تَعجبُ من صبري على ألوانِها

تَعجبُ من صبري على ألوانِها

في وصلها طوراً وفي هجرانِها

في وصلها طوراً وفي هجرانِها

You marvel at my patience with all her changing hues—

She marvels at my patience with her changing ways,

now in her union, now in her estrangement.

in her union at one time, and in her abandonment.

تحسَبُ أنّ لوعتي ودمعتي

تحسَبُ أنّ لوعتي ودمعتي

من قلبها القاسي ومن أجفانِها

من قلبها القاسي ومن أجفانِها

You suppose that my anguish and my tears

She thinks that my anguish and my tear

arise from her hard heart and from her eyelids.

come from her hard heart and her eyelids.

وكلاءُ مَن كلّفها وثيقة

وكلاءُ مَن كلّفها وثيقة

كلَّفها ما ليس من أديانِها

كلَّفها ما ليس من أديانِها

Those who bound her by a solemn covenant

The agents of whoever demanded a pledge of her—

charged her with what forms no part of her creed.

he demanded what was not among her creeds.

تُسلِّط البلوى على عشّاقها

تُسلِّط البلوى على عشّاقها

تسلُّطَ الحِنثِ على أَيْمانِها

تسلُّطَ الحِنثِ على أَيْمانِها

She lets affliction rule over her lovers

She unleashes affliction upon her lovers

as perjury rules over her oaths.

as oath-breaking holds sway over her oaths.

ينصل ما يعقد من عهودها

ينصل ما يعقد من عهودها

نُصولَ ما تخضِبُ من بنانِها

نُصولَ ما تخضِبُ من بنانِها

Whatever she knots in covenants comes undone,

What is bound of her pledges fades,

as dye fades from her fingertips.

as the dye fades from her painted fingertips.

الودُّ بالقلبِ ودعوَى ودِّها

الودُّ بالقلبِ ودعوَى ودِّها

لا تتعدَّى طرفي لسانِها

لا تتعدَّى طرفي لسانِها

Love dwells in the heart; her claim of love

Affection dwells in the heart, but her claim to affection

never passes beyond the tip of her tongue.

never passes the two edges of her tongue.

فكلما أعطتك في محبةٍ

فكلما أعطتك في محبةٍ

زيادةً فاقطع على نُقصانِها

زيادةً فاقطع على نُقصانِها

So whenever she grants you an increase

Whenever she offers you, in love,

in love, be certain of its loss.

an increase, be certain of its decline.

وقفتُ أسترجعُ يومَ بَينها

وقفتُ أسترجعُ يومَ بَينها

قلبا شَعاعا طاح في أظعانِها

قلبا شَعاعا طاح في أظعانِها

On the day she departed, I stood trying to reclaim

On the day of her departure I stood seeking to reclaim

a scattered heart swept away among her camel litters.

a scattered heart, lost among her departing camel-litters.

ولم يكن منّيَ إلا ضَلَّةً

ولم يكن منّيَ إلا ضَلَّةً

نِشدانُ شيءٍ وهو في ضمانِها

نِشدانُ شيءٍ وهو في ضمانِها

It was only an error of mine:

It was nothing but folly on my part,

seeking a thing already in her keeping.

seeking something already in her keeping.

بانت وبقَّتْني وليس خَلفَاً

بانت وبقَّتْني وليس خَلفَاً

على ظباءِ رامةٍ وبانِها

على ظباءِ رامةٍ وبانِها

She departed and left me behind; after her, there is no successor

She departed and left me behind; there was no substitute

among Raml’s gazelles or its ben trees.

among Rama's gazelles and its ban trees.

فما خُدِعتُ عن لحاظ قدها

فما خُدِعتُ عن لحاظ قدها

بما رنا إليَّ من غزلانِها

بما رنا إليَّ من غزلانِها

I was not distracted from watching her figure

I was not lured away from observing her stature

by the gazelles that gazed toward me.

by the gazelles there that gazed at me;

ولا عتبتُ عن تثنِّي عَينِها

ولا عتبتُ عن تثنِّي عَينِها

بأن أحالتني على أغصانِها

بأن أحالتني على أغصانِها

Nor did I turn from the sinuous sway of her form

nor did I forsake the turning of her eye

when she referred me to her branches.

because she referred me to its branches.

يالَلغواني وقُوَى فَتْكاتِها

يالَلغواني وقُوَى فَتْكاتِها

معْ ضعفِ ما نَغمِزُ من عيدانِها

معْ ضعفِ ما نَغمِزُ من عيدانِها

Ah, these beguiling women and the force of their assaults,

Oh, the beauties and the strength of their deadly assaults,

though the twigs we press are frail!

despite the frailty of the stems we press!

