ الهُمومَ إِذا أَوطَنَّ في خَلَدٍ

لِلمَرءِ سارَ وَلَم يَربَع عَلى وَطَنِ

لِلمَرءِ سارَ وَلَم يَربَع عَلى وَطَنِ

Indeed, when cares make their home in the mind

When worries take residence in a person's mind

Of a man, he journeys on and settles in no homeland.

Misery travels but does not settle in a home

إِلَيكَ بَعدَ وِصالِ البيدِ أَوصَلَنا

إِلَيكَ بَعدَ وِصالِ البيدِ أَوصَلَنا

آذِيُّ دِجلَةَ في عيرٍ مِنَ السُفُنِ

آذِيُّ دِجلَةَ في عيرٍ مِنَ السُفُنِ

To you, after crossing the deserts, we were brought

After joining the ruins, the marshes of Dijlah brought us to you

By the Tigris's surge, in a caravan of ships.

Pushed by a caravan of boats

غَرائِبُ الريحِ تَحدوها وَيُجنِبُها

غَرائِبُ الريحِ تَحدوها وَيُجنِبُها

هادٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُنقادٌ بِلا رَسَنِ

هادٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُنقادٌ بِلا رَسَنِ

Strange gusts of wind drive them on, and alongside them moves

The winds' quirks, it defies and avoids them

A guide of water, itself led without a rein.

Guided calmly by a piece of wood without oars

جِئناكَ نَحمِلُ أَلفاظاً مُدَبَّجَةً

جِئناكَ نَحمِلُ أَلفاظاً مُدَبَّجَةً

كَأَنَّما وَشيُها مِن يُمنَةِ اليَمَنِ

كَأَنَّما وَشيُها مِن يُمنَةِ اليَمَنِ

We came to you bearing richly embroidered words,

We came to you bearing words adorned

As though their embroidery were of Yemen's striped cloth.

As if they were scented with the blessings of Yemen

كَأَنَّها وَهيَ تَمشي البُحتُرِيَّةَ في

كَأَنَّها وَهيَ تَمشي البُحتُرِيَّةَ في

يَدي أَبي الفَضلِ أَو في نائِلِ الحَسَنِ

يَدي أَبي الفَضلِ أَو في نائِلِ الحَسَنِ

As though, while walking with al-Buhturi's gait, they were in

As if while walking the sand dunes

Abu al-Fadl's hands or among al-Hasan's gifts.

In the hands of Imru’ al-Qais or Nāil al-Hasan

نُهدي القَريضَ إِلى رَبِّ القَريضِ مَعاً

نُهدي القَريضَ إِلى رَبِّ القَريضِ مَعاً

كَحامِلِ العَصبِ يُهديهِ إِلى عَدَنِ

كَحامِلِ العَصبِ يُهديهِ إِلى عَدَنِ

Together we offer verse to the master of verse,

We send rhymed poetry together to the Lord of poetry

Like a bearer of striped cloth offering it to Aden.

Like one carrying allies sends them to Aden

مِن كُلِّ زَهراءَ كَالنُوّارِ مُشرِقَةٍ

مِن كُلِّ زَهراءَ كَالنُوّارِ مُشرِقَةٍ

أَبقى عَلى الزَمَنِ الباقي مِنَ الزَمَنِ

أَبقى عَلى الزَمَنِ الباقي مِنَ الزَمَنِ

Of radiant odes, each shining like blossoms,

The most radiant of all flowers

More lasting through time to come than time itself.

Remaining through time and the rest of time

شُكرَ اِمرِئٍ ظَلَّ مَشغولاً بِشُكرِكَ عَن

شُكرَ اِمرِئٍ ظَلَّ مَشغولاً بِشُكرِكَ عَن

فَرطِ البُكاءِ عَلى الأَطلالِ وَالدِمَنِ

فَرطِ البُكاءِ عَلى الأَطلالِ وَالدِمَنِ

The thanks of a man who stayed absorbed in thanking you rather than

The gratitude of one who remained busy thanking you instead

Weeping excessively over ruins and the traces of old camps.

Of excessive crying over ruins and remains

قَد قُلتُ إِذ بَسَطَت كَفّاكَ مِن أَمَلي

قَد قُلتُ إِذ بَسَطَت كَفّاكَ مِن أَمَلي

ماشاءَ مِن نائِباتِ الدَهرِ فَليَكُنِ

ماشاءَ مِن نائِباتِ الدَهرِ فَليَكُنِ

I said, when your two hands had broadened my hopes:

I said, when you extended your palms from my hopes

Whatever calamities time may bring, let them come.

Whatever fate wills, so let it be

رَضيتُ مِنكَ بِأَخلاقٍ قَدِ اِمتَزَجَت

رَضيتُ مِنكَ بِأَخلاقٍ قَدِ اِمتَزَجَت

بِالمَكرُماتِ اِمتِزاجَ الروحِ بِالبَدَنِ

بِالمَكرُماتِ اِمتِزاجَ الروحِ بِالبَدَنِ

I was pleased with your qualities, which have mingled

I was satisfied with morals from you that have mixed

With noble deeds as the soul mingles with the body.

With virtues, the mixing of spirit with body

وَزِدتَني رَغبَةً في عَقدِ وُدِّكَ إِذ

وَزِدتَني رَغبَةً في عَقدِ وُدِّكَ إِذ

شَفَعتَ ذاكَ النَدى بِالفَهمِ وَالفِطَنِ

شَفَعتَ ذاكَ النَدى بِالفَهمِ وَالفِطَنِ

And you increased my desire for a bond of friendship with you when

And you increased my desire to tie the knot of your love

You coupled that generosity with understanding and discernment.

When you combined that dew with discernment and wisdom

تُدني إِلى المَجدِ كَفّاً مِنكَ قَد أَنِسَت

تُدني إِلى المَجدِ كَفّاً مِنكَ قَد أَنِسَت

بِالبَذلِ وَالجودِ أُنسَ العَينِ بِالوَسَنِ

بِالبَذلِ وَالجودِ أُنسَ العَينِ بِالوَسَنِ

You draw toward glory a hand of yours that has grown familiar

A palm of yours draws near to glory, having become

With giving and generosity, as the eye is with drowsiness.

Familiar with giving and generosity, like an eye to kohl

مَن يُصبِهِ سَكَنٌ مِمَّن يُحِبُّ وَمَن

مَن يُصبِهِ سَكَنٌ مِمَّن يُحِبُّ وَمَن

يَهوى فَما لَكَ غَيرُ المَجدِ مِن سَكَنِ

يَهوى فَما لَكَ غَيرُ المَجدِ مِن سَكَنِ

Others may find a beloved among those they love and

Whoever passion settles in from one he loves, and whoever

Desire; but you have no beloved except glory.

Yearns, you have no home but glory as a settle