يا دارَ فاتِنَتي حُيِّيتِ مِنْ دَارِ

يا دارَ فاتِنَتي حُيِّيتِ مِنْ دَارِ

سَيَّرْتُ فيكِ وفي مَنْ فِيكِ أَشْعَاري

سَيَّرْتُ فيكِ وفي مَنْ فِيكِ أَشْعَاري

O home of my enchantress, hail to you—what a home!

O my charming home, I bid you greetings

I sent my poems forth about you and those within you.

I strolled in you, and in you flowed my verses

رَحلتُ عَنْها وللأشْجانِ ما ترَكَتْ

رَحلتُ عَنْها وللأشْجانِ ما ترَكَتْ

في العَيْنِ والقلبِ من ماءٍ ومِنْ نار

في العَيْنِ والقلبِ من ماءٍ ومِنْ نار

I left it; grief claims what it left behind

I left you, though leaving did grieve my heart

In the eye and heart: water and fire.

With waters of tears and fires that smart

كانتْ مَجَالَ صَباباتٍ لَهَوْتُ بها

كانتْ مَجَالَ صَباباتٍ لَهَوْتُ بها

ومُسْتَراضَ لبُاناتٍ وأوْطارِ

ومُسْتَراضَ لبُاناتٍ وأوْطارِ

It was an arena for passions in which I reveled,

A place you were, where I frolicked in my primes

And a playground for longings and desires.

A pasture, where grazed my steeds at their times

أسائِلُ الطَيْرَ عَنها لو تُنَبِّئني

أسائِلُ الطَيْرَ عَنها لو تُنَبِّئني

أو تنْقُلُ الطَيرُ عنها بَعْضَ أخْبارِ

أو تنْقُلُ الطَيرُ عنها بَعْضَ أخْبارِ

I question the birds about it—if only they would tell me,

I ask the birds about you, hoping they’d tell

Or the birds would bring some news of it.

Or, from you, some news the birds would yell

يَنْسَى بهَا كلُّ نائِي الدَارِ مَوْطِنَهُ

يَنْسَى بهَا كلُّ نائِي الدَارِ مَوْطِنَهُ

وما تَجشَّمَ مِنْ بَيْنٍ وأَسْفَار

وما تَجشَّمَ مِنْ بَيْنٍ وأَسْفَار

There, everyone far from home forgets his homeland,

In you, homesick is each far wanderer cured

And what he has endured of parting and journeys.

Of hardship and journey however endured

يَلْقى بها أينما أَلقَى عَصَاه بِها

يَلْقى بها أينما أَلقَى عَصَاه بِها

أَهلاً بأَهْلٍ وأَصْهاراً بأصْهار

أَهلاً بأَهْلٍ وأَصْهاراً بأصْهار

There, wherever he lays down his staff, he finds

Wherever he wanders, he finds, casting his cane

Family in place of family, and in-laws in place of in-laws,

Kinsmen, and in-laws, and brethren again

وفِتْيةً كرِماحِ الخطِّ إِنْ خَطَرُوا

وفِتْيةً كرِماحِ الخطِّ إِنْ خَطَرُوا

فَدَيْتَ بالنّفسِ منهم كلَّ خَطَّار

فَدَيْتَ بالنّفسِ منهم كلَّ خَطَّار

And youths like the spears of al-Khatt: when they stride,

Young men, like straight arrows whenever they stirred

You would give your life to ransom every proud strider among them.

With their souls you’d ransom every brave knight

بِيضَ الوُجُوهِ مَساميحَ الأكُفِّ مَنا

بِيضَ الوُجُوهِ مَساميحَ الأكُفِّ مَنا

جِيدَ الصَّريخِ سَرَاةً غيرَ أَغْرار

جِيدَ الصَّريخِ سَرَاةً غيرَ أَغْرار

Fair-faced, open-handed, rescuers

Of beaming faces and gentle palms, they

Of those crying for help, noblemen, not novices.

Neigh shrill, and ride swift, and never betray

لا يَنزِل الضَّيفُ صُبْحاً عُقرَ دارِهمُ

لا يَنزِل الضَّيفُ صُبْحاً عُقرَ دارِهمُ

إِلاّ ويُمْسِي عِشاءً صاحِبَ الدار

إِلاّ ويُمْسِي عِشاءً صاحِبَ الدار

No guest lodges in the heart of their home in the morning

A guest in the morn ne’er leaves ere the eve

Without becoming, by night, master of the house.