بل لا عجيب ما نراه شيمةً

بل لا عجيب ما نراه شيمةً

من نَكثِ قاسيها ومن خوانِها

من نَكثِ قاسيها ومن خوانِها

Yet there is nothing strange in what we see as their habit:

Yet what we see as a trait is no marvel:

the hard-hearted one’s breach and the faithless one’s treachery,

the oath-breaking of their cruel and treacherous ones,

مع الذي نُقِّصَ من حلومِها

مع الذي نُقِّصَ من حلومِها

وضعُفتْ ألبانُها من شانِها

وضعُفتْ ألبانُها من شانِها

given how deficient their judgment is

given the deficiency in their judgment

and how their minds are weakened by their nature.

and the weakness of their milk, part of their condition.

فقد سرى الغدرُ إلى أفاضل ال

فقد سرى الغدرُ إلى أفاضل ال

رجالِ واستولى على أعيانِها

رجالِ واستولى على أعيانِها

For treachery has spread even to the noblest of

For treachery has spread to the noblest of

men, and taken possession of their great ones.

men, and has taken over their foremost.

وضاع ما استُسلِفَ من ذِمَامِها

وضاع ما استُسلِفَ من ذِمَامِها

بيضَ تَناسِيها إلى نِسيانِها

بيضَ تَناسِيها إلى نِسيانِها

The protection once advanced on the credit of their pledges is lost,

And the pledges borrowed from them were lost—

passing from feigned forgetfulness into oblivion.

white [pledges; wording unclear], from their feigned forgetting into oblivion.

فسيرةُ النساء في عُشَّاقِها

فسيرةُ النساء في عُشَّاقِها

من سيرة الرجال في إخوانِها

من سيرة الرجال في إخوانِها

Thus women’s conduct toward their lovers

So women's conduct toward their lovers

mirrors men’s conduct toward their companions.

comes from men's conduct toward their brothers.

وكنتُ عبدَ خيرِ مولىً عُلِّقَتْ

وكنتُ عبدَ خيرِ مولىً عُلِّقَتْ

به المودات عُرَى أقرانِها

به المودات عُرَى أقرانِها

I served the finest master, to whom

And I was the servant of the finest patron, upon whom were hung

affections were tied in the firmest knots.

affections, by the loops of their binding cords.

وسارت العيسُ بحسنِ ذكره

وسارت العيسُ بحسنِ ذكره

منشوطةً تمرح في أرسانِها

منشوطةً تمرح في أرسانِها

The white camels carried his fair renown abroad,

The pale camels journeyed bearing fine praise of him,

spirited and frisking in their reins.

unfettered, frolicking in their halters.

مُلهَبةٌ سوقُ الوفاءِ عنده

مُلهَبةٌ سوقُ الوفاءِ عنده

لا يُخمِدُ الجفاءُ من نيرانِها

لا يُخمِدُ الجفاءُ من نيرانِها

The market of loyalty blazes at his court;

The market of fidelity blazes in his presence;

estrangement cannot quench its fires.

estrangement cannot quench any of its fires.

إذا رأى مكرُمةً مبتاعةً

إذا رأى مكرُمةً مبتاعةً

غالَى بها وزاد في أثمانِها

غالَى بها وزاد في أثمانِها

When he sees a noble deed offered for sale,

When he saw a noble deed being purchased,

he bids high and adds to its price.

he bid high for it and increased its price.

فغيَّرته شِيَمٌ مجلوبةٌ

فغيَّرته شِيَمٌ مجلوبةٌ

ما شاور الحِفاظَ في إتيانِها

ما شاور الحِفاظَ في إتيانِها

But imported traits have changed him—

Then imported habits changed him;

traits that never consulted honor before arriving.

he never consulted fidelity before adopting them.

لم أكُ في تحرُّزِي أخافُهُ

لم أكُ في تحرُّزِي أخافُهُ

بسيِّئِ الظن على استحسانِها

بسيِّئِ الظن على استحسانِها

Even at my most guarded, I never feared him,

For all my caution, I had not feared,

letting dark suspicion override my good opinion.

even in my darkest suspicions, that he would approve them.

