هَل تَعلَمُ العيسَ إِذ يَحدو بِها الحادي

هَل تَعلَمُ العيسَ إِذ يَحدو بِها الحادي

إِنَّ السُرى فَوقَ أَضلاعٍ وَأَكبادِ

إِنَّ السُرى فَوقَ أَضلاعٍ وَأَكبادِ

Do the pale camels know, as the driver chants them onward,

Does the night traveler know when the guide leads the way,

That their night journey passes over ribs and livers?

That resolve comes from ribs and hearts so steadfast?

وَهَل ظَعائِنُ ذاكَ الرَكبَ عالِمَةً

وَهَل ظَعائِنُ ذاكَ الرَكبَ عالِمَةً

إِنَّ النَوى بَينَ أَرواحٍ وَأَجسادِ

إِنَّ النَوى بَينَ أَرواحٍ وَأَجسادِ

And do the women in that caravan’s camel-litters know

Do the walkers in that caravan know

That separation comes between souls and bodies?

That purpose lies between souls and bodies?

تَحَمَّلوا فَفُؤادي مُنذُ بَيَّنَهُم

تَحَمَّلوا فَفُؤادي مُنذُ بَيَّنَهُم

في إِثرِهِم نَضوُ تَأويبٍ وَإيسادِ

في إِثرِهِم نَضوُ تَأويبٍ وَإيسادِ

They departed, and since their parting my heart

Since they left, my heart has composed

Trails them, a mount worn thin by journeys day and night.

Elegies and songs of sadness in their wake.

يَرتادُ مَنزِلُهُم في كُلِّ قاصِيَةٍ

يَرتادُ مَنزِلُهُم في كُلِّ قاصِيَةٍ

وَحَجبُهُ لَو دَرى أَحرى بِمُرتادِ

وَحَجبُهُ لَو دَرى أَحرى بِمُرتادِ

It seeks their dwelling in every far-off place,

Their dwellings are visited in every far reach,

Yet its own veils, did it but know, are worthier of a seeker’s quest.

And their veil, if it knew, would better love the visitor.

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ ما لَو أَنتَ جائِبُهُ

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ ما لَو أَنتَ جائِبُهُ

أَغناكَ عَن لَفِّ أَغوارٍ بِالبادِ

أَغناكَ عَن لَفِّ أَغوارٍ بِالبادِ

Within the ribs lies something that, were you to explore it,

Between souls lies what would suffice you,

Would spare you roaming through lowlands in the desert.

If you sought the depths, against traversing the wasteland.

كَم بِتُّ أَنشُدُ أَحبابي وَأُنشِدُهُم

كَم بِتُّ أَنشُدُ أَحبابي وَأُنشِدُهُم

في الهِندِ يا شَدَّ ما أَبعَدَت إِنشادي

في الهِندِ يا شَدَّ ما أَبعَدَت إِنشادي

How often I have spent the night seeking my loved ones and reciting to them

How many times I recite poetry to my loved ones, and they to me

In India—oh, how far I have sent my song!

In India - oh how far my recital has removed me!

وَلَو أُناجي ضَميري كُنتُ مُسمِعَهُم

وَلَو أُناجي ضَميري كُنتُ مُسمِعَهُم

قَولي كَأَنَّهُم في الغَيبِ أَشهادي

قَولي كَأَنَّهُم في الغَيبِ أَشهادي

And even if I whispered to my inner self, I would make them hear

Were I to confide in my soul, it would make them hear

My words, as though they were my witnesses even while absent.

My words as if they were witnesses though absent.

مَن كانَ دونَ مَرامي العيسِ مَنزِعُهُ

مَن كانَ دونَ مَرامي العيسِ مَنزِعُهُ

فَلي هَوى دونَ أَمواجِ وَأَزبادِ

فَلي هَوى دونَ أَمواجِ وَأَزبادِ

Whoever’s goal lies within the reach of camels—

Whoever's goal is less than the night traveler's

My love lies beyond waves and seafoam,

Should desire less than waves and mirages.

دونَ الخَضارِمِ إِن ضَلَّ الحَبيبُ سُرىً

دونَ الخَضارِمِ إِن ضَلَّ الحَبيبُ سُرىً

فَإشن وَجدِيَ نِعمَ القائِفِ الهادي

فَإشن وَجدِيَ نِعمَ القائِفِ الهادي

Beyond the vast seas; if the beloved strays by night,

Beneath the Pleiades, if the beloved wanders astray

Then my longing is an excellent tracker and guide.

Then my bliss - what an excellent guide he finds!

هَوىً بِأَروَعِ لَو أَنَّ الزَمانِ دَرى

هَوىً بِأَروَعِ لَو أَنَّ الزَمانِ دَرى

لَمّا أَحَلَّ سِواهُ الصَدرُ بِالنادي

لَمّا أَحَلَّ سِواهُ الصَدرُ بِالنادي

Love for a splendid man—had Time but known,

A passion as lovely as if the age knew

It would not have seated another at the head of the assembly.

