تخَيّرْتُ جُهْدي لو وَجدْت خِيارَا

تخَيّرْتُ جُهْدي لو وَجدْت خِيارَا

وطِرْتَ بعَزْمي لو أصَبْتُ مَطارا

وطِرْتَ بعَزْمي لو أصَبْتُ مَطارا

I would have chosen as best I could, had I found a choice.

I chose my endeavor even if I found no choice

And you would have flown with my resolve, had I found a place to fly.

And took off with determination even if I met with heavy rain

جَهِلْتُ فلمّا لم أرَ الجهْلَ مُغْنِياً

جَهِلْتُ فلمّا لم أرَ الجهْلَ مُغْنِياً

حَلُمْتُ فأوْسَعْتُ الزّمانَ وَقارا

حَلُمْتُ فأوْسَعْتُ الزّمانَ وَقارا

I acted rashly; then, when I found rashness of no avail,

I was ignorant so when ignorance was of no use

I practiced forbearance and showed Time ample reverence.

I was forbearing, so I widened the times with dignity

إلى كم تَشكّاني إليّ رَكائبي

إلى كم تَشكّاني إليّ رَكائبي

وتُكْثِرُ عَتْبي خُفْيةً وجِهارا

وتُكْثِرُ عَتْبي خُفْيةً وجِهارا

How long will my riding camels complain of me to me,

To what extent do you blame me for my own misfortunes

and heap reproaches on me, secretly and openly?

And multiply reproach of me openly and in secret

أسِيرُ بها تحتَ المَنايا وفوْقَها

أسِيرُ بها تحتَ المَنايا وفوْقَها

فيَسْقُطُ بي شَخْصُ الحِمامِ عِثارا

فيَسْقُطُ بي شَخْصُ الحِمامِ عِثارا

I travel on them beneath the fates of death and above them,

I travel with them under death and above it

so Death's own figure trips over me and falls.

So the dove of peace trips over me and falls

وكُنّ إذا لاقَيْنَني ليَرِدْنَني

وكُنّ إذا لاقَيْنَني ليَرِدْنَني

رَجَعْنَ كما شاءَ الصّديقُ حِرارا

رَجَعْنَ كما شاءَ الصّديقُ حِرارا

And whenever they met me, seeking to drink from me,

And whenever they met me they would reject me

they returned thirsty, as the friend wished.

They would return as the sincere friend desired, heatedly

فللّهِ طَعْمي ما أمَرّ مَذاقَهُ

فللّهِ طَعْمي ما أمَرّ مَذاقَهُ

وللهِ عِيسي ما أقَلّ نِفارا

وللهِ عِيسي ما أقَلّ نِفارا

By God, my taste—how bitter its flavor!

So by God the taste that soured its flavor is to God

And by God, my pale camels—how little they shy!

And by God Jesus whom few befriended

وأسْوَدَ لم تَعْرِفْ له الإنْسُ والِداً

وأسْوَدَ لم تَعْرِفْ له الإنْسُ والِداً

كَسانيَ منه حُلّةً وخِمارا

كَسانيَ منه حُلّةً وخِمارا

And a black one, whose father humankind has never known,

A dark horse whose lineage men do not know

clothed me in a robe and veil made of itself.

It clothed me with a robe and veil

سَرَتْ بيَ فيه ناجِياتٌ مِياهُها

سَرَتْ بيَ فيه ناجِياتٌ مِياهُها

تَجِمّ إذا ماءُ الرّكائِبِ غارا

تَجِمّ إذا ماءُ الرّكائِبِ غارا

Fleet camels bore me through it by night; their waters

Waters crept into me privately, their waters

well up when other mounts' water sinks away.

Frothing when the water of the mounts foamed

فخَرّقْنَ ثوْبَ اللّيْلِ حتى كأنّني

فخَرّقْنَ ثوْبَ اللّيْلِ حتى كأنّني

أَطَرْتُ بها في جانبيْه شَرارا

أَطَرْتُ بها في جانبيْه شَرارا

They tore the garment of night, until it seemed that I

So they tore the garment of the night until it was as if

had sent sparks flying with them along both its sides.

I had flown with them on both my sides aflame

وباتَتْ تُراعي البدرَ وهْوَ كأنّه

وباتَتْ تُراعي البدرَ وهْوَ كأنّه

من الخَوْفِ لاقى بالكَمالِ سِرارا

من الخَوْفِ لاقى بالكَمالِ سِرارا

They spent the night watching the full moon, as though it,

And the moon stayed up watching me while it was as if

out of fear, had met its dark phase while still full.

