خيالٌ سَرى وهناً وزارَ وسادي

خيالٌ سَرى وهناً وزارَ وسادي

فجدّد بالذكرِ القديم ودادِ

فجدّد بالذكرِ القديم ودادِ

An apparition came late at night and visited my pillow,

A fantasy passed by, weakness visited, and a lover came and went

and rekindled my affection through memories of old.

So renew with remembrance the old love

سرى والدّجى قَد غابَ فيهِ صباحهُ

سرى والدّجى قَد غابَ فيهِ صباحهُ

وَصارَ بَياضاً محدقاً بسوادِ

وَصارَ بَياضاً محدقاً بسوادِ

It came by night, its dawn lost within the darkness,

The night has passed in it, its morning is gone

and became a whiteness encircled by black.

And it has become a bright whiteness mixed with darkness

فَأهدى حبيباً جاءَ مِن بعدِ فرقةٍ

فَأهدى حبيباً جاءَ مِن بعدِ فرقةٍ

بِوصلٍ جديدٍ في الخيال معادِ

بِوصلٍ جديدٍ في الخيال معادِ

So it brought a beloved who came after separation,

So a beloved came after separation

with fresh union, restored within the dream.

With a new connection in fantasy and in promise

فَلمّا تجلّى لي عففتُ وإِنّما

فَلمّا تجلّى لي عففتُ وإِنّما

كَذا مَذهبي في يقظتي ورقادِ

كَذا مَذهبي في يقظتي ورقادِ

When he appeared to me, I kept chaste; indeed,

When he appeared to me, I restrained myself for that is my way

such is simply my way in waking and in sleep.

In my waking and my slumber

فَأَبدى عتاباً طائلاً لمتيّمٍ

فَأَبدى عتاباً طائلاً لمتيّمٍ

غَدا في الهوى بغيرِ فؤادِ

غَدا في الهوى بغيرِ فؤادِ

He then voiced a lengthy reproach to a lovesick man,

He complained bitterly to the one obsessed with love

who in love had become bereft of a heart.

Who tomorrow in passion will be without a heart

أَقولُ لأصحابي قفوا لي وعرّجوا

أَقولُ لأصحابي قفوا لي وعرّجوا

عَلى أربُعٍ للحيِّ غيرِ جدادِ

عَلى أربُعٍ للحيِّ غيرِ جدادِ

I tell my companions: stop for me, and turn aside

I say to my friends: stop for me and detour

to the tribe's old dwelling grounds.

To four places where the living roam, not the dead

ربوعٌ بها كم كنت قمتُ ملبّياً

ربوعٌ بها كم كنت قمتُ ملبّياً

لِداعٍ دعاني للهوى ومعادِ

لِداعٍ دعاني للهوى ومعادِ

Abodes where, how often, I had risen in answer

Places where I once stood, responding

to one who summoned me to love—and to a foe.

To a caller who called me to passion and to the promise

وَجررت أذيالَ الشبيبةِ منعماً

وَجررت أذيالَ الشبيبةِ منعماً

ببيضٍ كأمثالِ الشموس خرادِ

ببيضٍ كأمثالِ الشموس خرادِ

And I trailed the skirts of youth in bliss,

And I dragged the train of my youth in bliss

with fair, bashful maidens, like so many suns.

In whiteness like rays of scattered suns

دَعوني دَعوني يا رفاقي فإنّني

دَعوني دَعوني يا رفاقي فإنّني

أَرى كلّ هادٍ لامَ ليس بهادِ

أَرى كلّ هادٍ لامَ ليس بهادِ

Leave me, leave me, my companions, for I

Leave me, leave me my friends, for I see

see that every guide who reproaches me is no guide.

Every guide is not a real guide

وَلا تَتمادوا في ملامي فَإنّما

وَلا تَتمادوا في ملامي فَإنّما

ضَلالي أراهُ في طريق رشادِ

ضَلالي أراهُ في طريق رشادِ

Do not persist in reproaching me, for

And do not persist in blaming me, for my straying

I simply see my straying on the path of right guidance.

I see it on the path of guidance

وَماذا عَليكم مِن فسادي لتَطلبوا

وَماذا عَليكم مِن فسادي لتَطلبوا

صَلاحَ اِمرئٍ قَد باعه بفسادِ

صَلاحَ اِمرئٍ قَد باعه بفسادِ

What harm does my waywardness do you, that you seek

What is it to you, my corruption, that you seek

the virtue of a man who has sold it for vice?