صدَّ كأنْ ما ضَمَّنا ربعُ هوىً

صدَّ كأنْ ما ضَمَّنا ربعُ هوىً

تصبو له النفسُ إلى أوطانِها

تصبو له النفسُ إلى أوطانِها

He turned away, as though no dwelling of desire had ever joined us,

He turned away, as though no dwelling of love had joined us,

no homeland toward which the soul yearns;

for which the soul yearns as for its homelands;

ولا قَرَنتُ حبَّه صبابةً

ولا قَرَنتُ حبَّه صبابةً

لا يطمع العاذلُ في سلوانِها

لا يطمع العاذلُ في سلوانِها

as though I had never joined his love to a passion

nor had I joined my love of him to a passion

whose reproacher could never hope for consolation;

whose forgetting no reproacher could hope for;

ولا تدرَّعتُ بوصفِ فضلِهِ

ولا تدرَّعتُ بوصفِ فضلِهِ

في حلبةٍ برَّزتُ في مَيْدانِها

في حلبةٍ برَّزتُ في مَيْدانِها

as though I had never armed myself in praise of his virtue

nor had I armored myself with praise of his excellence

in an arena where I outstripped the field,

in a contest in whose field I excelled,

بكلِّ متروكٍ لها طريقُها

بكلِّ متروكٍ لها طريقُها

ملقىً إليها طَرَفَا عِنانِها

ملقىً إليها طَرَفَا عِنانِها

with every art whose road lay open,

with each poem left free to follow its own path,

its reins flung loose toward it—

both ends of its reins cast to it.

لا تطمعُ الألسنُ أن تروضَها

لا تطمعُ الألسنُ أن تروضَها

على قُواها أو على بيانِها

على قُواها أو على بيانِها

with a force no tongues could hope to tame,

No tongues could hope to tame it,

in its rhymes or in its exposition.

in its strength or in its eloquence.

خدعتُها بالمكرِ حتى نفثتْ

خدعتُها بالمكرِ حتى نفثتْ

عزيمتي في عقدتَيْ شيطانِها

عزيمتي في عقدتَيْ شيطانِها

I husbanded it through cunning craft, until my resolve

I beguiled it with cunning, until there breathed

breathed upon both knots of its demon.

my incantation into its demon's two knots.

لو قَدُمت لم يُروَ شيءٌ غيرُها

لو قَدُمت لم يُروَ شيءٌ غيرُها

لكنني أُتيتُ من حِدثانِها

لكنني أُتيتُ من حِدثانِها

Had it been presented to him, nothing else would have been recited.

Had it belonged to olden times, nothing else would have been recited;

Yet I was overtaken by its sudden reversals.

but its newness was my undoing.

يسمعُها قومٌ وليسوا قومَها

يسمعُها قومٌ وليسوا قومَها

في زمنٍ وليس من أزمانِها

في زمنٍ وليس من أزمانِها

A people heard it who were not its people,

A people hears it who are not its people,

in an age that was not its age.

in an age that is not one of its ages.

فماله أخافَها بنكثِهِ

فماله أخافَها بنكثِهِ

مع الذي قَدَّم من أيْمانِها

مع الذي قَدَّم من أيْمانِها

Why, then, did he make it fear his breach,

Why, then, did he frighten it by breaking his pledge,

after all the oaths he had pledged it?

despite the oaths concerning it he had given before?

أما اجتنى لعرضِه من طيبِها

أما اجتنى لعرضِه من طيبِها

ما تُجتنَى الروضةُ من رَيْحانِها

ما تُجتنَى الروضةُ من رَيْحانِها

Did he not reap for his honor from its fragrance

Did he not reap for his honor, from its fragrance,

what one gathers of basil from a garden?

what one gathers from a garden's fragrant herbs?

فقل له على نوى الدار به

فقل له على نوى الدار به

وما التوى واشتدّ من أشطانِها

وما التوى واشتدّ من أشطانِها

Then tell him, though his dwelling lies far away

So tell him, though his dwelling has taken him far away,

and distance’s cords have twisted taut:

and whatever of its cords has twisted and drawn taut:

هل أنت عزَّ الملكِ يوماً عائدٌ

هل أنت عزَّ الملكِ يوماً عائدٌ

للوصل أم ماضٍ على هِجرانِها

للوصل أم ماضٍ على هِجرانِها

Will you, Glory of the Realm, someday return

Will you, Izz al-Mulk, ever return

to union, or persist in estrangement?

to union, or persist in forsaking it?

وهل صبَرت ساليا أو ناسيا

وهل صبَرت ساليا أو ناسيا

عن حسنها البادي وعن إحسانِها

عن حسنها البادي وعن إحسانِها

Have you endured—consoled, or merely forgetful—

Have you endured, consoled or forgetful,

her manifest beauty and her kindness?

of its manifest beauty and its excellence?

