يا بارق العلم حدث عن نوادره

يا بارق العلم حدث عن نوادره

عن المحاسن منها من جواهره

عن المحاسن منها من جواهره

O lightning of al-ʿAlam, tell of its marvels,

O lightening of knowledge, tell of its rarities

Of the beauties among them, of its jewels;

Of its beauties and gems

عن المقاصد من وادي اليمامة عن

عن المقاصد من وادي اليمامة عن

سكانها عن ثغور من نواظره

سكانها عن ثغور من نواظره

Of the destinations in the valley of al-Yamamah, of

Of its goals from the valley of Yamamah

Its inhabitants, of mouths among its gazing eyes;

Of its inhabitants, of the borders of its watchtowers

عن العيون عن العين الحسان عن الـ

عن العيون عن العين الحسان عن الـ

ـخد المضرج عن دمع وغامره

ـخد المضرج عن دمع وغامره

Of eyes, of the fair, wide-eyed women, of the

Of the eyes, of the beautiful eye, of the

Rouged cheek, of tears and their overflowing flood.

Blushing cheek, of tears and their abundance

مسلسلاً جاء ترويه الحشاشة عن

مسلسلاً جاء ترويه الحشاشة عن

جمر تصعد ناراً عن زوافره

جمر تصعد ناراً عن زوافره

It came in an unbroken chain, life's last spark relating it from

Flowing, it came narrating the nightchat

Embers that rise as fire from his sighs.

Of embers rising as fire from its feathers

فجاء مسنده عن لحظ فاتكه

فجاء مسنده عن لحظ فاتكه

بباطن العاشق المضنى وظاهره

بباطن العاشق المضنى وظاهره

Then its chain of transmission came from a glance that slays him

So its narrative came from a glance thatcaptivated you

In the wasted lover's inward being and outward form.

To the innermost being of the ardent lover and its apparent

برق اليمامة لا تضحك الست ترى

برق اليمامة لا تضحك الست ترى

عقيق دمعي جرى نظماً كناثره

عقيق دمعي جرى نظماً كناثره

Lightning of al-Yamamah, do not laugh—do you not see

Lightening of Yamamah, do not laugh, can't you see

The carnelian of my tears flowing in strings, as its scatterer strews it?

The carnelian of my tears flowed versified like its rain

للأبرق الفرد حن القلب وهو على

للأبرق الفرد حن القلب وهو على

غلاته قد طوى شوقاً لناشره

غلاته قد طوى شوقاً لناشره

For al-Abraq al-Fard the heart yearned, while amid

For the unique lightening, the heart is passionate while

Its burning pangs it folded away longing for the one who unfolds it.

It has folded with yearning for its displayer

لقد طواه ولكن لا على قدم

لقد طواه ولكن لا على قدم

رامي المحبين لا من عين ناظره

رامي المحبين لا من عين ناظره

He has indeed folded it away, but not beneath the foot

It has folded it but not like the foot

Of the archer of lovers, nor from the eye of his beholder.

Of the archers of lovers, not from the eye of its onlooker

يا آسر القلب مهلاً أنت مالكه

يا آسر القلب مهلاً أنت مالكه

لا تعجلن مملوك لآسره

لا تعجلن مملوك لآسره

O captor of the heart, gently—you are its master;

O captivator of hearts, wait, you own it

Do not be hasty: a captive belongs to his captor.

Do not hasten what is enslaved by its captivator

إني وإن كنت نائي الدار مغتربا

إني وإن كنت نائي الدار مغتربا

بين المحطين من هجر وهاجره

بين المحطين من هجر وهاجره

Though I am far from home, living in exile,

Though I am far from home, an expatriate

Between the two halting-places of estrangement and the one who forsakes him,

Between two dwellings of estrangement and its departure

أعلل النفس وصلاً من أخي ثقة

أعلل النفس وصلاً من أخي ثقة

نابت مخابره لي عن مناظره

نابت مخابره لي عن مناظره

I console my soul with communion from a trusted brother,

I console myself hoping for union from my brother

Reports of whom stand for me in place of seeing him.

Whose correspondence sprouted informing me of its views

والنفس لم تقض من توديعه وطراً

والنفس لم تقض من توديعه وطراً

حتى قضى الدهر بينا من مخاطره

حتى قضى الدهر بينا من مخاطره

And my soul had not had its fill of bidding him farewell

And the soul did not fulfill parting from him

When time decreed separation, one of its perils.

