حَليفُ غرامٍ عزَّ منه اِصطبارهُ

حَليفُ غرامٍ عزَّ منه اِصطبارهُ

غَداةَ تولّت هندُهُ ونوارهُ

غَداةَ تولّت هندُهُ ونوارهُ

A companion of passion, whose patience eluded him,

The ally of passion, his patience was more difficult than it

the morning his Hind and his Nawār turned away.

When his beloved Hindi and light turned away from him

تَذكّر ودّاً للأحبّةِ واثقاً

تَذكّر ودّاً للأحبّةِ واثقاً

منَ البهكناتِ الناعمات جوارهُ

منَ البهكناتِ الناعمات جوارهُ

He recalled a sure affection for the beloved,

He remembered affectionately the loved ones confident

among the soft, full-bodied women of his neighborhood.

Of the gentle whispers around him

تذكّر عهداً للأحبّةِ ماضياً

تذكّر عهداً للأحبّةِ ماضياً

فَهاجَ لَهُ وهج الغرامِ اِدّكارهُ

فَهاجَ لَهُ وهج الغرامِ اِدّكارهُ

He recalled a bygone covenant with the beloved,

He remembered a covenant with the loved ones of the past

and his remembrance stirred passion's blaze within him.

So the ardour of love stirred for him its recollection

وَلمّا أرادَ الصبرَ أسبل جفنه

وَلمّا أرادَ الصبرَ أسبل جفنه

بدمعٍ تمادى جريهُ واِنهمارهُ

بدمعٍ تمادى جريهُ واِنهمارهُ

And when he sought patience, he let his eyelid stream

And when he wanted patience, he lowered his eyelids

with tears whose flow and downpour continued.

With tears that overflowed continuously in streams

إِذا فاضَ مِن مزنِ المدامعِ ماؤه

إِذا فاضَ مِن مزنِ المدامعِ ماؤه

تَلظّت له بينَ الأضالع نارهُ

تَلظّت له بينَ الأضالع نارهُ

Whenever his water overflowed from the rainclouds of tears,

When water overflowed from the skin of tears

his fire blazed between his ribs.

Its fire clung in his ribs

وَأَغيد ما اِستدنيتهُ ودعوتهُ

وَأَغيد ما اِستدنيتهُ ودعوتهُ

إِلى صِلتي إِلّا وشطّ مزارهُ

إِلى صِلتي إِلّا وشطّ مزارهُ

And a graceful youth: never did I seek his nearness or call him

And I called him, brought him near and invited him

to join me without his place of visitation growing distant.

To my company, but he refused and avoided his tomb

تقضّي عزاء في هواها وما اِنقضى

تقضّي عزاء في هواها وما اِنقضى

لِطولِ الليالي هجرهُ واِزورارهُ

لِطولِ الليالي هجرهُ واِزورارهُ

Consolation ended in loving her, yet there was no end,

To console for his love, but it was not yet over

through the long nights, to his desertion and aversion.

Due to prolonged nights of his isolation and bonding

حبيبٌ تَرى في وجههِ الورد رائقاً

حبيبٌ تَرى في وجههِ الورد رائقاً

يُضاحكه في خدّهِ جلّنارهُ

يُضاحكه في خدّهِ جلّنارهُ

A beloved in whose face you see the rose in its splendor,

A beloved whose face the rose appears radiant

his cheek's pomegranate blossom smiling back at it.

And the moles on his cheek make him smile

تلوحُ كمثلِ الشمس خلفَ غمامةٍ

تلوحُ كمثلِ الشمس خلفَ غمامةٍ

إِذا لاثَ مَسدولاً عليه خمارهُ

إِذا لاثَ مَسدولاً عليه خمارهُ

Gleaming like the sun behind a cloud,

Appearing like the sun behind clouds

when his veil is wound about him and hangs down.

When his turban hangs loosely over it

وَتسحرُ لبّات القلوب بناظرٍ

وَتسحرُ لبّات القلوب بناظرٍ

جَرى السحر منه حسنه واِحورارهُ

جَرى السحر منه حسنه واِحورارهُ

And bewitching the cores of hearts with an eye

And he captivates the hearts of admirers with a look

from which magic flows through its beauty and its black-and-white contrast.

From which his beauty and fascination emanated

يظلّ اِحمرارُ الخدّ عند عتابهِ

يظلّ اِحمرارُ الخدّ عند عتابهِ

يُطاردهُ توريدهُ واِصفرارهُ

يُطاردهُ توريدهُ واِصفرارهُ

The redness of his cheek, whenever he is reproached,

The redness of his cheek remains during his reproach

is continually pursued by its rosy flush and its pallor.

