رأت المشيبَ بعارضيك فغاظَها

رأت المشيبَ بعارضيك فغاظَها

وثنت بذاتِ البانِ عنك لحاظَها

وثنت بذاتِ البانِ عنك لحاظَها

She saw grey hair in your side-whiskers, and it vexed her.

She saw the gray hair in your temples and it annoyed her,

And at Dhat al-Ban she turned her glances away from you.

And she turned away her gaze from you with a charming glance.

هيفاءُ لو بَرزَت لنسّاك الورى

هيفاءُ لو بَرزَت لنسّاك الورى

يوماً لأحبى دَلُّها وُعّاظها

يوماً لأحبى دَلُّها وُعّاظها

A slender-waisted maiden: were she to appear before the world's ascetics

If Haifa had appeared to make you forget the world one day,

One day, her coy charm would lavish favors upon her preachers.

She would have preferred her guides and preachers.

ريمٌ لئالئُ نحرِها تحكي لئا

ريمٌ لئالئُ نحرِها تحكي لئا

لئَ ثغرِها اللاّئي حكت ألفاظها

لئَ ثغرِها اللاّئي حكت ألفاظها

A white gazelle: the pearls upon her throat resemble the pearls

The pearls of Rym's neck tell Laa,

Of her mouth, which her words in turn resemble.

The words her mouth related were thousands.

قد كانَ شملُك بالكواعب جامعاً

قد كانَ شملُك بالكواعب جامعاً

أيامَ سوقُ صِباك كانَ عُكاظها

أيامَ سوقُ صِباك كانَ عُكاظها

Once your fellowship with the budding-breasted maidens was united,

Your gathering with the maidens was all-encompassing

When the market of your youth was their Ukaz.

In the days when your youth market was Ukaz.

فتنبَّهت عينُ الزمانِ ففرَّقت

فتنبَّهت عينُ الزمانِ ففرَّقت

بالشيبِ شملَك لا رأت إيقاظها

بالشيبِ شملَك لا رأت إيقاظها

Then the eye of Time awoke and scattered

So the eye of time became alert and separated

Your fellowship with grey hair—may that eye never witness its awakening!

Your gathering with gray hair when it saw its awakening.

رقَّت إليك قلوبهنَّ مع الصَبا

رقَّت إليك قلوبهنَّ مع الصَبا

وأعادهنَّ لك المشيبُ غِلاظها

وأعادهنَّ لك المشيبُ غِلاظها

Their hearts were tender toward you in youth,

Their hearts softened towards you in youth,

But grey hair made them hard toward you.

And gray hair returned their hardness to you.

فدع الغواني القاتلاتِ بصدّها

فدع الغواني القاتلاتِ بصدّها

كم فتيةٍ غنجُ اللحاظِ أفاظها

كم فتيةٍ غنجُ اللحاظِ أفاظها

So leave the beauties who kill through their rebuffs;

Leave those deadly flirts in their rejection,

How many youths the coquetry of their glances has slain!

How many young men whose glances have killed.

واهتُف هُديتَ ولو من النبل العِدى

واهتُف هُديتَ ولو من النبل العِدى

كسرت عليك لغيظِها أرعاظها

كسرت عليك لغيظِها أرعاظها

And cry out—may you be guided—even if the foes, with arrows,

And loudly declare your gift even if it is from honorable nobility

Break their head-sockets against you in their rage,

Who would break their bones out of anger towards you.

بمدائحِ الحسن الذي آباؤه

بمدائحِ الحسن الذي آباؤه

كانوا لأسرارِ الندى حُفّاظها

كانوا لأسرارِ الندى حُفّاظها

In praise of al-Hasan, whose forefathers

With praises of the beauty whose forefathers

Were guardians of generosity's secrets.

Were keepers of the secrets of fertality.

حمَّالِ ثقل المكرماتِ بهمَّةٍ

حمَّالِ ثقل المكرماتِ بهمَّةٍ

لم تَشكُ مذ نهضت بها أبهاظها

لم تَشكُ مذ نهضت بها أبهاظها

A bearer of the weight of noble deeds, with a resolve

Bearing the burden of honors with ambition

That, since shouldering them, has never complained of their burdens.

That did not doubt since it rose with it the ignorant.

يا من أعادَ النيّراتِ ضياءَها

يا من أعادَ النيّراتِ ضياءَها

فزهت وأعطى المخدراتِ حُفاظها

فزهت وأعطى المخدراتِ حُفاظها

O you who restored the luminaries' radiance,

O you who restored the brilliance of achievements

So they shone proudly—and gave secluded maidens their protection.

So they shone and gave livers that preserve consciousness.

أوقدَت نارَ قِرىً لضيفك ضوؤها

أوقدَت نارَ قِرىً لضيفك ضوؤها

وبقلب كاشحك اقتدحت شواظها

وبقلب كاشحك اقتدحت شواظها

You kindled a fire of hospitality, its light for your guest,

You ignited the fire of hospitality for your guest, its light,

And in your spiteful foe's heart you struck its smokeless flame.

And in your generous heart its flames blazed.