لَو كانَ يَحدو بشجوي سائقُ الابِلِ

لَو كانَ يَحدو بشجوي سائقُ الابِلِ

لرقَّ من اسفٍ قلبُ الركائِبِ لي

لرقَّ من اسفٍ قلبُ الركائِبِ لي

If the camel-driver were to chant my sorrow,

If the camel driver sang sadly,

the riding camels' hearts would surely soften in grief for me.

The hearts of riders would melt with sorrow for me.

وَلَو درى العيسُ ما بي قبل ان ظعنت

وَلَو درى العيسُ ما بي قبل ان ظعنت

توقَّفت رحمةً لي دونَ مُرتَحلِ

توقَّفت رحمةً لي دونَ مُرتَحلِ

And had the white camels known what ailed me before departing,

If the doe knew how I was before being stabbed,

they would have halted in pity for me before setting out.

She would have stopped out of mercy before moving on.

استودع اللَه قَلباً تَحتَ أَرجلها

استودع اللَه قَلباً تَحتَ أَرجلها

وَمهجةً علقت منهنَّ بالكِلَلِ

وَمهجةً علقت منهنَّ بالكِلَلِ

I entrust to God a heart beneath their feet,

I entrusted my heart under her feet,

and a soul clinging to the canopies upon them.

And an affection from them stuck to me with chains.

لئن يكن ظِمأُها عِشراً لَقَد تَركت

لئن يكن ظِمأُها عِشراً لَقَد تَركت

في طيِّ قَلبي غَليلاً لا الى اجلِ

في طيِّ قَلبي غَليلاً لا الى اجلِ

Though their thirst lasts ten days, they have left

If her thirst was tenfold, she left

in my heart's folds a burning thirst without an end.

A searing in my heart that will not end.

وردي الَّذي اشتَهيهِ عندهنَّ كَما

وردي الَّذي اشتَهيهِ عندهنَّ كَما

عِندي الَّذي تَشتَهي من دمعيَ الهطِلِ

عِندي الَّذي تَشتَهي من دمعيَ الهطِلِ

My longed-for draught is with them, just as

My roses that she desired from me are like

with me is what you crave, in my pouring tears.

My flowing tears that she desires from me.

لَئن شكوتِ من الرمضاءِ محرقةً

لَئن شكوتِ من الرمضاءِ محرقةً

فَفي القفول غداً تشكين من بَلَلِ

فَفي القفول غداً تشكين من بَلَلِ

If you complain of the scorching sand,

If you complain of scorching heat,

then on your return tomorrow, you will complain of wetness.

Tomorrow in stopping you will complain of dampness.

وَقَد شكوتُ من الدَمعِ السَخينِ عَلى

وَقَد شكوتُ من الدَمعِ السَخينِ عَلى

خَدي فهل انا شاكٍ مدمعَ الجذَلِ

خَدي فهل انا شاكٍ مدمعَ الجذَلِ

And I have complained of hot tears upon

And I complained of the burning tears on

my cheek; shall I complain of tears of joy?

My cheek, so am I not complaining of tears of agony?

إن كنتِ تشكينَ من حَرِّ السَمومِ فَلي

إن كنتِ تشكينَ من حَرِّ السَمومِ فَلي

نظيرَها زَفراتُ القلبِ في الشُغُلِ

نظيرَها زَفراتُ القلبِ في الشُغُلِ

If you complain of the desert wind's heat, I have

If you complain of the heat of poisons,

its counterpart in the heart's sighs amid its cares.

I have their like in the sighs of my heart in turmoil.

اللَهُ اكبرُ قد حُمِّلِت انفُسَنا

اللَهُ اكبرُ قد حُمِّلِت انفُسَنا

لكن بشكلِ ذواتِ الاعينُ النُجُلِ

لكن بشكلِ ذواتِ الاعينُ النُجُلِ

God is greatest! You have been laden with our souls,

God is Greatest! Our souls have been burdened

but in the form of large-eyed women,

But in the form of the does with the beautiful eyes.

ضمنَ الهوادِج وَالراياتُ قد خفَقت

ضمنَ الهوادِج وَالراياتُ قد خفَقت

حمراءَ ترهَب منها مهجة البطلِ

حمراءَ ترهَب منها مهجة البطلِ

inside the howdahs, while the banners fluttered,

Within the howdahs the banners fluttered

red, before which the hero's heart quails.

Red, frightening with their might the heart of the hero.

كأَنَّها باصطفاقِ الريح هاتفةٌ

كأَنَّها باصطفاقِ الريح هاتفةٌ

حَذارِ هذي دما عشّاقنا الأُوَلِ

حَذارِ هذي دما عشّاقنا الأُوَلِ

As though, buffeted by the wind, they were crying:

As if with the flapping of the wind calling out -

Beware! This is the blood of our former lovers!

Beware! This is the blood of our first lovers.

تَسعَين مُطرِقَةً من هيبةٍ وَكَذا

تَسعَين مُطرِقَةً من هيبةٍ وَكَذا

من فَتكِ الحاظها تَمشين في وجلِ

من فَتكِ الحاظها تَمشين في وجلِ

You go with head bowed in awe, and likewise

Ninety threatening ones in their awe, and such

walk in fear of the deadly force of her glances.

