كَيفَ أَضاءَ البَرقُ إِذ أَومَضا

كَيفَ أَضاءَ البَرقُ إِذ أَومَضا

مَنابِتَ الرِمثِ بِوادي الغَضا

مَنابِتَ الرِمثِ بِوادي الغَضا

How the lightning, when it flashed, illuminated

How the lightning blazed when it flashed,

the places where ramth grows in Wadi al-Ghada!

Illuminating the sand dunes in the valley of Ghada.

عَهدُ الحِمى لا أَينَ عَهدُ الحِمى

عَهدُ الحِمى لا أَينَ عَهدُ الحِمى

قَضى عَلى الصَبِّ جَوىً وَاِنقَضى

قَضى عَلى الصَبِّ جَوىً وَاِنقَضى

The days of the protected pasture—no, where are those days?

The abode of love - where is the abode of love?

They doomed the lovelorn to anguish, then passed away.

It scorched my patience and vanished.

وَنازِلٍ بِالقَلبِ أَوطانُهُ

وَنازِلٍ بِالقَلبِ أَوطانُهُ

بَينَ حِمى الرَملِ وَبَينَ الأَضا

بَينَ حِمى الرَملِ وَبَينَ الأَضا

And a dweller in my heart has his homes

With an abode in my heart are its dwellings,

between the sands' protected pasture and the pools.

Between the sanctuary of the sands and Al-Ada.

لا نالَهُ الداءُ الَّذي نالَني

لا نالَهُ الداءُ الَّذي نالَني

مِنهُ وَإِن شَفَّ وَإِن أَمرَضا

مِنهُ وَإِن شَفَّ وَإِن أَمرَضا

May he not suffer the sickness that struck me

The malady that afflicted me did not touch him,

through him, though it wasted and sickened me.

Though he was cured while I still ailed.

وَلا يُكابِد لَيلَ ذي غُلَّةٍ

وَلا يُكابِد لَيلَ ذي غُلَّةٍ

لَو طَلَعَ البَدرُ بِهِ ما أَضا

لَو طَلَعَ البَدرُ بِهِ ما أَضا

Nor may he endure the night of one burning with thirst,

Nor does he endure a pitch-black night,

in which, if the full moon rose, it would give no light.

Even if the full moon rose within it, it would illuminate.

هانَ عَلى الواجِدِ طَعمُ الكَرى

هانَ عَلى الواجِدِ طَعمُ الكَرى

إِنَّ الفَتى الساهِرَ ما غَمَّضا

إِنَّ الفَتى الساهِرَ ما غَمَّضا

The lovelorn holds the savor of sleep cheap;

To the contented one, the taste of sorrow seems trivial.

indeed, the wakeful youth has not closed his eyes.

Indeed, the watchful youth's eyes have not closed in sleep.

ما آنَ لِلمَمطولِ أَن يَقتَضي

ما آنَ لِلمَمطولِ أَن يَقتَضي

وَلا لِذا الماطِلِ أَن يُقتَضى

وَلا لِذا الماطِلِ أَن يُقتَضى

The time has not yet come for the creditor kept waiting to claim his due,

It is not for the dilatory one to seek payment,

nor for this delaying debtor to be pressed for payment.

Nor for the procrastinator to pay his debts.

إِنَّ غَريمي بِدُيونِ الهَوى

إِنَّ غَريمي بِدُيونِ الهَوى

أَدانَ قَلبي وَأَساءَ القَضا

أَدانَ قَلبي وَأَساءَ القَضا

Indeed, my debtor in the debts of love

Indeed, my creditor in the debts of passion,

borrowed from my heart and repaid it badly.

Has burdened my heart and made the payment evil.

يا راكِباً تَحمِلُهُ جَسرَةٌ

يا راكِباً تَحمِلُهُ جَسرَةٌ

كَالهِقلِ ناش البَلَدَ الأَعرَضا

كَالهِقلِ ناش البَلَدَ الأَعرَضا

O rider borne by a sturdy she-camel,

O rider whom boldness carries

like a male ostrich that has crossed the vast land,

Like the slender ostrich traversing the flatlands.

