يا لَلرِجالِ أَمِن شَخصٍ بِأَجيادِ

يا لَلرِجالِ أَمِن شَخصٍ بِأَجيادِ

يَعتادُ شَوقي وَما نَومي بِمُعتادِ

يَعتادُ شَوقي وَما نَومي بِمُعتادِ

O men, help! Is it for someone at Ajyad

O men, whose lord with spears is wont to smite,

that my longing keeps returning, while sleep is no regular visitor?

My passion and my sleep, not as they wonted, are tonight,

كَأَنَّما أَقسَمَت عَيني تُسالِمُهُ

كَأَنَّما أَقسَمَت عَيني تُسالِمُهُ

حَتّى تَرى أَحوَرَ العَينَينِ في الجادي

حَتّى تَرى أَحوَرَ العَينَينِ في الجادي

As though my eye had sworn to make no peace with it

As though mine eyes, assured the loved one's sight to win,

until it sees the dark-eyed one clad in saffron.

Swore ne'er to close their lids, save on the pupils twain within.

مَن كانَ يَزدادُ مِن شَوقٍ إِلى شَجَنٍ

مَن كانَ يَزدادُ مِن شَوقٍ إِلى شَجَنٍ

عِندَ النِساءِ فَإِنّي غَيرُ مُزدادِ

عِندَ النِساءِ فَإِنّي غَيرُ مُزدادِ

Whoever grows from longing into grief

If it be joy increases lovers' grief,

among women—I am not one who grows so.

Then I am not most wretched midst the tribe of lovers left.

يا سَلمَ إِن تُصبِحي بَسلاً مَحَرَّمَةً

يا سَلمَ إِن تُصبِحي بَسلاً مَحَرَّمَةً

وَتَنزِلي في مُنيفٍ بَينَ أَرصادِ

وَتَنزِلي في مُنيفٍ بَينَ أَرصادِ

O Salm, if you become inaccessible and forbidden,

Ye tribe, if aught today your camels keep

and dwell in a lofty dwelling among sentries,

Within the sacred limits or at Mina stop, be reft

فَقَد رَأَيتُ بَناتِ الدَهرِ غافِلَةً

فَقَد رَأَيتُ بَناتِ الدَهرِ غافِلَةً

في الغُبَّرَينِ وَما حَيٌّ بِخَلّادِ

في الغُبَّرَينِ وَما حَيٌّ بِخَلّادِ

for I have indeed seen Time's daughters heedless

Of them! For I have seen how changeful is the world,

in time past and time to come; no living being is immortal.

Nor liveth any in felicity eterne empearled.

إِذا فَرِحتِ فَخافي تَرحَةً عَجَلا

إِذا فَرِحتِ فَخافي تَرحَةً عَجَلا

وَإِن تَرِحتِ فَرَجّي أُمَّ عَبّادِ

وَإِن تَرِحتِ فَرَجّي أُمَّ عَبّادِ

If you rejoice, fear sorrow coming swiftly;

If you rejoice, fear quickly changing chance!

and if you grieve, have hope, Umm Abbad.

And if you grieve, hope for the Umm Abad's deliverance.

مَن قَرَّ عَيناً رَماهُ الدَهرُ عَن كَثَبٍ

مَن قَرَّ عَيناً رَماهُ الدَهرُ عَن كَثَبٍ

وَالدَهرُ رامٍ بِإِصلاحٍ وَإِفسادِ

وَالدَهرُ رامٍ بِإِصلاحٍ وَإِفسادِ

Whoever's eye is soothed, Time shoots at him from close by;

Whose eye drew near his love, him sudden stroke

and Time is an archer, dealing restoration and ruin.

Of Fate cast down, though Fate create and joy and sorrow woke.

وَكَيفَ يَبقى لِإِلفٍ إِلفُ صاحِبِهِ

وَكَيفَ يَبقى لِإِلفٍ إِلفُ صاحِبِهِ

وَلا أَرى والِداً يَبقى لِأَولادِ

وَلا أَرى والِداً يَبقى لِأَولادِ

And how can a lover retain his companion's affection,

How shall a friend of friend ability retain,

when I see no father live on for his children?

Whenas I see no father that his son doth entertain?

بَل لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَدنو بِكُم سَبَبٌ

بَل لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَدنو بِكُم سَبَبٌ

وَهَل تُعَودَنَّ أَيّامي بِأَجيادِ

وَهَل تُعَودَنَّ أَيّامي بِأَجيادِ

But would that I knew: will some bond bring you near?

But haply you will draw you nearer some fair chance

And will my days at Ajyad ever return?

And dawn the happy days when all my wishes shall advance-

أَيّامَ لا أُعتِبُ العُذّالَ مِن صَمَمٍ

أَيّامَ لا أُعتِبُ العُذّالَ مِن صَمَمٍ

وَلا أُكَلِّفُ زَيداً غَيرَ إِسعادِ

وَلا أُكَلِّفُ زَيداً غَيرَ إِسعادِ

Days when, out of deafness, I would not appease the reproachers,

The days when I shall chide the spy malign

and asked Zayd for nothing but assistance.

Nor Zaid to other service than my love's assign.

يا جارَةً يَومَ راحَ الحَيُّ جارَتَنا

يا جارَةً يَومَ راحَ الحَيُّ جارَتَنا

تَسبي الحَليمَ وَلا تَنساقُ لِلحادي

تَسبي الحَليمَ وَلا تَنساقُ لِلحادي

O neighbor—our neighbor on the day the clan departed—

O neighbour mine! what while our friend was here,

who captivates the self-possessed, yet will not follow the camel-driver!

