عاطنيها وارح قلب المعنَّى

عاطنيها وارح قلب المعنَّى

فالهوى رقّ وشاجي الصوت غنى

فالهوى رقّ وشاجي الصوت غنى

Pass it to me, and ease the tormented heart.

Give me the cup and soothe the heart's meaning,

For love is bondage, and the plaintive-voiced one has sung.

For passion is gentle and the voice of the singer is melodious.

عاطني كاساً وخذ كاسا ودع ما

عاطني كاساً وخذ كاسا ودع ما

لفَّق الناسك من هنَّا وهنا

لفَّق الناسك من هنَّا وهنا

Pass me a cup, take a cup, and leave what

Give me a cup, take a cup, and leave what

The ascetic has cobbled together from here and there.

Has preoccupied the ascetic here and there.

واعدها مترعاً أَقداحها

واعدها مترعاً أَقداحها

فلقد تبنا زمانا ثم عدنا

فلقد تبنا زمانا ثم عدنا

Serve it again, filling its goblets to the brim,

Invite her to drink from its cups,

For indeed we repented for a time, then returned.

For we have built up over time and then returned.

قد شربنا الخمر في حانوتها

قد شربنا الخمر في حانوتها

ولقد رَّقت لنا لفظاً ومعنى

ولقد رَّقت لنا لفظاً ومعنى

We have drunk the wine in its tavern,

We drank the wine in its tavern,

And it grew subtle for us, in word and meaning.

And it softened speech and meaning for us.

وقتلنا صرفها بابن غمام

وقتلنا صرفها بابن غمام

ونحرنا لابنة الزرجون دنَّا

ونحرنا لابنة الزرجون دنَّا

And we slew its unmixed draught with a cloud's son,

We slaughtered its declension with Ibn Ghammaam,

And slaughtered a cask for the vine's daughter.

And sacrificed the daughter of Zarjoon for her sake.

واختلناها بعيني شادنٍ

واختلناها بعيني شادنٍ

سرّح الواشي به عيناً واذنا

سرّح الواشي به عيناً واذنا

And took it by guile with a young gazelle's two eyes,

We disputed it with the eyes of a young gazelle,

Upon whom the talebearer set an eye and an ear.

Who glanced at it and lent it an ear.

وانطوينا طية الدملج جمعا

وانطوينا طية الدملج جمعا

وانتشرنا بعد وحدانا ومثنى

وانتشرنا بعد وحدانا ومثنى

And huddled together like an armlet's coil,

We gathered in the shade of the oak,

Then scattered, singly and in pairs.

Then dispersed after our solitude and pairs.

نسحب الريط وكم من عبقري

نسحب الريط وكم من عبقري

عبق منه على الروض سحبنا

عبق منه على الروض سحبنا

We trail fine robes; and how many a sumptuous fabric,

We draw the fragrance and how much scent

Fragrance rising from it, have we trailed across the meadow!

Has wafted from it onto the meadow we inhaled.

بي غزالا بمغانيه اغنَّا

بي غزالا بمغانيه اغنَّا

راح ينحو البان والوادي الاغنا

راح ينحو البان والوادي الاغنا

My life for a gazelle, soft-voiced in his haunts,

In it we sang the melodies to a gazelle

Who went toward the bān trees and the luxuriant valley,

Who inclined towards dunes and valleys.

وربيعا روض الجزع بخبتٍ

وربيعا روض الجزع بخبتٍ

نافج منه بطفل الروض حضنا

نافج منه بطفل الروض حضنا

And for a spring whose lowland meadow at the valley's bend

In the garden of sadness sprang a spring

Swells its bosom with the meadow's newborn.

Whose rushing waters embraced its banks.

هبَّ في حجر الخزامى ساغباً

هبَّ في حجر الخزامى ساغباً

فانحنت ترضعه الانواء مزنا

فانحنت ترضعه الانواء مزنا

He sprang up hungry in lavender's lap,

It gushed in the lap of vine leaves, eager

And the rain-bearing stars bent down to nurse him with rainclouds.

As the vines leaned over to nurse it in clusters.

عبثت فيه النعامى فاستفزَّت

عبثت فيه النعامى فاستفزَّت

من سواهي اعين النرجس جفنا

من سواهي اعين النرجس جفنا

The south wind played about him, rousing

The ostriches toyed with it until provoked

An eyelid from the narcissi's dreamy eyes.

The eyes of the narcissi to blink.