Is their deadly nature as they walk in trepidation.

تَسرين في فَلواتِ البيدِ مثقلةً

تَسرين في فَلواتِ البيدِ مثقلةً

وانني من حُمولِ الشوقِ في ثِقَلِ

وانني من حُمولِ الشوقِ في ثِقَلِ

You travel by night through the desert wastes, laden,

You walk in the deserted wastelands burdened

and I am weighed down by the loads of longing.

While I am burdened with longing for you and heavily laden.

فَهَل تُطيقين مني ما أَزيدكِ من

فَهَل تُطيقين مني ما أَزيدكِ من

حمَل السلام وَقولي ما على الرُسُلِ

حمَل السلام وَقولي ما على الرُسُلِ

So can you bear what I add to your load:

So can you bear from me what I increase you in burdens

the burden of greetings? And tell me, what is required of messengers?

Of greetings and my words to the messengers?

تَحيَّةٌ حمليها للنَسيمِ اذا

تَحيَّةٌ حمليها للنَسيمِ اذا

لمتبلغي الربعَ يُهديها على البدلِ

لمتبلغي الربعَ يُهديها على البدلِ

A greeting—entrust it to the breeze if

Greetings I convey to the breeze, if

you do not reach the dwelling; it will deliver it in your stead,

You do not reach the homeland, it will convey them in exchange.

الى الصديق الَّذي تَبقى صداقتهُ

الى الصديق الَّذي تَبقى صداقتهُ

على اختلافِ الليالي وهي لم تزلِ

على اختلافِ الليالي وهي لم تزلِ

to the friend whose friendship endures

To the friend whose friendship remains

through the changing nights, and has never ceased.

Despite the changing nights and it has not ceased.

ثوى دِمَشقَ فَلَم تبرح بطلعتِهِ

ثوى دِمَشقَ فَلَم تبرح بطلعتِهِ

احدى الجِنان الَّتي تجري مع المثلِ

احدى الجِنان الَّتي تجري مع المثلِ

He dwelt in Damascus, which, through his presence, has remained

He found refuge in Damascus, and did not abandon with his rise

one of the gardens that figure in proverbs.

One of the paradises that flows with examples.

خير الصحاب الَّذي كانَت مودتُهُ

خير الصحاب الَّذي كانَت مودتُهُ

كالنهر كُدرتهُ تَمضي فلم يحل

كالنهر كُدرتهُ تَمضي فلم يحل

The best of friends, whose affection has been

The best companion whose affection

like a river: its murk passes away, and it has not changed.

Was like a river - its muddiness passes so it does not settle.

هُوَ الحَبيب نعم وهو المحبُّ وقد

هُوَ الحَبيب نعم وهو المحبُّ وقد

قلَّ اجتماعهما في الناس ان تَسَلِ

قلَّ اجتماعهما في الناس ان تَسَلِ

He is the beloved, yes, and the lover; indeed,

He is the beloved! Yes, and he is the lover, and rarely

the two rarely unite in one person, if you ask.

Do they come together among people, if you inquire.

يا من تفضَّلَ بالمدح الَّذي اتَّشحت

يا من تفضَّلَ بالمدح الَّذي اتَّشحت

الفاظُهُ بانسجامٍ رقَّةَ الغزلِ

الفاظُهُ بانسجامٍ رقَّةَ الغزلِ

O you who graciously bestowed praise, whose

O you who were gracious with praise that dressed

harmonious words were robed in the tenderness of love poetry,

Its words in the finery of subtle poetry.

اليك بنتَ نهارٍ احرَزَت صفةً

اليك بنتَ نهارٍ احرَزَت صفةً

للشمسِ انصفتُ فهي الشَمسُ في الحَملِ

للشمسِ انصفتُ فهي الشَمسُ في الحَملِ

to you, a daughter of daylight, endowed with a quality

To you a bright day that adopted an attribute

of the sun; I judge fairly—she is the sun in Aries.

Of the sun - I was fair, for it is the sun in carrying.

البَستُها ثوبَ ليلٍ فاِغتَدت قمراً

البَستُها ثوبَ ليلٍ فاِغتَدت قمراً

ايضاً وَذاكَ غَريبٌ غير مُبتَذَلِ

ايضاً وَذاكَ غَريبٌ غير مُبتَذَلِ

I clothed her in a robe of night, and she became a moon

I clothed it in night's garb so it pretended to be a moon

as well; and that is novel, not hackneyed.

Also, and that is strange, not hackneyed.

فاستر عليها فقد سطَّرتُها عجلاً

فاستر عليها فقد سطَّرتُها عجلاً

وانما خُلِقَ الانسانُ من عجلِ

وانما خُلِقَ الانسانُ من عجلِ

So draw a veil over her, for I penned her in haste,

So cover it up, for I have hastily inscribed it

and indeed humankind was created from haste.

And man was only created of haste.