Whenas the Pure was wroth, thou wouldst not tempt the Cavalier;

قامَت لِتَركَبَ فَاِرتَجَّت رَوادِفُها

قامَت لِتَركَبَ فَاِرتَجَّت رَوادِفُها

في لينِ غُصنٍ مِنَ الرَيحانِ مُنآدِ

في لينِ غُصنٍ مِنَ الرَيحانِ مُنآدِ

She stood to mount, and her buttocks quivered

She rose to ride when her leg showed from her skirt,

with the suppleness of a swaying branch of basil.

As it were pearl in shell of glass that none may counterfeit:

كَأَنَّما خُلِقَت في قِشرِ لُؤلُؤَةٍ

كَأَنَّما خُلِقَت في قِشرِ لُؤلُؤَةٍ

فَكُلُّ أَكنافِها وَجهٌ بِمِرصادِ

فَكُلُّ أَكنافِها وَجهٌ بِمِرصادِ

She seems to have been created within a pearl's shell,

As though her stature were of ball of pearl

so every side of her is a face lying in wait.

Compact, where all is rounded grace that eye shall see or ear.

فَقُلتُ شَمسُ الضُحى في مِرطِ جارِيَةٍ

فَقُلتُ شَمسُ الضُحى في مِرطِ جارِيَةٍ

يا مَن رَأى الشَمسَ في مِرطٍ وَأَبرادِ

يا مَن رَأى الشَمسَ في مِرطٍ وَأَبرادِ

So I said, 'The midmorning sun in a maiden's mantle!'

I cried, “Dawn tirelessly in skirt of lovely fair!

O you who have seen the sun in a mantle and striped cloaks!

Who e'er saw sun that lit the morn shine from a cinctured air?”

تُلقى بِتَسبيحَةٍ مِن حُسنِ ما خُلِقَت

تُلقى بِتَسبيحَةٍ مِن حُسنِ ما خُلِقَت

وَتَستَفِزُّ حَشى الرائي بِإِرعادِ

وَتَستَفِزُّ حَشى الرائي بِإِرعادِ

She is greeted with 'Glory to God!' for how beautifully she was made,

With specious praise her graces I reveal

and sets the beholder's heart trembling.

And wake desire that sleepy lay in passion's pastime leil:

كَأَنَّ عَيني تَراها في مَجاسِدِها

كَأَنَّ عَيني تَراها في مَجاسِدِها

إِذا رَأَيتُ رُسومَ الدارِ وَالنادي

إِذا رَأَيتُ رُسومَ الدارِ وَالنادي

As though my eye sees her in her saffron-dyed robes

As though her form were in her dwelling houst,

whenever I see the traces of the dwelling and the gathering-place.

Whenever I descry the walls and every lodging of the house.

بَيضاءُ كَالدُرَّةِ الزَهراءِ غُرَّتُها

بَيضاءُ كَالدُرَّةِ الزَهراءِ غُرَّتُها

تَصطادُ عَيناً وَلا تُرجى لِمُصطادِ

تَصطادُ عَيناً وَلا تُرجى لِمُصطادِ

White as a radiant pearl is her brow;

White as the curling fleece her skin; her cares

she captures the eye, yet no hunter can hope to win her.

Ensnare us, so thou ne'er attainest what the fair ensnares:

كَأَنَّها لا تَرى جِسماً تَخَوَّنَهُ

كَأَنَّها لا تَرى جِسماً تَخَوَّنَهُ

بَينُ الحَبيبِ وَلَم تَشعُر بِإِسهادِ

بَينُ الحَبيبِ وَلَم تَشعُر بِإِسهادِ

As though she sees no body worn away

As though she never flesh of man enthralled

by parting from the beloved, and has never felt sleeplessness.

By love, and to her friend betrayal ne'er recalled

أَصومُ يَوماً فَأَرقا مِن تَذَكُّرِها

أَصومُ يَوماً فَأَرقا مِن تَذَكُّرِها

وَلا أُصَلّي الضُحى إِلّا بِعَدّادِ

وَلا أُصَلّي الضُحى إِلّا بِعَدّادِ

I fast a day, then grow sleepless from remembering her;

At times I fast from thought of her then wake

and offer the forenoon prayer only now and then.

To pray when dawn-light chargeth and when night begins to break

وَقَد عَجِبتُ وَإِغرامي بِها عَجَبٌ

وَقَد عَجِبتُ وَإِغرامي بِها عَجَبٌ

ما لي أَقودُ حَروناً غَيرَ مُنقادِ

ما لي أَقودُ حَروناً غَيرَ مُنقادِ

I have wondered—and my passion for her is a wonder—

At her my wonder grows and grows desire;

why do I lead a balking horse that will not be led?

How drive I back an ass unlike anass that bears his hire?

أَحينَ كُنتُ سِراجاً يُستَضاءُ بِهِ

أَحينَ كُنتُ سِراجاً يُستَضاءُ بِهِ

يَكونُ في الغَيِّ إِفراعي وَإِصعادي

يَكونُ في الغَيِّ إِفراعي وَإِصعادي

Is it when I have become a lamp whose light is sought

While I can light my brethren on their way,

that my descent and ascent should be in error?

Shall this and that turn back my steps when I advance to prey?

كَلّا سَأَترُكُ ذِكري تِلكَ إِذ رَقَدَت

كَلّا سَأَترُكُ ذِكري تِلكَ إِذ رَقَدَت

عَنّي وَأَذكُرُ يَوماً غَيرَ رَقّادِ

عَنّي وَأَذكُرُ يَوماً غَيرَ رَقّادِ

No! I will stop remembering that woman, since she sleeps

Nay, leave thy mention of the Fair, since she

heedless of me, and remember a day that never sleeps.

Hath left the mention, and recall the days gone by to thee!