سَيُسكِتُني يَأسي وَفي الصَدرِ حاجَةٌ

سَيُسكِتُني يَأسي وَفي الصَدرِ حاجَةٌ

كَما أَنطَقَتني وَالرِجالَ المَطامِعُ

كَما أَنطَقَتني وَالرِجالَ المَطامِعُ

My despair will silence me, though a need remains in my breast,

My despair will silence me, though my heart still yearns

just as hopes of gain made me and other men speak.

As ambitions moved men to speak to me

بِضائِعُ قَولٍ عِندَ غَيرِيَ رِبحُها

بِضائِعُ قَولٍ عِندَ غَيرِيَ رِبحُها

وَعِندِيَ خُسراناتُها وَالوَضائِعُ

وَعِندِيَ خُسراناتُها وَالوَضائِعُ

Wares of speech—their profit goes to others,

Words lost on others are profitable to them

while I bear their losses and depreciation.

While to me they are losses and things wasted

غَرائِبُ لَو هُدَّت عَلى الطَودِ ذي الصَفا

غَرائِبُ لَو هُدَّت عَلى الطَودِ ذي الصَفا

أَصاخَ إِلَيها يَذبُلٌ وَالقَعاقِعُ

أَصاخَ إِلَيها يَذبُلٌ وَالقَعاقِعُ

Rare verses—had they been hurled against a mountain of smooth rock,

Wondrous things, if given to the smooth mountain of Safa

Yadhbul and al-Qaʿāqiʿ would have listened to them.

The young camels flock to it, and the locusts

تُضاعُ كَما ضاعَت خَلاةٌ بِقَفرَةٍ

تُضاعُ كَما ضاعَت خَلاةٌ بِقَفرَةٍ

زَفَتها النُعامى وَالرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ

زَفَتها النُعامى وَالرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ

They are squandered like a wisp of grass lost in a desert waste,

Wasted like a barren valley assailed by ostriches

swept away by the south wind and violent gales.

And the tearing winds

كَأَنَّ لِساني نِسعَةٌ حَضرَمِيَةٌ

كَأَنَّ لِساني نِسعَةٌ حَضرَمِيَةٌ

طَواها وَلَم تَبلُغ لَها السومَ بائِعُ

طَواها وَلَم تَبلُغ لَها السومَ بائِعُ

As though my tongue were a Hadrami plaited strap,

As if my tongue is a superb sword of Hidjaz

rolled up by a seller when it failed to fetch its price.

Sheathed before sellers could value it

لَقَد كانَ لي عَن باحَةِ الذُلَّ مَذهَبٌ

لَقَد كانَ لي عَن باحَةِ الذُلَّ مَذهَبٌ

وَمُضطَرَبٌ عَن جانِبِ الضَيمِ واسِعُ

وَمُضطَرَبٌ عَن جانِبِ الضَيمِ واسِعُ

I indeed had a way out of humiliation's courtyard,

Indeed I had an escape from the valley of disgrace

and ample room to roam far from the precincts of oppression.

And freedom from oppression and tyranny

وَما مُدَّ ما بَيني وَبَينَ مَذاهِبي

وَما مُدَّ ما بَيني وَبَينَ مَذاهِبي

حِجازٌ وَلا سُدَّت عَلَيَّ المَطالِعُ

حِجازٌ وَلا سُدَّت عَلَيَّ المَطالِعُ

Nor has there been drawn between me and my paths

Neither mountains nor closed horizons stood

any barrier, nor have the upward paths been barred to me.

Between my escape route and its pursuits

أَكُنُّ ثَنائي وَاِبنُ فَعلاءَ مُعرِضٌ

أَكُنُّ ثَنائي وَاِبنُ فَعلاءَ مُعرِضٌ

لَئِن أَنتَ لَم تَسمَع فَعِرضُكَ سامِعُ

لَئِن أَنتَ لَم تَسمَع فَعِرضُكَ سامِعُ

I withhold my praise while the son of so-and-so turns away;

Do I blazon myself while the noble sons ignore me?

if you do not listen, your honor will hear.

If you do not listen, then your honor does

وَلَو ما جَزَيتُ القَرضَ بِالعِرضِ لَم يَضِع

وَلَو ما جَزَيتُ القَرضَ بِالعِرضِ لَم يَضِع

فَإِنَّ النَدى عِندَ الكِرامِ وَدائِعُ

فَإِنَّ النَدى عِندَ الكِرامِ وَدائِعُ

Even had I not repaid the loan with honor, it would not have been lost,

And had I not reciprocated favors for honors

for generosity, with the noble, is held in trust.

Virtues would not be kept with the generous

سَيُدرى مَنِ المَغبونُ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

سَيُدرى مَنِ المَغبونُ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

إِذا اِفتَرَقَت عَمّا تَقولُ المَجامِعُ

إِذا اِفتَرَقَت عَمّا تَقولُ المَجامِعُ

It will be known who has been shortchanged, of us or of you,

It will be known who is wronged, I or you

when the assemblies disperse after their talk.

When opinions differ from what assemblies declare

وَهَل تَدَّعي حِفظَ المَكارِمِ عِصبَةٌ

وَهَل تَدَّعي حِفظَ المَكارِمِ عِصبَةٌ

لِئامٌ وَمِثلي بَينَها اليَومَ ضائِعُ

لِئامٌ وَمِثلي بَينَها اليَومَ ضائِعُ

Can a band claim to uphold noble virtues,

Does a vile horde claim preserving virtues?

base as they are, while one like me is neglected among them today?