From fear it met perfection with concealment

تأخّرَ عن جيْشِ الصّباحِ لضُعْفِه

تأخّرَ عن جيْشِ الصّباحِ لضُعْفِه

فأوْثَقَهُ جيشُ الظّلامِ إسارا

فأوْثَقَهُ جيشُ الظّلامِ إسارا

It fell behind the army of morning through its weakness,

It lagged behind the army of the dawn due to its weakness

so the army of darkness bound it captive.

So the army of darkness detained it shackled

ووافَتْ رِعاناً للرِّعانِ كأنّما

ووافَتْ رِعاناً للرِّعانِ كأنّما

تُحادِثُها الشّعْرى العَبُورُ سِرَارا

تُحادِثُها الشّعْرى العَبُورُ سِرَارا

And they came, themselves like peaks, to the peaks, as though

And the gazelles met the gazelles, as if

Sirius, the Crossing Star, were conversing with them in secret.

The Pleiades were conversing with them in whispers

وباتَ غَوِيُّ القوْمِ يَحْسَبُ أنّهُ

وباتَ غَوِيُّ القوْمِ يَحْسَبُ أنّهُ

أجَدَّ إلى أهلِ السّماءِ مَزارا

أجَدَّ إلى أهلِ السّماءِ مَزارا

And the fool of the company spent the night thinking that he

And the tribe's madman spent the night thinking he

had undertaken a fresh visit to the dwellers of heaven.

Had come closer to the people of the sky by his shrine

إذا ضَنّ زَنْدٌمَدّ بالشّخْتِ كفَّه

إذا ضَنّ زَنْدٌمَدّ بالشّخْتِ كفَّه

ليَقْبِسَ من بعضِ الكواكبِ نارا

ليَقْبِسَ من بعضِ الكواكبِ نارا

Whenever a fire-stick withheld its spark, he stretched out his hand with a slender twig,

Whenever the Simpleton extended his palm to the sparks

to draw fire from some of the stars.

To light from some of the planets a fire

إذا قُيّدَتْ في مَنْزِلي بتَنُوفَةٍ

إذا قُيّدَتْ في مَنْزِلي بتَنُوفَةٍ

حَسِبْتَ مُناخاً أو طِنَتْه مُثارا

حَسِبْتَ مُناخاً أو طِنَتْه مُثارا

When they are tethered at my camp in a wilderness,

Whenever my shiftless camel was tied in my abode

you would take the resting-place they settled in for a place of departure.

You would think it a resting place or its cooing an uproar

تظُنّ غَطيطَ النوْمِ نَهْمَةَ زاجِرٍ

تظُنّ غَطيطَ النوْمِ نَهْمَةَ زاجِرٍ

فتَقْطَعُ قَيْداً أو تَبُتّ هِجارا

فتَقْطَعُ قَيْداً أو تَبُتّ هِجارا

They mistake the snoring of sleep for a camel-driver's cry,

You'd think the snoring of sleep the growl of a deterrent

and snap a tether or sever a leg-hobble.

So you'd cut its tether or spend the night wakeful

أطَلّتْ على أرجاء أزرَقَ مُتْرَعٍ

أطَلّتْ على أرجاء أزرَقَ مُتْرَعٍ

تَنُوشُ بَريراً حوْلَه وبَهارا

تَنُوشُ بَريراً حوْلَه وبَهارا

They looked down upon the shores of a brimful blue pool,

They looked out on the expanse of a blue pasture

reaching for arak berries and bahar blossoms around it.

Nibbling around it fresh and blossoming greenery

يَمِدْنَ إذا أُسْقِينَ منه كأنما

يَمِدْنَ إذا أُسْقِينَ منه كأنما

شَرِبنَ به قَبْلَ الضّياء عُقارا

شَرِبنَ به قَبْلَ الضّياء عُقارا

They sway when given its water, as though

When watered from it they would drink as if

they had drunk wine there before daylight.

They had drunk before, the light, a healing potion

إذا خفقَ البرْقُ الحِجازِيُّ أعْرَضَتْ

إذا خفقَ البرْقُ الحِجازِيُّ أعْرَضَتْ

وتَرْنو إذا برْقُ العِراقِ أنارا

وتَرْنو إذا برْقُ العِراقِ أنارا

When lightning from the Hijaz flashes, they turn away,

When the Hijazi lightning flickered they looked away

and gaze intently when the lightning of Iraq shines.

And craned when the Iraqi lightning blazed

وتأرَنُ مِن بَعدِ اللُّغوبِ كأنّه

وتأرَنُ مِن بَعدِ اللُّغوبِ كأنّه

إليها بجَدّ في النّجاءِ أشارا

إليها بجَدّ في النّجاءِ أشارا

And they grow lively after exhaustion, as though it

And they cooed after the vanishing as if

had urgently signaled them to speed on.

