بلى جرّ أذيالَ الصِّبَا وتصابَى

بلى جرّ أذيالَ الصِّبَا وتصابَى

وأوجفَ خيلاً في الهوى ورِكابا

وأوجفَ خيلاً في الهوى ورِكابا

Yes, he trailed the skirts of youth and played the youth,

Yes, pull the tails of youth and be bold,

and set horses and riding-camels galloping in love.

And spur horses in passion and ride,

وهزّ قناةً تحت برديْه لدنةً

وهزّ قناةً تحت برديْه لدنةً

تلينُ وتندى نضرةً وشبابا

تلينُ وتندى نضرةً وشبابا

He brandished a supple lance beneath his two cloaks,

And shake the slender, gentle palm tree,

pliant and dewy with freshness and youth.

Soft, dewy, fresh and youthful.

وجاوَلَهُ قِدْح الهوى إذ أجالَهُ

وجاوَلَهُ قِدْح الهوى إذ أجالَهُ

من الرّبربِ الساجي العيونِ وثابا

من الرّبربِ الساجي العيونِ وثابا

Love's gaming-arrow vied with him when he set it spinning,

Passion handed him the wine cup when it brought it near,

coming from the herd of languid-eyed gazelles, then returning.

From the agitation of the eyes and their darting glance.

قطعتُ زماني بالشَّمول مُسِنّةً

قطعتُ زماني بالشَّمول مُسِنّةً

وبالروضِ كهلاً والفتاةِ كعابا

وبالروضِ كهلاً والفتاةِ كعابا

I passed my days with well-aged wine,

I spent my time in inclusiveness in senility,

with a mature garden and a full-breasted maiden.

And in the garden as an old man and a frolicking girl.

وكنتُ أعيبُ اللهوَ فيها ولا أرى

وكنتُ أعيبُ اللهوَ فيها ولا أرى

عليّ هواها في التعفف عابا

عليّ هواها في التعفف عابا

I used to fault dalliance with her, yet did not see

And I would blame amusement in it but not see

my love for her, kept chaste, as a blemish upon me.

Any fault in its passion for chastity.

وأركبُ عزّاً صهوتي وهي مهرةٌ

وأركبُ عزّاً صهوتي وهي مهرةٌ

أُساور منها بالشبابِ شبابا

أُساور منها بالشبابِ شبابا

I proudly mount my saddle, while she is a filly,

And I ride the glory of my clamor while it is a mare

matching my youth against the youth in her.

That I wrist with youth, youthfulness.

وغيْداءَ رُؤدٍ قادني نحوها هوىً

وغيْداءَ رُؤدٍ قادني نحوها هوىً

تنسّمتُ منهُ في الهواء ملابا

تنسّمتُ منهُ في الهواء ملابا

A tender, graceful maiden—desire led me toward her;

The warbling of a gazelle led me by passion toward it,

from it I breathed a saffron fragrance in the air.

I sniffed from it in the air a robe.

مضيِّعَةٍ للطّيبِ تحسبُ أنّها

مضيِّعَةٍ للطّيبِ تحسبُ أنّها

تُطَيّبُ من مسك التريب ترابا

تُطَيّبُ من مسك التريب ترابا

She squanders perfume, thinking that she

A squanderer of perfume who thinks she

scents dust with the musk of her breast.

Perfumes with the musk of sand, dust.

وما صابني إلا مريجٌ بضربةٍ

وما صابني إلا مريجٌ بضربةٍ

تكون سؤالاً للرّضى وجوابا

تكون سؤالاً للرّضى وجوابا

Only a restless one struck me, with a blow

And nothing hit me but a fragrance with a blow

that serves as both a request for consent and an answer.

That would be a question for consent and an answer.

فبتّ كسرٍّ في حشا الليل داخلٍ

فبتّ كسرٍّ في حشا الليل داخلٍ

على حبّة القلب المَصون حجابا

على حبّة القلب المَصون حجابا

So I spent the night like a secret in night's depths, entering

So I spent a night with a broken heart inside

into the heart's core, protected by a veil.

Over the hidden heart's seed, veiled.

كأنّ الدّجى من طوله كان جامداً

كأنّ الدّجى من طوله كان جامداً

فلّما تنازعنا التحية ذابا

فلّما تنازعنا التحية ذابا

The darkness, so long, seemed frozen solid;

As if the darkness from its length was frozen

but when we exchanged greetings, it melted.

