دمعي وإن كان دماً سائلا

دمعي وإن كان دماً سائلا

فما أسوم الديَةَ القاتلا

فما أسوم الديَةَ القاتلا

Though my tears are flowing blood,

My tears, though they be blood flowing,

I exact no blood money from the killer.

I shall not pay the wergild for the slain.

من حكمَّ الألحاظَ في قلبه

من حكمَّ الألحاظَ في قلبه

دلَّ على مقتله النابلا

دلَّ على مقتله النابلا

Whoever gives gazes rule over his heart

He who judges eyes in his heart,

shows the archer his fatal spot.

His death is shown by the archer's arrow.

بعثتُ طرفي بمِنىً قانصاً

بعثتُ طرفي بمِنىً قانصاً

وكان في كفَّته حابلا

وكان في كفَّته حابلا

I sent my gaze hunting at Mina,

I sent my glance as a bold suitor,

yet it was a snarer caught in its own net.

And he held it captive in his palm.

سل نافثَ السحر بنجدٍ متى

سل نافثَ السحر بنجدٍ متى

حُوّل نجدٌ بعدنا بابلا

حُوّل نجدٌ بعدنا بابلا

Ask the breather of spells in Najd when

Ask the enchanter of magic in Najd - when

Najd was turned into Babylon after we left.

Was Najd after us changed into Babel?

ونادِ لمياء سهرنا لها ال

ونادِ لمياء سهرنا لها ال

ليلَ فلم نُحرزْ به طائلا

ليلَ فلم نُحرزْ به طائلا

And call to Lamya; for her we kept vigil through the

And call out to the water of our wakefulness -

night, yet gained nothing by it.

Did the night bring any use when we kept it?

دَيْني على فيك فلا تقنعي

دَيْني على فيك فلا تقنعي

وهو مليءٌ أن يُرَى ماطلا

وهو مليءٌ أن يُرَى ماطلا

Your mouth owes me a debt; do not consent,

My debt to you - do not be content

while it is solvent, to its being seen delaying payment.

When it is full that it be seen delayed.

اِستعجلَ النفْرُ المطايا فهل

اِستعجلَ النفْرُ المطايا فهل

من موعدٍ ننظره آجلا

من موعدٍ ننظره آجلا

The departure hurried the mounts; is there

The riders hurried the steeds, so is there

a later tryst we may await?

An appointed time we await postponed?

لو جُمع الرأيُ بجَمع لنا

لو جُمع الرأيُ بجَمع لنا

لم نُزجِ من يَعملةٍ ناحلا

لم نُزجِ من يَعملةٍ ناحلا

Had counsel been gathered for us at Jam‘,

If counsel were united in our gathering,

we would not have driven on a lean, hardy she-camel.

We would not yoke one working alone.

أو كان في الركب الحسينُ انبرت

أو كان في الركب الحسينُ انبرت

كفَّاه أو علّمك النائلا

كفَّاه أو علّمك النائلا

Or had al-Husayn been in the caravan, forward would have sprung

Or the excellent Hussein was in the group -

his two hands—or he would have shown you what bounty is.

It would suffice him or make you an attainer.

لبَّى بنو عبد الرحيم الندى ال

لبَّى بنو عبد الرحيم الندى ال

داعي وحلّوا ربعه الماحلا

داعي وحلّوا ربعه الماحلا

The sons of Abd al-Rahim answered generosity, the

The clan of Abdu'l-Rahim answered the call -

caller, and settled in its drought-stricken abode.

A summoner - and they pitched their dwelling.

واعتلقوا المجدَ بأعنانه

واعتلقوا المجدَ بأعنانه

حيث يَحُطُّ النسبُ الخاملا

حيث يَحُطُّ النسبُ الخاملا

And they clung to glory at its highest reaches,

And they clung to glory by its bridle

where lineage brings the undistinguished low.

Where pedigree descends, languishing.

تمسى حقوقُ الجود في وفرهم

تمسى حقوقُ الجود في وفرهم

تأخذ منه الحقَّ والباطلا

تأخذ منه الحقَّ والباطلا

At evening, generosity's claims upon their wealth

The rights of generosity become rich with them -

take from it what is due and what is not.

Taking the due and the false equally.

لا تعرف الجائرَ أحكامُهم

لا تعرف الجائرَ أحكامُهم

ومالُهم لا يعرف العادلا

ومالُهم لا يعرف العادلا

Their judgments know no unjust man,

Their judgments do not recognize the unjust one,

and their wealth knows no just one.

And their wealth does not know the equitable one.

حامون من ذابلِ أقلامهم

حامون من ذابلِ أقلامهم

بما يفوت الأسلَ الذابلا

بما يفوت الأسلَ الذابلا

They defend with the slender shafts of their pens

They protect, by what makes the powerless wither,

in ways beyond the reach of slender spears.

From the sword made feeble by rust.

وخلَّفوا مجدهمُ لابنهم

وخلَّفوا مجدهمُ لابنهم

فقلّدوه الراعيَ الكافلا

فقلّدوه الراعيَ الكافلا

And they bequeathed their glory to their son,

And they left their glory to their son -

entrusting it to the shepherd and guardian.

So they gave him leadership, all-encompassing.

كالسيف يحلو سِلمُه حالياً

كالسيف يحلو سِلمُه حالياً

زيناً ويُرضِي حربَه عاطلا

زيناً ويُرضِي حربَه عاطلا

Like a sword, he is pleasing in peace when adorned

Like a sword, its sheath is beautifully adorned,

as an ornament, and satisfies war when bare.

