يا ديار العباهر الأترابِ

يا ديار العباهر الأترابِ

أين أهل الخيام والأطنابِ

أين أهل الخيام والأطنابِ

O dwellings of the full-figured beauties, matched in age!

O abodes of the blooming maidens, peers in grace,

Where are the folk of the tents and guy ropes?

Where now are the folk of the tents and the tethering trace?

قذفت بالبدور عنك ظهورُ الـ

قذفت بالبدور عنك ظهورُ الـ

ـبُدن قذف القسِيِّ بالنُشاب

ـبُدن قذف القسِيِّ بالنُشاب

Full moons were flung away from you by the backs of the

The camel saddles have cast those full moons from your sight,

stout camels, as bows fling arrows.

As sudden as bows cast arrows in rapid flight.

غادة تجعل الخلي شجياً

غادة تجعل الخلي شجياً

وتصيب المحب بالأوصاب

وتصيب المحب بالأوصاب

A tender maiden makes the carefree man sorrowful

A maiden who leaves the unburdened heart distressed,

and afflicts the lover with ailments.

And strikes the lover with ailments within his breast.

صدُّها يذهل العقول بالوصـ

صدُّها يذهل العقول بالوصـ

ـل ترد العقول بعد ذهاب

ـل ترد العقول بعد ذهاب

Her rejection bewilders minds; through reunion

Her cold rejection robs the mind of its sense,

she restores those minds after they have fled.

Yet her union restores the wit that wandered thence.

يا شبابي ترفَّقَن بشبابي

يا شبابي ترفَّقَن بشبابي

نمتَ عن ليتي وبتُّ لما بي

نمتَ عن ليتي وبتُّ لما بي

O my youth, be gentle with my youth!

O youth of mine, treat my young passion with care,

You slept, heedless of my wishes; I spent the night in pain,

You slept through my longing, while I lay wakeful there,

تالفاً بين ميتة وحياةٍ

تالفاً بين ميتة وحياةٍ

واقفاً بين رحمةٍ وعذاب

واقفاً بين رحمةٍ وعذاب

wasting away between death and life,

Wasting away betwixt the dead and the living,

poised between mercy and torment.

Halted between mercy and a torment ungiving.

خُذ إلهي من الملاح لجسم

خُذ إلهي من الملاح لجسم

حُلن ما بينه وبين الثياب

حُلن ما بينه وبين الثياب

My God, exact redress from the beauties for a body

Exact justice, my God, from these beauties for a frame,

they have parted from its clothes.

That they have severed from its very vesture's claim.

سوءةٌ للتي شكوت فقالت

سوءةٌ للتي شكوت فقالت

سوءةٌ للمُمَخرق الكذّاب

سوءةٌ للمُمَخرق الكذّاب

Shame on her to whom I complained, who then said:

Shame on her to whom I complained, and she replied:

'Shame on the lying impostor!'

"Shame be upon this liar who has falsified!"

أعتَبت بالصدود بعد عتاب

أعتَبت بالصدود بعد عتاب

ورمت بالنقاب بالعُنّاب

ورمت بالنقاب بالعُنّاب

After reproach, she made amends by shunning me,

She answered my blame with distance and cold disdain,

and cast her veil aside with jujube-like fingertips—

And lifted her veil with fingertips of crimson stain,

بعُنَابٍ تسوّدت من حشائي

بعُنَابٍ تسوّدت من حشائي

بسواد ومن دمي بخضاب

بسواد ومن دمي بخضاب

with jujubes that drew from my entrails

With fingers dyed black by the char of my burning heart,

their blackness, and from my blood their dye.

With soot from my core, and blood to color the art.

وتمشّت من الفؤاد بنعلٍ

وتمشّت من الفؤاد بنعلٍ

حُرُّ وجهي له مكانَ التراب

حُرُّ وجهي له مكانَ التراب

And she walked in a sandal made from my heart,

She trod upon my heart with her sandal's tread,

for which the finest part of my face served as dust.

Where my own noble face should lie in the dust instead.