He had ardently winked to them for rescue

وليْستْ تُحِسّ الأرضُ منها بوطْأةٍ

وليْستْ تُحِسّ الأرضُ منها بوطْأةٍ

فتُفْزِعُ سِرْباً أو تَروعُ صِوارا

فتُفْزِعُ سِرْباً أو تَروعُ صِوارا

The earth feels no footfall from them

And the ground feels from them no weight

that would frighten a flock or startle a herd of wild cattle.

To frighten a flock or alarm a watchman

تَدوسُ أفاحيصَ القطا وَهْوَ هاجِدٌ

تَدوسُ أفاحيصَ القطا وَهْوَ هاجِدٌ

فتَمْضي ولم تَقْطَعْ عليه غِرارا

فتَمْضي ولم تَقْطَعْ عليه غِرارا

They tread the sandgrouse's nesting hollows while it sleeps,

Trampling on the snake while it is prostrate

and pass on without interrupting its brief slumber.

She walks on without cutting short its hissing

وتَقْنِصُ أُمَّ الخِشْفِ ما أبَهَتْ لها

وتَقْنِصُ أُمَّ الخِشْفِ ما أبَهَتْ لها

فتُحْدِثَ عنها نَبْوَةً وفِرارا

فتُحْدِثَ عنها نَبْوَةً وفِرارا

They catch the fawn's mother before she notices them

And seizing the mother partridge that displayed herself heedlessly

and can recoil from them and flee.

Bringing about her an alarm and hasty flight

كأنّكَ أصْغَرْتَ الزمانَ وأهْلَهُ

كأنّكَ أصْغَرْتَ الزمانَ وأهْلَهُ

عَبيداً ولم تَرْضَ البسيطةَ دارا

عَبيداً ولم تَرْضَ البسيطةَ دارا

As though you had reduced Time and its people

As if you had belittled time and its people

to slaves, and would not accept the wide earth as a home.

As slaves and were not content with the plain as a home

تَظَلّ المَنايا في سُيوفِكَ شُرّعاً

تَظَلّ المَنايا في سُيوفِكَ شُرّعاً

إذا النّقْعُ مِن تحتِ السّنابِكِ ثارا

إذا النّقْعُ مِن تحتِ السّنابِكِ ثارا

The fates of death remain poised within your swords

Deaths cast shadows in your swords when sparks fly

when dust rises from beneath the hooves.

From beneath the window screens aflame

فإنْ عُدّ ضَحضاح الحِمامِ صَوارِمٌ

فإنْ عُدّ ضَحضاح الحِمامِ صَوارِمٌ

عُدِدْنَ بُحُوراً للرّدى وغِمارا

عُدِدْنَ بُحُوراً للرّدى وغِمارا

If cutting swords are reckoned the shallows of Death,

For if the cooing of pigeons were swords

yours are reckoned seas and deep waters of destruction.

They would be seas engulfing perdition and gloom

كأنّ تُرابَ الأرضِ لم يَرْضَ عِزَّها

كأنّ تُرابَ الأرضِ لم يَرْضَ عِزَّها

فأصْعَدَ يَبْغي في السماء جِوارا

فأصْعَدَ يَبْغي في السماء جِوارا

As though the earth's dust were not content with her glory,

As if the dust of earth was not content with its honor

and rose to seek a neighborhood in the sky.

So it rose up seeking company in the sky

بكلّ كُميْتٍ ما رَعتْ خبَطَ الحِمى

بكلّ كُميْتٍ ما رَعتْ خبَطَ الحِمى

ولا شَرِبَتْ رِسْلَ اللّقاحِ سَمارا

ولا شَرِبَتْ رِسْلَ اللّقاحِ سَمارا

With every bay mare that never fed on the beaten leaves of the protected pasture,

With every buried corpse that did not graze when destiny stamped

nor drank watered milk from milch camels.

Or drink the discharge of conception sober

إذا ما عَلاهَا فارسٌ ظَنّ أنّه

إذا ما عَلاهَا فارسٌ ظَنّ أنّه

تَبَوّأ ما بين النّجومِ قَرارا

تَبَوّأ ما بين النّجومِ قَرارا

Whenever a horseman mounts one, he thinks he

When a horseman mounted it, he thought

has made his resting-place among the stars.