Chased by his paleness and yellowing

خَلاخلهُ غصّت بفاعمِ ساقهِ

خَلاخلهُ غصّت بفاعمِ ساقهِ

وَضاقَ بِما تحتَ الإزار إزارهُ

وَضاقَ بِما تحتَ الإزار إزارهُ

His anklets are choked by the fullness of his calf,

His anklets were stuffed with the slenderness of his legs

and his waistcloth is tight around what lies beneath it.

And his waist-wrap was tight with what was under his waist-wrap

شَكا ضَمأً منه الوشاح كما شكا

شَكا ضَمأً منه الوشاح كما شكا

بهِ شبعاً خلخالهُ وسوارهُ

بهِ شبعاً خلخالهُ وسوارهُ

His sash complained of thirst for him, just as

His scarf complained of thirst from it, just as

his anklet and bracelet complained of being sated with him.

His bangles and bracelet complained of satiety from it

كأنَّ ثناياهُ إقاحة روضةٍ

كأنَّ ثناياهُ إقاحة روضةٍ

سَقاها الحيا مدراره وقطارهُ

سَقاها الحيا مدراره وقطارهُ

His front teeth are like the chamomile blossoms of a meadow

It was as if its folds were the irrigation of a garden

watered by the rain's downpours and droplets.

Watered by the serene flow of its springs and rain

تَشابه درّ الثغرِ منه ودرّهُ

تَشابه درّ الثغرِ منه ودرّهُ

وَريقته في رشفها وعقارهُ

وَريقته في رشفها وعقارهُ

The pearls of his mouth and his pearls are alike,

The pearls of his mouth and his saliva resembled

as are his saliva, when sipped, and his wine.

And his spittle in its drivel and its drink

توقّ عدوّاً كنت أضعفته ولا

توقّ عدوّاً كنت أضعفته ولا

يغرّك منه ضعفه واِحتقارهُ

يغرّك منه ضعفه واِحتقارهُ

Beware an enemy whom you have weakened, and do not

Be wary of an enemy I had weakened, and do not

let his weakness and your contempt for him deceive you.

Be fooled by his weakness and insignificance

فإنّ ضرامَ النارِ يخرج سقطه

فإنّ ضرامَ النارِ يخرج سقطه

إِلى الزند منه مرخه وغفارهُ

إِلى الزند منه مرخه وغفارهُ

For the blaze of fire has its spark drawn forth

For the sparks of fire come out of its ashes

into the fire-drill from its markh and ghafār wood.

To the kindling wood from it its cinder and dust

وبلقيس لم يوشِ بها غير هدهدٍ

وبلقيس لم يوشِ بها غير هدهدٍ

وسدّ سبا في أسّهِ عاث فارهُ

وسدّ سبا في أسّهِ عاث فارهُ

And none but a hoopoe informed against Bilqīs,

And Sheba was not tempted but by a hoopoe

and Sabaʾ's dam—its mouse ravaged its foundations.

And it blocked lions' mouths, dwelling in their lairs

وربّ حسامٍ لا يسرّك منظراً

وربّ حسامٍ لا يسرّك منظراً

وَيرضيكَ فعلاً في الجسوم عرارهُ

وَيرضيكَ فعلاً في الجسوم عرارهُ

Many a sword does not please you in appearance,

And many a sword whose sight does not please you

yet its cutting edge pleases you in its work upon bodies.

Yet its actions in the bodies satisfy you

إِذا بَلَغ الراقي إِلى رأس ما اِرتقى

إِذا بَلَغ الراقي إِلى رأس ما اِرتقى

تأمّل قريباً أن يكونَ اِنحدارهُ

تأمّل قريباً أن يكونَ اِنحدارهُ

When the climber reaches the top of what he climbed,

When the climber reaches the top of what was climbed

reflect that his descent may soon follow.

Consider closely that soon will be his descent

أَلا كلّ جارٍ سوفَ تلقى مفاجئاً

أَلا كلّ جارٍ سوفَ تلقى مفاجئاً

كَما قَد تلقّى من حادثِ الدهر جارهُ

كَما قَد تلقّى من حادثِ الدهر جارهُ

Take heed: you will find every neighbor struck suddenly,

Beware, every running one will suddenly meet

as his neighbor has already met a calamity of time.

As it met the incidents of fate, its running mate

هو القدرُ الجاري على الخلقِ كائن

هو القدرُ الجاري على الخلقِ كائن

وَلا ينفع الإنسان منه فرارهُ

وَلا ينفع الإنسان منه فرارهُ

It is fate, passing over all creation, certain to happen,

It is fate running over creation however it may be

and a person's flight from it avails him nothing.

