ضُروبُ الناسِ عُشّاقٌ ضُروبا

ضُروبُ الناسِ عُشّاقٌ ضُروبا

فَأَعذَرُهُم أَشَفُّهُمُ حَبيباً

فَأَعذَرُهُم أَشَفُّهُمُ حَبيباً

Different kinds of people love different things;

The ways of men are diverse, and they are lovers of diverse things,

the most excusable are those with the finest beloved.

But the most excusable is he whose beloved is the most noble.

وَما سَكَني سِوى قَتلِ الأَعادي

وَما سَكَني سِوى قَتلِ الأَعادي

فَهَل مِن زَورَةٍ تَشفي القُلوبا

فَهَل مِن زَورَةٍ تَشفي القُلوبا

And I have no solace but the slaying of enemies;

My solace lies only in the slaying of foes—

is there, then, a visit that will heal the hearts?

Is there, then, an assault to heal these hearts?

تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ مِنها في حَديثٍ

تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ مِنها في حَديثٍ

تَرُدُّ بِهِ الصَراصِرَ وَالنَعيبا

تَرُدُّ بِهِ الصَراصِرَ وَالنَعيبا

The birds keep talking of that visit,

Birds linger there in conversation,

answering with shrill cries and cawing.

Answering the shrill crickets with the raven's croak.

وَقَد لَبِسَت دِمائَهُمُ عَلَيهِم

وَقَد لَبِسَت دِمائَهُمُ عَلَيهِم

حِداداً لَم تَشُقَّ لَها جُيوباً

حِداداً لَم تَشُقَّ لَها جُيوباً

They have donned their blood to mourn them—

They have donned the blood of foes as mourning garb,

mourning garments for which they tore no collars.

Yet they tore no collars in their grief.

أَدَمنا طَعنَهُم وَالقَتلَ حَتّى

أَدَمنا طَعنَهُم وَالقَتلَ حَتّى

خَلَطنا في عِظامِهِمِ الكُعوبا

خَلَطنا في عِظامِهِمِ الكُعوبا

We kept stabbing and killing them, until

We persisted in stabbing and slaughter

we mingled spear-shaft joints with their bones.

Until we mingled the spear-knots with their very bones.

كَأَنَّ خُيولَنا كانَت قَديماً

كَأَنَّ خُيولَنا كانَت قَديماً

تُسَقّى في قُحوفِهِمِ الحَليباً

تُسَقّى في قُحوفِهِمِ الحَليباً

As though our horses had long ago

It is as if our steeds, in days of old,

been given milk to drink from their skullcaps,

Were watered with milk from within their skulls,

فَمَرَّت غَيرَ نافِرَةٍ عَلَيهِم

فَمَرَّت غَيرَ نافِرَةٍ عَلَيهِم

تَدوسُ بِنا الجَماجِمَ وَالتَريبا

تَدوسُ بِنا الجَماجِمَ وَالتَريبا

they passed over them without shying,

So they passed over them without shrinking back,

trampling, with us aboard, skulls and chests.

Trampling beneath us skulls and chests alike.

يُقَدِّمُها وَقَد خُضِبَت شَواها

يُقَدِّمُها وَقَد خُضِبَت شَواها

فَتىً تَرمي الحُروبُ بِهِ الحُروبا

فَتىً تَرمي الحُروبُ بِهِ الحُروبا

Leading them, their legs already stained,

Driving them on, while their shanks are dyed red,

is a youth whom wars hurl against wars.

Is a youth whom War hurls against War itself.

شَديدُ الخُنزُوانَةِ لا يُبالي

شَديدُ الخُنزُوانَةِ لا يُبالي

أَصابَ إِذا تَنَمَّرَ أَم أُصيبا

أَصابَ إِذا تَنَمَّرَ أَم أُصيبا

Fiercely proud, he cares not

Of mighty pride, he pays no heed,

whether, raging like a leopard, he strikes or is struck.

When his rage turns leopard-wild, if he strikes or is struck.

أَعَزمي طالَ هَذا اللَيلُ فَاِنظُر

أَعَزمي طالَ هَذا اللَيلُ فَاِنظُر

أَمِنكَ الصُبحُ يَفرَقُ أَن يَؤوبا

أَمِنكَ الصُبحُ يَفرَقُ أَن يَؤوبا

O my resolve, this night drags on; see:

O my resolve, this night has grown long; look and see—

does dawn fear to return because of you?

Does the Dawn fear you, that it dares not return?

كَأَنَّ الفَجرَ حِبٌّ مُستَزارٌ

كَأَنَّ الفَجرَ حِبٌّ مُستَزارٌ

يُراعي مِن دُجُنَّتِهِ رَقيبا

يُراعي مِن دُجُنَّتِهِ رَقيبا

As though dawn were a beloved invited to visit,

As though the Dawn were a lover sought in secret,

wary of a watcher in the night's darkness.

