لَقَد أَودَعُوهُ لَوعَةً حينَ وَدَّعا

لَقَد أَودَعُوهُ لَوعَةً حينَ وَدَّعا

تَكادُ بِها أَحشاؤُهُ أَن تَقَطّعا

تَكادُ بِها أَحشاؤُهُ أَن تَقَطّعا

Indeed, they left him burning anguish when he bade farewell,

They left him with sorrow when they bid farewell,

With it, his entrails almost tore apart.

His intestines almost torn apart by it.

وَمُذ نَزَلوا مِن أَجرَعِ الخَبتِ مَنزِلاً

وَمُذ نَزَلوا مِن أَجرَعِ الخَبتِ مَنزِلاً

تَجَرَّعَ سُمّاً مِن نَوى الحَيِّ مُنقَعا

تَجَرَّعَ سُمّاً مِن نَوى الحَيِّ مُنقَعا

And since they settled in a dwelling on al-Khabt's sandy rise,

And since they descended from rugged mountains,

He gulped poison steeped in separation from the clan.

He drank poison from the sap of the snake tree.

وَأَبكاهُ شَحطُ البَينِ لَمّا تَحَمَّلُوا

وَأَبكاهُ شَحطُ البَينِ لَمّا تَحَمَّلُوا

دَماً حينَ لَم يَترُك لَهُ البَينُ أَدمُعا

دَماً حينَ لَم يَترُك لَهُ البَينُ أَدمُعا

And separation's remoteness made him weep, when they departed,

And the desolation of separation made him weep

Blood, since separation had left him no tears.

Blood, when separation left no tears for him.

خَلِيلَيَّ عُوجا نَبكِ رَبعاً وَمَنزِلا

خَلِيلَيَّ عُوجا نَبكِ رَبعاً وَمَنزِلا

لِهِندٍ خَلا مِنها مَصِيفاً وَمَربَعا

لِهِندٍ خَلا مِنها مَصِيفاً وَمَربَعا

My two friends, turn aside; let us weep over a campsite and a dwelling,

My friend, mourn a quarter and a halt

Hind's, empty of her—a summer and a springtime home.

For an India devoid of summer homes and squares.

فَقَد طالَما قَرَّت بِهِ العَينُ مَنظَراً

فَقَد طالَما قَرَّت بِهِ العَينُ مَنظَراً

وَلَذَّت بِنَجوى أَهلِهِ الأُذنُ مَسمَعا

وَلَذَّت بِنَجوى أَهلِهِ الأُذنُ مَسمَعا

For how often the eye rejoiced at its sight,

For long has the eye delighted in seeing him

And the ear delighted in hearing its people's intimate talk.

And the ear enjoyed the whispers of his people.

زَمانٌ عَهِدنا مُظلِمَ العَيشِ نَيّراً

زَمانٌ عَهِدنا مُظلِمَ العَيشِ نَيّراً

بِهِ وَقَضَينا اللَهوَ رَيّانَ مَونِعا

بِهِ وَقَضَينا اللَهوَ رَيّانَ مَونِعا

A time when we knew life's gloom to be radiant

A time when we knew life to be darkly miserable

In it, and savored pleasure, lush and ripe;

With him, and passed pleasurable, abundant days.

وَهِنداً تُرِينا البَدرَ في فاحِمِ الدُجى

وَهِنداً تُرِينا البَدرَ في فاحِمِ الدُجى

إِذا ما استَتَمَّ البَدرُ عَشراً وَأَربَعا

إِذا ما استَتَمَّ البَدرُ عَشراً وَأَربَعا

And Hind showed us the full moon in coal-black darkness,

And an India where the full moon showed us

When the full moon had completed ten nights and four.

A brightness when the full moon had completed fourteen nights.

وَقائِلَةٍ أَذهَبتَ مالَكَ ضائِعاً

وَقائِلَةٍ أَذهَبتَ مالَكَ ضائِعاً

فَقُلتُ وَقَد أَذهَبتِ لَومَكِ أَضيَعا

فَقُلتُ وَقَد أَذهَبتِ لَومَكِ أَضيَعا

And a woman said: You have let your wealth go to waste.