But when we exchanged greetings, it melted.

فقلْ في ظلامٍ طالَ ثم بدا له

فقلْ في ظلامٍ طالَ ثم بدا له

فقد أبْصَرَت منهُ العيونُ عُجابا

فقد أبْصَرَت منهُ العيونُ عُجابا

Speak, then, of a darkness that lingered, then changed its mind:

So say in a darkness that lasted long but

for eyes have witnessed marvels in it.

Eyes from it saw wonders.

كأنّي بشطرٍ منه ثوّرت باركاً

كأنّي بشطرٍ منه ثوّرت باركاً

كسيراً وشطراً قد أطرتُ غرابا

كسيراً وشطراً قد أطرتُ غرابا

As though in one half of it I roused a kneeling camel,

As if I, with part of it, stirred up a crying sea

crippled, and in the other sent a raven flying.

Broken, and part I harnessed as a raven.

رعيتُ الصّبا حتى ذوى وَرقُ الصِّبا

رعيتُ الصّبا حتى ذوى وَرقُ الصِّبا

ولم يُبْقِ في عمري المشيبُ شبابا

ولم يُبْقِ في عمري المشيبُ شبابا

I tended youth until youth's leaf withered,

I shepherded youth until the leaves of youth faded

and gray hair left no youth in my lifetime.

And my graying did not leave any youthfulness.

وحتى اغتدَى زَنْدي شحاحاً بقادحٍ

وحتى اغتدَى زَنْدي شحاحاً بقادحٍ

وأضحى جناحي في النّهوض ذُبابا

وأضحى جناحي في النّهوض ذُبابا

And until my fire-stick grew stingy toward its striker,

Until my blade became smooth from the scraping of a goblet

and my wing, when rising, became a fly's.

And my wings became in rising mere flies.

وقاطعِ أجوازِ الفيافي مُرَوّعٍ

وقاطعِ أجوازِ الفيافي مُرَوّعٍ

بدَهرٍ رماه بالخُطوبِ وَرابا

بدَهرٍ رماه بالخُطوبِ وَرابا

And a traveler through the heartlands of deserts, terrified

Terrifying the gallant steeds with a time

by time, which pelted him with calamities and troubled him,

That pelted him with calamities and misfortunes.

يناجي بها في الليل سيداً عملّساً

يناجي بها في الليل سيداً عملّساً

ويَصحَب هَيْقا بالنّهار وجابا

ويَصحَب هَيْقا بالنّهار وجابا

confides there at night in a swift, sturdy wolf,

Whispering to a glorious master at night

and by day accompanies an ostrich and traverses the wastes,

And accompanying the wailing at day and wandering.

بريحٍ جنوحِ الرحل يُمْسي هبوبها

بريحٍ جنوحِ الرحل يُمْسي هبوبها

نجاءً لها ملءَ الدجى وهَبابا

نجاءً لها ملءَ الدجى وهَبابا

on a wind that sways the saddle, whose blowing at night

With a wind whose blowing at the departure of voyagers

is its swift passage and a rush that fills the darkness.

Filled the darkness with crying and gusts.

أبنتَ الجديلَ القاطعِ البيد جدّ لي

أبنتَ الجديلَ القاطعِ البيد جدّ لي

سباسبَ من غَوْلِ الفلا وظرابا

سباسبَ من غَوْلِ الفلا وظرابا

O daughter of al-Jadīl, crosser of the wastes, cut through for me

You built a dam, impassable, cutting off palms

barren plains amid the desert's terrors, and rocky hills.

Encircling me from the twisting of separation.

إذا ما النّوى ألقتْ عَصايَ محبّةً

إذا ما النّوى ألقتْ عَصايَ محبّةً

تجنّب ليَ صرفُ الزمان جنابا

تجنّب ليَ صرفُ الزمان جنابا

When separation laid down my staff out of love,

When intentions cast my staff of love aside,

time's reversals withdrew to one side for my sake.

The flow of time avoided separation from me.

وسُرْبِلْتُ إحساناً من الحسَنِ الذي

وسُرْبِلْتُ إحساناً من الحسَنِ الذي

هَمَى الجودُ من كلتا يديه وطابا

هَمَى الجودُ من كلتا يديه وطابا

And I was clothed in kindness from al-Hasan,

And I was clad in kindness from the beauty that

whose generosity rained from both his hands, sweet and pure.

