رمتني بسهم خلتني منه ناجياً

رمتني بسهم خلتني منه ناجياً

لأَنَّي لم أبصر دماً منه جاريا

لأَنَّي لم أبصر دماً منه جاريا

She shot me with an arrow; I thought I had escaped it,

She shot me with an arrow, leaving me saved from it

because I saw no blood flowing from it.

For I did not see blood flowing from it

ولم أدر أَن اللحظ تفري سهامه

ولم أدر أَن اللحظ تفري سهامه

وجلدة من تفريه ملساً كما هيا

وجلدة من تفريه ملساً كما هيا

Nor did I know that a glance's arrows pierce,

And I did not know that eyes can spread their arrows

while the skin of the one they pierce remains smooth as before.

And the glance of their spread is smooth just as it is

عجبت له يفري الحشا دون جلدتي

عجبت له يفري الحشا دون جلدتي

فكيف تخطاها وأصمى فؤاديا

فكيف تخطاها وأصمى فؤاديا

I marveled at it, rending my innards without touching my skin:

I was amazed that it hits the rocks without my skin

how did it bypass my skin and mortally strike my heart?

So how did it pass over it and made my heart blind

سهام وبيض مرهفات بلحظِها

سهام وبيض مرهفات بلحظِها

وما استعملته منهما كان ماضيا

وما استعملته منهما كان ماضيا

Arrows and keen-edged white swords lie in her glance;

Arrows and white palms flexible with their glances

whichever of the two she wielded struck home.

And I did not use any of them except what has passed

بنفسي من أمست ترى البدر في السما

بنفسي من أمست ترى البدر في السما

بطلعتها بدراً على الأرض ثانيا

بطلعتها بدراً على الأرض ثانيا

I would ransom with my life her who now shows the full moon in heaven,

By myself who spent the night seeing the full moon in the sky

through her countenance, a second full moon upon the earth.

With its rising a full moon on earth again

ومن لمحياها على بعد عهدها

ومن لمحياها على بعد عهدها

خيال أراه بين عينيّ دانيا

خيال أراه بين عينيّ دانيا

And her whose face, though our last meeting was long ago,

And whoever I winked at from afar after her absence

has an image I see close before my eyes.

An image I see between my approaching eyes

إذا لاح برق خلتها قد تبسمت

إذا لاح برق خلتها قد تبسمت

وخلت الحيا دمعي على الخَد هاميا

وخلت الحيا دمعي على الخَد هاميا

Whenever lightning flashes, I imagine she has smiled,

When the lightning of her smile flashed, it made

and take the rain for my tears streaming down my cheek.

My life weep tears down my cheek gathering

وإن حدثتني خلت أَن لسانها

وإن حدثتني خلت أَن لسانها

يساقط دراً ينتقي ولأليا

يساقط دراً ينتقي ولأليا

And if she speaks to me, I imagine that her tongue

And if she talked to me, she made it seem that her tongue

lets fall pearls it selects, and pearls besides.

Drops pearls that it picks and twists

لها منزلٌ في القلب ما عنه قد خلت

لها منزلٌ في القلب ما عنه قد خلت

وإن كان منها داري اليوم خاليا

وإن كان منها داري اليوم خاليا

She has a home within my heart she has never left,

She has a place in my heart that she left

even though today my house is empty of her.

And if my house is empty of her today

فياليت شعري هل لذا البعد آخر

فياليت شعري هل لذا البعد آخر

وهل بعده يرجو المشوق التلاقيا

وهل بعده يرجو المشوق التلاقيا

Would that I knew: does this separation have an end?

So I wonder if this distance has an end

And after it, may the longing lover hope for reunion?

And after it will the longing one hope for meeting

فوالله ما فارقتها عن ملالةٍ

فوالله ما فارقتها عن ملالةٍ

وهل ليميني أن تَملَّ شِماليا

وهل ليميني أن تَملَّ شِماليا

For by God, I did not part from her out of weariness;

No, by Allah I did not part from her out of boredom

could my right hand grow weary of my left?

And does my right hand have the power to get bored of my left?

ولكن جرى حكم القضاء بما جرى

ولكن جرى حكم القضاء بما جرى

ففتّت أكباداً وأجرى مآقيا

ففتّت أكباداً وأجرى مآقيا

But fate's decree brought about what came to pass,

But the judgement of fate flowed as it flowed

shattering livers and making the corners of eyes stream.

So it broke livers and flowed with catastrophes

قضيبٌ على حقف من الرمل مثمرٌ

قضيبٌ على حقف من الرمل مثمرٌ

صباحاً عليه الشَعر كالليل داجيا

صباحاً عليه الشَعر كالليل داجيا

A branch upon a dune of sand, bearing as its fruit

A twig on the ridge of sand fruitful

a dawn, with hair upon it as dark as night.

In the morning, its hair is pitch dark like the night

يهز قناة القدِّ والسيفُ لحظُهَا

يهز قناة القدِّ والسيفُ لحظُهَا

ويطعن صدري نهدُها والتراقيا

ويطعن صدري نهدُها والتراقيا

It sways the spear-shaft of her figure; her glance is the sword,

It shakes the belt of the new moon and the glance of her sword

and her breast pierces my chest and collarbones.