A woman said: “You have wasted your wealth.”

So I said: You have, indeed, wasted your reproach still more.

I said: “You have wasted your blame, I have wasted more.”

أَقِلّي فَما يَحظى بِحَمدٍ مُجَمَّعٍ

أَقِلّي فَما يَحظى بِحَمدٍ مُجَمَّعٍ

مِنَ الناسِ مَن لَم يَذرُ مالاً مُجَمَّعا

مِنَ الناسِ مَن لَم يَذرُ مالاً مُجَمَّعا

Spare me; no one wins unanimous praise

Reprimand me less, for no one is praised unanimously

From people unless he scatters amassed wealth.

Who has not amassed wealth and kept it amassed.

وَما ضِقتُ بِالإِقلالِ ذَرعاً لِأَنَّني

وَما ضِقتُ بِالإِقلالِ ذَرعاً لِأَنَّني

أَرى الشَيءَ مَهما اِزدادَ ضِيقاً تَوَسّعا

أَرى الشَيءَ مَهما اِزدادَ ضِيقاً تَوَسّعا

Nor have I lost heart over poverty, because I

I am not vexed by thrift, for I see

See a matter open out, however straitened it becomes.

That no matter how constricted, a thing expands.

لَكِ الخَيرُ لا أَبقى مِنَ الخَيرِ مُعدِماً

لَكِ الخَيرُ لا أَبقى مِنَ الخَيرِ مُعدِماً

إِذا أَنا لَم أَعدَم نَخِيّاً سَمَيدَعا

إِذا أَنا لَم أَعدَم نَخِيّاً سَمَيدَعا

May good be yours! I shall not remain bereft of bounty

Goodness be yours; I do not remain bereft of goodness

If I do not lack a generous, noble chief:

If I have not lacked a boon companion or cups.

فَتىً مِن بَني الشَدّادِ لَو مَسَّ كَفُّه

فَتىً مِن بَني الشَدّادِ لَو مَسَّ كَفُّه

صَفا الصَلدِ أَجرى في الصَفا مِنهُ يَنبُعا

صَفا الصَلدِ أَجرى في الصَفا مِنهُ يَنبُعا

A young man of the sons of al-Shaddad: if his palm touched

A youth of the Shaddad clan, if his palm

Smooth, solid rock, he would make a spring flow from within it.

Touched pure rock, water would flow from the rock.

فَتىً ما اللُيوثُ المُخدِراتُ عَلى الطَوى

فَتىً ما اللُيوثُ المُخدِراتُ عَلى الطَوى

خِماصاً كَما أَمرَرتَ قِدّاً مُرَصَّعا

خِماصاً كَما أَمرَرتَ قِدّاً مُرَصَّعا

A young man: not even lions lurking in their lairs, hungry,

A youth, not feeble lions over hilltops

Hollow-bellied, like a studded leather thong you have twisted tight,

Debilitated, as you have adorned a spear.

تَضَوَّرنَ حَتّى كِدنَ يَسفَعنَ ماثِلاً

تَضَوَّرنَ حَتّى كِدنَ يَسفَعنَ ماثِلاً

مِنَ التُربِ مِن إِفراطِ ما بِتنَ جُوَّعا

مِنَ التُربِ مِن إِفراطِ ما بِتنَ جُوَّعا

Writhing until they nearly snatched at anything rising

They have become emaciated until they almost

From the dust, so ravenously hungry were they all night—

Die, from the soil’s excess, though they have not starved.

بِأَمنَعَ مِنهُ جانِباً حينَ يَغتَدي

بِأَمنَعَ مِنهُ جانِباً حينَ يَغتَدي

إِلى الحَربِ إِمّا حاسِراً أَو مُدَرَّعا

إِلى الحَربِ إِمّا حاسِراً أَو مُدَرَّعا

Are more unassailable than he when he goes forth at dawn

With his unassailable side when he wages

To war, whether unarmored or clad in mail.

War, either losing or mailed and emblazoned.

