أَحِلماً تَبتَغِي عِندَ الوَداعِ

أَحِلماً تَبتَغِي عِندَ الوَداعِ

لَعَمركَ لَيسَ ذاكَ بِمُستَطاعِ

لَعَمركَ لَيسَ ذاكَ بِمُستَطاعِ

Do you seek composure at farewell?

I dream while bidding farewell,

By your life, that is impossible.

By your life, that is not attainable,

وَتَطمَعُ في الحَياةِ وَغَيرُ حَيٍّ

وَتَطمَعُ في الحَياةِ وَغَيرُ حَيٍّ

يَكُونُ إِذا دَعا لِلبَينِ داعِ

يَكُونُ إِذا دَعا لِلبَينِ داعِ

And you hope for life, though lifeless

And you aspire for life while lifeless,

one becomes when a herald calls for parting.

When the caller calls for separation.

بِثَهمَدَ وَالظَعائِنُ عامِداتٌ

بِثَهمَدَ وَالظَعائِنُ عامِداتٌ

حُزُوناً بَينَ ثَهمَدَ وَالكُراعِ

حُزُوناً بَينَ ثَهمَدَ وَالكُراعِ

At Thahmad, while the women's litters head toward

With pleasant and prospering palm trees,

rugged uplands between Thahmad and al-Kurāʿ,

Grieving between Thahmad and Al-Kuraa.

بِكُلِّ غَريرَةٍ تَهتَزُّ لِيناً

بِكُلِّ غَريرَةٍ تَهتَزُّ لِيناً

كَما يَهتَزُّ مَشمُولُ اليَراعِ

كَما يَهتَزُّ مَشمُولُ اليَراعِ

with every guileless maiden swaying softly,

With every soft pliable twig that sways

as reeds sway when stirred by the north wind.

Like the swaying of a planted shoot.

أُلاحِظُها بِطَرفٍ غَيرِ سامٍ

أُلاحِظُها بِطَرفٍ غَيرِ سامٍ

وَأُتبِعُها فُؤاداً غَيرَ واعِ

وَأُتبِعُها فُؤاداً غَيرَ واعِ

I watch her with a downcast gaze,

I observe it with an impartial glance,

and send after her a heart bereft of sense.

And I follow it with an unaware heart.

فَلَم أَرَ قَبلَها في الخِدرِ شَمساً

فَلَم أَرَ قَبلَها في الخِدرِ شَمساً

وَلا قَمَراً مُنيراً في قِناعِ

وَلا قَمَراً مُنيراً في قِناعِ

For before her, I had never seen a sun in a curtained chamber,

I have not seen before her a radiant sun in bedrooms,

nor a radiant moon beneath a veil.

Nor a shining moon in a veil.

وَقائِلَةٍ هَواكَ لَنا خِداعٌ

وَقائِلَةٍ هَواكَ لَنا خِداعٌ

وَتُنكِرُ طُولَ بَثّي وَالتِيَاعي

وَتُنكِرُ طُولَ بَثّي وَالتِيَاعي

And a woman says, 'Your love for us is deceit,'

And she says, “Your love is a deception to us,”

and denies my long sorrow and burning anguish.

And she denies the duration of my misery and confusion.

وَلَو وَجِدتَ غَداةَ البَينِ وَجدِي

وَلَو وَجِدتَ غَداةَ البَينِ وَجدِي

لَبانَ لَها صَحِيحي مِن خِداعي

لَبانَ لَها صَحِيحي مِن خِداعي

And had you felt my anguish on the morning of parting,

And if you found, the morning of separation, my passion

she would distinguish my sincerity from my deceit.

Her correct view of my deception would have appeared.

كَأَنّي وَالحُمولُ مُوَلِّياتٌ

كَأَنّي وَالحُمولُ مُوَلِّياتٌ

صَريعُ كَريهَةٍ بِلوى الصِراعِ

صَريعُ كَريهَةٍ بِلوى الصِراعِ

As the laden camels turn away, I am like

As if I and the caravans are wanderers

a battle's fallen victim at the sandy bend of al-Ṣirāʿ,

Stricken by abhorrence at the watering places of conflict.

