سرى موهناً واستكتمته المهالك

سرى موهناً واستكتمته المهالك

حبيبٌ أضاء الليل والليل حالك

حبيبٌ أضاء الليل والليل حالك

Late at night he journeyed, and the perils bade him keep silent—

My beloved shone in the dark night

a beloved who lit the night, though the night was pitch-black.

While the night remained gloomy

وكم من قوام في الأكلة مرهفٍ

وكم من قوام في الأكلة مرهفٍ

يضيء له بدرٌ ويرتج عانك

يضيء له بدرٌ ويرتج عانك

And how many a slender figure behind the curtains,

Many shapely women in fine dresses

with a full moon shining and a sand-mound quivering!

Have a full moon that lights them and flutter about you

من اللاء لا تلك الزيانب تنتمي

من اللاء لا تلك الزيانب تنتمي

إليها ولا تلقاك منها العواتك

إليها ولا تلقاك منها العواتك

Of those to whom those Zaynabs do not belong,

Do not belong to those coquettish girls

nor do any ʿAtikas from among them meet you.

Who seek you but do not find you as their prize

تصد الفتى عن قلبه وهو حازمٌ

تصد الفتى عن قلبه وهو حازمٌ

وتثنيه عن سبل الهدى وهو ناسك

وتثنيه عن سبل الهدى وهو ناسك

They steal a young man's heart, though he is resolute,

The young man is deterred from his heart while resolute

and turn him from the paths of guidance, though he is devout.

And they divert him from the path of righteousness though devout

كأن ضنى أحداقها وخصورها

كأن ضنى أحداقها وخصورها

تقاسمه عشاقها والبواتك

تقاسمه عشاقها والبواتك

As though the languor of their eyes and the slenderness of their waists

As if the stinginess of their eyes and waists

were shared by their lovers and the cleaving swords.

Is shared among those who love them and seek marriage

ويهماء باتت كالقسي ضوامراً

ويهماء باتت كالقسي ضوامراً

من الأين فيها اليعملات الرواتك

من الأين فيها اليعملات الرواتك

And a trackless waste where they spent the night lean as bows—

While drunkards have become rigid with austerity

the sturdy, quick-stepping she-camels, worn by exhaustion there.

With no flirtatious glances or amorous gestures

وأصبحن من جذب البرين حواكياً

وأصبحن من جذب البرين حواكياً

أزمتهن المسنمات التوامك

أزمتهن المسنمات التوامك

And by morning, from the pulling of their nose-rings, they resembled

And in the morning their cheeks are chafed

their reins—those high-humped, full-bodied camels.

From pulling on the bridles, their reins entangled

ولما أحست أنها من قواصد

ولما أحست أنها من قواصد

ندى بن علي لم ترعها المهالك

ندى بن علي لم ترعها المهالك

And when they sensed that they were among those seeking

When she sensed that she was one of the hunting birds

Ibn ʿAli's bounty, the perils did not frighten them.

Of Nada Bin Ali, she did not heed the perils

لقد جاد لي حتى توهمت أنني

لقد جاد لي حتى توهمت أنني

له في الذي تحوي يداه مشارك

له في الذي تحوي يداه مشارك

Indeed, he gave so generously to me that I imagined myself

He was so generous to me that I imagined

his partner in all that his hands held.

I shared with him what his hands contain

وخولني فوق الذي كنت آملاً

وخولني فوق الذي كنت آملاً

فعدت ونظم الشعر للجود مالك

فعدت ونظم الشعر للجود مالك

And he bestowed on me more than I had hoped for,

And he granted me more than I hoped for

so I returned, with the weaving of verse commanding bounty.

So I returned and composed poetry in praise of his generosity

فلا ناكبٌ عن سبل ما أنا قائلٌ

فلا ناكبٌ عن سبل ما أنا قائلٌ

ولا آخذٌ إلا لما أنا تارك

ولا آخذٌ إلا لما أنا تارك

So none turns aside from the paths of what I say,

Thus I speak nothing but what I intend

nor does anyone take anything but what I discard.