To reform a man who sold himself for corruption?

وَإنّي وَإِن ضنّت سعاد بِوصلِها

وَإنّي وَإِن ضنّت سعاد بِوصلِها

لَباذلُ نَفسي في رضاء سعادِ

لَباذلُ نَفسي في رضاء سعادِ

And I, even if Su'ad withholds union with her,

And if I was stingy with Saada's union

will surely offer my life for Su'ad's pleasure.

I would give myself to please Saada

خَدلّجة تَرمي القلوبَ بأسهمٍ

خَدلّجة تَرمي القلوبَ بأسهمٍ

رَواشقَ عَن قوسِ اللحاظِ حدادِ

رَواشقَ عَن قوسِ اللحاظِ حدادِ

A full-figured beauty shoots hearts with arrows,

A sly glance that casts hearts with its arrows

swift-flying and sharp, from the bow of her glances.

Defiantly from the bow of glancing, sharp as a sword

أَرى الناس في الدنيا كَزرع وَصرفها

أَرى الناس في الدنيا كَزرع وَصرفها

لَه كافل في حكمه بِحصادِ

لَه كافل في حكمه بِحصادِ

I see people in this world as a crop, and its shifting fortune

I see people in the world like plants, and it turns them

guarantees, by its decree, that the crop will be reaped.

Each has a reaper in its ruling, unto harvest

وَكلّ اِمرئٍ فيه أسيرُ حمامهِ

وَكلّ اِمرئٍ فيه أسيرُ حمامهِ

وَليسَ لهُ في ذاك منه مفادِ

وَليسَ لهُ في ذاك منه مفادِ

And every man within it is captive to his death,

And every man among them is captive of his obsession

and in that fate he has no deliverance from it.

And he has in that no deliverance

أَلا إِنّ أحداثَ الليالي روائحٌ

أَلا إِنّ أحداثَ الليالي روائحٌ

عَلى ظهرِها مِن ناطقٍ وجمادِ

عَلى ظهرِها مِن ناطقٍ وجمادِ

Behold, what the nights bring forth passes away,

Behold, the events of the nights are scents

all upon the world's face, speaking or lifeless.

On which speak the articulate and the inanimate

وَما الناسُ إِلّا ذو ودادٍ مصادق

وَما الناسُ إِلّا ذو ودادٍ مصادق

وَآخر موغورُ الفؤادِ معادِ

وَآخر موغورُ الفؤادِ معادِ

People are but loving, loyal friends,

People are but those of affection or friends

or others, embittered at heart and hostile.

And others whose hearts are desolate

يَسوقُ جميعَ الناسِ للمجدِ رغبةً

يَسوقُ جميعَ الناسِ للمجدِ رغبةً

وَلكنّ دونَ المجدِ خرط قتادِ

وَلكنّ دونَ المجدِ خرط قتادِ

Desire drives all people toward glory,

Fortune leads all people to glory out of greed

but before glory lies stripping a thorny qatad shrub.

But before glory is the path, rugged and twisted

سَأَضرب في شرقِ البلادِ وَغربها

سَأَضرب في شرقِ البلادِ وَغربها

لصحبةِ عزٍّ أَو بلوغِ مرادِ

لصحبةِ عزٍّ أَو بلوغِ مرادِ

I shall travel through the lands' east and west,

I will travel in the east and west of the country

to keep company with honor, or reach my goal,

For company of glory or attainment of purpose

وأظهر تَصريحَ الدعاوى وصدقها

وأظهر تَصريحَ الدعاوى وصدقها

لَدى كلِّ دستٍ في البلادِ ونادِ

لَدى كلِّ دستٍ في البلادِ ونادِ

and make my claims explicit and show their truth

And reveal openly the truth of my claims

at every seat of honor and gathering in the lands.

To every hand in the land and every caller

فَإِن ترَ شخصي في السكينةِ ساكناً

فَإِن ترَ شخصي في السكينةِ ساكناً

فَسوداءُ قَلبي في اِرتِكاب جهادِ

فَسوداءُ قَلبي في اِرتِكاب جهادِ

If you see my person still in quietude,

If you see my person dwelling in tranquility

the dark core of my heart is engaged in battle.

Then my black heart is engaged in waging jihad

وَكَم صامتٍ بينَ المعاشرِ مطرقٍ

وَكَم صامتٍ بينَ المعاشرِ مطرقٍ

وَأَفكارهُ في حلبةٍ وطرادِ

وَأَفكارهُ في حلبةٍ وطرادِ

How many a man is silent among his fellows, head bowed,

How many silent ones in the company, heads bowed

while his thoughts are on the racecourse and in the joust.