وَشارِبٌ قَهوَةٍ غَلَبَت عَلَيهِ

وَشارِبٌ قَهوَةٍ غَلَبَت عَلَيهِ

مِنَ الجِريالِ حَمراءُ الشُعاعِ

مِنَ الجِريالِ حَمراءُ الشُعاعِ

and a wine-drinker whom it has overcome—

And a drinker of coffee overcome

a crimson wine with scarlet radiance,

By the red rays of the brazier’s embers.

مُقَدَّمَةٌ لَها مِن عَهدِ عادٍ

مُقَدَّمَةٌ لَها مِن عَهدِ عادٍ

كَأَنَّ حَبابَها قُمصُ الأَفاعي

كَأَنَّ حَبابَها قُمصُ الأَفاعي

long-aged, dating from the era of ʿĀd,

She has an introduction since the era of Aad

as though its bubbles were the sloughed skins of vipers.

As if its beads are the slough of snakes.

أَهاجِرَتي إِلى كَم طُولُ وَجدي

أَهاجِرَتي إِلى كَم طُولُ وَجدي

بِكُم وَإِلى مَتى لَكُمُ اتِّباعي

بِكُم وَإِلى مَتى لَكُمُ اتِّباعي

O you who forsake me, how long must my anguish last

My emigrant, to how long is your misery?

for you, and how long must I follow you?

For how long will you have to endure my confusion?

وَحَتّامَ الهَوى عَلِقٌ بِقَلبي

وَحَتّامَ الهَوى عَلِقٌ بِقَلبي

قَليلٌ عَن غِوايَتِهِ اِرتِداعي

قَليلٌ عَن غِوايَتِهِ اِرتِداعي

And how long will love cling to my heart,

The branding iron of love still clings to my heart,

while I scarcely turn back from its seduction?

Reluctantly retreating from its temptations.

وَكَم لا يَستَقِرُّ لَنا بِأَرضٍ

وَكَم لا يَستَقِرُّ لَنا بِأَرضٍ

قَرارٌ بَينَ بَينٍ وَاجتِماعِ

قَرارٌ بَينَ بَينٍ وَاجتِماعِ

And how often, in any land, we find no

How endless is our lack of stability in any land,

rest between parting and reunion.

Between separation and gathering.

فَيَومٌ مِن لِقائِكِ في اِبتِهاجِ

فَيَومٌ مِن لِقائِكِ في اِبتِهاجِ

وَيَومٌ مِن فِراقِكِ في اِرتِياعِ

وَيَومٌ مِن فِراقِكِ في اِرتِياعِ

So a day of meeting you is spent in joy,

A day of meeting you in elation,

and a day of parting from you in dread.

And a day of parting in dismay.

فَما أَخلُو إِلَيكُم مِن غَرامٍ

فَما أَخلُو إِلَيكُم مِن غَرامٍ

وَلا أَخلُو إَلَيكُم مِن نِزاعِ

وَلا أَخلُو إَلَيكُم مِن نِزاعِ

So I am never free of passion for you,

I come not to you without ardour,

nor ever free of yearning for you.

Nor without conflict and contention.

سَقى دارً لِسَلمى بِالكُراعِ

سَقى دارً لِسَلمى بِالكُراعِ

مُلِثُّ القَطرِ مِن نَوءِ الذِراعِ

مُلِثُّ القَطرِ مِن نَوءِ الذِراعِ

May Salmā's dwelling at al-Kurāʿ be watered

Watered a home for Salma at Al-Kuraa

by a cloud of ceaseless rain from al-Dhirāʿ's season,

Dripping from the bending of the arm.

وَمُرتَجِسٌ كَأَنَّ البَرقَ فيهِ

وَمُرتَجِسٌ كَأَنَّ البَرقَ فيهِ

سَنا نارِ المُعِزِّ عَلى اليَفاعِ

سَنا نارِ المُعِزِّ عَلى اليَفاعِ

and a thundercloud whose lightning is like

And a horseman as if the lightning is in him,

the gleam of al-Muʿizz's fire upon the heights.

The tooth of the glorifier’s fire at the precipices.

