ما لحبلِ الوصلِ قد أمسى رِماما

ما لحبلِ الوصلِ قد أمسى رِماما

ولزومِ الصدَّ قد صار لِزاما

ولزومِ الصدَّ قد صار لِزاما

What ails the cord of union, now worn to tatters?

What has the rope of union become but shreds

And why has persistence in rebuff become a binding rule?

And adherence to estrangement is now binding

يا أحبائي إذا لم تحفظوا

يا أحبائي إذا لم تحفظوا

ذلكَ العهدَ فمَنْ يرعى ذِماما

ذلكَ العهدَ فمَنْ يرعى ذِماما

O my loved ones, if you do not keep

O my loved ones, if you do not keep

that pledge, then who will honor a covenant?

That pact, then who will hold the reins

شِيَمٌ لستُ أراها لكمُ

شِيَمٌ لستُ أراها لكمُ

قعدَ القلبُ لجرّاها وقاما

قعدَ القلبُ لجرّاها وقاما

Ways I do not recognize as yours—

It is not a trait I see in you

because of them, the heart has sat down and risen.

The heart settled to pull them and stood up

ما عهدناها ولكنْ هذه

ما عهدناها ولكنْ هذه

عادةُ الأيامِ تعتامُ الكراما

عادةُ الأيامِ تعتامُ الكراما

We never knew such ways, but this

We did not expect this of you, but these

is the way of days: they single out the noble.

Are the ways of time that darkens the generous

لا ولا كُنّا نُرجَّي منكمُ لِعُرى الوصلِ

لا ولا كُنّا نُرجَّي منكمُ لِعُرى الوصلِ

وحاشاها انفصاما

وحاشاها انفصاما

No, nor did we expect union's bonds, at your hands—

No, we never hoped from you for the ties of union to fray

far be it from them—to break.

And shame on their breaking

أين أيامي على كاظمةٍ

أين أيامي على كاظمةٍ

جادَها الدمعَ انسكاباً وانسجاما

جادَها الدمعَ انسكاباً وانسجاما

Where are my days at Kazimah?

Where are my days at Kadhimiyyah

May tears drench it, pouring and streaming.

Whose tears flowed profusely in harmony

وزمانٌ بالحمى قضَّيتُه

وزمانٌ بالحمى قضَّيتُه

ليته كانَ على العلاّتِ داما

ليته كانَ على العلاّتِ داما

And a time I spent in the protected grounds—

And a time I spent feverishly

if only it had lasted, despite its flaws!

I wish it had lasted forever

زمنٌ لو عادَ أضحى مُكْرَهاً

زمنٌ لو عادَ أضحى مُكْرَهاً

لي هجيرُ الهجرِ برداً وسلاما

لي هجيرُ الهجرِ برداً وسلاما

A time that, if it returned, would compel

A time that if returned is now hated

estrangement's noonday heat to become coolness and peace for me.

The estrangement of estrangement is cold and peace

حبذا الريحُ غدتْ حاملةً

حبذا الريحُ غدتْ حاملةً

أرجَ الطيبِ وأنفاسَ الخُزامى

أرجَ الطيبِ وأنفاسَ الخُزامى

How lovely the wind, now bearing

Blessed is the wind that carries

the fragrance of perfume and lavender's breaths!

The fragrance of musk and breaths of youth

كلَّما مرَّتْ لها هَينمَةٌ

كلَّما مرَّتْ لها هَينمَةٌ

خلتُها مِن نحوِ أحبابي كلاما

خلتُها مِن نحوِ أحبابي كلاما

Whenever it passes with a soft murmur,

Whenever a breeze passes by

I take it for speech from the direction of my loved ones.

I make it say something to my loved ones

فلماذا حرَّموا النومَ وما

فلماذا حرَّموا النومَ وما

كان لولا البينُ والهجرُ حراما

كان لولا البينُ والهجرُ حراما

Then why have they forbidden sleep, when it

Why did they forbid sleep when

would not be forbidden but for parting and estrangement?

