دعوني فما مما يكلفني بد

دعوني فما مما يكلفني بد

ولو كان شيئاً مالها عنده حد

ولو كان شيئاً مالها عنده حد

Leave me be: there is no escaping what is demanded of me,

Let me be, for nothing of what burdens me will go,

even if it be a matter in which she knows no bounds.

Even if it were something that has no limit to her,

ولو سألتني مهجتي لو هبتها

ولو سألتني مهجتي لو هبتها

وقلت افعلي بي ما تحبين يا هند

وقلت افعلي بي ما تحبين يا هند

And if she asked me for my lifeblood, I would give it to her,

And if my soul asked me, even if I gave it away,

and say, 'Do with me what you please, O Hind.'

And I said do to me what you love, oh Hind!

فللحب سلطان عظيم وصولة

فللحب سلطان عظيم وصولة

على كل سلطان ومن شئتم عدوا

على كل سلطان ومن شئتم عدوا

For love has mighty dominion and overwhelming force

For love has great power and authority,

over every sovereign—name whomever you please.

Over every ruler, so count whom you wish as enemy.

تهز قواما كالقناة فاتقى

تهز قواما كالقناة فاتقى

وألقى سلاحي حين يطعنني النهد

وألقى سلاحي حين يطعنني النهد

She sways her figure like a spear-shaft, so I guard myself,

It shakes the standing body like a slender branch, so beware!

and cast down my weapon when her breast pierces me.

And I drop my weapons when the breast spears me.

إذا ما انتضت من جفنها سيف لحظها

إذا ما انتضت من جفنها سيف لحظها

فما لامرئ في الدفع عن نفسه جهد

فما لامرئ في الدفع عن نفسه جهد

When she unsheathes from her eyelid the sword of her glance,

When the sword of her glance unsheathes from her eyelid,

no man has the strength to defend himself.

A man has no might to defend himself.

وأن قتلتني أهدرَ الشرع مهجتي

وأن قتلتني أهدرَ الشرع مهجتي

لأني قد أقررت أني لها عبد

لأني قد أقررت أني لها عبد

And if she kills me, sacred law deems my lifeblood forfeit,

And if she kills me, my soul excuses me,

for I have confessed that I am her slave.

For I have affirmed that I am her slave.

أدارت الي اللحظ فانجرح الحشا

أدارت الي اللحظ فانجرح الحشا

وفيها أدرت اللحظ فانجرح الخد

وفيها أدرت اللحظ فانجرح الخد

She turned her gaze toward me, and my heart was wounded;

She turned her glance to me so the love was wounded,

I turned my gaze upon her, and her cheek was wounded.

And in it she turned the glance so the cheek was wounded.

مثقلة الأرداف مهضومة الحشا

مثقلة الأرداف مهضومة الحشا

إذ ما تثنى قدها كاد ينقد

إذ ما تثنى قدها كاد ينقد

Heavy-hipped, slender-waisted,

Heavy of hips and soft of breast,

whenever her figure bends, it almost breaks.

When she sways her waist it almost folds.

إذا جعلت في الزند منها نطاقها

إذا جعلت في الزند منها نطاقها

وقد جال فيه الخصر غص به الزند

وقد جال فيه الخصر غص به الزند

When I put her girdle around my forearm,

When she ties her waistband on her waist,

though her waist moves freely in it, my forearm is constricted by it.

And her hips roam in it, the waistband was squeezed.

بروحي ومالي أفتدي من فراقها

بروحي ومالي أفتدي من فراقها

إذا صدني عن وجهها الهجر والصد

إذا صدني عن وجهها الهجر والصد

With my life and wealth I ransom myself from parting with her,

With my soul and money I ransom myself from her separation,

when estrangement and rejection bar me from her face.

If estrangement and indifference bar me from her face.

تهاجرني هزلا وتبدي تضاحكا

تهاجرني هزلا وتبدي تضاحكا

ولكن موتي حين تهجرني جد

ولكن موتي حين تهجرني جد

She shuns me in jest and makes a show of laughter,

She estranges me playfully and shows laughter,

but my death when she shuns me is in earnest.

But my death when she estranges me is real.

وأفرح بالميعاد منها ولم يكن

وأفرح بالميعاد منها ولم يكن

ليخلو من خلف لها إن تعد وعد

ليخلو من خلف لها إن تعد وعد

I rejoice at the tryst she promises, though never

And I rejoice at her promised meeting, even if

does a promise of hers, if she makes one, go unbroken.

No meeting from her is empty of breach, if she promises and vows.

إذا لاح برق من تهامة خلتها

إذا لاح برق من تهامة خلتها

قد ابتسمت فيه وأن ضمني نجد

قد ابتسمت فيه وأن ضمني نجد

When lightning flashes from Tihamah, I fancy she

When lightning flashes from Tihama, she greets me,

has smiled within it, though Najd enfolds me.

Smiling in it, as if assuring me of her presence.

ولم تلتقي الأجفان من بعد بعدكم

ولم تلتقي الأجفان من بعد بعدكم

على نومة لكن على دمعة تبدو

على نومة لكن على دمعة تبدو

My eyelids have not met since your departure,

And eyelids have not met again after your absence,

for sleep, but only over a tear that wells up.

Not for sleep, but for tears that begin to flow.

ولم يبق مالاقيته من فراقكم

ولم يبق مالاقيته من فراقكم

من الجسم إلا أعظما فوقها جلد

من الجسم إلا أعظما فوقها جلد

What I suffered through parting from you has left

And nothing remains that I meet of your separation,

nothing of my body but bones with skin over them.

Of my body except large bones above it as skin.

