أَعَرَفت عَرصةَ أرسم أَدراس

أَعَرَفت عَرصةَ أرسم أَدراس

قضيت بإِيجاسٍ من الإيناسِ

قضيت بإِيجاسٍ من الإيناسِ

Have you recognized the ground of effaced traces?

I knew the plain where I draw my friends,

You judged with apprehension born of recognition.

I spent a sincere night of intimacy there.

عَرّج عَليها واِنتظرني ساعةً

عَرّج عَليها واِنتظرني ساعةً

فيها بذاتِ الكورِ والأحلاسِ

فيها بذاتِ الكورِ والأحلاسِ

Turn aside toward it and wait for me a while

Pass by it and wait for me an hour,

There, with the she-camel bearing saddle and saddlecloths.

In it, in the bend of the valley and thickets.

ما لي وللناسِ اِستحنّوني لما

ما لي وللناسِ اِستحنّوني لما

أُبدي فيا عَجباً لقول الناسِ

أُبدي فيا عَجباً لقول الناسِ

What have I to do with people? They deemed me mad for what

What is it to me or people who blame me

I reveal—oh, how strange the words of people!

When I show wonder at their words?

قالوا نراكَ بحبِّ سعدى هائماً

قالوا نراكَ بحبِّ سعدى هائماً

أَبداً تُكابدُ لوعةً وتقاسي

أَبداً تُكابدُ لوعةً وتقاسي

They said: We see you wandering, lovesick for Sa'da,

They said we see you madly in love with Saadya,

Always enduring burning anguish and suffering.

Always suffering agony and enduring adversity.

وَنَراكَ ما ذكرَ اِسمُها إلّا وَقد

وَنَراكَ ما ذكرَ اِسمُها إلّا وَقد

أَحرَقتَنا بِحرارةِ الأنفاسِ

أَحرَقتَنا بِحرارةِ الأنفاسِ

And we see that whenever her name is mentioned, you have

We see you, whenever her name is mentioned,

Scorched us with the heat of your breaths.

You burn us with the heat of sighs.

مُتولولاً في حبّها متأنّساً

مُتولولاً في حبّها متأنّساً

بِالطيفِ مِن وسواسِها الخنّاسِ

بِالطيفِ مِن وسواسِها الخنّاسِ

Wailing in love for her, finding solace

Restless in love with her, finding intimacy

In the dream-phantom born of her lurking whisperer.

In apparitions from her sly whispers.

قلتُ اِرفقوا يا قومِ في عَذلي لقد

قلتُ اِرفقوا يا قومِ في عَذلي لقد

ذَكّرتموا مَن لم يكن بالناسي

ذَكّرتموا مَن لم يكن بالناسي

I said: Be gentle, my people, in reproaching me; indeed,

I said, "Be gentle, O people, in blaming me,

You have reminded one who had not forgotten.

You reminded one who did not forget."

ما حالُكم فيما اِرتكبتُ منَ الهوى

ما حالُكم فيما اِرتكبتُ منَ الهوى

حالي وَلا أَجناسكم أجناسِ

حالي وَلا أَجناسكم أجناسِ

Your state in the love I have ventured into is not

"What is your state regarding what I committed of passion?

My state; nor is your kind my kind.

My state and not your natures, O people."

كَم قَد سَقَتني مِن مدامةِ حبّها

كَم قَد سَقَتني مِن مدامةِ حبّها

كأساً يُواصله الغرام بكاسِ

كأساً يُواصله الغرام بكاسِ

How often she has served me from the wine of her love

"How many a cup of the wine of her love

A cup that passion follows with another cup!

Has passion made me quaff with thirst again."

غَيداء إِن خَطَرت يميسُ قَوامها

غَيداء إِن خَطَرت يميسُ قَوامها

ميسَ القضيبِ الأملسِ الميّاسِ

ميسَ القضيبِ الأملسِ الميّاسِ

A supple beauty: when she walks, her figure sways

"Gazelle, if her figure occurred, her swaying

With the sway of a smooth, gracefully swaying branch.

Sways like a smooth planed wand."

سَفَرت لَنا عَن وَجهِها وتبرّجت

سَفَرت لَنا عَن وَجهِها وتبرّجت

في غفلةِ الرقَباءِ والحرّاسِ

في غفلةِ الرقَباءِ والحرّاسِ

She unveiled her face for us and displayed her beauty

"She unveiled for us her face and displayed herself

While the watchers and guards were heedless.

In the negligence of the overseers and guards."

فَبَدت مَحاسنُ مِن محيّاها لنا

فَبَدت مَحاسنُ مِن محيّاها لنا

أَنوارها تُغني عن المقباسِ

أَنوارها تُغني عن المقباسِ

Then beauties of her countenance appeared to us,

"So the lights of her beauties from her cheek appeared to us,

Their radiance suffices in place of a torch.

Their brilliance makes lamps unnecessary."

وَتلفّتت مِن خدرها وخبائها

وَتلفّتت مِن خدرها وخبائها

مثلَ اِلتفاتِ الظبيِ في الأكناسِ

مثلَ اِلتفاتِ الظبيِ في الأكناسِ

And she looked around from her curtained chamber and tent,

"And she glanced from her cheek and dimples

Like a gazelle turning in its leafy lairs.

Like the glance of a gazelle in the thickets."