أما عهودي لكُمُ مَشيدةٌ

أما عهودي لكُمُ مَشيدةٌ

لا يطمع الهادمُ في بنيانِها

لا يطمع الهادمُ في بنيانِها

My covenants with you stand strongly built;

As for my pledges to you, they stand lofty;

no destroyer can hope to bring down their walls.

no demolisher can hope to breach their structure.

ونِحْلَتِي فيك كما عرفتها

ونِحْلَتِي فيك كما عرفتها

لم ينتقص كفرُكَ من إيمانِها

لم ينتقص كفرُكَ من إيمانِها

My devotion to you remains as you knew it;

My creed concerning you is as you knew it;

your unbelief has not diminished its faith.

your unbelief has not diminished its faith.

ومن فؤادي لهواك رتبةٌ

ومن فؤادي لهواك رتبةٌ

لا يصِل العشقُ إلى مكانِها

لا يصِل العشقُ إلى مكانِها

Within my heart, your love holds a station

And in my heart, love of you holds a rank

no passion can attain.

whose place passion itself cannot reach.

يستأذنُ الناسُ عليها فمتَى

يستأذنُ الناسُ عليها فمتَى

ما حُجِبُوا فادخلْ بلا استئذانِها

ما حُجِبُوا فادخلْ بلا استئذانِها

People ask leave to approach it; when

People seek permission to approach it; whenever

they are barred, enter without asking leave.

they are barred, enter without asking its leave.

فإن تَعُدْ تَعُدْ إلى خلائقٍ

فإن تَعُدْ تَعُدْ إلى خلائقٍ

مازلتَ محسودا على حِسانِها

مازلتَ محسودا على حِسانِها

If you return, return to noble qualities

If you return, you return to virtues

for which you have always been envied.

for whose beautiful qualities you have always been envied.

وطالما شاورتَ نفساً حرّةً

وطالما شاورتَ نفساً حرّةً

من همّها المجدُ ومن أشجانِها

من همّها المجدُ ومن أشجانِها

How often you have consulted a freeborn soul

And often you consulted a noble soul,

whose concern is glory and whose griefs are for it—

with glory among its cares and its sorrows.

تقبَّلتْ سماحَها وفخرَها

تقبَّلتْ سماحَها وفخرَها

عن طيِّها إرثاً وعن شَيْبانِها

عن طيِّها إرثاً وعن شَيْبانِها

a soul that inherited generosity and pride,

It received its generosity and pride

a goodly legacy from Hayy and Shayban.

as an inheritance from its Tayy and its Shayban.

وإن يُحِلْكَ ما استفدتَ بعدَنا

وإن يُحِلْكَ ما استفدتَ بعدَنا

من ورَق الدنيا ومن أفنانِها

من ورَق الدنيا ومن أفنانِها

Even if what you gained after us should please you—

And even if what you gained after us should settle you

the base world’s silver, its leaves and branches—

among the world's foliage and its branches,

وإن وقعنا وارتفعتَ طائرا

وإن وقعنا وارتفعتَ طائرا

تُطلِعُكَ السماءُ من أعنانِها

تُطلِعُكَ السماءُ من أعنانِها

even if we have fallen and you have soared upon the wing,

and even if we have fallen and you have risen in flight,

the sky lifting you to its highest clouds,

the sky bringing you forth from its expanses,

في دولةٍ لمّا دُعيتَ نَجمْهَا

في دولةٍ لمّا دُعيتَ نَجمْهَا

كنتَ مدار السعِد في قِرانِها

كنتَ مدار السعِد في قِرانِها

in a realm that, when you were called its star,

in a realm where, when you were called its star,

found you the axis of fortune’s conjunction,

you were the pivot of good fortune in its conjunction,

كسوتَها سربالَ مجدٍ لم تكن

كسوتَها سربالَ مجدٍ لم تكن

تعرفُه قبلَك في أعوانِها

تعرفُه قبلَك في أعوانِها

you clothed it in a robe of glory it had never

you clothed it in a robe of glory it had never

known before you among its supporters.

known among its supporters before you.

فَسَعَةُ الأنفسِ وانبساطُها

فَسَعَةُ الأنفسِ وانبساطُها

يَبينُ في العزّةِ من سلطانِها

يَبينُ في العزّةِ من سلطانِها

For the breadth and expansiveness of a soul

For the breadth and openness of souls

are revealed, in might, by the reach of its power.

become clear in greatness through their authority.

وليس إلا الصبرُ والشكرُ على

وليس إلا الصبرُ والشكرُ على

سلامةِ الصدور أو أضغانِها

سلامةِ الصدور أو أضغانِها

There is only patience and gratitude, whether hearts

There is only patience and gratitude for

remain sound or harbor rancor.

the soundness of hearts or their rancors.