While the likes of me among them go to waste

نَعَم لَستُمُ الأَيدي الطِوالَ فَعاوِنوا

نَعَم لَستُمُ الأَيدي الطِوالَ فَعاوِنوا

عَلى قَدرِكُم قَد تُستَعانُ الأَصابِعُ

عَلى قَدرِكُم قَد تُستَعانُ الأَصابِعُ

True, yours are not long-reaching hands; then lend help

True, you are not tall in reach, so help

according to your means; even fingers may be asked to help.

As you can, the fingers can support

إِذا لَم يَكُن وَصلي إِلَيكُم ذَريعَةً

إِذا لَم يَكُن وَصلي إِلَيكُم ذَريعَةً

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما تَكونُ الذَرائِعُ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما تَكونُ الذَرائِعُ

If my bond with you is no means of access,

If my access to you is not facile

then would that I knew what the means could be!

I wonder what can make access possible

أَرى بارِقاً لَم يُروِني وَهوَ حاضِرٌ

أَرى بارِقاً لَم يُروِني وَهوَ حاضِرٌ

فَكَيفَ أُرَجّي رَيَّهُ وَهوَ شاسِعُ

فَكَيفَ أُرَجّي رَيَّهُ وَهوَ شاسِعُ

I see lightning that has not slaked my thirst though nearby;

I see lightning that did not show me while here

so how can I hope it will quench my thirst when far away?

How can I wish its flashes if it is glaring?

وَأَخلَفَ شَيمي كُلُّ بَرقٍ أَشيمُهُ

وَأَخلَفَ شَيمي كُلُّ بَرقٍ أَشيمُهُ

فَلا النَوءُ مَرجوٌّ وَلا الغَيثُ واقِعُ

فَلا النَوءُ مَرجوٌّ وَلا الغَيثُ واقِعُ

And every lightning-flash I watch has belied my hopes of rain;

Each lightning I omened has failed my augury

so no rain-star holds out hope, nor does the rain fall.

So neither rain is expected nor downpour hoped for

سَأَذهَبُ عَنكُم غَيرَ باكٍ عَلَيكُمُ

سَأَذهَبُ عَنكُم غَيرَ باكٍ عَلَيكُمُ

وَما لِيَ عُذرٌ أَن تَفيضَ المَدامِعُ

وَما لِيَ عُذرٌ أَن تَفيضَ المَدامِعُ

I shall leave you without weeping over you,

I will leave you tearless over leaving you

and I have no excuse for my eyes to overflow with tears.

What excuse is there for my tears to pour?

وَأَهجُرُكُم هَجرَ المُفيقِ مِنَ الهَوى

وَأَهجُرُكُم هَجرَ المُفيقِ مِنَ الهَوى

خَلا القَلبُ مِنهُ وَاِطمَأَنَّ المَضاجِعُ

خَلا القَلبُ مِنهُ وَاِطمَأَنَّ المَضاجِعُ

And I shall forsake you as one recovered from passion,

I will abandon you like one sober from desire

his heart free of it, his bed at peace.

With no turmoil within and rested bones

وَأَعتَدُّ فَجّاً أَنتُمُ مِن حِلالِهِ

وَأَعتَدُّ فَجّاً أَنتُمُ مِن حِلالِهِ

ثَنِيَّةَ خَوفٍ ما لَها اليَومَ طالِعُ

ثَنِيَّةَ خَوفٍ ما لَها اليَومَ طالِعُ

And I reckon a mountain road where you dwell

And I think it dire, you who allow it

a pass of terror that no one climbs today.

Apprehension without foresight or escape

وَما مَوقِفي وَالرَكبُ يَرجو عَلى الصَدى

وَما مَوقِفي وَالرَكبُ يَرجو عَلى الصَدى

مَوارِدَ قَد نَشَّت بِهِنَّ الوَقائِعُ

مَوارِدَ قَد نَشَّت بِهِنَّ الوَقائِعُ

And why should I linger while the thirsty caravan hopes for

My stand is not with the caravan hoping for

watering places whose rock pools have already dried up?

Pastures time has caused to grow and spawn

أُفارِقُكُم لا النَفسُ وَلهى عَليكُمُ

أُفارِقُكُم لا النَفسُ وَلهى عَليكُمُ

وَلا اللُبُّ مَخلوسٌ وَلا القَلبُ جازِعُ

وَلا اللُبُّ مَخلوسٌ وَلا القَلبُ جازِعُ

I part from you, my soul not grieving for you,

I leave you - my soul still turned to you

nor my reason stolen away, nor my heart distressed,

Nor is my heart withdrawn or pulse shaken

وَلا عاطِفاً جيدي إِلَيكُم بِلَفنَةٍ

وَلا عاطِفاً جيدي إِلَيكُم بِلَفنَةٍ

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما سارَ النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما سارَ النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ

nor turning my neck toward you with a backward glance

No emotions move me to charm you

of longing, as long as the rising stars travel,

With such longing as moves the celestial stars

وَلا ذاكِراً ما كانَ بَيني وَبَينَكُم

وَلا ذاكِراً ما كانَ بَيني وَبَينَكُم

مُراجَعَةً إِنَّ المُحِبَّ المُراجِعُ

مُراجَعَةً إِنَّ المُحِبَّ المُراجِعُ

nor recalling what once was between me and you

No mention of what was between us

seeking reunion; the lover is the one who returns.

For lovers do not reminisce

نَبَدتُكُمُ نَبذَ المُخَفِّفِ ثِقلَهُ

نَبَدتُكُمُ نَبذَ المُخَفِّفِ ثِقلَهُ

وَإِنّي لَحَبلِ مِنَّةِ الغَدرِ قاطِعُ

وَإِنّي لَحَبلِ مِنَّةِ الغَدرِ قاطِعُ

I have cast you off as one unburdening himself casts off his load,

I cast you hastily off as weight discarded

and I indeed sever the cord of treacherous favor.

Though I break faith's cord in two