لَأَسماءَ إِذ أَهلي لِأَهلِكِ جيرَةٌ

لَأَسماءَ إِذ أَهلي لِأَهلِكِ جيرَةٌ

وَإِذ كُلُّ مَوعودٍ لَها أَنتَ آمِلُه

وَإِذ كُلُّ مَوعودٍ لَها أَنتَ آمِلُه

For Asmāʾ, when my people were neighbors to yours,

The names though my tribe are neighbors of yours,

And when you hoped for every promise of hers.

And you are the hope of all promised things,

تَسوفُ خُزامى الميثِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

تَسوفُ خُزامى الميثِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

بِأَزهَرَ كَالدينارِ حُوٌّ مَكاحِلُه

بِأَزهَرَ كَالدينارِ حُوٌّ مَكاحِلُه

She would sniff the lavender of the soft ground every evening,

The Pleiades will wander at dusk every evening,

With a face radiant as a dinar, its eye-rims dark.

With flowers like gold coins, bashful their glances.

لَها نَفَسٌ بَعدَ الكَرى مِن رُقادِها

لَها نَفَسٌ بَعدَ الكَرى مِن رُقادِها

كَأَنَّ فُغامَ المِسكِ بِاللَيلِ شامِلُه

كَأَنَّ فُغامَ المِسكِ بِاللَيلِ شامِلُه

Her breath, after sleep, on waking from her slumber,

Her breath after sleep is like musk in the night,

Seems enfolded at night in the fragrance of musk.

Enveloping all in its fragrant embraces.

فَإِن تَسأَليني كَيفَ نَومي فَإِنَّني

فَإِن تَسأَليني كَيفَ نَومي فَإِنَّني

أَرى الهَمَّ أَجفاني عَنِ النَومَ داخِلُه

أَرى الهَمَّ أَجفاني عَنِ النَومَ داخِلُه

So if you ask me how I sleep, I

If you ask how I slept, know that care kept

Find that the worry within has driven me from sleep.

My eyelids from closing, though slumber entices.

وَقَومٌ أَبوهُم غالِبٌ أَنا مالُهُم

وَقَومٌ أَبوهُم غالِبٌ أَنا مالُهُم

وَعامٌ تَمَشّى بِالفِراءِ أَرامِلُه

وَعامٌ تَمَشّى بِالفِراءِ أَرامِلُه

And a people whose father is Ghālib—I am their wealth,

A people whose father was victor remain ours,

And a year whose destitute went about in furs.

A year walked in splendor though widowed it was.

وَمَجدٌ أَذودُ الناسَ أَن يَلحَقوا بِهِ

وَمَجدٌ أَذودُ الناسَ أَن يَلحَقوا بِهِ

وَما أَحَدٌ أَو يَبلُغَ الشَمسَ نائِلُه

وَما أَحَدٌ أَو يَبلُغَ الشَمسَ نائِلُه

And glory I keep others from attaining,

A glory I keep men from nearing at all,

And no one can attain it unless he reaches the sun.

None can reach the sun or ascend to its hall.

أَنا الخِندِفِيُّ الحَنظَلِيُّ الَّذي بِهِ

أَنا الخِندِفِيُّ الحَنظَلِيُّ الَّذي بِهِ

إِذا جَمَعَت رُكبانَ جَمعٍ مَنازِلُه

إِذا جَمَعَت رُكبانَ جَمعٍ مَنازِلُه

I am the Khindifī, the Ḥanẓalī, through whom,

I am he the Hudhali, the Khuza'ite acclaimed,

When a gathering's camps assemble its riders,

When riders camped, the place where their tents stood.

عَلى الناسِ مالاً يَدفَعونَ خَراجَهُ

عَلى الناسِ مالاً يَدفَعونَ خَراجَهُ

وَقَرمٌ يَدُقُّ الهامَ وَالصَخرَ بازِلُه

وَقَرمٌ يَدُقُّ الهامَ وَالصَخرَ بازِلُه

Wealth is due from the people, who pay its tribute;

On people a wealth they would pay as their tribute,

And a camel-stallion whose tusk crushes skulls and rock.

An old camel knocking the rocks with his foot.

أَرى كُلُّ قَومٍ وَدَّ أَكرَمُهُم أَباً

أَرى كُلُّ قَومٍ وَدَّ أَكرَمُهُم أَباً

إِذا ما اِنتَمى لَو كانَ مِنّا أَوائِلُه

إِذا ما اِنتَمى لَو كانَ مِنّا أَوائِلُه

I see the noblest-born in every people wishing,

I see every tribe, most generous the one,

Whenever he names his lineage, that his forefathers were of us.

Deemed father if he could claim those first scions.

فَخَرنا فَصُدِّقنا عَلى الناسِ كُلِّهِم

فَخَرنا فَصُدِّقنا عَلى الناسِ كُلِّهِم

وَشَرُّ مَساعي الناسِ وَالفَخرِ باطِلُه

وَشَرُّ مَساعي الناسِ وَالفَخرِ باطِلُه

We boasted above all people, and were believed;

We fell down believing all people the same,

And the worst of people's striving and boasting is its falsehood.

Vain most human endeavor, empty its vaunts.

أَلَمّا يُنِل لِلناسِ أَن يَتَبَيَّنوا

أَلَمّا يُنِل لِلناسِ أَن يَتَبَيَّنوا

فَيُزجَرَ غاوٍ أَو يُرى الحَقَّ عاقِلُه

فَيُزجَرَ غاوٍ أَو يُرى الحَقَّ عاقِلُه

Has it not yet enabled people to discern,

Would that truth for all people be made clear as day,

So a misguided one is checked, or their discerning one is shown the truth?

So fools may be checked and the wise find their way.

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ يَغضَبونَ عَلى الَّذي

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ يَغضَبونَ عَلى الَّذي

لَهُم غَيرَنا إِذ يَجعَلَ الخَيرَ جاعِلُه

لَهُم غَيرَنا إِذ يَجعَلَ الخَيرَ جاعِلُه

And every people grows angry over what

Men rage against any who don't choose their creed,

Is theirs—except us—when its bestower apportions bounty.

Though the best deeds flow not from one font alone.

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ لَيلى يا اِبنَ لَيلى تَجَوَّزَت

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ لَيلى يا اِبنَ لَيلى تَجَوَّزَت

فَلاةً وَداوِيّاً دِفاناً مَناهِلُه

فَلاةً وَداوِيّاً دِفاناً مَناهِلُه

To you, son of Laylā—O son of Laylā—she has crossed

O son of Layla, to you now I call,

A desert and a vast waste whose waterholes lie buried;

Who roamed the wide world, and drank from its pools-

تُجيلَ دِلاءَ القَومِ فيهِ غُثائَهُ

تُجيلَ دِلاءَ القَومِ فيهِ غُثائَهُ

إِجالَةَ حَمِّ المُستَذيبَةِ جامِلُه

إِجالَةَ حَمِّ المُستَذيبَةِ جامِلُه

The people's buckets stir its floating debris within it,

You poured salve on the wounds of the folk in their griefs,

As its renderer stirs a woman's molten fat.

Like the blender of sauce from fermenting dead grubs.