Stabs my chest, her breast and the height

أغارت على قلبي جيوشُ جمالها

أغارت على قلبي جيوشُ جمالها

فحازت فؤآدي حوز يحيى المعاليا

فحازت فؤآدي حوز يحيى المعاليا

The armies of her beauty raided my heart

Her beauty armies were jealous of my heart

and captured it as Yahya captures high honors.

So they conquered my heart a preserve enlivening glories

سلالة إسماعيل والملك الذي

سلالة إسماعيل والملك الذي

لسبعين ملكا يعتى وثمانيا

لسبعين ملكا يعتى وثمانيا

The scion of Isma'il, and the king who

The descendants of Ishmael and the King who

is traced to seventy kings and eight more.

Seventy kings yield to and eight

ملوكَ الورى والدهر طفلٌ وفهيم

ملوكَ الورى والدهر طفلٌ وفهيم

تربى صغيراً غير زاكٍ وزاكيا

تربى صغيراً غير زاكٍ وزاكيا

Kings of humankind when Time was a child; among them

The kings of people and time is a child and wise

it was reared as a child, first unthriving, then thriving.

Who grew up small, neither pure nor purifying

وشبَّ وشاب الدهر فيهم ومن يمت

وشبَّ وشاب الدهر فيهم ومن يمت

يخّلف وراه للخلافه كافيا

يخّلف وراه للخلافه كافيا

Time came of age and grew gray among them; whoever dies

And he grew up and time grew young through them and whoever dies

leaves behind a worthy successor to the caliphate.

Leaves behind a successor for the caliphate, sufficient

إلى أن أتت يحيى فأبقت شهامة

إلى أن أتت يحيى فأبقت شهامة

وخلقاً باشراط الخلافة راقيا

وخلقاً باشراط الخلافة راقيا

Until she came to Yahya and retained noble courage,

Until Yahya came so he kept glory

and a character rising to the caliphate's requirements.

And manners of caliphate high

فالقت عصاها واستقر بها النوى

فالقت عصاها واستقر بها النوى

وقالت هنا ما عشت يبقى مقاميا

وقالت هنا ما عشت يبقى مقاميا

So she laid down her staff, and her wandering ceased,

So he threw his staff and intention settled

and said, ‘Here my dwelling shall remain as long as I live.

And he said: here I will stay as long as I live

فما يستوى يحيى لنفسي مطمع

فما يستوى يحيى لنفسي مطمع

ولا لي مرادٌ بعد نيلي الأمانيا

ولا لي مرادٌ بعد نيلي الأمانيا

No hope of mine can equal Yahya,

So for my soul the hope of Yahya is not equal

nor have I any desire after gaining my wishes.

And I have no desire after fulfilling my wishes

ظفرت بكفو ما ظفرت بمثلهِ

ظفرت بكفو ما ظفرت بمثلهِ

في ملك قالت ليحيى مكافيا

في ملك قالت ليحيى مكافيا

I have found a worthy match, whose like I have never found

I won the palms that I did not win the like of

in any king,’ she told Yahya, her equal.

In a kingdom, she said to Yahya sufficient

فيهني المعالي والخلافة دولة

فيهني المعالي والخلافة دولة

أبانت لهم في الملكِ ما كان خافيا

أبانت لهم في الملكِ ما كان خافيا

So may this reign gladden high honors and the caliphate,

So glories and caliphate a state

having revealed to them what was hidden in kingship.

Clarified to them in the kingdom what was hidden

وويل لأعرابٍ طغامٍ تعوّدوا

وويل لأعرابٍ طغامٍ تعوّدوا

من المتصدى والملوك التغاضيا

من المتصدى والملوك التغاضيا

And woe to the uncouth Bedouins who had grown accustomed

And woe to rude nomads who are accustomed

to indulgence from whoever took charge and from kings,

To those who dodge and the kings who overlook

لبعدِ مناويهم وسوء معاشهم

لبعدِ مناويهم وسوء معاشهم

وطرق بها الخريتُ يصبحُ غاويا

وطرق بها الخريتُ يصبحُ غاويا

because their foes were far away and their livelihood wretched,

For the distance of their settlements and misery of their living

and their paths leave even a seasoned guide astray.

And the wastelands travelled by them become lost

وظنّوك نوّاماً عن الثأَر مؤثرا

وظنّوك نوّاماً عن الثأَر مؤثرا

مناجاة قوم يؤثرون الملاهيا

مناجاة قوم يؤثرون الملاهيا

They thought you slept heedless of vengeance, preferring

And they thought you asleep, preferring

intimate talk with people who favor diversions.

The whispers of people who prefer vanities

فألفوك أهدى في الفيافي من القطا

فألفوك أهدى في الفيافي من القطا

وأصبر من ضبٍّ على الماء صاديا

وأصبر من ضبٍّ على الماء صاديا

But they found you surer of the way in wastelands than the sandgrouse,

So they found you kinder in trenches than the sand grouse

and more enduring without water than a thirsty spiny-tailed lizard.