عسى نظرة ممن أحب ترد لي

عسى نظرة ممن أحب ترد لي

معاشي وإلا فهو بالملك يرتد

معاشي وإلا فهو بالملك يرتد

Perhaps a glance from the one I love will restore to me

Maybe a glance from whom I love returns to me,

my life; if not, it is restored through the king.

Bringing my livelihood, or else it goes back to the King.

سلالة إسماعيل يحيى وحسبكم

سلالة إسماعيل يحيى وحسبكم

بيحيى الذي يحيى به الفخر والمجد

بيحيى الذي يحيى به الفخر والمجد

Yahya, Isma'il's scion—and enough for you

The lineage of Ismail, Yahya you are enough,

is Yahya, through whom pride and glory live.

With Yahya by whom pride and glory revive.

فما سمعت أذن ولا مقلة رأت

فما سمعت أذن ولا مقلة رأت

ككرَة يحيى كلما كثر الوفد

ككرَة يحيى كلما كثر الوفد

For no ear has heard, nor any eye seen,

No ear has heard or eyelash seen,

anything like Yahya's charge whenever delegations throng.

The like of Yahya whenever the delegations multiply.

فنحسبه ألفا ويحسب ألفه

فنحسبه ألفا ويحسب ألفه

من التبر فلساً عند ما يشتري الحمد

من التبر فلساً عند ما يشتري الحمد

So we reckon him a thousand, while he reckons his thousand

We think him a thousand while he deems his thousand

in gold a copper coin when he buys praise.

Worthless coins when he buys praise.

فصفه لوصف غير ما توصف الورى

فصفه لوصف غير ما توصف الورى

فما جامع ما بين يحي وهم حد

فما جامع ما بين يحي وهم حد

So describe him in terms other than those used for humankind,

Describe him however you describe the people,

for no common definition embraces Yahya and them.

For no connection exists between Yahya and them as limit.

فما هم إليه حين يعزى بنسبة

فما هم إليه حين يعزى بنسبة

وهل كالضحى قطع من الليل مسود

وهل كالضحى قطع من الليل مسود

So what are they beside him when kinship is ascribed?

They are not equal to him when attributed by lineage,

And are stretches of blackened night like the morning light?

Is dawn severable from the dark night?

وأن تسألوني تسألون مجربا

وأن تسألوني تسألون مجربا

ملوكا سواه ليس فيهم له ند

ملوكا سواه ليس فيهم له ند

And if you ask me, you ask one who has experience of

If you ask me, you ask an expert,

kings besides him; among them he has no equal.

Kings other than him, none are his equal.

هو البحر إلا أنه عذب طعمه

هو البحر إلا أنه عذب طعمه

هو الغيث لكن لا بروق ولا رعد

هو الغيث لكن لا بروق ولا رعد

He is the sea, except that his taste is sweet;

He is the sea except that its taste is sweet,

he is the rain, but without lightning or thunder.

He is rain but has no lightning or thunder.

نمته ملوك هم رجال أعزة

نمته ملوك هم رجال أعزة

لدى السلم لكن هم إذا حوربوا أسد

لدى السلم لكن هم إذا حوربوا أسد

Kings begot him, men of dignity

Kings sleep while they are honorable men,

in peace, but lions when war is waged against them.

Peaceful when greeted, but lions when warred.

عفى عن ذوى الإِفساد والبغي ما مضى

عفى عن ذوى الإِفساد والبغي ما مضى

وقال احذروا من سطوتي حذركم بعد

وقال احذروا من سطوتي حذركم بعد

He pardoned those given to corruption and aggression for what had passed,

He forgave those of mischief and tyranny of the past,

and said, 'Henceforth, be fully on guard against my might.'

And said beware of my power, I warn you from now on.

ومن ينب منهم عن سلالة جده

ومن ينب منهم عن سلالة جده

تواتر منه الشكر لله والحمد

تواتر منه الشكر لله والحمد

And whoever among them withdraws from his grandfather's scion

Whoever recoils among them from his grandfather’s lineage,

offers thanks and praise to God again and again.

Gratitude to God and praise persistently comes from him.

ظللت عليه بالمخائل والروى

ظللت عليه بالمخائل والروى

صوارم رعب قاد جحفلها السعد

صوارم رعب قاد جحفلها السعد

With portents and visions he was shaded by

Swords of dreadful awe led by good fortune,

keen swords of terror whose host good fortune led.

Shaded over him with beauty and grace.

تهاب السيوف المرهفات بغمدها

تهاب السيوف المرهفات بغمدها

فكيف إذا سلت وألقيت الغمد

فكيف إذا سلت وألقيت الغمد

The sharpened swords are feared within their sheaths;

Sheathed swords are feared in their sheathes,

how then when they are drawn and the sheaths cast away?

So how are they when drawn and sheathes cast off?

فأكرم بملك قام يستفتح العلا

فأكرم بملك قام يستفتح العلا

ويحمي وباب الطعن والضرب منسد

ويحمي وباب الطعن والضرب منسد

How noble a king who rises to open the way to glory,

Thus honor the kingdom established to conquer the heights,

and defends while the gate of thrusting and striking is shut!

And protect when the doors of blame and harm are shut.

وما شك أن الله عونك من رأى

وما شك أن الله عونك من رأى

سطاك وباب الطعن والضرب منسد

سطاك وباب الطعن والضرب منسد

And none has doubted that God is your helper after seeing

No doubt that God aids you, who saw

your might, while the gate of thrusting and striking is shut.

Your authority with doors of blame and harm shut.

أقر عيون المجد ربك والعلا

أقر عيون المجد ربك والعلا

بدولتك الغرا التي مالها حد

بدولتك الغرا التي مالها حد

May your Lord gladden the eyes of glory and eminence

May your Lord delight the eyes of glory and heights

with your radiant reign, which knows no bounds.

With your joyous state that has no limit.