أحْبِبْ به قَنَصاً إلى مُتَقَنِّصِ

أحْبِبْ به قَنَصاً إلى مُتَقَنِّصِ

وفريصةً تُهدى إلى مُستفرِصِ

وفريصةً تُهدى إلى مُستفرِصِ

How lovely a quarry it is for a hunter,

Love him who hunts you down to entrap you,

And an opportunity offered to one seeking his chance!

And the prey offered up to the eager hunter.

من أين هذا الخشْفُ جاذبَ أحبُلي

من أين هذا الخشْفُ جاذبَ أحبُلي

فَلأفحَصَنْ عنه وإن لم يُفْحَصِ

فَلأفحَصَنْ عنه وإن لم يُفْحَصِ

Whence comes this fawn, tugging at my cords?

Whence comes this allure that tugs my heartstrings,

I shall surely seek it out, even if it is not sought.

So I must probe it, though it leaves no trace?

بل طيْفُ نازحةٍ تصرّمَ عهدُهَا

بل طيْفُ نازحةٍ تصرّمَ عهدُهَا

إلاّ بقايا وُدِّها المستخلَص

إلاّ بقايا وُدِّها المستخلَص

Rather, it is the phantom of a distant woman whose bond has ended,

A haunting ghost whose pact is broken,

Except for the remnants of her pure affection.

Save vestiges of tenderness distilled.

تُدنيكَ من كِبدٍ عليك عليلَةٍ

تُدنيكَ من كِبدٍ عليك عليلَةٍ

وتَمُدُّ من جِيدٍ إليك مُنَصّص

وتَمُدُّ من جِيدٍ إليك مُنَصّص

She draws you close to a liver ailing for you,

It draws you near a liver hot for you,

And stretches toward you a neck held high.

And stretches out a neck for you to clasp.

شَعثاءُ تَسري في الكرَى بمحاجِرٍ

شَعثاءُ تَسري في الكرَى بمحاجِرٍ

لم تكتحِلْ وغَدائِرٍ لم تُعْقَص

لم تكتحِلْ وغَدائِرٍ لم تُعْقَص

Disheveled, she moves through slumber with eyes

Disheveled, roaming ruins furtively,

Untouched by kohl, and tresses left unplaited.

Unkohl’d, unveiled, hips never to be girdled.

ثَقُلَتْ روادفُها وأُدمِجَ خَصُرها

ثَقُلَتْ روادفُها وأُدمِجَ خَصُرها

فأتَتْكَ بينَ مُفَعَّمٍ ومُخَمَّص

فأتَتْكَ بينَ مُفَعَّمٍ ومُخَمَّص

Her buttocks are heavy, her waist tightly drawn,

Her buttocks weigh her down, her waist collapsing,

So she comes to you between fullness and slenderness.

She comes to you, all cleavage and all ribs.

ما أنتَ من صلَتانَ يُهدي أيْنُقاً

ما أنتَ من صلَتانَ يُهدي أيْنُقاً

خوصاً بنجمٍ في الدُّجُنَّةِ أخوص

خوصاً بنجمٍ في الدُّجُنَّةِ أخوص

What a hardy traveler you are, guiding she-camels,

You are not one whose guide would proffer

Narrow-eyed, by a narrow-eyed star in the darkness!

A delicate oryx, timid, night-bound, in darkness enfolded.

ويُميلُ قِمّتَهُ النُّعاسُ كأنّهُ

ويُميلُ قِمّتَهُ النُّعاسُ كأنّهُ

في أُخرَياتِ اللّيل ذِفرَى أوقَص

في أُخرَياتِ اللّيل ذِفرَى أوقَص

Drowsiness tips his head, as though it were,

Dozing, his head aslant, as if, in the small hours

At night's end, the nape of a short-necked beast.

He were a hedgehog curled, or dormouse hunched.

والفجرُ من تلك المُلاءةِ ساحِبٌ

والفجرُ من تلك المُلاءةِ ساحِبٌ

والليلُ في مُنقَدِّ تلك الأقمُص

والليلُ في مُنقَدِّ تلك الأقمُص

And dawn is drawing away that sheet,

And dawn unfolds its smoothness,

While night lies in the rent of those shirts.