Were it not for separation, it would not be forbidden

ومباحٌ لهمُ أن يمنعوا

ومباحٌ لهمُ أن يمنعوا

لرضاهمْ مقلتي مِن أن تناما

لرضاهمْ مقلتي مِن أن تناما

And they are allowed to prevent,

And it is permitted for them to prevent

for their pleasure, my two eyes from sleeping.

My eyes from sleeping to please them

مَنْ لقلبٍ كلَّما قلتُخَبَتْ

مَنْ لقلبٍ كلَّما قلتُخَبَتْ

نارُه أذكتْهُ لي ريحُ النُّعامى

نارُه أذكتْهُ لي ريحُ النُّعامى

Who can help me with a heart? Whenever I say, 'It has died down,'

Who can help a heart that whenever

the south wind rekindles its fire within me.

Its fire dies down, the wind of meadows rekindles it

وغريمِ الوجدِ مِن أهلِ الحمى

وغريمِ الوجدِ مِن أهلِ الحمى

نفحةُ الريحِ تعاطيني الغراما

نفحةُ الريحِ تعاطيني الغراما

And with love's creditor, from the people of the protected grounds?

And the passion of longing from the people of fever

A fragrant breath of wind offers me passion.

The breeze provokes me to passion

أرجٌ لولا أُهيلُ المنحنى

أرجٌ لولا أُهيلُ المنحنى

ما نشقناه ولا سُفْنا الرغَّاما

ما نشقناه ولا سُفْنا الرغَّاما

A fragrance that, but for the dear folk of the bend,

A meadow, were it not for the curves

we would not have inhaled, nor smelled the dust.

We would not have cleaved it nor sailed the sand dunes

ورياضٍ بتُّ في أرجائها

ورياضٍ بتُّ في أرجائها

باكياً روَّيتُ بالدمعِ الثُّماما

باكياً روَّيتُ بالدمعِ الثُّماما

And gardens in whose reaches I spent the night,

And gardens I wept in their spaces

weeping, I watered the thumam grass with tears.

I watered it with flowing tears

كلَّما مرَّتْ عليها شَمْأَلٌ

كلَّما مرَّتْ عليها شَمْأَلٌ

نبهَّتْ منها عَرارا وبَشاما

نبهَّتْ منها عَرارا وبَشاما

Whenever a north wind passed over them,

Whenever a late afternoon breeze passed over it

it roused their arar flowers and balsam trees.

It awakened there a fawn and sand grouse

رقدتْ للنَّورِ فيها أعينٌ

رقدتْ للنَّورِ فيها أعينٌ

والهوى يمنعُ عينَّي المناما

والهوى يمنعُ عينَّي المناما

The blossoms' eyes lay asleep within them,

Eyes slept in it to the light

while love denies my two eyes sleep.

And longing prevents my eyes from sleep

فاِذا غنَّتْ على أغصانِها

فاِذا غنَّتْ على أغصانِها

هُتَّفُ الوُرْقِ غدا دمعي المُداما

هُتَّفُ الوُرْقِ غدا دمعي المُداما

Then, when upon their branches sing

So when the warbling of leaves sings on its branches

the cooing gray doves, my tears become wine.

My flowing tears become continuous

يا لَقَومي مِن حنينٍ زادَني

يا لَقَومي مِن حنينٍ زادَني

سَقَماً منه وما نلتُ مراما

سَقَماً منه وما نلتُ مراما

O my people, help me against a longing that has brought me

Oh my people, the ache has increased

greater sickness, while I have attained no desired end.

My illness from it, and I did not attain my wish

لمعتْ لي بارقاتُ المنحنى

لمعتْ لي بارقاتُ المنحنى

وهي تُبدي في دجى الليلِ ابتساما

وهي تُبدي في دجى الليلِ ابتساما

The bend's lightning flashes shone before me,

The meadow's lightning flashed for me

revealing a smile in the darkness of night.