Unless like the home folk he’s made to believe

قد آمنُوا بإِلَهِ الحُبِّ وارْتَقَبُوا

قد آمنُوا بإِلَهِ الحُبِّ وارْتَقَبُوا

آياتِهِ بَيْنَ إجْلالٍ وإِكْبار

آياتِهِ بَيْنَ إجْلالٍ وإِكْبار

They have believed in the god of love and watched for

They believed in the god of love and vied

His signs with reverence and veneration.

To exalt and revere his signs as they spied

وصوَّرُوهُ فَتىً أعْمَى إِذا رَشَقَتْ

وصوَّرُوهُ فَتىً أعْمَى إِذا رَشَقَتْ

يَدَاهُ بالنَّبْل أصْمَى كُلَّ جَبَّار

يَدَاهُ بالنَّبْل أصْمَى كُلَّ جَبَّار

And pictured him as a blind youth: when arrows fly

A blind lad they fancied, his hands though may fling

From his hands, he slays every tyrant.

Arrows to smite even the tyrant and king

عُرْيانَ إِنْ مَسَّهُ بَرْدُ الشتاءِ فما

عُرْيانَ إِنْ مَسَّهُ بَرْدُ الشتاءِ فما

له سِوَى زَفَراتِ الوَجْدِ منْ نار

له سِوَى زَفَراتِ الوَجْدِ منْ نار

Naked; if winter's cold touches him, there is no

Bare flesh, if touched by the stab of the cold

Fire for him but the sighs of passion.

Save his sighs of passion, shelter can’t hold

يَغْشَى الفَتاةَ ولَمْ تَرْقُبْ زِيارَتهُ

يَغْشَى الفَتاةَ ولَمْ تَرْقُبْ زِيارَتهُ

وخِدْرُها بَيْنَ أَغْلاقٍ وأَسْتار

وخِدْرُها بَيْنَ أَغْلاقٍ وأَسْتار

He visits the maiden when she has not expected his visit,

A girl he’d surprise unaware of his tread

Though her chamber lies behind locks and curtains.

As she dreams, curtained in her veil and bed

فَطَرْفُها خاشِعٌ من بَعْدِ زَوْرَتِهِ

فَطَرْفُها خاشِعٌ من بَعْدِ زَوْرَتِهِ

وقَلْبُها نَهْبُ أَوْهامٍ وأَفْكارِ

وقَلْبُها نَهْبُ أَوْهامٍ وأَفْكارِ

Her gaze is then downcast after his visit,

Then her eyes after his visit seem shy

And her heart is prey to imaginings and thoughts.

And her heart is the prey of fancies gone awry

تَشْكُو إِلَى أُمّها ضَيْفاً ألمَّ بِها

تَشْكُو إِلَى أُمّها ضَيْفاً ألمَّ بِها

والأُمُّ إِنْ تَسْتطِعْ باحَتْ بأَسْرارِ

والأُمُّ إِنْ تَسْتطِعْ باحَتْ بأَسْرارِ

She complains to her mother of a guest who came to her,

To her mother she moans of the pain love has brought

And her mother, if she can, divulges secrets.

And the mother divines, though the secret she caught not

ويصْرَعُ الفارِسَ المِغْوارَ إِن لَعِبَتْ

ويصْرَعُ الفارِسَ المِغْوارَ إِن لَعِبَتْ

كَفّاهُ بالسَّيْفِ أرْدَى كلَّ مِغْوَار

كَفّاهُ بالسَّيْفِ أرْدَى كلَّ مِغْوَار

And he fells the fearless horseman who, when

A rider sways and tumbles, if playfully teased

His hands play with the sword, strikes down every warrior.

By her hands with the sword, though valiant and pleased

فلا تراهُ سِوَى شاكٍ لسَاجِعَةٍ

فلا تراهُ سِوَى شاكٍ لسَاجِعَةٍ

أو نادِبٍ إِثرَ أَطْلالٍ وآثار

أو نادِبٍ إِثرَ أَطْلالٍ وآثار

So you see him only complaining to a cooing dove,

You never find him except sadly awake

Or lamenting beside ruins and traces.

By relics and ruins his tears to partake

ويَطْرُقُ الشَّيْخَ في المِحْرابِ قَدْ فَنِيَتْ

ويَطْرُقُ الشَّيْخَ في المِحْرابِ قَدْ فَنِيَتْ

عِظَامُهُ وَبَرَتْهُ خَشْيَةُ البَاري

عِظَامُهُ وَبَرَتْهُ خَشْيَةُ البَاري

And he visits the old man in the prayer niche, whose

An old man, whose frame out of worship now shakes

Bones have wasted away, and whom fear of the Creator has worn thin.