That nothing else would settle in the breast but the companion.

سامي الأَرومَةِ في أَعراقِهِ نِسَبِ

سامي الأَرومَةِ في أَعراقِهِ نِسَبِ

في المَجدِ لا يَشتَكي مِن ضَعفِ إِسنادِ

في المَجدِ لا يَشتَكي مِن ضَعفِ إِسنادِ

Of lofty stock, he bears an ancestral lineage

Sami of lofty lineage - his origins

In glory, with no weak link in its chain of descent.

Have no lack of support in glory's realm.

أَرَقَّ مِن شَمأَلِ الوادي شَمائِلِهِ

أَرَقَّ مِن شَمأَلِ الوادي شَمائِلِهِ

وَعِندَ شَدِّ اللَيالي صَخرَةَ الوادي

وَعِندَ شَدِّ اللَيالي صَخرَةَ الوادي

His character is gentler than the valley’s north wind,

Smoother than the evening shadows of the valley are his features,

And when the nights grow harsh, he is the valley’s rock.

And at the darkness of night, the rock of the valley.

مِن مَعشَرِ لَو يَقيسُ الناسِ شَأوِهِمُ

مِن مَعشَرِ لَو يَقيسُ الناسِ شَأوِهِمُ

إِلى العُلا اِفتَقَروا فيهِ لِأَرصادِ

إِلى العُلا اِفتَقَروا فيهِ لِأَرصادِ

Of a clan—were people to measure their reach

If people measured their status

Toward the heights, they would need astronomical observations.

Against the lofty, they would need for help in it ladders.

يا مَن لَنا رَدُّهُ مِن فائِتٍ عَوَضِ

يا مَن لَنا رَدُّهُ مِن فائِتٍ عَوَضِ

يُمحي بِهِ وَزرَ أَحقابِ وَآمادِ

يُمحي بِهِ وَزرَ أَحقابِ وَآمادِ

O you whose return compensates us for what was lost,

O you whose return would replace our past

Through it the burden of ages and long spans is erased.

Erasing thereby the burden of epochs and ruins.

أَن يَحجِبوكَ فَما ضَرَّ النُجومَ دُجىً

أَن يَحجِبوكَ فَما ضَرَّ النُجومَ دُجىً

وَلا زَرى السَيفَ يَوماً طَيُّ أَغمادِ

وَلا زَرى السَيفَ يَوماً طَيُّ أَغمادِ

Should they veil you, darkness has not harmed the stars,

That they hid you did no harm to the veiled stars

Nor has enclosure in scabbards ever diminished the sword.

Nor did the sheathing of a sword harm it when sheathed.

لا بَأسَ إِن طالَ تَجِزُّ السَعدَ مَوعِدُهُ

لا بَأسَ إِن طالَ تَجِزُّ السَعدَ مَوعِدُهُ

فَأَعذَبَ الماءَ شَرباً في فَمِ الصادي

فَأَعذَبَ الماءَ شَرباً في فَمِ الصادي

No harm if fortune takes long to fulfill its promise,

No harm that fortune's tryst is delayed for long

For water is sweetest to drink in a thirsty mouth.

For the sweetest water to drink is from the rain-channel.

عَسى لَياليكَ إقَد سُلَّت ضَغينَتُها

عَسى لَياليكَ إقَد سُلَّت ضَغينَتُها

وَقَد صَفَت كَأسَها مِن سُؤرِ أَحقادِ

وَقَد صَفَت كَأسَها مِن سُؤرِ أَحقادِ

Perhaps your nights have now had their rancor drawn out,

May your nights' resentments be folded away,

And their cup has cleared of the dregs of hatred,

And may their cup be drained of bitterness and grudges.

وَاِستَأنَفَ الدَهرُ سَلماً لا يَكدَرُها

وَاِستَأنَفَ الدَهرُ سَلماً لا يَكدَرُها

فَالدَهرُ قَد يَرتَدي حالاتُ أَضدادِ

فَالدَهرُ قَد يَرتَدي حالاتُ أَضدادِ

And Time has renewed a peace it does not disturb;

May time resume peace unperturbed,

For Time may clothe itself in opposite states.

For time can wear the raiment of opposites.

لَو كانَ يسعِدُ قَومَ قَدرٍ فَضَلَّهُم

لَو كانَ يسعِدُ قَومَ قَدرٍ فَضَلَّهُم

ما لاقَ مِثلَكَ أَن يَحظى بِإِسعادِ

ما لاقَ مِثلَكَ أَن يَحظى بِإِسعادِ

If it favored people in proportion to their merit,

If fate had favored a people with grace,

What would befit one like you is to be granted good fortune.

None would meet the likes of you with felicity.