لَولاwere it not that يَذُمُّwould blame الرَكبُthe riders عِندَكَbeside you مَوقِفيmy stopping
لَولا يَذُمُّ الرَكبُ عِندَكَ مَوقِفي
حَيَّيتُI would salute قَبرَكَyour grave ياO أَباfather of إِسحَقِIshaq
حَيَّيتُ قَبرَكَ يا أَبا إِسحَقِ
But for the riders' censure of my lingering beside you,
I would salute your grave, O Abu Ishaq.
كَيفَhow اِشتِياقُكَyour longing مُذsince نَأَيتَyou went far away إِلىfor أَخٍa brother
كَيفَ اِشتِياقُكَ مُذ نَأَيتَ إِلى أَخٍ
قَلِقِrestless الضَميرِthe heart إِلَيكَfor you بِالأَشواقِwith longings
قَلِقِ الضَميرِ إِلَيكَ بِالأَشواقِ
How fares your longing, since you went away, for a brother
whose heart is restless with yearning for you?
هَلdo تَذكُرُyou remember الزَمَنَthe time الأَنيقَlovely وَعَيشُناwhile our life
هَل تَذكُرُ الزَمَنَ الأَنيقَ وَعَيشُنا
يَحلوwas sweet عَلىto مُتَأَمَّلٍcontemplation وَمُذاقِand taste
يَحلو عَلى مُتَأَمَّلٍ وَمُذاقِ
Do you remember the lovely time, when our life
was sweet to contemplate and to taste?
وَلَيالِيَand the nights of الصَبَواتِyouthful passions وَهيَwhile they were قَصائِرٌbrief
وَلَيالِيَ الصَبَواتِ وَهيَ قَصائِرٌ
خَطفَthe fleeting passage of الوَميضِthe lightning flash بِعارِضٍin a cloud مِبراقِbright with lightning
خَطفَ الوَميضِ بِعارِضٍ مِبراقِ
And the nights of youthful passion, so brief—
like a fleeting flash in a cloud bright with lightning?
لاno بُدَّescape لِلقُرَباءِfor those close أَنthat يَتَزايَلواthey part
لا بُدَّ لِلقُرَباءِ أَن يَتَزايَلوا
يَوماًone day بِعُذرِon grounds of قِلىًaversion وَعُذرِand on grounds of فِراقِseparation
يَوماً بِعُذرِ قِلىً وَعُذرِ فِراقِ
Those close to one another must part
one day, whether through aversion or departure.
أَمضيI move on وَتَعطِفُنيand turn me back إِلَيكَtoward you نَوازِعٌyearnings
أَمضي وَتَعطِفُني إِلَيكَ نَوازِعٌ
بِتَنَفُّسٍwith sighing كَتَنَفُّسِlike the sighing of العُشّاقِlovers
بِتَنَفُّسٍ كَتَنَفُّسِ العُشّاقِ
I move on, but yearnings turn me back to you,
with sighing like the sighing of lovers.
وَأَذودُand I ward off عَنfrom عَينيmy eye الدُموعَthe tears وَلَوand if خَلَتthey were left free
وَأَذودُ عَن عَيني الدُموعَ وَلَو خَلَت
لَجَرَتthey would surely flow عَلَيكَover you بِوابِلٍin a downpour غَيداقِcopious
لَجَرَت عَلَيكَ بِوابِلٍ غَيداقِ
And I ward the tears away from my eye; if left free,
they would stream over you in a copious downpour.
وَلَوَand even if اِنَّthat فيin طَرفيmy eye قَذاةًa speck مِنof ثَرىًmoist earth
وَلَوَ اِنَّ في طَرفي قَذاةً مِن ثَرىً
وَأَراكَwhile I see you ماnot قَذَّيتُهاI would clear it away مِنfrom ماقيmy eye's inner corner
وَأَراكَ ما قَذَّيتُها مِن ماقي
And if a speck of earth were in my eye,
while looking on you, I would not clear it from my eye's corner.
إِنif تَمضِyou depart فَالمَجدُthen glory المُرَجَّبُrevered خالِدٌeverlasting
إِن تَمضِ فَالمَجدُ المُرَجَّبُ خالِدٌ
أَوor تَفنَyou perish فَالكَلِمُthen the words العِظامُmighty بَواقيenduring
أَو تَفنَ فَالكَلِمُ العِظامُ بَواقي
If you depart, revered glory lives forever;
or if you perish, mighty words endure.
مَشحوذَةٌsharpened تَدمىdraw blood بِغَيرِwithout مَضارِبٍstriking edges
مَشحوذَةٌ تَدمى بِغَيرِ مَضارِبٍ
كَالسَيفِlike a sword أُطلِقَunleashed فيagainst طُلىthe sides of الأَعناقِthe necks
كَالسَيفِ أُطلِقَ في طُلى الأَعناقِ
Sharpened, they draw blood without cutting edges,
like a sword unleashed against the sides of necks.
يُقبِلنَthey advance كَالجَيشِlike an army المُغيرِraiding يَؤُمُّهُleads it
يُقبِلنَ كَالجَيشِ المُغيرِ يَؤُمُّهُ
كَمِشُtucked-up الإِزارِwaistcloth مُقَلِّصٌhitching up his garment عَنaway from ساقِa shin
كَمِشُ الإِزارِ مُقَلِّصٌ عَن ساقِ
They advance like a raiding army, led
by one with waistcloth tucked up and shin laid bare.
قِرَطاتُearrings آذانِthe ears of المُلوكِkings خَليقَةٌworthy
قِرَطاتُ آذانِ المُلوكِ خَليقَةٌ
بِمَواضِعِof the places of التيجانِcrowns وَالأَطواقِand neck-rings
بِمَواضِعِ التيجانِ وَالأَطواقِ
Earrings for the ears of kings, worthy
of the places of crowns and neck-rings.
عَقَدواthey tethered بِهاwith them المَجدَglory الشَرودَelusive وَأَثَّلواand built up
عَقَدوا بِها المَجدَ الشَرودَ وَأَثَّلوا
دَرَجاًsteps إِلىto شَرَفِthe heights of العُلىeminence وَمَراقيand stairways
دَرَجاً إِلى شَرَفِ العُلى وَمَراقي
With them they tethered elusive glory and built
steps and stairways to the heights of eminence.
أَوتَرتَهاyou strung them أَيّامَin the days when باعُكَyour arm's reach صُلَّبٌstrong
أَوتَرتَها أَيّامَ باعُكَ صُلَّبٌ
وَكَدَدتَهاand strained them بِالنَزعِby drawing the bow وَالإِغراقِand drawing to the full
وَكَدَدتَها بِالنَزعِ وَالإِغراقِ
You strung them when your outstretched arm was strong,
and strained them with the pull and the fullest draw,
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen مَرِحَتslackened قُواكَyour powers شَدَدتَهاyou braced them
حَتّى إِذا مَرِحَت قُواكَ شَدَدتَها
بِاِسمٍwith a name عَلىon عَقِبِthe heels of اللَياليthe nights باقيenduring
بِاِسمٍ عَلى عَقِبِ اللَيالي باقي
until, when your powers slackened, you braced them
with a name that outlasts the nights,
كَنَجائِبٍlike noble she-camels قَعَدَتfaltered بِهاwith them أَرماقُهاtheir last strength
كَنَجائِبٍ قَعَدَت بِها أَرماقُها
مَحسورَةًexhausted فَمَشَينَthen they walked on بِالأَعراقِthrough their breeding
مَحسورَةً فَمَشَينَ بِالأَعراقِ
like noble she-camels, held back by their ebbing strength,
exhausted, yet walking on through the strength of their stock.