دقَّ طبل الرعد فاستشرفها

دقَّ طبل الرعد فاستشرفها

رافعاً اعلامه في الارض دكنا

رافعاً اعلامه في الارض دكنا

Thunder's drum beat, and he rose to behold it,

The drum of thunder beat loudly

Raising his dusky banners across the earth.

Raising its flags over the land it conquered.

كلما الغيث بكى في حافة

كلما الغيث بكى في حافة

عرض البرق بها يضحك وهنا

عرض البرق بها يضحك وهنا

Whenever the rain wept along a verge,

Whenever the rain wept at the edge,

Lightning appeared there, laughing late at night.

The lightning smiled and winked back at it.

يا معير الرشأ الاغيد جيداً

يا معير الرشأ الاغيد جيداً

ومعير الجؤذر الوسنان عينا

ومعير الجؤذر الوسنان عينا

O you who lend the supple fawn a neck,

O changer of the noble, untainted saliva,

And lend the drowsy young oryx an eye,

And changer of the pure, immaculate eye!

ومباهي القمر الطالع وجهاً

ومباهي القمر الطالع وجهاً

ومضاهي الشمس اشراقا وحسنا

ومضاهي الشمس اشراقا وحسنا

And rival the rising moon in face,

O rival of the rising moon in face,

And match the sun in radiance and beauty,

And competitor of the sun in brilliance and beauty!

وخدين السلب اللدن قواما

وخدين السلب اللدن قواما

كلما رنَّح رمح القد لدنا

كلما رنَّح رمح القد لدنا

And companion in stature to the pliant, slender stem,

Your cheeks are like the smooth, curving spear shaft

Whenever the supple spear of your figure sways.

That straightens every time the spear inclines.

ان يبن بالرمل مغناك فحسبي

ان يبن بالرمل مغناك فحسبي

لك قلبي يا غزال الرمل مغنى

لك قلبي يا غزال الرمل مغنى

If your dwelling is built among the sands, enough for me

To build your singing-house in the sand suffices me -

That my heart be your home, O gazelle of the sands.

My heart is your singing-house, O gazelle of the sand!

ما لقلبي عنك اسعادٌ بسعدي

ما لقلبي عنك اسعادٌ بسعدي

حيث حلَّت ولبانات بلبني

حيث حلَّت ولبانات بلبني

My heart finds no solace away from you with Saʿdā,

My heart has no joy in my own happiness

Wherever she dwells, nor any longings for Lubnā.

Since the gum trees arrived at Laban.

لك عين دعجة لو لم يكن

لك عين دعجة لو لم يكن

لحظها السيف لما قدَّ المجنَّا

لحظها السيف لما قدَّ المجنَّا

Yours is a wide, dark eye; were not

You have a languorous eye - if not for

Its glance a sword, it would not have cleft the shield.

Its glance, the sword would not have drawn the scabbard.

لم افز بالقرب منها غير أني

لم افز بالقرب منها غير أني

بؤت بالوزر وفازت بالمهنا

بؤت بالوزر وفازت بالمهنا

I did not win nearness to her; instead,

I have gained nothing from being near it except that I

I came away with sin, while she won delight.

Was given a burden while it gained distinction.

مثلما فازت معاقيد الصفا

مثلما فازت معاقيد الصفا

بزفاف قارنٍ باليمن يمنا

بزفاف قارنٍ باليمن يمنا

Just as the bonds of pure affection triumphed

Just as the bunches of Sifa gained

At a wedding joining good fortune to good fortune.

An auspicious marriage to the blessed Yemen.

هم ثمار الشجر النضر الذي

هم ثمار الشجر النضر الذي

ليس يجنى الفضل الا منه يجنى

ليس يجنى الفضل الا منه يجنى

They are the fruit of the flourishing tree from which

They are the fruits of the blossoming tree which

Alone excellence is gathered—nowhere else.

Only bestows its prime produce to be picked.

وغصونٌ بسقت ايكاتها

وغصونٌ بسقت ايكاتها

فتدلَّت بالجنى غصنا فغصنا

فتدلَّت بالجنى غصنا فغصنا

And boughs whose groves have grown tall,

Branches it watered so its unions

Then drooped with fruit, branch after branch.

Hung with fruit, branch after branch.

كل فرع سلَّ من جرثومة

كل فرع سلَّ من جرثومة

رفعت للشرف العلوي مبنى

رفعت للشرف العلوي مبنى

Every branch was drawn from a rootstock

Every branch it put forth from its roots

That raised an edifice to ʿAlid honor.

Elevated an edifice to the highest honor.

شيمٌ لم يتصف فيها مراءٌ

شيمٌ لم يتصف فيها مراءٌ

غيره انّي له في ذاك انَّى

غيره انّي له في ذاك انَّى

Virtues that no man has possessed

A disposition in which no blame can be found -

But him—how could another have them? How?

