وشانٍ يحاول سلوانيه

وشانٍ يحاول سلوانيه

سلوت لو انَّ القلى شانيه

سلوت لو انَّ القلى شانيه

And a foe seeks to make me forget.

A despair that tries to comfort me,

I would forget, were aversion my way.

I would be comforted if only hearts were consoling,

وما انا الا الهوى ديدني

وما انا الا الهوى ديدني

ودينيَ والحب من دابيه

ودينيَ والحب من دابيه

For me, passion alone is my constant way,

I am but passion which is my way,

and my faith; love is part of my practice.

And my religion, and love is my nature,

هل الحب الا هوىً يستثير

هل الحب الا هوىً يستثير

جوى القلب او مهجة صاديه

جوى القلب او مهجة صاديه

Is love anything but passion that stirs

Is love but a passion that stirs,

the heart's burning anguish, or a thirsting soul?

The heart's fervor or a raging zeal?

قصرت الزفير على مهجتي

قصرت الزفير على مهجتي

واجريت عبرتيَ الجاريه

واجريت عبرتيَ الجاريه

I confined my sighing to my soul,

I shortened my sigh upon my zeal,

and let my flowing tears run.

And let flow my flowing tears,

احبُّ الحبيب كحب الخلود

احبُّ الحبيب كحب الخلود

واهوى ولو صرت للهاويه

واهوى ولو صرت للهاويه

I love the beloved as I love immortality,

I love the beloved with love of eternity,

and love on, even were I to end in the abyss.

And I yearn even if I fall into an abyss,

اذا انحلَّ عقد مناط الغرام

اذا انحلَّ عقد مناط الغرام

عقدت على الوجد قمصانيه

عقدت على الوجد قمصانيه

When the knot that fastens passion comes undone,

If the knot of passion comes undone,

I fasten my shirts over longing.

I tie myself to rapture and its burdens,

كفانيَ انَّي في ذا لأنام

كفانيَ انَّي في ذا لأنام

تعز على الدهر اكفائيه

تعز على الدهر اكفائيه

It is enough for me that among these people,

It suffices me that I therein sleep,

my equals are rare even for Time.

Too dear for time are my peers,

أَأَبقى سدىً اتوقى الخطوب

أَأَبقى سدىً اتوقى الخطوب

ولا يتقى الخطب الا بيه

ولا يتقى الخطب الا بيه

Am I to remain idle, guarding against calamities,

Shall I remain in vain, fearing marriages,

when calamity is averted only through me?

And nothing is feared but them?

اذا اضطربت روعة في الحشا

اذا اضطربت روعة في الحشا

ربطت لها بعض احشائيه

ربطت لها بعض احشائيه

When terror trembles in my breast,

If a thought is disturbed in the mind,

I bind some of my entrails against it.

I tie it with some of my entrails,

وان قطّب الدهر عن جانب

وان قطّب الدهر عن جانب

ضحكت فابكيت اعدائيه

ضحكت فابكيت اعدائيه

And if Time scowls from one side,

And if time frowns askance,

I laugh, making my enemies weep.

I laugh then cry over my enemies,

كفاني انيَ في ذا الزمان

كفاني انيَ في ذا الزمان

سقيت الزمان وسقَّانيه

سقيت الزمان وسقَّانيه

It is enough for me that, in this age,

It suffices me that in this time,

I gave Time drink, and it gave me drink.

I quenched time, and it quenched me,

لقد حال بيني وبين الطلاب

لقد حال بيني وبين الطلاب

زمان وغيَّر من حاليه

زمان وغيَّر من حاليه

Indeed, between me and my quest there intervened

Days have come between me and pursuits

an age that altered my condition.

And changed my state,

وما ضرَّ أَنَّي صفر البنان

وما ضرَّ أَنَّي صفر البنان

اقلّ وتكثر حساديه

اقلّ وتكثر حساديه

What harm is there in my being empty-handed,

It matters not that my teeth whitened,

when I grow poorer, yet my enviers multiply?

Fewer yet my enviers multiplied,

حسدت على فاقتي في الورى

حسدت على فاقتي في الورى

فكيف اذا الدهر اغنانيه

فكيف اذا الدهر اغنانيه

I have been envied for my poverty among people;

They envied me my excellence among all,

how, then, if Time were to make me rich?

What if time were to enrich me?

الا مشترٍ فأبيع الحيا

الا مشترٍ فأبيع الحيا

ة بموت يحبب خسرانيه

ة بموت يحبب خسرانيه

Is there no buyer, that I may sell my life

Shall I not sell this life for a death,

for a death that makes my loss dear to me?

That makes loss seem gain?

