أعيا العواذلَ ما عندي مِنَ الَكلَفِ

أعيا العواذلَ ما عندي مِنَ الَكلَفِ

فيا خيولَهمُ دونَ المرامِ قِفي

فيا خيولَهمُ دونَ المرامِ قِفي

The passion within me has defeated the reproachers;

I am worn out by the reproaches - I have no pretense

So, O their horses, halt short of the goal.

So stop, O their horses, before things get worse

يكلِّفُ القلبَ غيرَ عادتِه

يكلِّفُ القلبَ غيرَ عادتِه

مِنَ السلوِّ فوا لهفي مِنَ الُكَلفِ

مِنَ السلوِّ فوا لهفي مِنَ الُكَلفِ

He demands of the heart what is foreign to its habit—

The heart takes on what is not its custom

Forgetfulness—alas for my anguish from passion!

With such mischief - alas for all this pretense

يا عاذليَّ وِانْ ردَّدْتُما عَذَلي

يا عاذليَّ وِانْ ردَّدْتُما عَذَلي

فليس يُغنيكما ما فيه مِنَ سَرَفِ

فليس يُغنيكما ما فيه مِنَ سَرَفِ

O my two reproachers, even if you repeat your blame of me,

O reproacher, even if you repeat your reproaches

For the excess in it will avail you both nothing.

It will not avail you, however excessive your extravagance

ما تحصلانِ على حالٍ يسُّركُما

ما تحصلانِ على حالٍ يسُّركُما

مما تُجِدّانِ من لومٍ ومن عَنَفِ

مما تُجِدّانِ من لومٍ ومن عَنَفِ

You two will attain no state that pleases you

You will not find a state that pleases you

Through your earnest blame and harshness.

With all the blame and violence that you dispense

ما ينفعُ العذلُ والاحبابُ قد رحلوا

ما ينفعُ العذلُ والاحبابُ قد رحلوا

عنمُنحني أجرَعِ الصَّمَّانِ والنَّجَفِ

عنمُنحني أجرَعِ الصَّمَّانِ والنَّجَفِ

What use is reproach, when the loved ones have departed

Reproach and loved ones are of no use, now they have gone

From the bend of the sandy tract of al-Samman and al-Najaf?

Far from me, yet I pine for them nonetheless

كانَ الزمانُ بهمْ والعيشُ مبتهجٌ

كانَ الزمانُ بهمْ والعيشُ مبتهجٌ

حتى جَزَعنَ رمالَ المهمهِ القَذَفِ

حتى جَزَعنَ رمالَ المهمهِ القَذَفِ

With them, time and life were joyful,

There was a time when they were here, and life was joyful

Until they crossed the sands of the far-flung wilderness.

Until the sands of desolation bore them hence

بانوا بكلِّ رداحٍ كالقضيبِ اِذا

بانوا بكلِّ رداحٍ كالقضيبِ اِذا

ماستْ أغارتْ غصونَ البانِ بالهَيَفِ

ماستْ أغارتْ غصونَ البانِ بالهَيَفِ

They departed with every full-hipped beauty, like a slender branch; when

They left to every far and desolate place, like an arrow

She sways, she makes the ban-tree's boughs jealous of her slim waist.

When it is loosed, and the branches of the bow flex tense

تَظَلُّ ترتعُ عيني في محاسِنها

تَظَلُّ ترتعُ عيني في محاسِنها

كأنَّما رَتَعَتْ في روضةٍ أُنُفِ

كأنَّما رَتَعَتْ في روضةٍ أُنُفِ

My eye keeps grazing on her charms,

My eyes still gaze at their beauties

As though it grazed in an untouched meadow.

As if they grazed in a lush, fragrant garden

غراءُ بَهنانةٌ لمياءُ بَهْكَنَةٌ

غراءُ بَهنانةٌ لمياءُ بَهْكَنَةٌ

تميلُ بينَ دَلالِ التَّيهِ والتَّرَفِ

تميلُ بينَ دَلالِ التَّيهِ والتَّرَفِ

Radiant, sweet-scented, dark-lipped, soft and full-bodied,

A lovely doe, a graceful gazelle

She sways between proud coquetry and pampered ease.

Swaying between the lures of wanderlust and indolence

كُفَّي لِحاظَكِ يا ذاتَ الوشاحِ فقد

كُفَّي لِحاظَكِ يا ذاتَ الوشاحِ فقد

أصبتِ منَّي مكانَ الوَجْدِ والشَّغَفِ

أصبتِ منَّي مكانَ الوَجْدِ والشَّغَفِ

Restrain your glances, O wearer of the sash, for

Enough, O veiled one, of your amorous glances, for you have

You have struck the seat of longing and passion within me.