His bones brittle, his flesh reverent fear takes

فلم تكُنْ لَمْحَةٌ إِلاّ ليَفْتِلَهُ

فلم تكُنْ لَمْحَةٌ إِلاّ ليَفْتِلَهُ

من الصَّلاةِ ومن تَرْتيلِ أذْكار

من الصَّلاةِ ومن تَرْتيلِ أذْكار

A single glance is enough to turn him away

No glance his but snatches him swiftly away

From prayer and the chanting of invocations.

From praying, from counting beads as they pray

يبرُزْنَ في اللَّيْل مِثْلَ الشُّهْبِ ساطِعةً

يبرُزْنَ في اللَّيْل مِثْلَ الشُّهْبِ ساطِعةً

ما بَيْنَ سيَّارَةٍ تَجْرِي لِسَيّار

ما بَيْنَ سيَّارَةٍ تَجْرِي لِسَيّار

They emerge at night like shooting stars aglow,

Girls sally at night, bright as comets that run

Among them, a roving woman hurrying to a roving man,

’Twixt a moving planet and stiller one

مِنْ كلِّ خَمْصَانَةِ الكَشْحَيْنِ ناصِعَةٍ

مِنْ كلِّ خَمْصَانَةِ الكَشْحَيْنِ ناصِعَةٍ

كأَنّها دُرَّةٌ في جَوْفِ زخّار

كأَنّها دُرَّةٌ في جَوْفِ زخّار

Each slender-waisted and radiantly fair,

From each dimpled cheek shines, in necklaces set,

As though she were a pearl in the depths of a surging sea.

A pearl, as if hid in an oyster wet

تَسْعَى إِلى أغْيَدٍ ما طَرَّ شَارِبُهُ

تَسْعَى إِلى أغْيَدٍ ما طَرَّ شَارِبُهُ

كأنَّما صَفْحَتاهُ وجْهُ دِينارِ

كأنَّما صَفْحَتاهُ وجْهُ دِينارِ

She hastens to a graceful youth whose mustache has not yet sprouted,

Towards cups that are bared, though the drinkers are shunned

As though his two cheeks were the face of a dinar.

As if made of the gold in pure sunlight spun

أرضٌ كَأَنَّ إِلَهَ الأرْضِ أَوْدَعَها

أرضٌ كَأَنَّ إِلَهَ الأرْضِ أَوْدَعَها

بَدائِعُ الْحُسْنِ مِنْ عُونٍ وأَبْكار

بَدائِعُ الْحُسْنِ مِنْ عُونٍ وأَبْكار

A land in which the god of the earth seems to have placed

A land, as though the land’s god had willed to accord

Marvels of beauty among matrons and maidens.

The perfections of beauty, all stored

أَلقَوْا خُدُودَ العَذَارَى في حَدَائِقِها

أَلقَوْا خُدُودَ العَذَارَى في حَدَائِقِها

ولَقَّبُوها بأَثْمَارٍ وأَزْهار

ولَقَّبُوها بأَثْمَارٍ وأَزْهار

They cast maidens' cheeks into its gardens,

In its orchards, they threw out the cheeks of sweet maids

And named them fruits and flowers.

And named them all blossoms and fruits in its glades

وجرَّدُوا كُلَّ حُسْنٍ من قَلائِده

وجرَّدُوا كُلَّ حُسْنٍ من قَلائِده

فَصِرْنَ حَصْباءَ في سَلْسَالها الجَاري

فَصِرْنَ حَصْباءَ في سَلْسَالها الجَاري

And stripped every beauty of its necklaces,

Of each charm there, all jewels and necklaces they rid

So they became pebbles in its sweet flowing water.

And so they were pebbles dragged by brooks as they slid

لَوْ كانَ في عُنْصُرِي صَلْصالُ طِينَتِها

لَوْ كانَ في عُنْصُرِي صَلْصالُ طِينَتِها

ما راعَني الدّهْرُ في يومٍ بأكْدَار

ما راعَني الدّهْرُ في يومٍ بأكْدَار

If my substance held the dry clay of its soil,

Had I a speck of the clay of its build

Time would never dismay me with troubles on any day.

No day would the world leave me damaged and spilled

أوْ كُنْتُ أظْفرُ في الأخْرَى بِجَنَّتِها

أوْ كُنْتُ أظْفرُ في الأخْرَى بِجَنَّتِها

غَسَلْتُ بالدمْعِ آثامي وأوْزاري

غَسَلْتُ بالدمْعِ آثامي وأوْزاري

Or were I to attain its paradise in the hereafter,

Or, succeeding, the heaven I lastly could gain

I would wash away my sins and burdens with tears.

My sins and misdeeds I’d wash off in its rain