فَتىً يَسعى الرِجالُ إِلى مَداهُ

فَتىً يَسعى الرِجالُ إِلى مَداهُ

فَيَعجَزُ عَن مَداهُ كُلُّ ساعِ

فَيَعجَزُ عَن مَداهُ كُلُّ ساعِ

A youth whose heights men strive to reach,

A young man whom men hasten to assist,

yet every striver falls short of his heights.

But every helper fails to match his pace.

وَيَعلُو الناسُ فِتراً في المَعالي

وَيَعلُو الناسُ فِتراً في المَعالي

فَيَعلُو فَوقَ ما يَعلُو بِباعِ

فَيَعلُو فَوقَ ما يَعلُو بِباعِ

And people rise a short span in honor,

And people rise for a while to high ambitions

yet he rises an armspan above their height.

Then he rises above whatever they rise by steps.

شِراعُ المَجدِ مَمدُودٌ عَلَيهِ

شِراعُ المَجدِ مَمدُودٌ عَلَيهِ

وَمَشرُوعٌ نَدى ذاكَ الشِراعِ

وَمَشرُوعٌ نَدى ذاكَ الشِراعِ

The sail of glory is spread above him,

The sail of glory lies spread out for him

and the bounty of that sail is laid open.

And the dew of that sail lies ready.

رَعاهُ اللَهُ مِن مَلِكٍ هُمامٍ

رَعاهُ اللَهُ مِن مَلِكٍ هُمامٍ

لَنا وَلِحَوزَةِ الإِسلامِ راعِ

لَنا وَلِحَوزَةِ الإِسلامِ راعِ

May God guard him, a magnanimous king,

May God, the Sublime King, protect him

a shepherd for us and for the domain of Islam.

For our sakes and for the guardians of Islam.

أُوَدِّعُهُ وَفي قَلبي سِهامٌ

أُوَدِّعُهُ وَفي قَلبي سِهامٌ

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ مِن هَذا الوَداعِ

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ مِن هَذا الوَداعِ

I bid him farewell, with arrows in my heart,

I bid him farewell while my heart harbors arrows -

by your father's life, from this farewell.

By your father, from this farewell!

وَأَمضي غَيرَ مُنتَفِعٍ بِعَيشٍ

وَأَمضي غَيرَ مُنتَفِعٍ بِعَيشٍ

وَكَيفَ يَكُونُ بِالعَيشِ اِنتِفاعي

وَكَيفَ يَكُونُ بِالعَيشِ اِنتِفاعي

And I depart, gaining nothing from life,

And I go without gaining from a life,

and how could life be of benefit to me?

How can one gain from a life without gain?

جَزاكَ اللَهُ عَن نُعماكَ خَيراً

جَزاكَ اللَهُ عَن نُعماكَ خَيراً

وَعَن حُسنِ اِحتِباسي وَاِصطِناعي

وَعَن حُسنِ اِحتِباسي وَاِصطِناعي

May God reward you with good for your favors,

May God reward you for your favors,

and for graciously retaining me and favoring me.

And for the excellence of my restraint and attainment.

فَإِنّي مُذ نَجَعتُكَ بِالقَوافي

فَإِنّي مُذ نَجَعتُكَ بِالقَوافي

حَمدتُ إِلَيكَ قَصدي وَاِنتِجاعي

حَمدتُ إِلَيكَ قَصدي وَاِنتِجاعي

For since I sought your bounty with rhymes,

For since I dedicated poems to you,

I have blessed my coming to you and my quest for bounty.

I have praised my intention and determination.

وَطَلَّقتُ المُلوكَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ

وَطَلَّقتُ المُلوكَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ

ثَلاثاً لا يَحِلُّ لَها اِرتِجاعي

ثَلاثاً لا يَحِلُّ لَها اِرتِجاعي

And I have divorced the kings in every land,

I divorced kings in every land thrice -

three times, with no lawful return to them.

Ineligible for reunification with me.

فَعِش يُنعى إِلَيكَ الناسُ طُرّاً

فَعِش يُنعى إِلَيكَ الناسُ طُرّاً

وَلا يَنعاكَ طُولَ الدَهرِ ناعي

وَلا يَنعاكَ طُولَ الدَهرِ ناعي

So live on, with all people's deaths announced to you,

Live long denounced by people while flying,

and may no death-herald ever announce your death.

Not denounced by long eras or death.