I am to it in that as I am.

وعطاء لم يشب يوماً بمنّ

وعطاء لم يشب يوماً بمنّ

والفتى من لم يشب بالجود منَّا

والفتى من لم يشب بالجود منَّا

And giving never tainted by reminders of favor;

And a generosity that never resembled

A true man is one who never taints generosity with such reminders.

One who is stingy - and the young man is as we are.

مثلما كان الفتى كان الجدى

مثلما كان الفتى كان الجدى

ان يكن شهماً فصدقا او فمينا

ان يكن شهماً فصدقا او فمينا

As the man is, so is his bounty:

As the young man was, so too was the elder -

If he is noble, it is genuine; otherwise, false.

Whether valiant, truthful, or skilled.

قل لمن قد قاس فيه غيره

قل لمن قد قاس فيه غيره

قست لا عن خبرة بالتبر تبنا

قست لا عن خبرة بالتبر تبنا

Tell whoever has measured another against him:

Tell the one who judged it otherwise than us:

Without knowledge, you have compared straw with raw gold.

"You have judged not from experience, but from supposition."

يهب البدن جميعاً بعصاها

يهب البدن جميعاً بعصاها

ولكم ضاعف حمر البدن بدنا

ولكم ضاعف حمر البدن بدنا

He gives away all the sacrificial camels, with their driving staff;

It gives its all with its staff,

And how often he has doubled red camels with more camels!

And doubly compensates the redness of bodies with bodies.

عارضٌ إِن جاد اغنى جوده

عارضٌ إِن جاد اغنى جوده

وكذا الغيث اذا ما جاد اغنى

وكذا الغيث اذا ما جاد اغنى

A raincloud: when it pours, its bounty enriches;

A critic, if he is generous, enriches generosity,

So too the rain, whenever it pours, enriches.

Just as heavy rain, when generous, enriches.

قد حوى من همم ماهمَّها

قد حوى من همم ماهمَّها

غير نيل المجد اذ لم ترض خدنا

غير نيل المجد اذ لم ترض خدنا

He possesses ambitions intent on nothing

It contained ambitions it harbored

But attaining glory, for they accept no companion.

Other than attaining glory, if our cheeks were not satisfied.

صحَّ ما صرحت في حسن السنا

صحَّ ما صرحت في حسن السنا

لمن اليوم ابا محسن يكنى

لمن اليوم ابا محسن يكنى

What I declared of splendid radiance has proven true

What you declared about the excellence of traits is true -

Of him who today is styled Abū Muḥsin.

Today, who is the father that is nicknamed "Virtuous"?

لم يزل يقرع سمع الخصم زجل

لم يزل يقرع سمع الخصم زجل

وقعه منه بهام الدهر رنَّا

وقعه منه بهام الدهر رنَّا

A ringing voice keeps striking the adversary's ear;

He ceaselessly strikes the ears of the adversary with poetry

Its impact from him has rung against the heads of Time.

Whose impact resounded from him with life's blows.

لسنٌ يستلُّ بالقول لساناً

لسنٌ يستلُّ بالقول لساناً

لوذعياً غادر الالسن لكنا

لوذعياً غادر الالسن لكنا

An eloquent man, unsheathing in speech a tongue

A tongue that pulls out tongues with speech,

Keen and incisive, leaving other tongues inarticulate.

Vicious to tongues, if they dare to be impudent.

قد روى محض العلى عن جدّه

قد روى محض العلى عن جدّه

وله محض العلى نحن روينا

وله محض العلى نحن روينا

He has transmitted pure nobility from his grandfather,

He related the sheer sublime from his grandfather,

And we have recounted pure nobility in his honor.

And from him we related the sheer sublime.

قلَّد الدين بما لو قرنوها

قلَّد الدين بما لو قرنوها

بالدراري لا دَّعت بالشهب غبنا

بالدراري لا دَّعت بالشهب غبنا

He adorned the faith with gems which, if matched

He handed down the religion with what - if paired -

With brilliant stars, would deem themselves cheated by those meteors.

With his pearls, his night would claim to outshine the meteors.

ضنَّ فيها البحر لفظا بفمي

ضنَّ فيها البحر لفظا بفمي

فدع اللفظ وخذ للدر معنى

فدع اللفظ وخذ للدر معنى

The sea begrudged my mouth words concerning them;

My words failed to fully express it,

So leave the wording and take the meaning of pearls.

So leave speech and take the meaning of the pearls.