أَنحَلَهُ الخَوفُ وَخَوفُ الفَتى

أَنحَلَهُ الخَوفُ وَخَوفُ الفَتى

سَيفٌ عَلى مَفرِقِهِ مُنتَضى

سَيفٌ عَلى مَفرِقِهِ مُنتَضى

fear has wasted him; a young man's fear

Fear loosened its knot, and the fear of the young man

is a sword drawn over the crown of his head.

Is a sword at the nape, bared and ready to slay.

قُل لِبَهاءِ المُلكِ إِن جِئتَهُ

قُل لِبَهاءِ المُلكِ إِن جِئتَهُ

سَوَّدَ دَهري بِكَ ما بَيَّضا

سَوَّدَ دَهري بِكَ ما بَيَّضا

Say to Baha al-Mulk, if you reach him:

Say to the beauty of the kingdom, if you come to him,

My fate has, through you, blackened what it once made white.

"You have darkened my life while it was still bright."

سُخطٌ لَوَ أَنَّ الطودَ يُرمى بِهِ

سُخطٌ لَوَ أَنَّ الطودَ يُرمى بِهِ

ساخَ عَنِ الأَطوادِ أَو خَفَّضا

ساخَ عَنِ الأَطوادِ أَو خَفَّضا

Wrath—if a mountain were struck with it,

Wrath, that if a mountain were pelted with it,

it would sink below its fellow peaks or bow low;

Would slide from the mountains or diminish them.

وَمُرُّ قَولٍ ذَلَّ عِزّي لَهُ

وَمُرُّ قَولٍ ذَلَّ عِزّي لَهُ

لَو مُزِجَ الماءُ بِهِ عَرمَضا

لَو مُزِجَ الماءُ بِهِ عَرمَضا

and bitter speech before which my pride was humbled—

And speech so bitter it degraded my honor,

if water were mixed with it, it would grow algae.

If it were mixed with water it would become bitter.

أَعوذُ بِالعَفوِ وَهَل آمِنٌ

أَعوذُ بِالعَفوِ وَهَل آمِنٌ

نَذيرَةَ الصِلِّ إِذا نَضنَضا

نَذيرَةَ الصِلِّ إِذا نَضنَضا

I seek refuge in pardon—but is anyone safe

I seek refuge in pardoning - but does one feel safe

from the viper's warning when it flicks its tongue?

From the hissing of the serpent when it hisses?

أَيا غِياثَ الخَلقِ إِن أَجدَبوا

أَيا غِياثَ الخَلقِ إِن أَجدَبوا

وَيا قِوامَ الدينِ إِن قُوِّضا

وَيا قِوامَ الدينِ إِن قُوِّضا

O succor of mankind when they suffer drought,

O savior of mankind, if they are stricken with drought,

and O pillar of the faith when it is torn down,

And O pillar of the faith, if it shakes and totters.

وَيا ضِياءً إِن نَأى نورُهُ

وَيا ضِياءً إِن نَأى نورُهُ

لَم نَرَ يَوماً بَعدَهُ أَبيَضا

لَم نَرَ يَوماً بَعدَهُ أَبيَضا

and O radiance, if its light should recede,

O light, that if its brightness grows distant

we would see no bright day thereafter.

We will never see a day brighter afterward.

ما لِيَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى غُلَّةٍ

ما لِيَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى غُلَّةٍ

أَرمَضَني وَجدُكَ ما أَرمَضا

أَرمَضَني وَجدُكَ ما أَرمَضا

Why am I bent double with burning thirst?

Why am I twisted in anguish? It has made me sick.

Your wrath has scorched me—how fiercely it has scorched!

While your favor has not made me sick.

قَد قَلِقَ الجَنبُ وَطالَ الكَرى

قَد قَلِقَ الجَنبُ وَطالَ الكَرى

وَأَظلَمَ الجَوُّ وَضاقَ الفَضا

وَأَظلَمَ الجَوُّ وَضاقَ الفَضا

My side has grown restless, and sleep has grown long;

Restlessness has worried my soul, and sorrow stretched long.

and the sky has darkened, and open space has narrowed.

The sky darkened, and the horizon narrowed.

لا تُعطِشِ الزَهرَ الَّذي نَبتُهُ

لا تُعطِشِ الزَهرَ الَّذي نَبتُهُ

بِصَوبِ إِنعامِكَ قَد رَوَّضا

بِصَوبِ إِنعامِكَ قَد رَوَّضا

Do not leave thirsty the flowers whose growth

Do not let the blossoms whose growth

has become a garden under your bounty's rainfall.