خليلي هل قطرة في الاناء

خليلي هل قطرة في الاناء

يبلّ بها العيش ارماقيه

يبلّ بها العيش ارماقيه

My two friends, is there a drop in the vessel

O my friend, is a drop in a vessel,

with which life might moisten my last breaths?

That moistens life's crumbs enough?

نشدتكما اللَه هل مطرف

نشدتكما اللَه هل مطرف

يعار فالبسه عاريه

يعار فالبسه عاريه

I adjure you both by God: is there a bordered cloak

I implore you by God, does a worn cloak,

to be lent, so I may wear it on loan?

Disgrace its wearer when bare?

لقد قسم اللَه رزق الورى

لقد قسم اللَه رزق الورى

وقتر بالرزق اقساميه

وقتر بالرزق اقساميه

God has indeed apportioned humankind's sustenance,

God apportioned the world’s provision,

and made my shares of sustenance scant.

And stinted the provision in portions,

فما زلت اشكره حامداً

فما زلت اشكره حامداً

واقتل بالصبر آماليه

واقتل بالصبر آماليه

So I still thank Him, praising Him,

Yet still I thank Him praising,

and kill my hopes with patience.

And slay hopes with patience,

وهل نافعي أَنني شاعر

وهل نافعي أَنني شاعر

تضرّ وتنفع اشعاريه

تضرّ وتنفع اشعاريه

Does it profit me that I am a poet,

And does it avail me that I am a poet,

whose poems harm and help?

Whose verses harm and benefit?

اديباً وتدركني حرفة ال

اديباً وتدركني حرفة ال

أديب فتعساً لآدابيه

أديب فتعساً لآدابيه

A man of letters, yet I am overtaken by the ill fortune of the

A man of letters, yet the livelihood of man of letters eludes me,

man of letters—woe, then, to my learning!

So woe to my literature!

امن بعد سخطيَ حظ الاديب

امن بعد سخطيَ حظ الاديب

ابقى ولي عيشة راضيه

ابقى ولي عيشة راضيه

Can it be, after my anger at the man of letters' lot,

After my share of the man of letter's luck soured,

that I remain with a life of contentment?

Shall I remain, and a life of contentment mine?

وقبليَ نال الغنى ذو القروح

وقبليَ نال الغنى ذو القروح

واجلى الفرزدق في الباديه

واجلى الفرزدق في الباديه

And before me, Dhu al-Quruh attained wealth,

And before me plenty was attained by the wounded,

and al-Farazdaq was banished into the desert.

And Hudhayl exposed in the desert,

ولا عيب فيَّ سوى انني

ولا عيب فيَّ سوى انني

جريت على نهج آبائيه

جريت على نهج آبائيه

There is no fault in me except that

My only shame is that I,

I have followed my forefathers' path.

Trod the path of my forefathers,

ولو انصف الدهر في قسمة

ولو انصف الدهر في قسمة

لأنصف من قبل اجداديه

لأنصف من قبل اجداديه

And had Time been just in its apportionment,

Had fate been just in its portioning,

it would already have been just to my forefathers.

It would have emulated my ancestors,

انا لرجل الضرب من غالب

انا لرجل الضرب من غالب

وان نال مني اعوازيه

وان نال مني اعوازيه

I am indeed a man of battle, of Ghalib,

I am a man of valor from resolute men,

though my privations have taken their toll on me.

Though frailty has touched me,

الى م على الضيم اغضائيه

الى م على الضيم اغضائيه

وكم ذا على الهم اغماضيه

وكم ذا على الهم اغماضيه

How long shall I turn a blind eye to oppression,

How long shall I suppress my anguish,

and how long shall I close my eyes to sorrow?

And how long wink at my sorrows?

وكم ذا اكتِّم اسراريه

وكم ذا اكتِّم اسراريه

اما آن يظهر اعلانيه

اما آن يظهر اعلانيه

And how long shall I keep concealing my secrets?

How long hide my secrets,

Has the time not come for my declaration to appear?

Until I openly declare them?

فامَّا انال المنى بالقنا

فامَّا انال المنى بالقنا

والا المنية اولى ليه

والا المنية اولى ليه

So either I attain my desires with spears,

I must either attain my hopes through the spear,

or death is more fitting for me.

Or death, which is better for me,

واما لاقضي العلى حقها

واما لاقضي العلى حقها

والا فيا ليتها القاضيه

والا فيا ليتها القاضيه

And either I shall surely pay high glory its due,

Or fully avenge the Exalted,

or else—oh, would that it were the final end!

Or would that vengeance itself be my judge!

سأبعثها كذئاب الغضا

سأبعثها كذئاب الغضا

نزائع رائحة غاديه

نزائع رائحة غاديه

I shall send them forth like wolves of the ghada scrub,

I will unleash it like the snarling dogs of war,

far-ranging, going at evening and morning.