Watching for a guardian from out the gloom.

كَأَنَّ نُجومَهُ حَليٌ عَلَيهِ

كَأَنَّ نُجومَهُ حَليٌ عَلَيهِ

وَقَد حُذِيَت قَوائِمُهُ الجُبوبا

وَقَد حُذِيَت قَوائِمُهُ الجُبوبا

As though its stars were ornaments upon it,

As if the stars were jewels adorning the night,

and its feet had been shod with the earth itself.

While its legs are shod deep within the earth.

كَأَنَّ الجَوَّ قاسى ما أُقاسي

كَأَنَّ الجَوَّ قاسى ما أُقاسي

فَصارَ سَوادُهُ فيهِ شُحوبا

فَصارَ سَوادُهُ فيهِ شُحوبا

As though the sky had suffered what I suffer,

As if the very air endured my suffering,

and its blackness had turned to pallor within it.

Turning its blackness into a sickly pallor.

كَأَنَّ دُجاهُ يَجذِبُها سُهادي

كَأَنَّ دُجاهُ يَجذِبُها سُهادي

فَلَيسَ تَغيبُ إِلّا أَن يَغيبا

فَلَيسَ تَغيبُ إِلّا أَن يَغيبا

As though my sleeplessness were drawing out its darkness,

As if my insomnia drags at its darkness,

which will not vanish unless my sleeplessness vanishes.

So it shall not depart until my wakefulness departs.

أُقَلِّبُ فيهِ أَجفاني كَأَنّي

أُقَلِّبُ فيهِ أَجفاني كَأَنّي

أَعُدُّ بِهِ عَلى الدَهرِ الذُنوبا

أَعُدُّ بِهِ عَلى الدَهرِ الذُنوبا

I keep blinking through it, as though

I turn my gaze within it, as though I were

I were tallying through it the sins of Time.

Counting the sins of Time against me.

وَما لَيلٌ بِأَطوَلَ مِن نَهارٍ

وَما لَيلٌ بِأَطوَلَ مِن نَهارٍ

يَظَلُّ بِلَحظِ حُسّادي مَشوبا

يَظَلُّ بِلَحظِ حُسّادي مَشوبا

And no night is longer than a day

Yet no night is longer than a day

that stays tainted by my enviers' gaze.

That remains tainted by the glaring eyes of envy.

وَما مَوتٌ بِأَبغَضَ مِن حَياةٍ

وَما مَوتٌ بِأَبغَضَ مِن حَياةٍ

أَرى لَهُمُ مَعي فيها نَصيبا

أَرى لَهُمُ مَعي فيها نَصيبا

And no death is more hateful than a life

And no death is more loathsome than a life

in which I see them holding a share alongside me.

Wherein I see they hold a share beside me.

عَرَفتُ نَوائِبَ الحَدَثانِ حَتّى

عَرَفتُ نَوائِبَ الحَدَثانِ حَتّى

لَوِ اِنتَسَبَت لَكُنتُ لَها نَقيبا

لَوِ اِنتَسَبَت لَكُنتُ لَها نَقيبا

I have known the calamities of Time so well that,

I have known the calamities of fortune so intimately

were they to claim a lineage, I would be their genealogist.

That were they to trace their kin, I would be their chief.

وَلَمّا قَلَّتِ الإِبلُ اِمتَطينا

وَلَمّا قَلَّتِ الإِبلُ اِمتَطينا

إِلى اِبنِ أَبي سُلَيمانَ الخُطوبا

إِلى اِبنِ أَبي سُلَيمانَ الخُطوبا

And when camels grew scarce, we mounted

When camels grew scarce, we mounted calamities

calamities to reach Ibn Abi Sulayman:

To ride toward Ibn Abi Sulayman.

مَطايا لا تَذِلُّ لِمَن عَلَيها

مَطايا لا تَذِلُّ لِمَن عَلَيها

وَلا يَبغي لَها أَحَدٌ رُكوبا

وَلا يَبغي لَها أَحَدٌ رُكوبا

mounts that never yield to those astride them,

Mounts that yield not to the rider,

and that no one wishes to ride.

Beasts upon which no man seeks to sit.

وَتَرتَعُ دونَ نَبتِ الأَرضِ فينا

وَتَرتَعُ دونَ نَبتِ الأَرضِ فينا

فَما فارَقتُها إِلّا جَديبا

فَما فارَقتُها إِلّا جَديبا

They graze on us instead of the earth's grass,

They graze upon us rather than the pasture,

so I parted from them utterly barren—

So I parted from them only when stripped bare.

