سَرى الطَيفُ مِن أَسماءَ وَالنجمُ راكِدُ

سَرى الطَيفُ مِن أَسماءَ وَالنجمُ راكِدُ

وَلا جِفنَ إِلّا وَهُوَ في الحَيّ راقِدُ

وَلا جِفنَ إِلّا وَهُوَ في الحَيّ راقِدُ

The phantom of Asma journeyed by night while the stars stood still,

Asmā’s phantom came by night while the star stood still,

and not an eyelid in the encampment but lay asleep.

And every eyelid in the encampment lay asleep.

شَفى أَلَماً لَمّا أَلمّ بِمَضجَعي

شَفى أَلَماً لَمّا أَلمّ بِمَضجَعي

وَباتَ يُدانيني وَكانَ تَباعَدُ

وَباتَ يُدانيني وَكانَ تَباعَدُ

It healed an ache when it came to my bed,

It healed a pain when it visited my bed,

and spent the night drawing near to me, though long kept distant.

And spent the night drawing near me, though it had kept its distance.

أَلَمَّ عَلى رَغمِ الرَقيبِ وَدوننا

أَلَمَّ عَلى رَغمِ الرَقيبِ وَدوننا

عَلى عَدَوانِ الدَهر بِيدٌ فَدافِدُ

عَلى عَدَوانِ الدَهر بِيدٌ فَدافِدُ

It came despite the watchman’s spite, while between us lay,

It visited despite the watcher, while between us,

despite the assaults of time, vast and trackless deserts.

Along with time’s hostility, lay vast, barren deserts.

سَقى عَهدَها عَهدُ السَحابِ ولَم يَكُن

سَقى عَهدَها عَهدُ السَحابِ ولَم يَكُن

عَلى العَهد لَولا المَعاهِدُ

عَلى العَهد لَولا المَعاهِدُ

May the clouds’ promised rain water the days we knew; it would not have

May the clouds’ returning rain water the memory of her; it would not have been

kept faith with the covenant but for those familiar haunts—

True to that bond, were it not for the familiar haunts.

مَعاهِدُ تُذكي حرقَةَ الكَبد الَّتي

مَعاهِدُ تُذكي حرقَةَ الكَبد الَّتي

تُكابِدُ مِن آلامِها ما تُكابِدُ

تُكابِدُ مِن آلامِها ما تُكابِدُ

haunts that rekindle the heart’s burning anguish, which

Haunts that kindle the burning anguish of the liver, which

endures from its pains all that it endures.

Suffers what it suffers from its pains.

كَأَنَّ بِها الغُدرانَ زُرقُ نَواظِرٍ

كَأَنَّ بِها الغُدرانَ زُرقُ نَواظِرٍ

بِها الظِلُّ كحلٌ وَالغُصونُ مَراوِدُ

بِها الظِلُّ كحلٌ وَالغُصونُ مَراوِدُ

As though the ravens in those haunts were blue-eyed:

As though the pools there were blue eyes,

there shade is kohl, and branches are kohl-sticks.

With shade as kohl and branches as kohl-sticks.

أَعلِّلُ بِالآمالِ نَفساً عَليلَةً

أَعلِّلُ بِالآمالِ نَفساً عَليلَةً

تُكَدَّرُ لِلآمالِ مِنها مَوارِدُ

تُكَدَّرُ لِلآمالِ مِنها مَوارِدُ

I beguile an ailing soul with hopes,

I soothe an ailing soul with hopes,

while the springs from which its hopes drink run turbid.

Its wellsprings of hope are made turbid.

إِلَيكُم بِإِيلام الملامِ فَمَسمَعي

إِلَيكُم بِإِيلام الملامِ فَمَسمَعي

كَقَلبِ اِبنِ عَيّاشٍ وَتلكَ حَقائِدُ

كَقَلبِ اِبنِ عَيّاشٍ وَتلكَ حَقائِدُ

Come, all of you, wound me with blame—for my hearing

Away with your painful reproach! For my ear

is like Ibn Ayyash’s heart, and those reproaches are rancors.

Is like Ibn ʿAyyāsh’s heart—and those are grudges.

إِمامُ البَرايا في بَلاغَتك الَّتي

إِمامُ البَرايا في بَلاغَتك الَّتي

يَقرّ لَها بِالعَجزِ مِن هُوَ جاحِدُ

يَقرّ لَها بِالعَجزِ مِن هُوَ جاحِدُ

You are the leader of humankind in that eloquence of yours,

You are the leader of all creation in your eloquence, which

before which even a denier admits defeat.

Even the denier admits he cannot match.

وَمَن عَجَبي أَن تَرحَل الشَمسُ دائِباً

وَمَن عَجَبي أَن تَرحَل الشَمسُ دائِباً

وَشُغليَ بِي مثلُ الجَزيرَةِ قاعِدُ

وَشُغليَ بِي مثلُ الجَزيرَةِ قاعِدُ

Among my wonders is that the sun journeys ceaselessly,

And I marvel that the sun journeys unceasingly,

while my consuming care sits fixed within me like an island.

While my concern for myself sits still like the island.

إِذا لَم يُلائِمني مَكانٌ أَلِفتُهُ

إِذا لَم يُلائِمني مَكانٌ أَلِفتُهُ

فَكُلُّ مَكانٍ مِثلُهُ لِي فاقِدُ

فَكُلُّ مَكانٍ مِثلُهُ لِي فاقِدُ

If a place I have grown used to does not suit me,

If a place I have grown used to does not suit me,

then every place like it shall be bereft of me.

Then every place like it will lack me.

وَلَستُ كَقَومٍ أَضمَرَتهم بِلادُهُم

وَلَستُ كَقَومٍ أَضمَرَتهم بِلادُهُم

أُولِئِكَ مَوتى وَالبِلادُ مَلاحِدُ

أُولِئِكَ مَوتى وَالبِلادُ مَلاحِدُ

I am not like men whom their own lands have swallowed up:

And I am not like a people whom their lands have hidden away;

those men are dead, and their lands are graves.

Those are dead, and the lands are graves.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن أَصلي وَحاشاه ماجِداً

وَلَو لَم يَكُن أَصلي وَحاشاه ماجِداً

كَفى الفرعَ مِنّي أَنَّهُ اليَوم ماجِدُ

كَفى الفرعَ مِنّي أَنَّهُ اليَوم ماجِدُ

Even if my lineage were not—and far be that from it—noble,

And even if my root—far be it from that—were not noble,

it is enough that I, its branch, am noble today.

It would suffice for my branch to be noble today.

وَقالَ حَسودي أَينَ إِرثُكَ مِنهُم

وَقالَ حَسودي أَينَ إِرثُكَ مِنهُم

فَقُلت لَهُم مالُ الأَكارِمِ نافِدُ

فَقُلت لَهُم مالُ الأَكارِمِ نافِدُ

My envier said, “Where is your inheritance from those forebears?”

And my envier said, “Where is your inheritance from them?”

I answered them, “My wealth from those noble ones is spent.”

So I told them, “The wealth of the generous runs out.

إِذا لَم لَم يَفِدكَ المالُ حَمداً مُؤبّداً

إِذا لَم لَم يَفِدكَ المالُ حَمداً مُؤبّداً

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما تَكونُ الفَوائِدُ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما تَكونُ الفَوائِدُ

If wealth does not earn you everlasting praise,

If wealth does not—does not—bring you everlasting praise,

then would that I knew: what use can wealth be?

Then, would that I knew what the gains could be!”