Before fate played its tricks between us

يا حادي العيس تقرأ من أخي حزن

يا حادي العيس تقرأ من أخي حزن

خذليقة قد روت ما في ضمائره

خذليقة قد روت ما في ضمائره

O driver of the pale camels, you read from a brother of sorrow:

O guide of the caravan, you read the sorrow of my brother

Take an ink-wick [reading uncertain], which has told his innermost thoughts.

It's cover conveyed what was in his conscience

خذها عن العين تروى حال كاتبها

خذها عن العين تروى حال كاتبها

عن قلبه عن حشاه عن سرائره

عن قلبه عن حشاه عن سرائره

Take it from the eye: its writer's condition is related

Take it from the eye narrating the state of its writer

From his heart, from his inner being, from his secrets.

Of his heart, of his innermost being, of his secrets

عليه باللوم قد قامت عواذله

عليه باللوم قد قامت عواذله

والدهر لازال خلواً من عواذره

والدهر لازال خلواً من عواذره

Against him his reproaching women have risen in blame;

Against him, his jealous women stood

And time remains devoid of those who would excuse him.

And fate remains empty of reproachers

فلا سمير له إلا السهاد ولا

فلا سمير له إلا السهاد ولا

يرى أنيساً سوى ليل وداجره

يرى أنيساً سوى ليل وداجره

So he has no night companion but sleeplessness, nor

So he has no intimate but sleeplessness, and sees

Does he see a companion except night and its gloom.

No companion but night and its darkness

أما علي ومن قلبي له سلم

أما علي ومن قلبي له سلم

عطفاً فلا تسلمن صبا لواتره

عطفاً فلا تسلمن صبا لواتره

Ah, ʿAli, you to whom my heart is surrendered,

As for me, peace on him from a heart

Have compassion; do not surrender a lovesick man to his tormentor.

That pities, so do not bid the zephyr farewell to its threads

لا تشمتن بي حساداً تركتهم

لا تشمتن بي حساداً تركتهم

ولومهم خلف ظهري غير ناظره

ولومهم خلف ظهري غير ناظره

Do not let the envious gloat over me; I have left them

Do not gloat over me, enviers I left

And their reproach behind my back, without looking at it.

Their blame behind my back unseen

عجبت منهم ودهري كله عجب

عجبت منهم ودهري كله عجب

قد أبطنوا لي خلقاً غير ظاهره

قد أبطنوا لي خلقاً غير ظاهره

I marvel at them; all my days are a marvel.

I wonder at them while my fate is all wonder

They have harbored toward me a disposition unlike what they show.

They harbored for me an unseen nature

ولم يكن لي ذنب غير حبكم

ولم يكن لي ذنب غير حبكم

كأنما هو أضحى من مصادره

كأنما هو أضحى من مصادره

And I had no fault except loving you,

I had no sin but loving you

As though that love had become one of guilt's sources.

As if it has become one of its sources

وإن يكن جعفر لي مذهباً قدما

وإن يكن جعفر لي مذهباً قدما

فلا أبالي إذاً من شر ناكره

فلا أبالي إذاً من شر ناكره

And if Jaʿfar has long been my chosen way,

If Ja'far is an old creed for me

Then I care nothing for the evil of one who denies him.

Then I don't care about the harm of its denier

ثم السلام عليكم ما بدا قمر

ثم السلام عليكم ما بدا قمر

ولاح كوكب سعد من دياجره

ولاح كوكب سعد من دياجره

Then peace be upon you as long as a moon appears

Then greetings as long as a moon appears

And a star of good fortune gleams from its darkness.

And a star of fortune shines from its homes

سلام مضنى رقيق الثوب أثقله

سلام مضنى رقيق الثوب أثقله

بعد قواه عن مآزره

بعد قواه عن مآزره

A greeting from a wasted man in a thin robe, weighed down

A passionate greeting, its delicate garb burdened

By his strength's remoteness from his girdles.

After its strength, from its tribulations

سلام من لعبت أيدي الزمان به

سلام من لعبت أيدي الزمان به

فبات بالهم محكوماً لجائره

فبات بالهم محكوماً لجائره

A greeting from one whom the hands of time have toyed with,

A greeting from one whose hands time has played with

Who thus spends the night in sorrow, subject to his oppressor.

Who spent the night condemned by its injustice

هذا الزمان ولا تفنى عجائبه

هذا الزمان ولا تفنى عجائبه

لازال للحر يبدي غدر غادره

لازال للحر يبدي غدر غادره

Such is time; its marvels never perish.

This time does not deplete its wonders

It still reveals to the noble man his betrayer's treachery.

It still shows the traitorous betrayal of the free man