تُرى الصبحُ من بعد الاحبةِ أَسودُ

تُرى الصبحُ من بعد الاحبةِ أَسودُ

أَم الليلُ كانوا انَّ ليلَكَ سَرْمَدُ

أَم الليلُ كانوا انَّ ليلَكَ سَرْمَدُ

I wonder: is dawn black after the loved ones' departure,

The dawn appears black after nightfall

Or were they the night? Indeed, your night is endless.

Or was your night endless?

كأَنَّ نجومَ الليلِ بعدَ فراقهم

كأَنَّ نجومَ الليلِ بعدَ فراقهم

أَقامتْ على آثارهم تَتَردَّدُ

أَقامتْ على آثارهم تَتَردَّدُ

As though the stars of night, after their parting,

As if the stars of night after their departure

Had lingered over their traces, wavering to and fro.

Linger in their ruins, wandering to and fro

ودارٍ لهم لما نأوا بادَ حسنُها

ودارٍ لهم لما نأوا بادَ حسنُها

تَمرُّ بها عينُ الصحيحِ فترمَدُ

تَمرُّ بها عينُ الصحيحِ فترمَدُ

And a dwelling of theirs—its beauty perished when they departed;

Of an abode whose beauty has departed when they left

A healthy person's eye passes over it and grows inflamed.

The eyes of the unwell pass by it and wink

عهدتُ بها معطى الهوى منية الهوى

عهدتُ بها معطى الهوى منية الهوى

وقوماً اذا لم ينجدِ الغيثُ انجدُوا

وقوماً اذا لم ينجدِ الغيثُ انجدُوا

There I once knew love granted the desire of love,

I knew it as the capital of passion, the passion's passion

And people who gave relief when the rain gave none,

And a people, who if the rain failed to help would help

وذا هَيَفٍ من يابسِ الصَّخْرِ قلبُه

وذا هَيَفٍ من يابسِ الصَّخْرِ قلبُه

وان كانَ من لينٍ يُحلُّ ويعقَدُ

وان كانَ من لينٍ يُحلُّ ويعقَدُ

And a slender-waisted one whose heart was dry rock,

And a rough heart of dry rock

Though he was so supple he could be untied and knotted.

Yet if it was of softness it would twist and knot

كلانا يظُن الحسنَ بعضَ عيوبهِ

كلانا يظُن الحسنَ بعضَ عيوبهِ

ويُعطى النَّوى منه القيادَ ويكمَدُ

ويُعطى النَّوى منه القيادَ ويكمَدُ

Each of us counts beauty among his flaws,

Each of us sees the faults as some of its beauty

And separation is given his reins, and he pines.

And the intent is given the halter and restrained

تودُّ ضلوعى بالابارقِ أَننى

تودُّ ضلوعى بالابارقِ أَننى

تجلدتُ والمغرورُ من يتجلَّدُ

تجلدتُ والمغرورُ من يتجلَّدُ

My ribs at al-Abariq wish that I

My ribs wish for lightnings that

Had steeled myself; yet whoever steels himself is deluded.

I have endured while the deluded endures

أَلا مَنْ لبرقٍ في جوانح ليلةٍ

أَلا مَنْ لبرقٍ في جوانح ليلةٍ

كأَنَّ الدجى في حَملِهِ يَتَاوَّدُ

كأَنَّ الدجى في حَملِهِ يَتَاوَّدُ

Ah, who will heed a lightning-flash within a night's ribs,

Lo, whoever has a lightning in the bosom of night

As though the darkness sways beneath its burden?

As if the darkness in its burden sways

اذا قلتُ يبدو الصبحُ لي من خِلاله

اذا قلتُ يبدو الصبحُ لي من خِلاله

محا ضوءَه جُنحٌ من الليل أَسوَدُ

محا ضوءَه جُنحٌ من الليل أَسوَدُ

Whenever I said, 'Dawn appears to me through it,'

When I say the dawn appears to me through it

A black stretch of night erased its light.

Its light is erased by wings of the darker night

أَقامَ رهيناً بالصباِح كأَنَّه

أَقامَ رهيناً بالصباِح كأَنَّه

على الليلِ أَسيافٌ تُسَلُّ وتُغْمَدُ

على الليلِ أَسيافٌ تُسَلُّ وتُغْمَدُ

It remained a hostage to dawn, as though it were

It made hostage the dawn as if

Swords against the night, drawn and sheathed.

Over the night swords glide and are sheathed

الى كم أَردُ الحزمَ حرانَ ناهلاً

الى كم أَردُ الحزمَ حرانَ ناهلاً

وأخذل فيه الليلَ والليلُ مُسْعِدُ

وأخذل فيه الليلَ والليلُ مُسْعِدُ

How long shall I turn resolve back, parched and thirsty,

To what extent do I want determination confused fetching while

And fail the night in this, though the night offers aid?

I disappoint the night and the night is well-equipped

أصدِّدُ من صَرفِ الزمانِ عزائمى

أصدِّدُ من صَرفِ الزمانِ عزائمى

بأَشياءَ لا يسطيعها المتهدِّدُ

بأَشياءَ لا يسطيعها المتهدِّدُ

I turn my resolves away from time's vicissitudes

I chide the turns of fate for my resolutions

With things the threatener cannot achieve.

With things the intimidated cannot accomplish

لقد كادَ هذا الياس يألفُ همَّة

لقد كادَ هذا الياس يألفُ همَّة

لها صَدِرٌ عند الهموم وموردُ

لها صَدِرٌ عند الهموم وموردُ

Indeed, this despair has nearly grown used to an ambition

This despair almost grew accustomed to an ambition

That has its departure and its watering-place amid cares.