He had attained amidst the stars a position

ولم أرَ خَيْلاً مِثْلَها عَرَبيّةً

ولم أرَ خَيْلاً مِثْلَها عَرَبيّةً

تُذِيلُ عَدُوّاً أو تصُونُ ذِمارا

تُذِيلُ عَدُوّاً أو تصُونُ ذِمارا

I have seen no Arabian horses like them,

And I did not see horses like them, Arabian

humbling an enemy or protecting what must be defended,

Pursuing a foe or defending a sanctuary

أشَدَّ على مَن حارَبَتْه تسلّطاً

أشَدَّ على مَن حارَبَتْه تسلّطاً

وأبْعَدَ منها في البلادِ مُغارا

وأبْعَدَ منها في البلادِ مُغارا

fiercer in mastery over those they fight,

Harsher than it against those it battled

or farther-ranging than they in raids through the lands.

And farther from it into the lands in flight

يُكَلّفُها الأرضَ البعيدةَ ماجِدٌ

يُكَلّفُها الأرضَ البعيدةَ ماجِدٌ

يُشَيّدُ مَجْداً لا يُكشِّفُ عارا

يُشَيّدُ مَجْداً لا يُكشِّفُ عارا

A noble man charges them to cross distant lands,

A triumphant one tasks it with the distant land

who builds glory rather than clearing away disgrace.

Erecting glory exposing no shame

غَذاهُنّ مُحْمَرَّ النّجيعِ قَوارِحاً

غَذاهُنّ مُحْمَرَّ النّجيعِ قَوارِحاً

كما كُنّ يُغْذَيْنَ الضّريبَ مِهارا

كما كُنّ يُغْذَيْنَ الضّريبَ مِهارا

He fed them crimson blood as mature horses,

Their food reddened carrion, vultures

just as they had been fed blended milk as foals.

As they used to be fed dried meat skillfully

سمعْنَ الوَغى قبلَ الصّهيلِ وما انْسَرَتْ

سمعْنَ الوَغى قبلَ الصّهيلِ وما انْسَرَتْ

مَشَايِمُها حتى اكتَسَينَ غُبارا

مَشَايِمُها حتى اكتَسَينَ غُبارا

They heard battle's din before neighing and had not shed

They heard the commotion before the neighing and did not scatter

their birth-membranes before they were clothed in dust.

Until they were cloaked in dust

إذا أفرعَتْ من ذاتِ نِيقٍ حَسِبْتَها

إذا أفرعَتْ من ذاتِ نِيقٍ حَسِبْتَها

تُفيضُ على أهلِ الوُهودِ بِحارا

تُفيضُ على أهلِ الوُهودِ بِحارا

When they descend from a mountain's high ridge, you would think them

If they sprang from a rested stance, you would think it

pouring seas upon the people of the hollows.

Surging mountains or flaming heat

وإن نَهَضَتْ من مطمَئنّ ظنَنْتَه

وإن نَهَضَتْ من مطمَئنّ ظنَنْتَه

يَجيشُ جِبالاً أو يَمُجّ حِرارا

يَجيشُ جِبالاً أو يَمُجّ حِرارا

And if they rise from a hollow, you would think it

The obscurity of their dust blinds the birds of prey

surging with mountains or disgorging black lava fields.

Dropping them dead, hock and pinion

يَغُولُ سِباعَ الطّيرِ ضَنْكُ غُبارِها

يَغُولُ سِباعَ الطّيرِ ضَنْكُ غُبارِها

فيُسْقِطُ مَوْتَى أعْقُباً ونِسارا

فيُسْقِطُ مَوْتَى أعْقُباً ونِسارا

The choking thickness of their dust destroys the birds of prey,

And in it the master feels awe so whenever

and brings eagles and vultures down dead.

The crescents shone to his eyes he marched on

ويَجْشِمُ فيه السِّيدُ رُعْباً فكُلما

ويَجْشِمُ فيه السِّيدُ رُعْباً فكُلما

أضاءتْ لعينيه القَواضِبُ سارا

أضاءتْ لعينيه القَواضِبُ سارا

And within it the wolf endures terror; whenever

Every skilled one guided him to what he desired

the cutting blades shine before its eyes, it moves on.

To be for the causes of attacks an artisan

هَداهُ إلى ما شاء كلّ مهَنّدٍ

هَداهُ إلى ما شاء كلّ مهَنّدٍ

يَكونُ لأسبابِ الحُتوفِ نِجارا

يَكونُ لأسبابِ الحُتوفِ نِجارا

Every Indian-steel sword guides it toward what it desires,

As if deaths were an army of scattered motes

being a source of the means of death.

Taking to the souls in it a passage

كأنّ المَنايا جيشُ ذَرّ عَرَمْرَمٌ

كأنّ المَنايا جيشُ ذَرّ عَرَمْرَمٌ

تَخِذْنَ إلى الأرْوَاحِ فيهِ مَسارا

تَخِذْنَ إلى الأرْوَاحِ فيهِ مَسارا

As though the fates of death were a vast army of tiny ants

that had made a path through it to the souls.