As it smiles in the darkness of night

خلتُها لمّا بدت مسلولةً

خلتُها لمّا بدت مسلولةً

مِن قِرابِ المزنِ تهتزُّ حُساما

مِن قِرابِ المزنِ تهتزُّ حُساما

I took them, when they appeared unsheathed

I left it when it appeared dangling

from the rain clouds' scabbard, for a quivering sword.

From the flask's neck, quivering blades

أو غدتْ مشبهةً مِن لوعتي

أو غدتْ مشبهةً مِن لوعتي

نارَها حَرّاً ووَقْداً وضِراما

نارَها حَرّاً ووَقْداً وضِراما

Or they came to resemble my anguish's

Or it became, from my agony

fire in heat, burning, and blaze.

Its fire scorching flames and embers

ليت شعري والأماني ضَلَّةٌ

ليت شعري والأماني ضَلَّةٌ

هل أرى الربعَ وهاتيكَ الخياما

هل أرى الربعَ وهاتيكَ الخياما

If only I knew—though wishes are folly—

I wish I knew, though wishes are lost

whether I shall see the encampment and those tents,

Will I see the meadow and those tents

منزلاً راقَ لعيني منظراً

منزلاً راقَ لعيني منظراً

وبهاءً ومُناخاً ومُقاما

وبهاءً ومُناخاً ومُقاما

a dwelling that pleased my eye in its appearance,

An abode that delighted my eyes in its view

its splendor, its halting place, and its lodging,

And beauty, climate, and place to stay

حيث لم أسمعْ ولم تسمعْ بنا

حيث لم أسمعْ ولم تسمعْ بنا

زينبٌ مِن زخرفِ الواشي ملاما

زينبٌ مِن زخرفِ الواشي ملاما

where I never heard, nor did she hear of us—

Where Zainab did not hear of us

Zaynab—any reproach from the slanderer's gilded lies.

Any blame from the slander of the critic

ما وجدنا لليالي حاجرٍ

ما وجدنا لليالي حاجرٍ

ولأيامِ الحمى في الدهرِ ذاما

ولأيامِ الحمى في الدهرِ ذاما

Never have we found, in the nights of Hajir

We did not find for the nights a protector

or the days of the protected grounds, any fault in all time.

And for the days of fever in time a supporter

ذاكَ دهرٌ سوف أُطريِه بما

ذاكَ دهرٌ سوف أُطريِه بما

يُخْجِلُ الدُّرَّ اتساقاً ونظاما

يُخْجِلُ الدُّرَّ اتساقاً ونظاما

That is an age I shall extol with verse

That is a time I will make fly with what

that puts pearls to shame in harmony and stringing.

Would shame pearls in order and arrangement

كلَّما رَدَّدَ شعري منشدٌ

كلَّما رَدَّدَ شعري منشدٌ

في نديًّ عَلَّمَ النوحَ الحماما

في نديًّ عَلَّمَ النوحَ الحماما

Whenever a reciter repeats my poetry

Whenever my poetry is sung by a chanter

in an assembly, he teaches the doves to lament

In melody, he taught lamenting to doves

بقريضٍ كلَّما أنشدَهُ

بقريضٍ كلَّما أنشدَهُ

خلتَهُ فضَّ عنِ المسكِ الختاما

خلتَهُ فضَّ عنِ المسكِ الختاما

with verse: whenever he recites it,

With an ode that whenever recited

you would think he had broken the seal on musk.

I make it overflow with musk from the seal

كلُّ أشعارِ الورى مؤتَّمةٌ

كلُّ أشعارِ الورى مؤتَّمةٌ

وهو للأشعارِ قد أضحى إِماما

وهو للأشعارِ قد أضحى إِماما

All mankind's poems are followers,

All the poetry of the world is in mourning

and it has become the imam of poetry.

And it has become for poetry the imam