بَعُدتَ فاعلم أنّ شمسَ بابل

بَعُدتَ فاعلم أنّ شمسَ بابل

عندي بلونٍ ليس من ألوانِها

عندي بلونٍ ليس من ألوانِها

You are far away; know that Babylon’s sun

You have gone far; know that Babylon's sun

wears for me a hue unlike any of its hues.

has, to me, a color not among its own.

تُبصِرها عينيَ مذ فارقتَها

تُبصِرها عينيَ مذ فارقتَها

بمقلةٍ شخصُك في إنسانِها

بمقلةٍ شخصُك في إنسانِها

My eye has beheld it ever since I parted from it,

My eye beholds it, since you left it,

with your image as the pupil in its eye.

with an eye whose pupil holds your likeness.

فما رأتْ مغناك أو تمثَّلتْ

فما رأتْ مغناك أو تمثَّلتْ

دارَك إلا شرِقَتْ بشانِها

دارَك إلا شرِقَتْ بشانِها

Whenever it beheld your dwelling, or imagined

Never has it seen your dwelling or imagined

your home, it shone resplendent at the sight.

your house without choking at its plight.

وكيفَ يَغنَى الفضلُ أو أبناؤه

وكيفَ يَغنَى الفضلُ أو أبناؤه

بربعِ دارٍ لستَ من سكّانِها

بربعِ دارٍ لستَ من سكّانِها

How can excellence, or excellence’s sons, avail without you

How can excellence or its sons dwell

in a quarter where you do not dwell?

in the precincts of a house you do not inhabit?

لا نارُها نارُ القِرى وإن ورَتْ

لا نارُها نارُ القِرى وإن ورَتْ

فليس للجارِ سوى دُخَانِها

فليس للجارِ سوى دُخَانِها

Its fire is no guest-fire, though it may blaze;

Its fire is no fire of hospitality, even if it blazes;

the neighbor receives nothing but its smoke.

the neighbor has nothing but its smoke.

فاسلم قريبا أو بعيدا إنّما ال

فاسلم قريبا أو بعيدا إنّما ال

علياءُ أَنَّى كنتَ في أوطانِها

علياءُ أَنَّى كنتَ في أوطانِها

Ask him, whether near or far: true

So remain safe, near or far; indeed,

loftiness is wherever you make your home.

wherever you are, you are in the homeland of high glory.

وراعِ فيَّ همّةً أهزلتَها

وراعِ فيَّ همّةً أهزلتَها

بالصدِّ وارجِعْ بي إلى إسمانِها

بالصدِّ وارجِعْ بي إلى إسمانِها

Have regard for an aspiration in me that you made lean

And tend the ambition in me that you made lean

by turning away; restore me, and fatten it again.

by rejection; bring me back to fattening it.

وادلُلْ على كسبِ العلا في صِلتي

وادلُلْ على كسبِ العلا في صِلتي

عشيرةً غُرِرتُ في امتحانِها

عشيرةً غُرِرتُ في امتحانِها

By renewing your bond with me, point the way to glory

And guide, toward winning glory by rewarding me,

for a clan whose testing deceived me.

a clan I was deceived in putting to the test.

جرَّبتُ أُخرَى قبلَها ظالمةً

جرَّبتُ أُخرَى قبلَها ظالمةً

كنتَ عليَّ أنتَ من أعوانِها

كنتَ عليَّ أنتَ من أعوانِها

Before it, I tested another, unjust,

I tested another before it, an unjust one;

and you yourself were its ally against me.

you yourself were among its helpers against me.

لم يكُ عن قصدٍ ولكن رُمتَ لي

لم يكُ عن قصدٍ ولكن رُمتَ لي

ثمارَها عن غير ما إبَّانِها

ثمارَها عن غير ما إبَّانِها

It did not mean to; rather, it cast me

It was not deliberate, but you sought for me

its fruit outside its proper season.

its fruits outside their proper season.

فربَّما غطَّى ارتياض هذهِ

فربَّما غطَّى ارتياض هذهِ

على وقوفِ تلك أو حِرانِها

على وقوفِ تلك أو حِرانِها

Perhaps the taming of this one has concealed

Perhaps the taming of this one will eclipse

the other’s refusal to stand—or its balking.

the other's standstill or obstinate balking.

فما تِضلُّ أعينٌ عن فِقَري

فما تِضلُّ أعينٌ عن فِقَري

وأنت تحدوها إلى آذانِها

وأنت تحدوها إلى آذانِها

No eyes can miss my verses,

For eyes will not stray from my verses

while you drive them onward toward the ears.

while you drive them with song toward their ears.