إِلى ذي شيمَةٍ شَعَفَت فُؤادي

إِلى ذي شيمَةٍ شَعَفَت فُؤادي

فَلَولاهُ لَقُلتُ بِها النَسيبا

فَلَولاهُ لَقُلتُ بِها النَسيبا

bound for one whose character has captivated my heart;

To one whose character enraptured my heart;

were it not for him, I would have sung love verses to it.

Were it not for him, I would have sung love-verses to those perils.

تُنازِعُني هَواها كُلُّ نَفسٍ

تُنازِعُني هَواها كُلُّ نَفسٍ

وَإِن لَم تُشبِهِ الرَشَأَ الرَبيبا

وَإِن لَم تُشبِهِ الرَشَأَ الرَبيبا

Every soul vies with me in loving it,

Every soul vies with me in love for his nature,

though it resembles no hand-reared gazelle fawn.

Though it resembles not the gazelle raised in grace.

عَجيبٌ في الزَمانِ وَما عَجيبٌ

عَجيبٌ في الزَمانِ وَما عَجيبٌ

أَتى مِن آلِ سَيّارٍ عَجيبا

أَتى مِن آلِ سَيّارٍ عَجيبا

He is a marvel in this age; yet no marvel

A wonder in this age, yet no wonder at all,

from the house of Sayyar is astonishing.

For a marvel has sprung from the house of Sayyar.

وَشَيخٌ في الشَبابِ وَلَيسَ شَيخاً

وَشَيخٌ في الشَبابِ وَلَيسَ شَيخاً

يُسَمّى كُلُّ مَن بَلَغَ المَشيبا

يُسَمّى كُلُّ مَن بَلَغَ المَشيبا

An elder in youth; yet not an elder

An elder in his youth, yet not the elder

is everyone called who has grown gray.

So named merely for reaching the age of gray hair.

قَسا فَالأُسدُ تَفزَعُ مِن قُواهُ

قَسا فَالأُسدُ تَفزَعُ مِن قُواهُ

وَرَقَّ فَنَحنُ نَفزَعُ أَن يَذوبا

وَرَقَّ فَنَحنُ نَفزَعُ أَن يَذوبا

He is hard, so lions fear his strength;

He is harsh, so that lions tremble at his might;

and tender, so we fear that he may melt.

He is gentle, so that we fear he might melt away.

أَشَدُّ مِنَ الرِياحِ الهوجِ بَطشاً

أَشَدُّ مِنَ الرِياحِ الهوجِ بَطشاً

وَأَسرَعُ في النَدى مِنها هُبوبا

وَأَسرَعُ في النَدى مِنها هُبوبا

More violent in assault than the raging winds,

Fiercer in assault than the gale-force winds,

and swifter to blow with bounty than they.

Yet swifter than their gusts in bestowing generosity.

وَقالوا ذاكَ أَرمى مَن رَأَينا

وَقالوا ذاكَ أَرمى مَن رَأَينا

فَقُلتُ رَأَيتُمُ الغَرَضَ القَريبا

فَقُلتُ رَأَيتُمُ الغَرَضَ القَريبا

They said, 'That is the best archer we have seen.'

They said, "He is the truest marksman we have seen."

I said, 'You have seen the nearby target.'

I replied, "You have only seen the target close at hand."

وَهَل يُخطي بِأَسهُمِهِ الرَمايا

وَهَل يُخطي بِأَسهُمِهِ الرَمايا

وَما يُخطي بِما ظَنَّ الغُيوبا

وَما يُخطي بِما ظَنَّ الغُيوبا

Can he miss his targets with his arrows,

How could he miss the mark with his arrows,

when his surmises never miss the unseen?

When his intuition misses not the secrets of the unseen?

إِذا نُكِبَت كِنانَتُهُ اِستَبَنّا

إِذا نُكِبَت كِنانَتُهُ اِستَبَنّا

بِأَنصُلِها لِأَنصُلِها نُدوبا

بِأَنصُلِها لِأَنصُلِها نُدوبا

When his quiver is upended, we discern

When his quiver is upturned, we discern

scars on its arrowheads left by its own arrowheads.

Upon the arrowheads the scars made by their very kin.

يُصيبُ بِبَعضِها أَفواقَ بَعضٍ

يُصيبُ بِبَعضِها أَفواقَ بَعضٍ

فَلَولا الكَسرُ لَاِتَصَلَت قَضيبا

فَلَولا الكَسرُ لَاِتَصَلَت قَضيبا

With some he strikes the nocks of others;

He strikes the notch of one arrow with another;

but for the breaking, they would join into one rod.

Were they not to shatter, they would form a single rod.