Attained in me the place of fervor and ardor intense

أصبتِ مني مكاناً أنتِ ساكنةٌ

أصبتِ مني مكاناً أنتِ ساكنةٌ

فيه ومُسْتَوْطَنَ الأشواقِ والأسَفِ

فيه ومُسْتَوْطَنَ الأشواقِ والأسَفِ

You have struck a place in me—you dwell

You have attained in me a place where you reside

In it—and the abode of yearning and sorrow.

And where longings and sorrows have pitched their tents

لم تُغنِني السابريّات الدَلامُى وما

لم تُغنِني السابريّات الدَلامُى وما

تَخِذْتُ مِن جُنَنٍ تَحمي ومِن حَجَفِ

تَخِذْتُ مِن جُنَنٍ تَحمي ومِن حَجَفِ

The large, dark Sabiri coats of mail availed me nothing, nor did what

The women I courted did not console me, nor did I

I took as protective armor and leather shields.

Take any pleasure to warm me or pretense to convince

ما زلتُ بالعهدِ قبلَ البينِ مُعْتَصِماً

ما زلتُ بالعهدِ قبلَ البينِ مُعْتَصِماً

فكيفَ بالعهدِ بعدَ البينِ ليس يَفِي

فكيفَ بالعهدِ بعدَ البينِ ليس يَفِي

I never ceased clinging to the pledge before parting;

I kept true to our pact before we parted

What, then, of the pledge after parting, when faith is not kept?

So how can I now break it, when we are far hence?

نأتْ فغيَّرها طولُ البِعادِ وما

نأتْ فغيَّرها طولُ البِعادِ وما

رعتْ هوايَ ولا ودَّي ولا شَغَفي

رعتْ هوايَ ولا ودَّي ولا شَغَفي

She went far away; long separation changed her, and she did not

She went away, and the long separation changed her

Cherish my love, my affection, or my passion.

She no longer heeds my love or affection intense

اِذا ذكَّرتُ أوقاتي ولذَّتَها

اِذا ذكَّرتُ أوقاتي ولذَّتَها

بها ألوذُ بفضلِ الأدمُعِ الذُّرُفِ

بها ألوذُ بفضلِ الأدمُعِ الذُّرُفِ

When I recall my hours and their delight

When I recall our times and the pleasures with her

With her, I seek refuge in the abundance of streaming tears.

I seek refuge in copious, gushing tears hence

يا أدمعي ن حدَّثي بعدَ الفراقِ بما

يا أدمعي ن حدَّثي بعدَ الفراقِ بما

عندي ونُمَّي بأسرارِ الهوى وصِفي

عندي ونُمَّي بأسرارِ الهوى وصِفي

O my tears, tell after parting of what

O my tears, speak to me after our separation of what

Lies within me; divulge love's secrets and describe them.

I feel, and portray the secrets of passionate love, and dispense

قد كنتُ أكتُمُه والشملُ مؤتِلفٌ

قد كنتُ أكتُمُه والشملُ مؤتِلفٌ

واليومَ اصبحَ شملي غيرَ مؤتِلفِ

واليومَ اصبحَ شملي غيرَ مؤتِلفِ

I once concealed it while our company was united;

I used to hide it when we were together,

And today my company is no longer united.

But today, that time of harmony makes no sense

هل بعدَ أن بانَ أحبابي وبدَّلني

هل بعدَ أن بانَ أحبابي وبدَّلني

بُعدُ الحبائبِ ذاكَ القربَ بالشَّظَفِ

بُعدُ الحبائبِ ذاكَ القربَ بالشَّظَفِ

Will, after my loved ones have departed and

After my loved ones left and distance replaced

Their distance has replaced that closeness with hardship,

That closeness with remoteness and distance immense

والعيسُ قد ثورَّت للبينِ حاملةً

والعيسُ قد ثورَّت للبينِ حاملةً

تلكَ الهوادجَ في داجٍ مِنَ السَّدَفِ

تلكَ الهوادجَ في داجٍ مِنَ السَّدَفِ

And the pale camels have been roused for parting, carrying

And the camels are enraged by the separation, bearing

Those howdahs in the deep gloom of night

The litters in a covered enclosure's dark defense

يصونهنَّ عنِ الأبصارِ قاطبةً

يصونهنَّ عنِ الأبصارِ قاطبةً

وغيرُ بِدْعٍ حلولُ الدرَّ في الصَّدَفِ

وغيرُ بِدْعٍ حلولُ الدرَّ في الصَّدَفِ

That shields them from every eye—

Concealing them from all eyes completely

And it is no wonder that pearls dwell in shells—

Without exception, as precious pearls in a shell intense

يُعيدُهنَّ على رغمِ الرقيبِ كما

يُعيدُهنَّ على رغمِ الرقيبِ كما

قد كنتُ أعهدُ وخدُ الأينقِ الخُنُفِ

قد كنتُ أعهدُ وخدُ الأينقِ الخُنُفِ

It bring them back, despite the watcher, as

They return them despite the guard, as I

I once knew them—the swift trot of the sidling she-camels?