Generosity overflowed from both his hands and was good.

هو الملكُ الحامي الهُدى من ضلالةٍ

هو الملكُ الحامي الهُدى من ضلالةٍ

ففلّ لها ظفراً وهَتّمَ نابا

ففلّ لها ظفراً وهَتّمَ نابا

He is the king who shields right guidance from error,

He is the protecting king, guiding away from misguidance.

and so blunted its claw and shattered its fang.

So good tidings to him and a dependent came to him.

غدا كعبهُ في كفّة الملك عالياً

غدا كعبهُ في كفّة الملك عالياً

ومُلّكَ من أهل الزّمان رقابا

ومُلّكَ من أهل الزّمان رقابا

His stature rose high in the scale of kingship,

Tomorrow, his heels became high in the scale of kings,

and he was given mastery over the necks of his age's people.

And he empowered over people’s necks.

وأضحى لقومٍ مذعنينَ بعدلهِ

وأضحى لقومٍ مذعنينَ بعدلهِ

نعيماً وقومٍ مجرمين عذابا

نعيماً وقومٍ مجرمين عذابا

For people submitting to his justice, he became

And he became for submissive people, after his justice,

bliss, and for guilty people, torment.

Bliss, and for criminal people, punishment.

إذا عُدّتِ الأحسابُ عُدّ نجارُهُ

إذا عُدّتِ الأحسابُ عُدّ نجارُهُ

له حسباً بين الملوك لبابا

له حسباً بين الملوك لبابا

When noble ancestries are counted, his lineage is reckoned

When accounts are counted, his carpenter is counted

as pure nobility for him among kings.

For him sufficiently between kings as a gate.

توَقّدَ إقداماً وفاض سماحةً

توَقّدَ إقداماً وفاض سماحةً

وهُذّبَ أخلاقاً وطاب نصابا

وهُذّبَ أخلاقاً وطاب نصابا

He blazed with boldness and overflowed with generosity,

He ignited courage and overflowed generosity,

refined in character and pure in stock.

And was cultivated in morals and his standard was good.

من السادة الغُرّ الألى ملكوا الورى

من السادة الغُرّ الألى ملكوا الورى

وأعطاهمُ الدّهرُ الأبِيُّ جنابا

وأعطاهمُ الدّهرُ الأبِيُّ جنابا

He is of the radiant lords who ruled mankind,

From the noble houses that ruled the world

and unyielding time yielded them its flank.

And time, the everlasting, gave them glory.

غطارفةٌ مثل الجبال حُلومُهُمْ

غطارفةٌ مثل الجبال حُلومُهُمْ

تكونُ لهم شمُ الجبال هضابا

تكونُ لهم شمُ الجبال هضابا

Noble chiefs whose forbearance is like mountains,

Ghaṭārifah, like mountains their dreams

for whom the loftiest mountains are mere hills.

Would be for them the scent of mountains, plateaus.

إذا غضِبوا للَّه أرضاكَ فَتكهُمْ

إذا غضِبوا للَّه أرضاكَ فَتكهُمْ

وأَفتكُ ما تلقى الأُسودُ غِضابا

وأَفتكُ ما تلقى الأُسودُ غِضابا

When they rage for God's sake, their deadly attacks please you;

If they get angry for God, their attack is deadly,

and lions are deadliest when you meet them enraged.

And more deadly than lions in their rage.

وإِن جَزموا الأعمارَ في الحربِ صَيّروا

وإِن جَزموا الأعمارَ في الحربِ صَيّروا

عواملهم في الدّارِعينَ حِرابا

عواملهم في الدّارِعينَ حِرابا

And when they cut lives short in war, they make

And if they determine lifespans in war, they make

their spear-tips into short spears within armored men.

Their agents among armored men wars.

وتَحسَبهم تَحتَ السَوابِغ والقَنا

وتَحسَبهم تَحتَ السَوابِغ والقَنا

ضراغمَ شقّتْ في العَرينِ سَرابا

ضراغمَ شقّتْ في العَرينِ سَرابا

You would think them, beneath full coats of mail and spears,

And you would think them under the coats of mail and helmets

lions cleaving a mirage in their lair.

Illusions that cut through the dens, miragelike.

مفيدٌ مبيدٌ في سبيليه جاعلٌ

مفيدٌ مبيدٌ في سبيليه جاعلٌ

مذاقة شهدٍ للأَنامِ وصَابا

مذاقة شهدٍ للأَنامِ وصَابا

A giver and destroyer, on his two paths he offers

An annihilator, destroyer in his path, making

mankind a taste of honey and bitter sap.

