أمشيبis this gray hair? وماthough not بلغتI have reached المشيباthe age of graying
أمشيب وما بلغت المشيبا
قدindeed علاhas mounted مفرقthe hair-parting of القذالthe back of the head ركوباastride
قد علا مفرق القذال ركوبا
Has gray hair, though I have not reached old age,
I grow old but have not reached old age,
mounted astride the parting at the back of my head?
The parting in my hair has ridden high.
ماwhat blame علىon القلبthe heart إنif يذوبit melts وجيباthrobbing
ما على القلب إن يذوب وجيبا
فيهover it والعينand the eye إنif تصوبit pours down غروباbucketfuls of tears
فيه والعين إن تصوب غروبا
What blame is there on the heart if it melts, throbbing,
Why should my heart dissolve and ache
over it, and on the eye if it pours out bucketfuls of tears?
When my eye can gaze at the sunset?
ربmany a قلبٍheart أمسىhas become يقلبهtosses it about الوجدlonging
رب قلبٍ أمسى يقلبه الوجد
ودمعand tears كماas though انتزحتyou drained dry قليباa well
ودمع كما انتزحت قليبا
Many a heart has come to be tossed by longing,
Many a heart turns in anguish at dusk,
and tears flow as though you had drained a well.
And tears flow copiously like a torrent.
حينwhen لاnot الريحthe wind تستفزstirs عيونthe eyes of النthe (narcissus fragment)
حين لا الريح تستفز عيون الن
نرجسnarcissus الغضtender فيin الرياضthe gardens هبوباblowing
نرجس الغض في الرياض هبوبا
When the wind does not stir the eyes of the
When the breeze does not rouse the eyes of the narcissi
tender narcissus in the gardens as it blows.
In the meadows, the delicate narcissi nod.
القبولthe east wind القبولthe east wind فيamong بانbān trees نعمانNuʿman
القبول القبول في بان نعمان
أياO ريحwind لاnot الجنوبthe south wind الجنوباthe south wind
أيا ريح لا الجنوب الجنوبا
The east wind, the east wind among Nuʿman's bān trees!
Al-Qubul, Al-Qubul in the land of Nu'man,
O wind—not the south wind, not the south wind!
O wind, not the south wind, the south wind!
أيwhat a يومday لناfor us بنعمانat Nuʿman لوif only قدindeed
أي يوم لنا بنعمان لو قد
أنعموناthey granted us بهon it الغزالthe gazelle الربيباhand-reared
أنعمونا به الغزال الربيبا
What a day for us at Nuʿman, if only
What a day we had in Nu'man if only
they had granted us that day the hand-reared gazelle!
We were blessed with it, with the gazelle and the young gazelle!
ياO غزالاًgazelle بالجزعat the valley bend منfrom جنبthe side of رياRayya
يا غزالاً بالجزع من جنب ريا
هاكtake this قلبيmy heart إليكto you قدهlead it جنيباas a led steed
هاك قلبي إليك قده جنيبا
O gazelle at the valley bend, beside Rayya,
O gazelle, grieving, from the side of the meadow,
take my heart; lead it to you as a led steed.
By that hillock Jawdhar sands
وبذاكand on that الكثيبthe dune جؤذرa wild-ox calf رملof the sands
وبذاك الكثيب جؤذر رمل
عاطشthirsty الوردthe watering place يومthe day جئناwe came الكثيباthe dune
عاطش الورد يوم جئنا الكثيبا
And on that dune was a wild-ox calf of the sands,
Where the roses thirsted when we came to al-Kathib.
thirsting for water the day we came to the dune.
The days circle around the roses seeking drink
لابhe circled حولaround الورودthe watering places يطلبseeking رياquenched thirst
لاب حول الورود يطلب ريا
وقليلand little منfrom الصدىthirst أنthat يلوباhe should circle
وقليل من الصدى أن يلوبا
He circled the watering places, seeking to quench his thirst;
And the echo barely pants.
and circling was little enough for such thirst.
Cutting short the visitation, staying
قاطعbreaking ربقةthe tether of الوصالunion مقيمdwelling
قاطع ربقة الوصال مقيم
حيثwhere شيحthe wormwood of الغورينthe two lowlands ينفحwafts طيباfragrance
حيث شيح الغورين ينفح طيبا
Breaking the tether of union, he dwells
Where the valley of al-Ghurain exudes fragrance.
where the wormwood of the two lowlands wafts fragrance.
Aspiring, the herd is called most strayed,
طامحhead raised ينشدseeking القطيعthe herd مضلhaving lost his herd
طامح ينشد القطيع مضل
عارضencountered الركبthe caravan شارداًstraying مستريباwary
عارض الركب شارداً مستريبا
Head raised, he searches for the herd he has lost;
Traveling, keeping pace with the cawing raven.
he crossed the caravan's path, straying and wary.