Scenting the odor of the departing caravan,

اذا انبعثت شزَّبا في المغا

اذا انبعثت شزَّبا في المغا

ر تحسبها الاسد الضاريه

ر تحسبها الاسد الضاريه

When they surge forth, lean, in the raid,

If it is roused among the dunes, they would think it

you would take them for ravening lions.

The fierce prowling lion,

يموج اللعاب على لجمها

يموج اللعاب على لجمها

فتجرعه زبداً حاسيه

فتجرعه زبداً حاسيه

Saliva surges over their bridles,

Foam flows over its jowls,

and they drink it down as foam, sipping it.

So it gulps down the flowing spittle,

فمن كل اعنق سامي القذال

فمن كل اعنق سامي القذال

تغمَّر يعلو الذرى الساميه

تغمَّر يعلو الذرى الساميه

Among them is every long-necked steed, high of nape,

And from every long proud neck,

a swift racer that climbs the lofty heights.

It is dyed with the lofty blood,

وليلٍ كحالك لون الغراب

وليلٍ كحالك لون الغراب

قطعت جواشنه الداجيه

قطعت جواشنه الداجيه

And many a night, black as a raven's hue,

A night like your darkness, O FATALITY,

I cut through its dark breastplates.

Its horrifying shadows cut,

تعسفته راكباً عجزه

تعسفته راكباً عجزه

وظلماه تسفع بالناصيه

وظلماه تسفع بالناصيه

I forced my way through it, riding its rump,

I rode it against its will,

while its darkness seized me by the forelock.

And wronged it, pulling its forelock,

اذا نادم الابرش الفرقدين

اذا نادم الابرش الفرقدين

ابيت الفراقد ندمانيه

ابيت الفراقد ندمانيه

When al-Abrash drinks with the two Farqad stars,

If the leader of the gleaming white herd wails,

I refuse the Farqads as my drinking companions.

I refuse the white herd's regret,

ومن سامر القمر الزبرقان

ومن سامر القمر الزبرقان

لم يرضَ انجمه الساريه

لم يرضَ انجمه الساريه

And whoever keeps the radiant full moon company by night

And whoever converses with the radiant moon,

will not be content with its night-roaming stars.

Is not pleased by its radiant companion,

اخلي عن الطمع المستغر

اخلي عن الطمع المستغر

وارعى بعينيَ خلانيه

وارعى بعينيَ خلانيه

I turn away from beguiling greed,

Leave off hoping, O deceiver,

and watch over my friends with my eye.

And watch over my ruins with your eyes,

اعدي عن الامر في حيزي

اعدي عن الامر في حيزي

ولي في الامور يدٌ عاديه

ولي في الامور يدٌ عاديه

I turn aside from affairs within my domain,

Refrain from matters that are my sphere,

yet I have a forceful hand in affairs.

For in matters my hand casts justly,

بدوت ولي مشهد حاضرٌ

بدوت ولي مشهد حاضرٌ

شهيد بحاضرة الباديه

شهيد بحاضرة الباديه

I took to the desert, yet my presence is manifest,

I appeared and I have a visible stage,

a witness in the desert's settled town.

A witness in the land of the nomads,

عجزت اؤلف بين اثنين

عجزت اؤلف بين اثنين

اساءة قومي واحسانيه

اساءة قومي واحسانيه

I have failed to reconcile two things:

I cannot reconcile two things in one being:

my people's ill treatment and my kindness.

The wrongdoing of my people and their kindness,

اريد لأصلح عرض اللئيم

اريد لأصلح عرض اللئيم

ومن يلحم الصدع في الآنيه

ومن يلحم الصدع في الآنيه

I seek to mend the base man's honor,

I want to reform the honor of the villain,

but who can weld a crack in a vessel?

And who can mend the crack in the vessel?

وبعض الورى عرضه ماله

وبعض الورى عرضه ماله

وعرضيَ اتلاف امواليه

وعرضيَ اتلاف امواليه

For some people, their honor is their wealth;

Some people's honor belongs not to them,

my honor lies in spending away my riches.

And my honor is demolishing my money,

ولا يطّبينيَ شرب المدام

ولا يطّبينيَ شرب المدام

وحب الغلام او الغانيه

وحب الغلام او الغانيه

And drinking wine does not entice me,

I am not comforted by drinking wine,

nor love of a youth or a beautiful woman.

Or loving a boy or singing girl,

اقرّط سمعيَ وقع الحسام

اقرّط سمعيَ وقع الحسام

اذا السيف بالطاس غنَّى ليه

اذا السيف بالطاس غنَّى ليه

I make the keen sword's clash an earring for my ear,

I cock my ear to the clanging of swords,

when the sword sings for me against the helmet.

When the blade sings its song to me,