The taste of honey for people, and correct.

كأنّ زماناً تائباً من ذنوبهِ

كأنّ زماناً تائباً من ذنوبهِ

رَأَى عَدلَه أَو خافَ منهُ فَتابا

رَأَى عَدلَه أَو خافَ منهُ فَتابا

As though an age repenting of its sins

As if a time, repentant of its sins,

had seen his justice, or feared him, and repented.

Saw his justice or feared him, so repented.

إِذا مَنعَ الأَملاكُ نائِلَهُمْ سخا

إِذا مَنعَ الأَملاكُ نائِلَهُمْ سخا

وإنْ أخْطَؤوا وجهَ الصّوابِ أصابا

وإنْ أخْطَؤوا وجهَ الصّوابِ أصابا

When kings withhold their bounty, he gives freely;

If hopes deprive them of attaining what they want, lavishly,

and when they miss the right course, he finds it.

And if they miss the path of righteousness, they hit it.

كثيرُ وفودِ القصْدِ لم تكفِ دجلةٌ

كثيرُ وفودِ القصْدِ لم تكفِ دجلةٌ

بِسَاحَتِهِ لِلآكِلينَ شَرابا

بِسَاحَتِهِ لِلآكِلينَ شَرابا

So many delegations seek him that the Tigris would not suffice

The many seeking his true goal did not stop, Tigris

as drink for the diners in his courtyard.

Was not enough with its plain for the eaters’ drinking.

تُفيضُ العَطايا بالأَماني يَمينُهُ

تُفيضُ العَطايا بالأَماني يَمينُهُ

فَتَحسِب فيهِنّ البحورَ ثغابا

فَتَحسِب فيهِنّ البحورَ ثغابا

His right hand pours out gifts in answer to hopes,

His right hand pours out gifts with wishes

so amid them you would reckon the seas mere rock pools.

So you would think in them the seas shallow.

وجيشٍ تخالُ الشَدْوَ في جنَبَاته

وجيشٍ تخالُ الشَدْوَ في جنَبَاته

إِذا صَاهَلتْ فيه العِرابُ عرابا

إِذا صَاهَلتْ فيه العِرابُ عرابا

And an army whose flanks seem full of song

And an army you would think the ferocity in its flanks,

when thoroughbreds within it neigh to thoroughbreds.

When the Arabs yell in it, Arabian.

إذا أسفرتْ من نقعهِ الشهب في دجىً

إذا أسفرتْ من نقعهِ الشهب في دجىً

رَأَيت لوَجهِ الشمسِ منهُ نِقابا

رَأَيت لوَجهِ الشمسِ منهُ نِقابا

When gray steeds emerge from its dust in darkness,

If the sparkles of its striking shone at night,

you see in it a veil over the sun's face.

You would see for the face of the sun from it a veil.

تحطّمُ مُرّانَ الرّماحِ كماتُهُ

تحطّمُ مُرّانَ الرّماحِ كماتُهُ

طعاناً وأوراقَ الصِفاح ضرابا

طعاناً وأوراقَ الصِفاح ضرابا

Its champions shatter the ashwood of lances

Its swoops break the butts of spears, stabbing,

with thrusts, and the leaves of swords with blows.

And the leaves of interwoven mail, slashing.

وتحسبُ أنهاءً مُلئْنَ عليهمُ

وتحسبُ أنهاءً مُلئْنَ عليهمُ

حَبائكَ من نَسجِ الصّبا وحبابا

حَبائكَ من نَسجِ الصّبا وحبابا

And you would think pools were filled over them

And you would think them to be seas foaming over them,

with ripples woven by the east wind, and bubbles.

Webs woven by the youth and infatuation.

أرونيَ منكم راجياً رَدّ قاصداً

أرونيَ منكم راجياً رَدّ قاصداً

إلى قصده وجه الرّجاءِ فخابا

إلى قصده وجه الرّجاءِ فخابا

Show me a hopeful one among you who turned, in seeking him,

Show me from you someone hopeful, seeking to return

the face of hope toward his goal, and was disappointed.

To his goal, but the face of hope betrayed him.