With howdahs that are like love songs
ربmany a ركبcaravan ملازمٍkeeping constantly لذميلto the trotting pace of السthe (travel fragment)
رب ركب ملازمٍ لذميل الس
سيرtravel مالازمas long as it keeps to الغرابthe crow النعيباcawing
سير مالازم الغراب النعيبا
Many a caravan keeps to the trotting pace of
Grazing the embers of departure absorbed.
travel, as long as the crow keeps cawing,
Between Zyafa and Chanoush
بمطاياon mounts كأنهنas though they were حناياbows
بمطايا كأنهن حنايا
ترتعيthey graze جمرةthe burning coal of الهجيرmidday heat سغوباfamished
ترتعي جمرة الهجير سغوبا
on mounts that seem like bows,
The half of it the insects have gnawed away.
grazing, famished, on the burning coal of midday heat.
How many a lover in the caravan has yearned
بينamong زيافةa swift, swaying mount وبينand among شموعa restive mount
بين زيافة وبين شموع
أكلhas eaten away النصfast riding منfrom ذراهاtheir hump-tops دئوباunceasingly
أكل النص من ذراها دئوبا
Some swift and swaying, others restive;
Whenever the camel knelt down.
relentless fast riding has eaten away at their humps.
And a beloved who has tied the departure and the blamer
كمhow many محبa lover فيin الركبthe caravan حنmoaned نزوعاًwith longing
كم محب في الركب حن نزوعاً
كلماwhenever حنتmoaned المطيthe mounts لغوباwith exhaustion
كلما حنت المطي لغوبا
How many a lover in the caravan moaned with longing
As the lover tied the lover.
whenever the mounts moaned with exhaustion!
We have aimed with determination to the place of playfulness
وحبيبand a beloved قدindeed عاقدmade a pact with المطلdelay والناand estrangement (word beginning)
وحبيب قد عاقد المطل والنا
يestrangement (word ending) كماjust as عاقدmade a pact with الحبيبthe beloved الحبيباthe beloved
ي كما عاقد الحبيب الحبيبا
And a beloved has made a pact with delay and
And at random we have aimed at playfulness.
estrangement, as one beloved has made a pact with another.
A journey that adds sins and another
قدindeed قصدناwe sought بالجدin earnest حيthe camp of لعوبa playful beloved
قد قصدنا بالجد حي لعوب
وعلىand in الغيwaywardness قدindeed قصدناwe sought لعوباa playful beloved
وعلى الغي قد قصدنا لعوبا
We have earnestly sought a playful beloved's camp,
That removes sins for the pious children.
and in waywardness have sought a playful beloved.
That one is Meccan, exuding the scent of meadows
رحلةa journey تجلبbrings الذنوبsins وأخرىand another
رحلة تجلب الذنوب وأخرى
لبنيto the sons of صالحSalih تحطcasts off الذنوباsins
لبني صالح تحط الذنوبا
One journey brings sins, and another,
I have visited amber on the pouches.
to Banu Salih, casts sins off.
It has given al-Ghar and al-Ylangej blossoms
تلكthat one مكيةMeccan تفوحwafts fragrance برياwith the scent of الthe
تلك مكية تفوح بريا ال
مسكmusk زرتit buttoned up علىover العبيرthe blended perfume جيوباcollars
مسك زرت على العبير جيوبا
That one is Meccan, wafting the scent of
Of its fragrance and the fresh dew.
musk; it has buttoned its collars over blended perfume.
How good are the manners of the cultured man
أعطتit gave الغارlaurel واليلنجوجand aloeswood نشراًfragrance
أعطت الغار واليلنجوج نشراً
منfrom شذاهاits fragrance والمندليand Mandali aloeswood الرطيباfresh
من شذاها والمندلي الرطيبا
It gave fragrance to laurel and aloeswood
That have surpassed you, esteeming the cultured.
from its own scent, and to fresh Mandali wood.
You have won in the field of poetry sought things
حسنnoble الخلقcharacter كمhow many سجاياinnate qualities أديبof a man of letters
حسن الخلق كم سجايا أديب
برزتhave emerged عنكfrom you تسترقenslaving الأديباthe man of letters
برزت عنك تسترق الأديبا
O noble in character, how many qualities of a man of letters
And you have precedence seeking the sought.
have emerged from you, taking the man of letters captive!
We have fallen short of prolonging our reign
حزتyou have won فيin حلبةthe racecourse of القريضpoetry طلوباeager in pursuit
حزت في حلبة القريض طلوبا
ولكand yours is السبقthe lead طالباًpursuing مطلوباpursued
ولك السبق طالباً مطلوبا
You have won in poetry's racecourse, eager in pursuit;
After the star, to be near.
and yours is the lead, pursuing or pursued.
Remain, and time in you laughs in the face
قدindeed قصرناwe stopped short منof أنthat نطيلwe lengthen عناناa rein
قد قصرنا من أن نطيل عنانا
بعدfar off النجمthe star أنthat يكونit should be قريباnear
بعد النجم أن يكون قريبا
We have stopped short of letting out the reins:
I do not see you, time, with a frowned face.
too distant is the star ever to be near.
دمتmay you endure والدهرwhile Time فيكfor you يضحكsmiles وجهاًin countenance
دمت والدهر فيك يضحك وجهاً
لاmay not أراكshow you الزمانTime وجهاًa face قطوباscowling
لا أراك الزمان وجهاً قطوبا
May you endure, with Time showing you a smiling face;
may Time never show you a scowling face.
Partial English translation: 45 of 48 Arabic lines translated.