Yet its war leaves it idle.

سهلٌ إذا ما فغرتْ أزمةٌ

سهلٌ إذا ما فغرتْ أزمةٌ

يأكل منها الراكبُ الراجلا

يأكل منها الراكبُ الراجلا

He is gentle when a famine gapes wide,

Smooth, when crisis gapes open-mouthed -

so that the rider devours the man on foot.

The rider and the walker eat of it.

صاحَ على ظلمائها مُوقداً

صاحَ على ظلمائها مُوقداً

لله من يَنشُد لي سائلا

لله من يَنشُد لي سائلا

He cried through its darkness, kindling a fire:

It shouted against its oppressors, kindling

'For God's sake, who will find me a petitioner?'

For God's sake, who will plead me to a questioner?

أنحلَه المجدُ وقِدْما جنىال

أنحلَه المجدُ وقِدْما جنىال

رأيُ السمينُ البدنَ الناحلا

رأيُ السمينُ البدنَ الناحلا

Glory made him lean; of old, the

Glory made him pliant while he plucked fruit young,

well-fed mind begot a wasted body.

The view of the plump deemed the slender body feeble.

لِيمَ على البذل فلما أبى ال

لِيمَ على البذل فلما أبى ال

سحابُ إلا أن يُرى باذلا

سحابُ إلا أن يُرى باذلا

He was reproached for giving; but when the

Base in spending, when the clouds refused

cloud insisted on being seen as a giver,

Except to be seen pouring down.

وافقه في الجود عُذَّالُه

وافقه في الجود عُذَّالُه

من جَمعَ العاشقَ والعاذلا

من جَمعَ العاشقَ والعاذلا

his reproachers agreed with him on generosity—

His reproacher agreed with him in generosity -

who joined the lover and the reproacher?

He who gathered lover and blamer.

إذا غلا في القول سُوّامُه

إذا غلا في القول سُوّامُه

جرَّبتَ منه القائلَ الفاعلا

جرَّبتَ منه القائلَ الفاعلا

When his appraisers bid high in words,

When the swords in speech were unsheathed,

you find in him the speaker who acts,

You tried from it the sayer and the doer.

والخُلُقَ الفضفاضَ لا ناشزاً

والخُلُقَ الفضفاضَ لا ناشزاً

في جانب العُجبِ ولا خائلا

في جانب العُجبِ ولا خائلا

and an ample character, not rising haughtily

And the quality, abundant, not stubborn -

in self-admiration, nor vainglorious.

In the side of vanity nor shrinking.

إذا السجايا خضنَ لؤماً نجا

إذا السجايا خضنَ لؤماً نجا

مطهَّراً من عارها ناصلا

مطهَّراً من عارها ناصلا

When dispositions wade into baseness, he escapes,

When evil traits appear vile, he escapes

purified of their shame, slipping free.

Cleansed of its shame, determined.

جاد عليك الشعرُ شؤبوبَهُ

جاد عليك الشعرُ شؤبوبَهُ

مصطفياً مدحَك أو ناخلا

مصطفياً مدحَك أو ناخلا

May poetry lavish its downpour upon you,

Poetry flowed to you in streams -

selecting praise of you, or sifting it.

Praising your excellence or commenting.

إن حَلّ أجرىَ مثلاً سائراً

إن حَلّ أجرىَ مثلاً سائراً

أو سار بقَّى طللاً ماثلا

أو سار بقَّى طللاً ماثلا

If it settles, it sends a proverb traveling;

If an example flowed, passing on,

or, if it travels, it leaves a ruin standing.

Or remained, ruins enduring,

فَرداً بحكم الحسنِ لكن تَرى

فَرداً بحكم الحسنِ لكن تَرى

حولَك منه نادياً حافلا

حولَك منه نادياً حافلا

Peerless by beauty's judgment, yet you see

Uniquely, by the judgment of beauty - but you see

a thronged assembly of it around you,

Around you one calling out, assembled.

ما استُلِمَ الركنُ وما أصبح ال

ما استُلِمَ الركنُ وما أصبح ال

حطيمُ من وفد مِنىً آهلا

حطيمُ من وفد مِنىً آهلا

as long as the Corner is touched, and the

The pillar was not received, nor did

Hatim wakes thronged with pilgrims from Mina,

The Ruins from Mina's delegation become crowded.

وساقها يملأ أنساعها

وساقها يملأ أنساعها

مُهدٍ رجا اللهَ لها قابلا

مُهدٍ رجا اللهَ لها قابلا

and her girth-straps are filled as she is driven

And the procession whose breadth it fills

by an offerer hoping God will accept her:

Seeks from God a receiver for it.

كوماء معْ شدّةٍ تُصيرها

كوماء معْ شدّةٍ تُصيرها

مُجذعة أو قارحاً بازلا

مُجذعة أو قارحاً بازلا

high-humped, with a vigor that makes her

Like waves with violence making them

a young adult, or a fully mature, tusked beast.

Surge or a blazing flash of lightning.

تنجزني فيك المنى وعدها

تنجزني فيك المنى وعدها

إذا اقتضى أبناؤها ماطلا

إذا اقتضى أبناؤها ماطلا

Hopes fulfill their promise to me through you,

Fulfilling for me the wishes promised me

when their sons demand payment from a tardy debtor.

If its youths demanded delays.