يا مُفلساً إِن شئتَ تشفي النفسَ من

يا مُفلساً إِن شئتَ تشفي النفسَ من

ما تَشتكي من علّة الإفلاسِ

ما تَشتكي من علّة الإفلاسِ

O penniless one, if you wish to heal your soul of

"O bankrupt one, if you wish to heal the soul

What afflicts it—the malady of destitution—

From what it complains of destitution."

جدّ المسيرَ على النضا واِقصد إلى ال

جدّ المسيرَ على النضا واِقصد إلى ال

ملكِ المتوّج ناصر بن شماسِ

ملكِ المتوّج ناصر بن شماسِ

Hasten your journey on worn-out mounts, and make for the

"Exert effort in travel to the August, crowned

Crowned king, Nasir ibn Shammas.

King, Nasser bin Shammas."

ملكٌ إِذا اِستسقيت سحبَ أكفّهِ

ملكٌ إِذا اِستسقيت سحبَ أكفّهِ

هطلٌ كمثلِ العارض البرجاسِ

هطلٌ كمثلِ العارض البرجاسِ

A king who, when you seek rain from the clouds of his palms,

"A king whose palms, when requested rain,

Pours abundantly, like a rain-laden cloud.

Pour like the passing April cloud."

شرفُ ابن أرتق في سماحةِ حاتم

شرفُ ابن أرتق في سماحةِ حاتم

في حلمِ أكثمَ في ذكاء إياسِ

في حلمِ أكثمَ في ذكاء إياسِ

Ibn Artuq's nobility, with Hatim's generosity,

"The nobility of the son of Artuq in generosity like Hatim,

With Aktham's forbearance and Iyas's intelligence.

In forbearance like Aktham, in wisdom like Luqman."

في كلِّ يومٍ مِن مواهبِ كفّهِ

في كلِّ يومٍ مِن مواهبِ كفّهِ

يضحي لنا عرسٌ من الأعراسِ

يضحي لنا عرسٌ من الأعراسِ

Each day, from the gifts of his hand,

"Every day from the bounty of his palm

A wedding celebration, one among many, comes to us.

He celebrates for us a wedding feast."

تَجري الأماني وَالمنايا كلَّما

تَجري الأماني وَالمنايا كلَّما

أَجرى المداد بصفحةِ القرطاسِ

أَجرى المداد بصفحةِ القرطاسِ

Hopes and deaths flow whenever

"Wishes and purposes flow whenever

He sets the ink flowing across the sheet of paper.

The ink flows on the page of parchment."

كَم كانَ سادَ وساسَ في الأقوامِ من

كَم كانَ سادَ وساسَ في الأقوامِ من

سوّاد أقوامٍ ومن سوّاسِ

سوّاد أقوامٍ ومن سوّاسِ

How many has he ruled and governed among the peoples—

"How many he rectified and guided of people

Lords of peoples and governors!

Of the darkness of nations and of the deviants."

نزّهه عَن تشبيههِ بشراً فما ال

نزّهه عَن تشبيههِ بشراً فما ال

عضبُ الحسامُ مشبّها بالفاسِ

عضبُ الحسامُ مشبّها بالفاسِ

Set him above comparison with a mortal, for the

"Exalt him above likening him to mortals,

Keen, cutting sword is not to be likened to an axe.

The angry sword is not likened to the axe."

لو أنّ قيصرَ كانَ أبصر تاجه

لو أنّ قيصرَ كانَ أبصر تاجه

يوماً لَطأطأ دونه بالراسِ

يوماً لَطأطأ دونه بالراسِ

If Caesar had beheld his crown

"If Caesar had seen his crown one day,

One day, he would have bowed his head before it.

He would have bowed his head to it."

يا طاهرَ العرضِ المطهّر برده

يا طاهرَ العرضِ المطهّر برده

مِن دنسة الأدران والأدناسِ

مِن دنسة الأدران والأدناسِ

O you of pure honor, whose cloak is purified

"O you whose honor is purified, purified by his benevolence,

Of the filth of stains and impurities.

From the filth of bodies and vileness."

أَنا بينَ نعمتكَ البسيطة فَاِختبر

أَنا بينَ نعمتكَ البسيطة فَاِختبر

إنّي لها عرسٌ من الأعراسِ

إنّي لها عرسٌ من الأعراسِ

I am amid your abundant bounty—put me to the test:

"I am between your widespread favor, so test me,

Indeed, I am wedded to it, one spouse among many.

For it I have a wedding feast."

وَاسَيتني فيما حَوَت كفّاك من

وَاسَيتني فيما حَوَت كفّاك من

تبرٍ وَمِن إبلٍ ومن أفراسِ

تبرٍ وَمِن إبلٍ ومن أفراسِ

You shared with me what your two hands held of

"Entertain me with what your palm contains

Uncoined gold, camels, and horses.

Of goodness, camels, horses and wealth."

وَحَبوتَني بالفضلِ والإِحسان من

وَحَبوتَني بالفضلِ والإِحسان من

ما كانَ مِن بدرٍ ومن أكياسِ

ما كانَ مِن بدرٍ ومن أكياسِ

And you favored me with bounty and kindness from

"And gift me with favor and charity some

Whatever there was of moneybags and purses.

Of what was of full moons and pouches."