While night bundles itself in that fur coat.

قد باتَ يَمطُلُني سَناً حتى إذا

قد باتَ يَمطُلُني سَناً حتى إذا

عَجِلَ الصّباحُ به فلم يترَبَّص

عَجِلَ الصّباحُ به فلم يترَبَّص

It spent the night withholding radiance from me, until, when

Year after year it kept me waiting, but

Dawn hurried it away and it no longer lingered,

When daybreak hurried it, it did not hasten.

ألقى مؤلَّفةَ النجوم قلائداً

ألقى مؤلَّفةَ النجوم قلائداً

من كلِّ إكليلٍ عليه مُفصَّص

من كلِّ إكليلٍ عليه مُفصَّص

It cast off the clustered stars as necklaces,

It shed the stars’ array as necklaces,

From every gem-set crown upon it.

Each circlet detailed, each pendant teardrop-shaped.

مَن يذعَرُ السِّرحانَ بعد ركائبي

مَن يذعَرُ السِّرحانَ بعد ركائبي

أو من يَصي ليل التّمام كما أصي

أو من يَصي ليل التّمام كما أصي

Who will frighten the wolf after my riding-camels?

Who will startle the does after my mares have galloped by

Or who carries on through the longest night as I do?

Or rival me when the night is full as I desire?

ذَرْني ومَيدانَ الجيادِ فإنّمَا

ذَرْني ومَيدانَ الجيادِ فإنّمَا

تُبْلى السوابقُ عندَ مَدِّ المِقبَص

تُبْلى السوابقُ عندَ مَدِّ المِقبَص

Leave me to the racecourse of fine horses, for only

Leave me the racetrack, for when the race is run

When the reins are stretched are the frontrunners tested.

The thoroughbreds are put out to grass.

لُقّيتُ نَعْماءَ الخُطوب وبُؤسَهَا

لُقّيتُ نَعْماءَ الخُطوب وبُؤسَهَا

وسُبِكتُ سَبكَ الجوهرِ المتخلِّص

وسُبِكتُ سَبكَ الجوهرِ المتخلِّص

I have been made to meet life's blessings and its misery,

I have encountered fortune’s gifts and whips,

And smelted like precious metal purged of dross.

Molded like purest gold welded refined.

فإذا سَعَيْتُ إلى العُلى لم أتّئِدْ

فإذا سَعَيْتُ إلى العُلى لم أتّئِدْ

وإذا اشترَيْتُ الحمدَ لم أسترْخصِ

وإذا اشترَيْتُ الحمدَ لم أسترْخصِ

When I strive for eminence, I do not dawdle;

I do not cease when I aspire to climb,

And when I buy praise, I do not seek a bargain.

Nor haggle when I seek glory.

شارفْتُ أعنانَ السّماءِ بِهمّتي

شارفْتُ أعنانَ السّماءِ بِهمّتي

ووطِئتُ بَهْرامَ النجوم بأخمَصي

ووطِئتُ بَهْرامَ النجوم بأخمَصي

With my ambition I have approached the heights of heaven,

I have grazed the horizons with my zeal,

And trodden Bahrām among the stars beneath my foot's arch.

And trodden the constellations with my toes.

مَن كان قَلبي نصلُهُ لم يَهتَبِلْ

مَن كان قَلبي نصلُهُ لم يَهتَبِلْ

أو كان يحيَى رِدأه لم ينكِص

أو كان يحيَى رِدأه لم ينكِص

Whoever has my heart for his blade will not be caught unawares,

He whose heart is my blade does not waver,

Or has Yahyā as his support will not retreat.

Or whose banner I am does not recoil.

يا أيّها التالي كتابَ سَماحِهِ

يا أيّها التالي كتابَ سَماحِهِ

هو ذلك القَصَصُ المُعَلىّ فاقصُص

هو ذلك القَصَصُ المُعَلىّ فاقصُص

O you who recite the book of his generosity,

O dweller on my heights, bow down before him,

That is the exalted tale—so recount it.

Begone, O Falsehood, speak, O Truth, insist!