Was in the direction of your grace become thirsty.

إِن كانَ لي ذَنبٌ وَلا ذَنبَ لي

إِن كانَ لي ذَنبٌ وَلا ذَنبَ لي

فَاِستَأنِفِ العَفوَ وَهَب ما مَضى

فَاِستَأنِفِ العَفوَ وَهَب ما مَضى

If I have a fault—and I have none—

If I have sinned - and I have no sin -

then renew your pardon, and forgive what has passed.

Resume your pardon, and forgive what has passed.

لا تَبرِ عوداً أَنتَ رَيشَتَهُ

لا تَبرِ عوداً أَنتَ رَيشَتَهُ

حاشا لِباني المَجدِ أَن يَنقُضا

حاشا لِباني المَجدِ أَن يَنقُضا

Do not whittle away a shaft you yourself have feathered;

Do not destroy a branch that you have feathered.

far be it from the builder of glory to tear it down.

Never would the builder of glory undo what he constructed.

وَاِرعَ لِغَرسٍ أَنتَ أَنهَضتَهُ

وَاِرعَ لِغَرسٍ أَنتَ أَنهَضتَهُ

لَولاكَ ما قارَبَ أَن يَنهَضا

لَولاكَ ما قارَبَ أَن يَنهَضا

And tend a planting you yourself have raised;

And protect a sapling that you made grow.

without you, it would not have come close to rising.

Had it not been for you, it would not have reached up to grow.

لَو عَوِّضَ الدُنيا عَلى عِزِّها

لَو عَوِّضَ الدُنيا عَلى عِزِّها

مِنكَ لَما سُرَّ بِما عُوِّضا

مِنكَ لَما سُرَّ بِما عُوِّضا

Were it offered the world, for all its glory,

If the world were recompensed for its honor

in place of you, it would not rejoice in what it received.

With you, it would not rejoice in what it gained in exchange.

وَلا يَكُن عَهدُكَ بَعدَ الهَوى

وَلا يَكُن عَهدُكَ بَعدَ الهَوى

غَيماً تَجَلّى وَخِضاباً نَضا

غَيماً تَجَلّى وَخِضاباً نَضا

And let not your pledge, after love,

Nor after passion, let your covenant

be a cloud that disperses and a dye that wears away.

Be clouds that gathered and color that faded.

يارامِياً لادِرعَ مِن سَهمِهِ

يارامِياً لادِرعَ مِن سَهمِهِ

أَقصَدَني مِن قَبلِ أَن يُنتَضى

أَقصَدَني مِن قَبلِ أَن يُنتَضى

O archer, against whose arrow no armor avails,

O archer whose arrows, when released from his bow,

it struck me down before it was drawn.

Targeted me before they were even unleashed.

قَضى عَلى قَلبي بِإِقلاقِهِ

قَضى عَلى قَلبي بِإِقلاقِهِ

ما أَنا بِالجَلدِ عَلى ما قَضى

ما أَنا بِالجَلدِ عَلى ما قَضى

It condemned my heart to unrest;

It decreed destruction upon my heart with its turmoil,

I have no fortitude to bear what it decreed.

And I cannot bear what was decreed with fortitude.

وَكَيفَ لا أَبكي لِأَعرادِ مَن

وَكَيفَ لا أَبكي لِأَعرادِ مَن

يُعرِضُ عَنّي الدَهرُ إِن أَعرَضا

يُعرِضُ عَنّي الدَهرُ إِن أَعرَضا

And how could I not weep at the withdrawal of one

How can I not weep for the intimacy of one

who, if he turns away, makes Time turn away from me?

Whom fate turns away from me if it turns?

قَد كُنتُ أَرجوهُ لِنَيلِ المُنى

قَد كُنتُ أَرجوهُ لِنَيلِ المُنى

فَاليَومَ لا أَطلُبُ غَيرَ الرِضا

فَاليَومَ لا أَطلُبُ غَيرَ الرِضا

I once hoped in him to attain my wishes;

I used to hope to attain the wished-for end through him.

but today I seek nothing but his approval.

But today I seek nothing but contentment.