وَلا مُرهَفُ الحَدّينِ ماضٍ كَأَنَّهُ

وَلا مُرهَفُ الحَدّينِ ماضٍ كَأَنَّهُ

عَقيقَةُ بَرقٍ في طَخىً ما تَقَشَّعا

عَقيقَةُ بَرقٍ في طَخىً ما تَقَشَّعا

Nor is a keen blade, sharpened on both edges—as though it were

Not blunt are his sharp edges, passing as if

A streak of lightning in murk that has not lifted—

A ruby flash in muddy water disperses.

بِأَقطَعَ مِن عَزمِ المُعِزِّ بِنِ صالِحٍ

بِأَقطَعَ مِن عَزمِ المُعِزِّ بِنِ صالِحٍ

لِخَطبٍ إِذا ما كُلُّ قَلبٍ تَقَطَّعا

لِخَطبٍ إِذا ما كُلُّ قَلبٍ تَقَطَّعا

More cutting than the resolve of al-Mu'izz ibn Salih

With firmer resolve than al-Mu’izz ibn Salih’s

Against calamity, when every heart is torn apart.

For ordeals, when all hearts are torn apart.

وَلا الرَوضَةُ الغَنّاءُ فاحَ أَريجُها

وَلا الرَوضَةُ الغَنّاءُ فاحَ أَريجُها

مَعَ اللَيلِ في دَيمُومَةٍ فَتَضَوَّعا

مَعَ اللَيلِ في دَيمُومَةٍ فَتَضَوَّعا

Nor is a lush garden, its fragrance wafting

Nor does the melodious garden, redolent at night

At night in a vast wilderness, spreading its perfume—

With unending, lingering, mingled scents.

بِأَطيَبَ مِنهُ بَينَ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبِ

بِأَطيَبَ مِنهُ بَينَ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبِ

حَديثاً بِأَفواهِ الرُواةِ مُشَيَّعا

حَديثاً بِأَفواهِ الرُواةِ مُشَيَّعا

Sweeter than he, between east and west,

Diffuse, between East and West, a sweeter

In the renown spread abroad on the lips of narrators.

Conversation, carried by the mouths of transmitters.

أَخُو كَرَمٍ أَبدَعتُ في حُسنِ ذِكرِهِ

أَخُو كَرَمٍ أَبدَعتُ في حُسنِ ذِكرِهِ

فَأَحسَنَ في الفِعلِ الجَميلِ وَأَبدَعا

فَأَحسَنَ في الفِعلِ الجَميلِ وَأَبدَعا

A generous man: I worked wonders in fine praise of him,

Brother of Munificence, I created the best mention of him

So he excelled in noble deeds and worked wonders.

So he acted in the finest, most wondrous deed.

يُذَكِّرُني إِحسانُهُ الجَمُّ جَعفَراً

يُذَكِّرُني إِحسانُهُ الجَمُّ جَعفَراً

وَيُذكِرُهُ إِحساني القَولَ أَشجَعا

وَيُذكِرُهُ إِحساني القَولَ أَشجَعا

His abundant kindness reminds me of Ja'far,

His kindness reminds me of the valiant Ja’far

And my excellence in speech reminds him of Ashja'.

And my kindness reminds him of the eloquent speech.

تَرى كُلَّ فَضلٍ مِنهُ سَهلاً مُيَسّراً

تَرى كُلَّ فَضلٍ مِنهُ سَهلاً مُيَسّراً

وَتَلقاهُ صَعباً مِن سِواهُ مُمَنَّعا

وَتَلقاهُ صَعباً مِن سِواهُ مُمَنَّعا

You find every favor from him easy and readily available,

You see, every merit from him is smooth and facilitated

Yet find it difficult and withheld from anyone else.

And from other than him, you find it rough and inaccessible.

وَأَليَقُ ما كانَ السَماحُ بِأَهلِهِ

وَأَليَقُ ما كانَ السَماحُ بِأَهلِهِ

إِذا كانَ طَبعاً فيهِمُ لا تَطَبُّعا

إِذا كانَ طَبعاً فيهِمُ لا تَطَبُّعا

And generosity most befits those who practice it

And most befitting is open-handedness towards its people

When it is their nature, not an affectation.

If it is innate in them, not pretended.