قُلْ في نَوالٍ للزّمانِ مُبَجَّلٍ

قُلْ في نَوالٍ للزّمانِ مُبَجَّلٍ

قل في كمالٍ للوَرى مُستَنقَص

قل في كمالٍ للوَرى مُستَنقَص

Speak of bounty through which the age is honored;

The greatest of the judges are bedazzled by him.

Speak of perfection beside which mankind is found wanting.

Had an owl gazed at him, it would not have blinked.

رُدّي عليه يا غمامَةُ جُودَه

رُدّي عليه يا غمامَةُ جُودَه

أو أفْرِديهِ بالمحامِدِ واخصُصي

أو أفْرِديهِ بالمحامِدِ واخصُصي

Return his bounty to him, O cloud,

Sealed by his sword from their heinous gossip,

Or single him out with praises and distinguish him.

Girded in the integrity his speech demands.

مُتَهَلِّلٌ والعُرْفُ ما لم تجْلُهُ

مُتَهَلِّلٌ والعُرْفُ ما لم تجْلُهُ

بالبِشْرِ كالإبريزِ غيرَ مُخَلَّص

بالبِشْرِ كالإبريزِ غيرَ مُخَلَّص

He beams; and kindness, unless you burnish it

You have attained celestial strings, so increase

With cheerfulness, is like gold not yet refined.

Your bounty, or diminish it, as you desire.

لا تدَّعي دعْوى أتَتْكِ تكذُّباً

لا تدَّعي دعْوى أتَتْكِ تكذُّباً

كتكذُّبي وتخرُّصاً كتخرّصي

كتكذُّبي وتخرُّصاً كتخرّصي

Do not assert a claim that comes to you through falsehood,

God be praised for steeds from Kindah

Like my falsehood, and conjecture like my conjecture.

You drive without the jostling of the common herd.

خَطَبَتْ مآثِرَهُ المُلوكُ تعلّماً

خَطَبَتْ مآثِرَهُ المُلوكُ تعلّماً

فنَبَتْ عن المعْنى البعيدِ الأعْوَص

فنَبَتْ عن المعْنى البعيدِ الأعْوَص

Kings sought his glorious deeds as lessons,

They smile at the battle so their mouths

But recoiled from their far-reaching, intractable meaning.

Are like pearls placed next to their fellow pearls.

يا مَشرَفيُّ اسْجُدْ له من بينهِمْ

يا مَشرَفيُّ اسْجُدْ له من بينهِمْ

يا باطلُ ازهقْ يا حقيقةُ حَصْحِصي

يا باطلُ ازهقْ يا حقيقةُ حَصْحِصي

O Mashrafī sword, bow down to him among them;

We have left the lion they claimed to exist:

O falsehood, perish! O truth, come clearly forth!

So have you tested him in war or in skirmish?

عشِيَتْ به مُقَلُ الكُماةِ فلو سرَى

عشِيَتْ به مُقَلُ الكُماةِ فلو سرَى

كُرْدوسَةٌ في ناظِرٍ لم يَشخَص

كُرْدوسَةٌ في ناظِرٍ لم يَشخَص

The warriors' eyes are dazzled by him; were there to pass

He would not be enraged if you never carved

A battalion through a pupil, it would not raise its gaze.

Victory for him, nor sought the hunter’s prize.

أمُخَتَّماً منهمْ بقائِمِ سيفِهِ

أمُخَتَّماً منهمْ بقائِمِ سيفِهِ

ومُوَشَّحاً بنِجادِهِ المتقلِّص

ومُوَشَّحاً بنِجادِهِ المتقلِّص

Was it as one among them, ringed with his sword's hilt,

My hands would forget the sword if I did not rise up

And girded with his drawn-up baldric,

To investigate his condition and examine it.

نَيلَ الكواكبِ رُمْتَ لا نَيل العلى

نَيلَ الكواكبِ رُمْتَ لا نَيل العلى

فزِدِ المكارِمَ بَسْطةً أو فانقُص

فزِدِ المكارِمَ بَسْطةً أو فانقُص

That you sought to reach the stars, not to attain eminence?

The essence of glory has composed itself in you

So give noble deeds greater scope—or diminish them.

In subtler patterns than the creative mind can trace.