And take nothing but what I relinquish

إذا اليوم أذكى نار حربٍ تصافحت

إذا اليوم أذكى نار حربٍ تصافحت

بساحته هام العدى والسنابك

بساحته هام العدى والسنابك

When the day kindles war's fire, handshakes are exchanged

If today the fire of battle flares up

on his field between the enemies' heads and the horses' hooves.

And the brave foe throngs his plain

وللشمس لألاءٌ يلوح كأنه

وللشمس لألاءٌ يلوح كأنه

على البيض من تحت العجاج سبائك

على البيض من تحت العجاج سبائك

And the sun's glitter shines as though it were

The sun has a radiance that appears

ingots upon bright swords beneath the dust-cloud.

Like intersecting swords beneath the clouds

وتضحي عتاق الأعوجيات ضمراً

وتضحي عتاق الأعوجيات ضمراً

يعل دماً منها القنا المتشابك

يعل دماً منها القنا المتشابك

And the noble Aʿwaj-bred mares grow lean,

The smooth spearheads make the twisted necks

the interlaced spears drinking their blood again and again.

Spurt blood where spearheads meet and cross

لها لجمٌ زرق الأسنة في الوغى

لها لجمٌ زرق الأسنة في الوغى

فهن لأطراف العوالي عوالك

فهن لأطراف العوالي عوالك

Their bridles in battle are blue spearheads,

Their blades are blue from the clamor of battle

so they chew upon the tips of the long lances.

For they reach the high places of death

إذا صادفت جلداً من الأرض رفعت

إذا صادفت جلداً من الأرض رفعت

بأيدٍ وفيها أوجهٌ وترائك

بأيدٍ وفيها أوجهٌ وترائك

When they meet firm ground, they lift

When they meet the earth's surface they raise

their forelegs, with faces and helmets caught upon them.

Hands with faces and plaited hair

وضاقت خروق الأرض وهي فسيحةٌ

وضاقت خروق الأرض وهي فسيحةٌ

عليها وما ضاقت عليها المعارك

عليها وما ضاقت عليها المعارك

And the earth's expanses, spacious though they are, grew narrow

The vast earth narrowed though spacious

for them, yet the battlefields never grew narrow for them.

Yet battle never narrowed upon it

ليهن المعالي والعوالي وما حوت

ليهن المعالي والعوالي وما حوت

سروج المذاكي منكم والممالك

سروج المذاكي منكم والممالك

Joy to high honors, tall lances, and those borne

For you are the lofty heights and grandeur beyond

by the saddles of full-grown steeds from among you—and to the kingdoms.

What you contained of saddled steeds and realms

تزول الجبال الصم وهي رصينةٌ

تزول الجبال الصم وهي رصينةٌ

ومجدكم باقٍ على الدهر آرك

ومجدكم باقٍ على الدهر آرك

The solid mountains pass away, firm though they stand,

Silent mountains may perish enduring as they are

while your glory endures, abiding through all time.

While your glory remains for eternity, everlasting

لك العيد لا بل فيك للعيد رؤيةٌ

لك العيد لا بل فيك للعيد رؤيةٌ

أتيناك نستجدي بها ونبارك

أتيناك نستجدي بها ونبارك

The feast is yours—no, rather, in you the feast has a sight to behold;

The feast belongs to you - rather in you the feast has meaning

we have come to you, seeking bounty through it and offering blessings.

We came to you for blessings as we offer congratulations

وأنت أمت البخل وهو مخلدٌ

وأنت أمت البخل وهو مخلدٌ

عطاءً وأحييت الندى وهو هالك

عطاءً وأحييت الندى وهو هالك

And you killed miserliness, though it was immortal,

You perfected generosity though it lay dormant

through giving, and revived generosity when it was dying.

Your gifts revived life though it was dying

وجدت ولم تسأل وغيرك واهبٌ

وجدت ولم تسأل وغيرك واهبٌ

إذا سيل من دون العطية ماحك

إذا سيل من دون العطية ماحك

And you gave unasked, while another giver,

You found though did not seek while others who give

when asked, wrangles before parting with the gift.

Are a torrent without gifts merely gushing