While their thoughts are in struggle and chase

مَتى تَك جاراً للمليكِ مظفّر

مَتى تَك جاراً للمليكِ مظفّر

تَعش خيرَ عيشٍ عند خير جوادِ

تَعش خيرَ عيشٍ عند خير جوادِ

When you dwell under King Muzaffar's protection,

When will you be a neighbor of the victorious king

you live the best of lives with the best of generous men.

To live the best life with the most generous master

يَجلُّ وَيعلو أن يشبّه في الندا

يَجلُّ وَيعلو أن يشبّه في الندا

بِحاتم طيٍّ أَو بكعب إيادِ

بِحاتم طيٍّ أَو بكعب إيادِ

He is too exalted and lofty to be likened in generosity

Exalted and high, not to be compared in gifts

to Hatim of Tayy or Ka'b of Iyad.

To Hatem Tai or Ka'b Iyad

تَرى البيضَ في أعداهُ تخضب بالدما

تَرى البيضَ في أعداهُ تخضب بالدما

إِذا خُضِبت أَقلامهُ بمدادِ

إِذا خُضِبت أَقلامهُ بمدادِ

You see the bright swords among his enemies stained with blood

You see the white blades in his enemies turn red with blood

when his pens are stained with ink.

When his pens are dyed with ink

فَلمّا هزّها قَضت في قَضائِها

فَلمّا هزّها قَضت في قَضائِها

بِمنحِ ذمارٍ أو برزق عبادِ

بِمنحِ ذمارٍ أو برزق عبادِ

When he brandished them, they issued their judgments,

So when he shook them, in his decree they cut

granting protection or sustenance to people,

Granting the liquidation of clans or sustenance of worshippers

أكاسب أَرباح الثنا بِبذلِ ما

أكاسب أَرباح الثنا بِبذلِ ما

حَوَت كفّه من طارفٍ وتلادِ

حَوَت كفّه من طارفٍ وتلادِ

earning the profits of praise by giving what

I earn profits and bounty by spending what

his hand held of newly acquired and inherited wealth.

His palm contained of trinkets and baubles

إِليكَ سَباني حُسن أَخلاقكَ الّتي

إِليكَ سَباني حُسن أَخلاقكَ الّتي

إِليهنّ آمالُ العبادِ صوادِ

إِليهنّ آمالُ العبادِ صوادِ

I am drawn captive to you by the beauty of your virtues,

To you my manners have led me, which

for which people's hopes thirst.

Are the hopes of servants, the refuge of humankind

وَكم فَجوة جاوَزتها بجلالةٍ

وَكم فَجوة جاوَزتها بجلالةٍ

مِنَ اليَعمُلاتِ المُنجيات سنادِ

مِنَ اليَعمُلاتِ المُنجيات سنادِ

How many an open expanse I crossed on a great she-camel,

And how many pits you crossed with majesty

tall and sturdy among swift she-camels that carry one to safety.

Of righteous deeds, strong and helpful

وَأهديتُ مِن شِعري بضائعَ حكمةٍ

وَأهديتُ مِن شِعري بضائعَ حكمةٍ

لِسوق نفاقٍ لا لسوق كسادِ

لِسوق نفاقٍ لا لسوق كسادِ

And I offered from my verse wares of wisdom

And I gifted wisdom and prudence from my poetry

to a market of brisk sales, not one of stagnation.

Not to a market of hypocrisy, but a market of loss

بِضائع تُبنى بِالفصاحةِ والذكا

بِضائع تُبنى بِالفصاحةِ والذكا

بَديهتها عن جرولٍ وزيادِ

بَديهتها عن جرولٍ وزيادِ

Wares built with eloquence and wit,

Goods built with eloquence and intelligence

their spontaneous composition drawn from Jarwal and Ziyad.

Whose clarity is beyond pretense and increase

تُحاكي عقودَ الدرِّ لفظاً وإنّها

تُحاكي عقودَ الدرِّ لفظاً وإنّها

تَفوحُ إِذا فضّت بهتكِ زبادِ

تَفوحُ إِذا فضّت بهتكِ زبادِ

In wording they resemble strings of pearls, and they

They emulate strands of pearls in wording yet they

waft fragrance when unsealed, like civet laid bare.

When opened, stink of torn rags