للّهِ دَرُّ فَوارِسٍ أزدِيّةٍ

للّهِ دَرُّ فَوارِسٍ أزدِيّةٍ

أقْبَلْتَهَا غيرَ البِطانِ الحُيَّص

أقْبَلْتَهَا غيرَ البِطانِ الحُيَّص

How splendid are the horsemen of Azd,

Had you been the sun under a cloud, you would not fade,

Whom you faced, not pot-bellied shirkers!

Or the moon in darkness, you would not diminish.

يَتَبَسَّمونَ إلى الوغى فشِفاهُهُمْ

يَتَبَسَّمونَ إلى الوغى فشِفاهُهُمْ

هُدْلٌ إلى أقْرانِهِمْ لم تَقْلِص

هُدْلٌ إلى أقْرانِهِمْ لم تَقْلِص

They smile at battle, so their lips

If my gratitude is a sin, forgive me,

Are relaxed before their opponents, never drawn tight.

Or if I have erred, examine my case.

ذَرْنَا من اللّيْثِ الذي زعموا فهل

ذَرْنَا من اللّيْثِ الذي زعموا فهل

جرَّبتَهُ في معركٍ أو مَقْنَص

جرَّبتَهُ في معركٍ أو مَقْنَص

Spare us that lion they claim; have you

The day slanderous tongues attack, my passion,

Tested him on a battlefield or a hunting ground?

Undimmed by you, will come to my defense.

ما هاجهُ أنْ كُنتَ لم تَنْحِتْ لهُ

ما هاجهُ أنْ كُنتَ لم تَنْحِتْ لهُ

ظُفُراً وما خَطبُ الفريص المُفرَص

ظُفُراً وما خَطبُ الفريص المُفرَص

What roused him—that you had not carved him

House of ‘Ali, I have not been ungrateful for hands

A claw? And what of the slashed shoulder-flesh?

That rescued me in a debased and craven age.

هجَرَتْ يدايَ النصْلَ إن لم أنبعِثْ

هجَرَتْ يدايَ النصْلَ إن لم أنبعِثْ

بمُبَحِّثٍ عن شأنه ومُفحِّص

بمُبَحِّثٍ عن شأنه ومُفحِّص

May my hands forsake the blade if I do not set forth,

I dwelt among you, so you repaired my brokenness

Armed with one that probes his case and searches it out.

And joined what petty folk had rendered fragile.

نظمَتْ معاني المجدِ فيك نفُوسَها

نظمَتْ معاني المجدِ فيك نفُوسَها

بأدَقَّ من مَعنى البديعِ وأعْوَص

بأدَقَّ من مَعنى البديعِ وأعْوَص

The meanings of glory have strung themselves together in you,

None but you make the clouds rain down such bounty,

More subtly and intricately than the conceits of ornate verse.

For you make sweet an existence free of bitterness.

لو كنتَ شمسَ غمامةٍ لم تنْتَقِبْ

لو كنتَ شمسَ غمامةٍ لم تنْتَقِبْ

أو كنتَ بَدْرَ دُجُنَّةٍ لم تَنقُص

أو كنتَ بَدْرَ دُجُنَّةٍ لم تَنقُص

Were you a sun within a cloud, you would not be veiled;

What glory resides in your kingdom’s canopy!

Or a full moon in darkness, you would not wane.

And what loyalty we enjoy from you as patrons!

إن كان جُرْماً مثلُ شكري فاغتفِرْ

إن كان جُرْماً مثلُ شكري فاغتفِرْ

أو كان ذنْباً ما أتَيْتُ فمَحِّص

أو كان ذنْباً ما أتَيْتُ فمَحِّص

If gratitude such as mine is a crime, then forgive it;

He despaired who was mired in distress and anguish,

Or if what I have done is a sin, then purge it away.

Yet had he implored you, his thirst would have been quenched.

تَفْديكَ لي يومَ الأسِنّةِ مُهْجَةٌ

تَفْديكَ لي يومَ الأسِنّةِ مُهْجَةٌ

لم تَظْمَ عندك في حشاً لم تَخمَص

لم تَظْمَ عندك في حشاً لم تَخمَص

May a heart's blood ransom you for me on the day of spearheads—

And when misfortune weary of its burdens

One that never thirsted in your care, within a belly never hollowed by hunger.