Used to visit the gentle, docile and shy, in pretense

تسري بكلَّ ربيطِ الجأْشِ مُدَّرِعٍ

تسري بكلَّ ربيطِ الجأْشِ مُدَّرِعٍ

عزماً أعادَ المطايا الخوصَ في كَنَفِ

عزماً أعادَ المطايا الخوصَ في كَنَفِ

They travel by night with every steadfast-hearted man clad

Moving with every fully armed regiment

In resolve that has brought the narrow-eyed mounts back to shelter.

Resolved to restore the swift mares to our tribe's defense

كم فدفدٍ قَطَعَتْهُ وهي لاغِبةٌ

كم فدفدٍ قَطَعَتْهُ وهي لاغِبةٌ

عُجْفٌ فللّهِ عزمُ اللُّغَّبِ والعُجُفِ

عُجْفٌ فللّهِ عزمُ اللُّغَّبِ والعُجُفِ

How many a wide, hard plain they crossed, though weary

How many leagues they crossed, while she traveled afar

And gaunt—by God, what resolve the weary and gaunt possess!

Exertion that only the ardent and zealous would commence

اِنْ فاتَها الوِردُ لم تَصْعَرْ اليهِ اِذا

اِنْ فاتَها الوِردُ لم تَصْعَرْ اليهِ اِذا

تباعدَ المرتمى مِن شِدَّةِ الأَنَفِ

تباعدَ المرتمى مِن شِدَّةِ الأَنَفِ

If watering eludes them, they do not turn toward it when

If she misses the flowers, she does not rage

The goal lies far away, so fierce is their proud disdain.

When the goal is too remote, and the effort intense

سارَ الأحبَّةُ عن أرجاِ كاظمةٍ

سارَ الأحبَّةُ عن أرجاِ كاظمةٍ

فكم طريحٍ على آثارِهمْ سَهِفِ

فكم طريحٍ على آثارِهمْ سَهِفِ

The loved ones journeyed away from the outskirts of Kazimah;

The loved ones traveled far from the abodes of a patient one

So many lie fallen along their tracks, parched!

So how many corpses lay prone across their path hence!

لو كانَ يومُ النوى والعيسُ سائرةٌ

لو كانَ يومُ النوى والعيسُ سائرةٌ

وكلُّ صبَّ مِنَ التفريقِ في جَنَفِ

وكلُّ صبَّ مِنَ التفريقِ في جَنَفِ

Were it the day of parting, with the pale camels journeying,

If it were the day of departure, the camels striding

And every lover bent awry by separation,

And every draft of separation like a sword thrust tense

لم تلقَ غيرَ حشاً للبينِ مُضْطَرِبٍ

لم تلقَ غيرَ حشاً للبينِ مُضْطَرِبٍ

ومدمعٍ مِنْ اتيَّ الدمعِ مُغْترفِ

ومدمعٍ مِنْ اتيَّ الدمعِ مُغْترفِ

You would find only a heart trembling at parting,

You would not find but grief for the separation, chaotic

And an eye drawing from a torrent of tears,

And tears poured in profusion from eyes intense

ومُدْنَفٍ ضَلَّ عنه الرشدُ حين نأى

ومُدْنَفٍ ضَلَّ عنه الرشدُ حين نأى

عنه الخليطُ فمَنْ للهائمِ الدَّنِفِ

عنه الخليطُ فمَنْ للهائمِ الدَّنِفِ

And a love-wasted man whose reason deserted him when they withdrew

And one crazed, reason lost when his dear ones went far

From him—his companions; so who will aid the bewildered, sick lover?

So who can guide the wanderer, mad and dense?

يُذكي صباباتِه تَذكارُ قربِهمُ

يُذكي صباباتِه تَذكارُ قربِهمُ

اِنَّ ادَّكارهمُ عونٌ على التَلَفِ

اِنَّ ادَّكارهمُ عونٌ على التَلَفِ

The memory of their nearness kindles his passionate longings;

Recalling their nearness kindles his smoldering passions

Indeed, remembering them helps bring about his ruin.

For remembering them is balm for one whom sorrow rents

لم ينسَ لذةَ ما قد عُلَّ من شَنَبٍ

لم ينسَ لذةَ ما قد عُلَّ من شَنَبٍ

أحببْ بذلكَ مِن خمرٍ لمرتشفِ

أحببْ بذلكَ مِن خمرٍ لمرتشفِ

He has not forgotten the delight of repeated draughts from a cool, sweet mouth;

He has not forgot the joy of that flirtation with one slender

How dear that wine is to the one who sips it!

For which he loved the wine he sipped ever since