ولا تعتبوهُ في الشفاعة والنّدى

ولا تعتبوهُ في الشفاعة والنّدى

فلن تجعلوا نقلَ الطباعِ عتابا

فلن تجعلوا نقلَ الطباعِ عتابا

Do not reproach him over intercession and generosity,

And do not blame him for intercession and affection,

for you cannot call a change of nature mere reproach.

For you will not make changing nature a reproach.

ولو خضبَ الأيدي نداهُ رأيتمُ

ولو خضبَ الأيدي نداهُ رأيتمُ

لكلّ يدٍ بالتّبرِ منْه خضابا

لكلّ يدٍ بالتّبرِ منْه خضابا

If his bounty could dye hands, you would see

And if his aid dyed hands red, you would see

a dye of gold from him upon every hand.

For each hand with the repentance from it dye.

يردّ لِسانُ العضبِ عندَ سُكوتِه

يردّ لِسانُ العضبِ عندَ سُكوتِه

إِلى هامَةِ المِقدامِ عنه خِطابا

إِلى هامَةِ المِقدامِ عنه خِطابا

When he is silent, the sharp sword's tongue sends back

His tongue returns upon his silence

a message on his behalf to the daring warrior's skull.

To the zeal of courage, addressing it a sermon.

فيا ابن عليّ أنت شبلٌ حَمَى الهدى

فيا ابن عليّ أنت شبلٌ حَمَى الهدى

وأنبتَ حوليه الذوابلَ غابا

وأنبتَ حوليه الذوابلَ غابا

O son of Ali, you are a lion cub who protected right guidance

So O son of Ali, you are a lion cub who protected guidance

and made slender spears sprout around it as a forest.

And grew around it twisting paths.

جَعَلت نيوبَ الثّغرِ زُرْقَ أسِنّةٍ

جَعَلت نيوبَ الثّغرِ زُرْقَ أسِنّةٍ

فَلَم تَجنِ زرقُ الرّوم مِنهُ رضابا

فَلَم تَجنِ زرقُ الرّوم مِنهُ رضابا

You made the frontier's fangs blue lance-points,

You made the fangs of the mouth the blueness of Indian swords

so the blue-eyed Romans gathered no sweet saliva from it.

So the blueness of the Romans did not withdraw slashes from it.

ولَو نَظَم الديماسُ مَنثورَ هامِهم

ولَو نَظَم الديماسُ مَنثورَ هامِهم

لَقلّدَ جيدَ القَصرِ منهُ سَخابا

لَقلّدَ جيدَ القَصرِ منهُ سَخابا

Had al-Dīmās strung their scattered heads together,

And if the scattered pearls of their skulls were threaded,

it would have adorned the palace's neck with a scented necklace of them.

It would string the necklace of the palace from it beads.

فَلِلدينِ عيدانٌ منَ النبع جُرّبَتْ

فَلِلدينِ عيدانٌ منَ النبع جُرّبَتْ

بِعَجْمٍ فألفاها الصليبُ صِلابا

بِعَجْمٍ فألفاها الصليبُ صِلابا

For the faith has staves of nabʿ wood, tested

So for the religion there are spears from the spring tried

by biting; the Cross found them hard.

With non-Arabs, but the cross made them pliant.

طلعتَ لَنا بدراً شموسَ طلاقةٍ

طلعتَ لَنا بدراً شموسَ طلاقةٍ

تلفّ عَلَيها راحَتاهُ سَحابا

تلفّ عَلَيها راحَتاهُ سَحابا

You rose for us as a full moon, with suns of gracious welcome,

You rose for us like a full moon, dawning suns of splendor,

around which his two palms wrap clouds.

Around which its hands wrap clouds.

فحالفك النّصرُ العزيزُ الّذي به

فحالفك النّصرُ العزيزُ الّذي به

تغادرُ آسادَ الحُروبِ ذِئابا

تغادرُ آسادَ الحُروبِ ذِئابا

May mighty victory be your ally—the victory through which

So victory, mighty, which with it,

you leave the lions of war as wolves.

The lions of war are appeased, allied with you.

ولا زلتَ عيداً للورى غيرَ ذاهبٍ

ولا زلتَ عيداً للورى غيرَ ذاهبٍ

إذا العيدُ ولّى بالزمانِ ذهابا

إذا العيدُ ولّى بالزمانِ ذهابا

And may you remain a festival for mankind, never departing,

And you still are a holiday for the world, not passing,

when the festival has passed away with time.

When the holiday turns in time passing.