Turns to a tongue fluent in praise – then it prospers!

أبَني عليٍّ لا كفَرْتُ أيادياً

أبَني عليٍّ لا كفَرْتُ أيادياً

أغليْنَني في عصرِ لؤم مُرْخِصِ

أغليْنَني في عصرِ لؤم مُرْخِصِ

O sons of ‘Alī, may I never deny the favors

A creation composed of celestial bodies

That raised my worth in an age of cheapening baseness.

That rose before Kuthayyir or al-Akhṭal.

جاورتُكم فجَبرتُمُ من أعظمي

جاورتُكم فجَبرتُمُ من أعظمي

ووصلتُمُ من رِيشيَ المُتحصِّص

ووصلتُمُ من رِيشيَ المُتحصِّص

I lived beside you, and you set my broken bones,

Gleaming since ancient times in their Kindah origin

And pieced together my tattered plumage.

Beyond what was told of Aws ibn Hajar’s lineage.

لا جادَ غيرَكمُ السحابُ فإنّكُمْ

لا جادَ غيرَكمُ السحابُ فإنّكُمْ

كنتمْ لذيذَ العيشِ غيرَ مُنغّص

كنتمْ لذيذَ العيشِ غيرَ مُنغّص

May the clouds rain on none but you, for you

Will it avail me to love you if Fate

Were the sweetness of life, unspoiled by vexation.

Does not favor one who does not strive?

كم في سُرادقِ مُلكِكم من ماجدٍ

كم في سُرادقِ مُلكِكم من ماجدٍ

عَمَمٍ وفينا منْ وَليٍّ مُخلِص

عَمَمٍ وفينا منْ وَليٍّ مُخلِص

How many a noble man stands in your kingdom's pavilion,

One said to Pleiades, “Pass by thus,”

Of lofty stature—and among us, how many a devoted friend!

And said to another constellation, “Wink out.”

قد غَصَّ بالماءِ القَراحِ وكان لوْ

قد غَصَّ بالماءِ القَراحِ وكان لوْ

يُسقَى المُثمَّلُ عندكم لم يَغصَص

يُسقَى المُثمَّلُ عندكم لم يَغصَص

He has choked on pure water, yet, were he

Given turbid water with you, he would not choke.

وإذا استكانَ منَ النّوَى وعذابِها

وإذا استكانَ منَ النّوَى وعذابِها

فإلى لسانٍ في الثناء كمِفرَص

فإلى لسانٍ في الثناء كمِفرَص

And when he submits to separation and its torment,

He turns to a tongue in praise like metal-cutting shears.

صُنْعٌ يؤلَّفُ من نظامِ كواكبٍ

صُنْعٌ يؤلَّفُ من نظامِ كواكبٍ

طلعتْ لغيرِ كُثَيِّرٍ والأحوص

طلعتْ لغيرِ كُثَيِّرٍ والأحوص

A work fashioned from a string of stars,

That rose for someone other than Kuthayyir and al-Aḥwaṣ,

مُتبلِّجاتٌ قبل في أزدِيِّهَا

مُتبلِّجاتٌ قبل في أزدِيِّهَا

ما قيل في أسْدِيَةِ ابنِ الأبرص

ما قيل في أسْدِيَةِ ابنِ الأبرص

Shining forth in praise of their Azdī, ahead of

What was said in Ibn al-Abraṣ's warp-threads.

هل ينَهيَنّي إنْ حرصْتُ عليْكُمُ

هل ينَهيَنّي إنْ حرصْتُ عليْكُمُ

فأتَى على المقدار من لم يحرِص

فأتَى على المقدار من لم يحرِص

Will he restrain me if I eagerly seek you,

When one who was not eager still reached his allotted lot—

من قال للشِّعرى العَبور كذا اعبُري

من قال للشِّعرى العَبور كذا اعبُري

كرهاً وقال لأختها الأخرى اغمصي

كرهاً وقال لأختها الأخرى اغمصي

He who told Sirius, the Crossing One, 'Cross thus,

Against your will,' and told her other sister, 'Grow bleary-eyed'?