And man cannot escape from it by his flight

وَأَعيس مثل الحرف من نسل شدكمٍ

وَأَعيس مثل الحرف من نسل شدكمٍ

طَوَت نحصه عيطانه وقفارهُ

طَوَت نحصه عيطانه وقفارهُ

And a pale camel, like a lean, hardy she-camel, of Shadkam's stock,

And I am like the letter of your ancestral line Shadkam

whose uplands and deserts have worn away his flesh.

Its twists coiled its plains and deserts

يظلُّ يجوبُ المجهلات بحاذقٍ

يظلُّ يجوبُ المجهلات بحاذقٍ

إِذا ما شاء لا يعتريه عثارهُ

إِذا ما شاء لا يعتريه عثارهُ

He keeps crossing trackless wastes with a skillful rider;

It continues roaming the wastelands with a guide

whenever he wills, no stumble overtakes him.

When it wishes, its blindness does not bother it

تَيمّمه من جود كهلان كعبهُ

تَيمّمه من جود كهلان كعبهُ

يكونُ إِليها حجّه واِعتمارهُ

يكونُ إِليها حجّه واِعتمارهُ

He sought him, his Kaaba of Kahlān's bounty,

It sought it for generosity like the old men of Kaaba

to which he makes his pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage.

Making it his pilgrimage and frequenting

مَليكٌ يُضاهي الشمس في درجاتها

مَليكٌ يُضاهي الشمس في درجاتها

وَفي نورها إجلالُه وفخارهُ

وَفي نورها إجلالُه وفخارهُ

A king who rivals the sun in its heights,

A sovereign equaling the sun in its risings

and in its radiance, with his majesty and glory.

And in its light, his supremacy and pride

وَيعلو عَلى أَفلاكها ومدارها

وَيعلو عَلى أَفلاكها ومدارها

لَدى جريها أفلاكه ومدارهُ

لَدى جريها أفلاكه ومدارهُ

And above its spheres and its orbit soar

And rising above its orbit and circle

his spheres and orbit as it runs its course.

Despite its motion, its orbit and circle

فتىً قطُّ لَم تهزل رجاءُ وفودهِ

فتىً قطُّ لَم تهزل رجاءُ وفودهِ

وَلَم يرني إلّا يتيماً جوارهُ

وَلَم يرني إلّا يتيماً جوارهُ

A young man whose visitors' hope has never grown lean,

A youth whose hopes for delegations never declined

and his neighborhood saw me only as an orphan.

And none hosted me except as a neighbour hosts an orphan

رَقى مَنزلاً في سمكهِ متقاعساً

رَقى مَنزلاً في سمكهِ متقاعساً

يَسوقُ عَلى نجمِ السماك منارهُ

يَسوقُ عَلى نجمِ السماك منارهُ

He ascended to a dwelling, lofty and far withdrawn,

He reached a position in its elevation while being lazy

his tower pressing above the star al-Simāk.

Moving above the star of Sirius his minaret

وَلو أنّ فوقَ السبع للإنسِ مسكناً

وَلو أنّ فوقَ السبع للإنسِ مسكناً

لَنافت إِلى أعلى السموات دارهُ

لَنافت إِلى أعلى السموات دارهُ

And were there a dwelling for humankind above the seven heavens,

And if above the seven heavens there was a dwelling for man

his house would tower to the highest heavens.

His house would have risen to the highest of heavens

أساحب ذيلَ الفخرِ في فخرهِ ومن

أساحب ذيلَ الفخرِ في فخرهِ ومن

أَحاطَ البرايا عفوُهُ واِقتدارهُ

أَحاطَ البرايا عفوُهُ واِقتدارهُ

I trail the hem of pride in his glory, and in one whose

The tails of pride trail in his pride, and who

pardon and power encompass all creation,

Surrounded people with his forgiveness and power

وَمَن لَم يَزل في كلّ نهج وقبلةٍ

وَمَن لَم يَزل في كلّ نهج وقبلةٍ

بتاج أياديه ويحمي ذمارهُ

بتاج أياديه ويحمي ذمارهُ

and in one who has always, on every path and in every direction,

And who was never without the crown of his hands in any approach or prayer

worn the crown of his favors and guarded his honor.

Protecting his ordinances

إِليكَ تَمطَّيت الرَّجاء ولم يكن

إِليكَ تَمطَّيت الرَّجاء ولم يكن

لغيرك في تهجيره وابتكارهُ

لغيرك في تهجيره وابتكارهُ

Toward you I took hope as my mount; never was it meant

To you I rode the steed of hope, and none other

for anyone else, in its noon journeys or dawn departures.

Had in its journey and creation