كم ذا تُفزّعني بالُعَتْبِ اسماء

كم ذا تُفزّعني بالُعَتْبِ اسماء

وما كذا يتعادونَ الأحباءُ

وما كذا يتعادونَ الأحباءُ

How often does Asma frighten me with reproaches?

How you trouble me with reproach, Asma!

And this is not how lovers turn against one another.

Yet loved ones do not act thus.

ما بالَها ملأَتْ أحشاي مذ نزحت

ما بالَها ملأَتْ أحشاي مذ نزحت

حَرّاً وقد بردت من تلك احشاءُ

حَرّاً وقد بردت من تلك احشاءُ

What ails her? Since she went away, she has filled my breast

Why has she filled my heart since she departed,

with burning heat, though some hearts have cooled because of her.

With burning pain, though now my heart is cooled?

طبيُ الفلاةِ نَفُورُ وهي انسة

طبيُ الفلاةِ نَفُورُ وهي انسة

وليسَ تعرفَ كُحلاً وهي كَحْلاٌ

وليسَ تعرفَ كُحلاً وهي كَحْلاٌ

The wilderness gazelle is skittish, yet she is companionable;

She is averse to me in the wilderness, yet gentle;

and she knows no kohl, yet her eyes are naturally dark-rimmed.

She knows no kohl, yet she is kohl.

قالت حذارَك منْ أهلي فقلت لها

قالت حذارَك منْ أهلي فقلت لها

نبئتُ أهلّك إنّ سَرّوا وإِنْ سأوا

نبئتُ أهلّك إنّ سَرّوا وإِنْ سأوا

She said, 'Beware of my kin!' I said to her,

She said, “Beware of my people.” I said to her,

'I have heard of your kin, whether they please or offend.'

“I have told your people, be they happy or sad.”

قالت فما لضك تعوي حولَ حِلّتِنا

قالت فما لضك تعوي حولَ حِلّتِنا

كالذِئب قلتُ غرِيبُ الدار عَوّاءُ

كالذِئب قلتُ غرِيبُ الدار عَوّاءُ

She said, 'Why do you howl around our encampment

She said, “Why do you lurk around our tents

like a wolf?' I said, 'A stranger far from home often howls.'

Like a prowling wolf?” I said, “A stranger is a howler.”

قالت فكم تتشكى الحب قلتُ لها

قالت فكم تتشكى الحب قلتُ لها

عرفت شيئاً وغابت عنكِ أشياء

عرفت شيئاً وغابت عنكِ أشياء

She said, 'How long will you complain of love?' I said to her,

She said, “How do you complain of love?” I said to her,

'You have learned one thing, but other things have escaped you.'

“I knew something, yet things were hidden from you.”

قد كان يذكر حورٌ في الجنانِ لنا

قد كان يذكر حورٌ في الجنانِ لنا

عِيِنٌ فَلِم أنت في ذا الدهرِ حوارءُ

عِيِنٌ فَلِم أنت في ذا الدهرِ حوارءُ

We used to hear of houris in Paradise,

Once, houris were mentioned for us in Paradise,

wide-eyed—so why are you a houri in this world?

Yet why are you, in this age, a gossip?

وكيف يُذكر مصرٌ والخَصِيْبُ مَعاً

وكيف يُذكر مصرٌ والخَصِيْبُ مَعاً

وذا أبو بكر عند والكُدَيْراءُ

وذا أبو بكر عند والكُدَيْراءُ

And how can Egypt and al-Khasib be mentioned together,

How can Egypt and Khadid be mentioned together?

when Abu Bakr and al-Kudayra are here at hand?

And this, along with Abu Bakr, with Kudeira!

بِجيلةُ ابنة عَبْس هم سِبَاعُ وَغاً

بِجيلةُ ابنة عَبْس هم سِبَاعُ وَغاً

وذا الغضنفر إن هاجَتْه هيجاء

وذا الغضنفر إن هاجَتْه هيجاء

Bajila, daughter of Abs—they are beasts of prey in battle,

Jaila, the daughter of ‘Abs, they are lions in the thickets.

and this man is the lion when battle rouses him.

And Al-Ghadanfar—if she incites him, he is stirred!

لا تبع القومُ الأَظِلَّ رايته

لا تبع القومُ الأَظِلَّ رايته

والرأي ما شاء ليس الرأي مَا شاءوا

والرأي ما شاء ليس الرأي مَا شاءوا

May the people follow none but the shade of his banner;

The people do not follow the man of many shadows;

and judgment is what he wills, not what they will.

Opinion is not what it desires, but as opinion desires.

أوصاهم باكتساب الخيل قال لهم

أوصاهم باكتساب الخيل قال لهم

الخيل عزٌّ وأهلوها أعزّاءُ

الخيل عزٌّ وأهلوها أعزّاءُ

He urged them to acquire horses; he said to them,

He exhorted them to acquire horses, and said to them:

'Horses are honor, and their owners are honored.'

“Horses are glory, and their people glorious!”

فما ترى قط بيتاً من بيوتهم

فما ترى قط بيتاً من بيوتهم

إلاّ وأجردَ حوليه وجرداءُ

إلاّ وأجردَ حوليه وجرداءُ

So you never see a single house of theirs

So you never see a house of theirs

without a sleek stallion and a sleek mare around it.

Without a tethered horse pacing around it.