بات ساجي الطرف والشوق يلح

والدجا ان يمض جنح بأت جنح

He spent the night with tranquil eyes, while longing pressed on.

And night—if one stretch passes, another arrives.

وكأن الشرق باب للدجا

ما له خوف هجوم الصبح فتح

And the east seemed a gate for night,

With no opening, for fear of dawn's assault.

يقدح النجم لعيني شررا

ولزند الشوق في الاحشاء قدح

The star strikes sparks into my eyes,

And longing's fire-stick strikes sparks within my entrails.

لا تسل عن حال ارباب الهوى

يا ابن ودي ما لذاك الحال شرح

Do not ask about the state of love's devotees;

O son of my affection, that state has no explanation.

لست أشكو حرب جفني والكرى

لم يكن بيني وبين الدمع صلح

I do not complain of my eyelids' war with slumber;

There has been no truce between me and tears.

انما حال المحبين الكبا

أي فضل لسحاب لا يسح

The lovers' lot is only weeping;

What merit has a cloud that does not pour?

يا نداماي وأيام الصبا

هل لنا رجع وهل لفعمر فسح

O my drinking companions, and days of youth!

Is there a return for us, and any further span of life?

صبحتك المزن يا دار اللوى

كان لي فيك خلاعات وشطح

May rain clouds greet you at dawn, O abode of al-Liwa!

In you I had revelries and wild abandon.

حيث لي شغل باجفان الظبا

ولقلبي مرهم منها وجرح

Where I was engrossed in the gazelles' eyelids,

And my heart had balm and a wound from them.

كل عيش ينقضي ما لم يكن

مع مليح ما لذاك العيش ملح

Every life that passes, unless spent

With a beauty, is a life without salt.

وبذات الطلح لي من عالج

وقفة اكذرها ما اخضل طلح

And at Dhat al-Talh in ʿAlij, I had

A halt I recall as long as acacias grow green.

يوم منا الركب بالركب التقى

وقضى حاجته الشوق الملح

The day our caravan met the other caravan,

And insistent longing fulfilled its need.

لا اذم العيس للعيس يدٌ

في تلاقينا وللاسفار نجح

I do not blame the pale camels; the camels had a hand

In our meeting, and journeys brought success.

قربت منا فما نحو فم

واعتنقنا فالتقى كشح وكشح

They brought a mouth of ours near another mouth,

And we embraced, so flank met flank.

وتزودت الشذى من مرشف

بفمي منه إلى ذا اليوم نفح

And I took fragrance as provisions from a pair of lips,

In my mouth a waft from them lingers to this day.

ونعاهدنا على كاس اللمى

انني ما دمت حيّا لست أحصى

And we pledge ourselves over the cup of dusky lips,

That, as long as I live, I shall never sober up [uncertain reading].

يا ترى هل عند من قد ظعنوا

ان عيشي بعدهم كدّ وكدح

I wonder: do those who have departed know

That my life after them is toil and drudgery?

كنت في قرح النوى فانتدبت

من مشيبي كربة اخرى وقرح

I suffered separation's wound; then there arose

From my graying hair another sorrow and wound.

كم أداوي القلب قلت حيلتي

كلما داويت جرحا سال جرح

How often I treat my heart—my means have dwindled!

Whenever I heal one wound, another bleeds.

ولكم ادعو وما لي سامع

فكأني عند ما ادعو ايح

And how often I call, with no one to hear me!

So, whenever I call, it is as though I were hoarse [uncertain reading].

اشتكي برح الجوى إذلا أرى

كابن فروخ فتى لم يشك برح

I complain of passion's torment, for I see no

Youth like Ibn Farrukh, who has never complained of anguish.

كل من اسهره من رعبه

نومه اليوم بظل السيف سدح

Everyone whom he kept awake through fear of him

Now sleeps stretched out beneath the sword's shade.

ابن من كان لعاب سيفه

ما له الا بأعلى القرن مسح

Son of one whose sword's spittle

Was wiped only on an adversary's crown.

ما مضى حتى لقوا من نسله

لهبا قبل مساس الجلد يلحو

He had scarcely gone when they encountered, from his offspring,

A flame that flays the skin before even touching it.

يولد الطفل لهم أو ينتشى

وعليه من نقيع الرعب نضح

A child is born to them, or becomes intoxicated,

And upon him lies a sprinkling of terror's infusion.

فإذا قبل ابن فروخ اتى

سقطوا لو ان ذاك القول مزح

Then, when it is said, 'Ibn Farrukh has come,'

They collapse, even if that saying is a joke.

بطل لو شاء تمزيق الدجا

لاتاه من عمود الصبح رمح

A hero: if he wished to rend the night,

A spear would come to him from dawn's pillar.

كم سطور بالقنا يكتبها

وسطور بلسان السيف يمحو

How many lines he writes with lances,

And lines he erases with the sword's tongue!

بأي أفدي أميري أنه

صادق الطعن جرىء القلب سمح

With what shall I ransom my prince? He is

True in his thrust, bold of heart, generous.

كل ما قد قيل في ترجيحه

في الندى أو في الوغى فهو الاصح

All that has been said of his superiority

In generosity or battle is the soundest judgment.

يا عروس الخيل والسيف له

من قراع الخيل والابطال صدح

O bridegroom of the steeds! The sword has

A ringing voice from clashing with steeds and heroes.

يا رحى الهيجاء والخيل لها

في حياض الموت بالفرسان ضج

O millstone of battle! The steeds have

A clamor with their riders in the pools of death.

حط سيف الجود في حظى الذي

هو كالدهر يمنّى ويشح

Bring down generosity's sword upon my fortune, which

Is like Time: it raises hopes, yet withholds.

طالع الادبار ما لي ولهُ

اني كن من كوكب الاقبال لمح

Ill fortune's ascendant—what have I to do with it,

If good fortune's star sends a gleam [uncertain reading]?

آه من جور النوى لاسقيت

تعطب الحر وما للحر فجح

Ah, separation's tyranny—may you never be watered!

You ruin the freeborn, leaving them no success [uncertain reading].

حسنوا القول وقالوا غربة

انما الغربة للاحرار ذبح

They softened the word and said, 'Exile';

Exile is nothing but slaughter for the freeborn.

فانتقدني واتخذني بلبلاً

صدحه بين يدي علياك مدح

So assay me, and take me as a nightingale

Whose song before your eminence is praise,

بقوافٍ كسقيط الطل أو

أنها من وجنات الغيد رشح

With rhymes like drops of dew, or

Sweat beading from graceful maidens' cheeks.

خلقت طوع يدي كما ترى

لا كمن يتبعها وهي تشح

They were fashioned at my hand's command, as you see,

Not like one who pursues them while they withhold.

كل بيت في العلا كللّه

من نفيس الدر والياقوت صرح

Every verse, crowned in loftiness [uncertain reading],

Is a palace of precious pearls and rubies,

ناطقاً عني بالفضل الذي

ان يبارى فله في الفوز قدح

Speaking for me of excellence which,

If challenged, has an arrow in victory's lot.