And more patient than a lion on the water stalking

أساؤوا كما اعتادوا وأرخوا ثيابهم

أساؤوا كما اعتادوا وأرخوا ثيابهم

ولم يحذروا مستبعدين التقاضيا

ولم يحذروا مستبعدين التقاضيا

They did wrong as was their habit, and let their garments hang loose,

They did wrong as they used to and spread out their clothes

taking no precautions, thinking a reckoning unlikely.

And did not beware, dismissing retaliation

يراعون أن تمشي الوسائط بينكم

يراعون أن تمشي الوسائط بينكم

وتقبل منهم ما تسنى تماديا

وتقبل منهم ما تسنى تماديا

They counted on intermediaries passing between you,

They watch that mediators walk between you

and on your accepting what they could offer while they persisted.

And accept from them what is made easy, persisting

فما راعهم إلا النذير أتاكم

فما راعهم إلا النذير أتاكم

هزبرٌ حروب لا يملُّ المغازيا

هزبرٌ حروب لا يملُّ المغازيا

Only the warner startled them: ‘There has come upon you

But nothing made them wary except the warner came to you

a warlike lion who never tires of campaigns.’

A resolved war that does not get bored of raids

سواء عليه الصبح والليل إن غزا

سواء عليه الصبح والليل إن غزا

وبردُ العشايا والحرور ملاقيا

وبردُ العشايا والحرور ملاقيا

Morning and night are alike to him when he campaigns,

Morning and night the same to him if he raids

as are the chill of evenings and the scorching heat he faces.

And the cold of night and hot noons meeting

ففروا خِفافاً وهي ملء بيوتهم

ففروا خِفافاً وهي ملء بيوتهم

فما بتن إلا فارغات خواليا

فما بتن إلا فارغات خواليا

They fled lightly laden, though their homes were full,

So they fled lightly while it filled their homes

and those homes passed the night nothing but empty and deserted.

But they stayed empty, neglected

وعدت ولم تلبث ولو شئت قتلهم

وعدت ولم تلبث ولو شئت قتلهم

لما كان منهم واحد منك ناجيا

لما كان منهم واحد منك ناجيا

And you returned without lingering; had you wished to kill them,

And you returned and did not wait and if you wished you would have killed them

not one of them would have escaped you.

None of them would have survived from you

ولم تبغ إِلا أَنهم يتنبهوا

ولم تبغ إِلا أَنهم يتنبهوا

لصولةِ ملك للمضاجع قاليا

لصولةِ ملك للمضاجع قاليا

You sought only to make them take heed

And you did not want except that they become aware

of the onslaught of a king who loathes beds.

Of the night raid of a King for the beds changing

ملأتهم رعباً بها وتيقّنوا

ملأتهم رعباً بها وتيقّنوا

بأن لهذا اليوم عندك ثانيا

بأن لهذا اليوم عندك ثانيا

With it you filled them with terror, and they knew for certain

You filled them with fear through it and they were certain

that you had another such day in store.

That for this day with you there is a second

فهاهم قيام يرقبون وجوهها

فهاهم قيام يرقبون وجوهها

يرونك إِما مصبحاً أو مماسيا

يرونك إِما مصبحاً أو مماسيا

So there they stand, watching for its approaches,

There they are rising, watching its faces

seeing you arrive either at dawn or at dusk.

They see you either a morning raider or an evening one

ومن نام منهم قام يمسح عنقه

ومن نام منهم قام يمسح عنقه

يقول أراني الحرّ فيها مناميا

يقول أراني الحرّ فيها مناميا

And whoever among them sleeps rises rubbing his neck,

And whoever slept from them, rose wiping his neck

saying, ‘The heat made me dream about my neck.’

Saying: I dreamt of heat in it

يفرون عن أَبنائهم ونسائهم

يفرون عن أَبنائهم ونسائهم

إذا سمعوا في الناس صوت المناديا

إذا سمعوا في الناس صوت المناديا

They flee, leaving behind their sons and women,

They flee from their children and women

whenever they hear the crier's voice among the people.

If they hear a caller's voice among the people

وقد ضاقت الدنيا بهم فأقلهم

وقد ضاقت الدنيا بهم فأقلهم

عثاراً وذنباً واعف لازلت عافيا

عثاراً وذنباً واعف لازلت عافيا

The world has grown too narrow for them; forgive them

And the world has narrowed for them, so reduce those

their stumbling and sin; pardon them—may you always be forgiving.

Who slip and sin and pardon while you remain well

ولازلت براً بالمطيعين محسنا

ولازلت براً بالمطيعين محسنا

عفوا غفورا إن ملكت الأَعاديا

عفوا غفورا إن ملكت الأَعاديا

And may you always be kind and good to the obedient,

And you remain righteous, doing good to the obedient

pardoning and forgiving if you gain mastery over enemies.

Pardoning, forgiving if you ruled the enemies