بِكُلِّ مُقَوَّمٍ لَم يَعصِ أَمراً

بِكُلِّ مُقَوَّمٍ لَم يَعصِ أَمراً

لَهُ حَتّى ظَنَنّاهُ لَبيبا

لَهُ حَتّى ظَنَنّاهُ لَبيبا

With every straightened shaft that has disobeyed no command

With every straightened shaft that disobeyed no command,

of his, until we thought it intelligent.

Until we deemed the wood itself wise.

يُريكَ النَزعُ بَينَ القَوسِ مِنهُ

يُريكَ النَزعُ بَينَ القَوسِ مِنهُ

وَبَينَ رَمِيِّهِ الهَدَفَ المَهيبا

وَبَينَ رَمِيِّهِ الهَدَفَ المَهيبا

The draw reveals, between his bow

The draw reveals the bond between his bow

and his target, his awe-inspiring bulk.

And the awesome target he strikes.

أَلَستَ اِبنَ الأُلى سَعِدوا وَسادوا

أَلَستَ اِبنَ الأُلى سَعِدوا وَسادوا

وَلَم يَلِدوا اِمرَءً إِلّا نَجيبا

وَلَم يَلِدوا اِمرَءً إِلّا نَجيبا

Are you not the son of those who prospered and ruled,

Are you not the son of those who prospered and ruled,

and begot no man except a noble one?

Begetting none but the noble-born?

وَنالوا ما اِشتَهَوا بِالحَزمِ هَوناً

وَنالوا ما اِشتَهَوا بِالحَزمِ هَوناً

وَصادَ الوَحشَ نَملُهُمُ دَبيبا

وَصادَ الوَحشَ نَملُهُمُ دَبيبا

They gained what they desired through prudence, with ease,

They attained their desires with ease through resolve,

and their ants, creeping along, hunted wild beasts.

As their ants might hunt wild beasts by mere stealth.

وَما ريحُ الرِياضِ لَها وَلَكِن

وَما ريحُ الرِياضِ لَها وَلَكِن

كَساها دَفنُهُم في التُربِ طيبا

كَساها دَفنُهُم في التُربِ طيبا

The gardens' scent is not their own; rather,

The scent of the gardens is not their own;

their burial in the earth clothed them in fragrance.

It is your ancestors' burial that clothed the earth in perfume.

أَيا مَن عادَ روحُ المَجدِ فيهِ

أَيا مَن عادَ روحُ المَجدِ فيهِ

وَعادَ زَمانُهُ التالي قَشيبا

وَعادَ زَمانُهُ التالي قَشيبا

O you in whom the spirit of glory has returned,

O you in whom the spirit of Glory has returned,

and glory's later age has become new again:

Making its latter days as fresh as the first,

تَيَمَّمَني وَكيلُكَ مادِحاً لي

تَيَمَّمَني وَكيلُكَ مادِحاً لي

وَأَنشَدَني مِنَ الشِعرِ الغَريبا

وَأَنشَدَني مِنَ الشِعرِ الغَريبا

Your agent sought me out, praising me,

Your messenger sought me out with praise,

and recited strange verse to me.

Reciting to me verses of wondrous strain.

فَآجَرَكَ الإِلَهُ عَلى عَليلٍ

فَآجَرَكَ الإِلَهُ عَلى عَليلٍ

بَعَثتَ إِلى المَسيحِ بِهِ طَبيبا

بَعَثتَ إِلى المَسيحِ بِهِ طَبيبا

May God reward you, then, for an ailing man

May God reward you for the sake of a sick man,

whom you sent as a physician to the Messiah.

To whom you sent a physician with the healing touch of the Messiah.

وَلَستُ بِمُنكِرٍ مِنكَ الهَدايا

وَلَستُ بِمُنكِرٍ مِنكَ الهَدايا

وَلَكِن زِدتَني فيها أَديبا

وَلَكِن زِدتَني فيها أَديبا

I do not find gifts from you strange,

I do not deny the bounty of your gifts,

but you have added, among them, a man of letters for me.

Yet through them, you have increased my own refinement.

فَلا زالَت دِيارُكَ مُشرِقاتٍ

فَلا زالَت دِيارُكَ مُشرِقاتٍ

وَلا دانَيتَ يا شَمسُ الغُروبا

وَلا دانَيتَ يا شَمسُ الغُروبا

May your dwellings never cease to shine,

May your abodes remain forever radiant,

and may you never approach sunset, O sun,

And may you, O Sun, never approach your setting,

لِأَصبِحَ آمِناً فيكَ الرَزايا

لِأَصبِحَ آمِناً فيكَ الرَزايا

كَما أَنا آمِنٌ فيكَ العُيوبا

كَما أَنا آمِنٌ فيكَ العُيوبا

so I may fear no calamities befalling you,

That I may be safe from calamities through you,

as I am sure of finding no flaws in you.

Just as I am safe from finding any fault in you.