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ البُخلِ أَشنَعَ بِالفَتى

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ البُخلِ أَشنَعَ بِالفَتى

وَإِن كانَ بَعضُ المَنِّ بِالفَضلِ أَشنَعا

وَإِن كانَ بَعضُ المَنِّ بِالفَضلِ أَشنَعا

Nor have I seen anything uglier in a young man than miserliness,

I have not seen the like of stinginess as ugly in a youth

Though some taunting with favors is uglier still.

Though some favor is uglier than some stinginess.

وَمَن يَجعَلِ الفِعلَ الجَميلَ قِناعَهُ

وَمَن يَجعَلِ الفِعلَ الجَميلَ قِناعَهُ

فَلَيسَ يُبالي بَعدَهُ ما تَقَنَّعا

فَلَيسَ يُبالي بَعدَهُ ما تَقَنَّعا

And whoever makes noble deeds his veil

He who makes a fine deed his mask

Cares not thereafter what other veil he wears.

Does not care, after it, what masks he dons.

أَيا دافِعَ البَأساءِ عَن كُلِّ مُرمِلٍ

أَيا دافِعَ البَأساءِ عَن كُلِّ مُرمِلٍ

مِنَ الناسِ لا يَسطِيعُ لِلبُؤسِ مَدفَعا

مِنَ الناسِ لا يَسطِيعُ لِلبُؤسِ مَدفَعا

O you who ward off hardship from every destitute man

O fender of adversities from all who stumble,

Among the people, unable to fend off misery,

Of people who cannot withstand misery.

وَيا خَيرَ مَن نُصَّت إِلَيهِ رَكائِبٌ

وَيا خَيرَ مَن نُصَّت إِلَيهِ رَكائِبٌ

وَجينَ إِلى أَن جِينَ حَسرى وَضُلَّعا

وَجينَ إِلى أَن جِينَ حَسرى وَضُلَّعا

And O best of those toward whom riding camels were driven swiftly,

O best one, to whom the riding beasts were led

Growing footsore until they arrived, exhausted and limping,

And he yielded, until he yielded sighing and stumbling.

بِكُلِّ نَجيبٍ لَم يَدَع في نَجِيبَةٍ

بِكُلِّ نَجيبٍ لَم يَدَع في نَجِيبَةٍ

دَوامُ السُرى إِلّا فِقاراً وَأَضلُعا

دَوامُ السُرى إِلّا فِقاراً وَأَضلُعا

Bearing every noble rider; in a fine she-camel, nothing was left

To every noble one, the abode of bliss did not leave

By ceaseless night travel except vertebrae and ribs.

In blessedness, save scarred and stumbling.

أَبا صالِحٍ لا زِلتَ لِلعيدِ بَهجَةً

أَبا صالِحٍ لا زِلتَ لِلعيدِ بَهجَةً

وَنُوراً وِللعافِينَ رَبعاً وَمَنجَعا

وَنُوراً وِللعافِينَ رَبعاً وَمَنجَعا

Abu Salih, may you ever be the festival's joy

Father of Rectitude, you have remained, for Eid, a delight,

And light, and a dwelling and pasture for seekers of bounty,

A light, and for the healthy, a meadow and resort

لِغُرٍّ تَجُوبُ الأَرضَ فَوقَ مَطِيَّةٍ

لِغُرٍّ تَجُوبُ الأَرضَ فَوقَ مَطِيَّةٍ

مِنَ الطِرسِ لَم تَعرِف وَضِيناً وَأَنسُعا

مِنَ الطِرسِ لَم تَعرِف وَضِيناً وَأَنسُعا

For radiant verses that traverse the earth upon a mount

For a wild cow roaming the land above a

Of parchment, which has known neither a girth nor saddle straps.

Tirsa camel, knowing no timer nor fetters.

إِذا أُنشِدَت في مَجمَعِ القَومِ صَيَّرَت

إِذا أُنشِدَت في مَجمَعِ القَومِ صَيَّرَت

عَلى كُلِّ مَخلُوقٍ لَكَ الفَضلَ أَجمَعا

عَلى كُلِّ مَخلُوقٍ لَكَ الفَضلَ أَجمَعا

When recited in the people's assembly, they accord

When you recite in an assembly of people, you make

You complete preeminence over every created being.

For you all of creation’s favor unanimous.