آه لم يدر ما العذاب فؤادٌ

آه لم يدر ما العذاب فؤادٌ

لم يذق طعم فرقة الأحباب

لم يذق طعم فرقة الأحباب

Ah, no heart has known what torment is

Ah, no heart truly knows what torment implies,

that has not tasted parting from loved ones.

Till it tastes the bitter parting of lovers' ties.

أبعدي فالسلوُّ أجمل عندي

أبعدي فالسلوُّ أجمل عندي

من حضور البكا على الغُيّاب

من حضور البكا على الغُيّاب

Go away; forgetting love is more seemly to me

Begone! For forgetfulness is fairer to see,

than remaining to weep over the absent.

Than the presence of weeping for those absent from me.

ووقار الفتى بغير مشيب

ووقار الفتى بغير مشيب

كصبو امرئٍ بغير شباب

كصبو امرئٍ بغير شباب

A young man's gravity without gray hair

For the gravity of a youth without hairs of grey,

is like a man's amorous folly without youth.

Is like an elder's lust—a misplaced display.

سقِّني ريقها وسقِّ نديمي

سقِّني ريقها وسقِّ نديمي

من سلاف ممزوجة برضاب

من سلاف ممزوجة برضاب

Give me her saliva to drink, and give my drinking companion

Let me drink of her lips, and serve to my peer,

choice wine mingled with the moisture of her lips.

Pure wine mixed with the nectar I hold so dear.

واسقِ أطلالها وإن هجرتنا

واسقِ أطلالها وإن هجرتنا

يا إله السماء نوءَ السحاب

يا إله السماء نوءَ السحاب

And water her ruined dwellings, though she has forsaken us,

And water her ruins, O God, though she cast us aside,

O God of heaven, with a cloud's downpour—

With the deluge of clouds and the storm's rising tide.

مضلخِمَّ الروقين مثعنجرَ الود

مضلخِمَّ الروقين مثعنجرَ الود

ق مسفَّ الجهام داني الرباب

ق مسفَّ الجهام داني الرباب

huge on both flanks, pouring torrents of rain,

Dark-winged, torrential, pouring its heavy stream,

its rainless clouds sweeping low, its white clouds hanging near,

From low-hanging clouds where the waters teem.

مسبلاً مثل راحة ابن عبيد الـ

مسبلاً مثل راحة ابن عبيد الـ

ـلهِ معطى الورى بغير حساب

ـلهِ معطى الورى بغير حساب

streaming down like the palm of Ibn Ubayd

Pouring down like the palm of Ibn Ubayd Allah,

Allah, giver to humankind without reckoning.

Who grants to mankind without measure or law.

يستقل الكثير معتذراً من

يستقل الكثير معتذراً من

أخذه طالباً إلى الطُلّاب

أخذه طالباً إلى الطُلّاب

He counts his great gifts little, apologizing for

He deems great gifts small, and offers excuse,

their acceptance, himself petitioning the petitioners.

As if he were the seeker, fearing refusal's use.

فنفوس الأموال غير رواضٍ

فنفوس الأموال غير رواضٍ

عنه والسائلون غير غضاب

عنه والسائلون غير غضاب

So the souls of wealth are not pleased

The spirits of wealth find no rest in his hold,

with him, while the petitioners are not angry.

Nor are those who ask him ever left in the cold.

إن جود الوسمي بل زبد البحـ

إن جود الوسمي بل زبد البحـ

ـر ترامى عبابُه بحَباب

ـر ترامى عبابُه بحَباب

Truly, autumn rain's bounty—nay, the foam of the sea,

The bounty of spring rain, nay, the sea's foaming crest,

its billows flinging up bubbles—

Whose surging waves toss bubbles with endless zest,

دون جدوى أبي الحسين إذا ما اشـ

دون جدوى أبي الحسين إذا ما اشـ

ـتغل الشعر بالعطايا الرغاب

ـتغل الشعر بالعطايا الرغاب

falls short of Abu al-Husayn's bounty whenever

Falls short of Abu al-Husayn's gift when the lines,

poetry turns to lavish gifts.

Of poetry seek the vast rewards he assigns.