Whose chest is resolute in the face of worries and has a creek

أُؤملُ أَمراً والمقاديرُ دونه

أُؤملُ أَمراً والمقاديرُ دونه

وأَرقبُ يوماً ليس يأتي به الغَدُ

وأَرقبُ يوماً ليس يأتي به الغَدُ

I hope for something, with fate's decrees between me and it,

I aspire to a matter while the fates are beyond it

And await a day that tomorrow will not bring.

And anticipate a day that tomorrow does not bring

وما انْ كفانى مثلُ أَبيضَ صارمٍ

وما انْ كفانى مثلُ أَبيضَ صارمٍ

أقلده مثل الذي أَتقلَّدُ

أقلده مثل الذي أَتقلَّدُ

Nor has anything sufficed me like a white, keen sword,

My like is not enough for a flashing white blade

I place about its neck the like of what I wear about mine,

That I wear like what I wear

الى أَنْ أَردَّ الشرقَ يشرقُ نحرُه

الى أَنْ أَردَّ الشرقَ يشرقُ نحرُه

بضربٍ يقوم الموتُ فيه ويقعُدُ

بضربٍ يقوم الموتُ فيه ويقعُدُ

Until I drive the East back, its throat choking

Until the east shines and its throat is pierced

Under blows in which Death rises and sits,

With a blow, death takes its stand and sits

ونارِ حريقٍ في السماءِ منيفةٍ

ونارِ حريقٍ في السماءِ منيفةٍ

كنار قرى في دارِ تغلِبَ توقَدُ

كنار قرى في دارِ تغلِبَ توقَدُ

And a conflagration's fire, towering in the sky,

And the fire of a flashing blaze in the sky

Like a hospitality-fire kindled in the abode of Taghlib:

Like the fire of villages in the land of Taghlib ignited

لسارى الدجى هدى وللضيف مطعم

لسارى الدجى هدى وللضيف مطعم

وللخائف المرتاع أمن ومرقَدُ

وللخائف المرتاع أمن ومرقَدُ

Guidance for the traveler through darkness, and food for the guest,

For those lost at night it is guidance and for the guest a meal

And for the fearful, panic-stricken one, safety and a sleeping-place.

And for the fearful refugee safety and a prepared bed

وكيف أَخاف الحادثاتِ ودونها

وكيف أَخاف الحادثاتِ ودونها

قواعدُ رَضْوى ذى الهضابِ وصندَدُ

قواعدُ رَضْوى ذى الهضابِ وصندَدُ

How can I fear calamities, when between me and them stand

How can I fear misfortunes while beyond them

The foundations of Radwa with its plateaus, and Sandad?

Are pleasure gardens' bases, with hills and bulwarks

اذا كانَ سيف الدولة العضب ناصري

اذا كانَ سيف الدولة العضب ناصري

حملتُ صروفَ الدهرِ تُدِنى وتُبعِدُ

حملتُ صروفَ الدهرِ تُدِنى وتُبعِدُ

If Sayf al-Dawla, the keen blade, is my champion,

When the sword of Saif al-Dawla is my supporter

I bear time's turns, as they bring me near and send me far.

I withstand the turns of fate as they dwindle and distance

بعثتكَ لي يا ابنَ الوجيهِ موجهاً

بعثتكَ لي يا ابنَ الوجيهِ موجهاً

عليكَ سقاةٌ من سُراكَ ومزودُ

عليكَ سقاةٌ من سُراكَ ومزودُ

I sent you forth for myself, O son of al-Wajih, directed onward,

I sent you to me, son of the outstanding, directing

Upon you are water-bearers from your night journey, and a provision-bag.

Upon you flasks from your saddlebag and supplies

تشقُ بى الظلماءَ طرفُك قائدى

تشقُ بى الظلماءَ طرفُك قائدى

وظهرك لي فيها الفِراشُ المَمَهَّدُ

وظهرك لي فيها الفِراشُ المَمَهَّدُ

You cleave the darkness carrying me; your gaze is my guide,

Your gaze cuts through the darkness guiding me

And your back is my smoothly spread bed within it.

And your back for me in it is the smoothed mattress

ويوم تُرى فيه السُّها من ظَلامه

ويوم تُرى فيه السُّها من ظَلامه

وتُفقدُ فيه الشمسُ من حيث توجَدُ

وتُفقدُ فيه الشمسُ من حيث توجَدُ

And a day when al-Suha is seen because of its darkness,

And the day you see in its darkness the meteors

And in it the sun is absent where it is usually found:

And the sun is missed from where it blazed

سَرى ليلَه خوفَ الردى من نَهاره

سَرى ليلَه خوفَ الردى من نَهاره

فردَّته خيلٌ بالسنابِكِ تُطَردُ

فردَّته خيلٌ بالسنابِكِ تُطَردُ

Its night stole away, fearing death from its day,

Its night proceeded in fear of misfortune from its day

But horses, driven on with their hooves, turned it back.

So horses drove it back with spears that repel

وخافَ بنوه من تَوردِ حوضهِ

وخافَ بنوه من تَوردِ حوضهِ

فكادتْ عفاةُ الطير فيه تُوَرِّدُ

فكادتْ عفاةُ الطير فيه تُوَرِّدُ

And its sons feared coming to its pool,

And its people feared the flooding of its basin

So the birds seeking bounty nearly led others there to water.

Almost making the barefoot birds flood it

اذا لم تُنفذ للرماحِ وصيةً

اذا لم تُنفذ للرماحِ وصيةً

فلا حكمٌ الاَّ الحُسامُ المُهَنَّدُ

فلا حكمٌ الاَّ الحُسامُ المُهَنَّدُ

If you carry out no charge for the spears,

When you do not execute the spears' behest

There is no arbiter but the keen, Indian-forged sword.

Then no rule but the sharpened swords