إنَّ العقيقَ يزيدني خَبَلا

إنَّ العقيقَ يزيدني خَبَلا

إنْ زرتُه صبحاً وإنْ أُصُلا

إنْ زرتُه صبحاً وإنْ أُصُلا

Al-‘Aqīq only heightens my madness,

Indeed, al-‘Aqiq deepens my delirium,

whether I visit it in the morning or at evening.

whether I visit it in the morning or in the late afternoon.

ولقد وقفتُ عليه أسألُهُ

ولقد وقفتُ عليه أسألُهُ

عن ملعب الأحباب ما فعلا

عن ملعب الأحباب ما فعلا

I stood over it, questioning it

I have stood beside it, questioning it

about the beloveds’ playground—what had become of them?

about the beloveds’ playground and what became of it,

وقصيرِ عيشٍ فيه مُختَلَسٍ

وقصيرِ عيشٍ فيه مُختَلَسٍ

ولَّتْ غضاضتُهُ وما كَمَلا

ولَّتْ غضاضتُهُ وما كَمَلا

And about a brief life there, snatched away:

and a brief span of life snatched there,

its freshness departed before it was complete.

whose freshness fled before it was complete.

ومن السَّفاهةِ ظَلْتَ بعدهمُ

ومن السَّفاهةِ ظَلْتَ بعدهمُ

تبكي الرّسومَ وتندبُ الطَّلَلا

تبكي الرّسومَ وتندبُ الطَّلَلا

After they are gone, it is sheer folly to remain

It is folly that, after them, you linger,

weeping over the traces and mourning the ruined campsite.

weeping over the traces and lamenting the ruined campsite.

وعلى العقيقِ ربيبُ أفئدةٍ

وعلى العقيقِ ربيبُ أفئدةٍ

ولّيْتُهُ أمري فما عدلا

ولّيْتُهُ أمري فما عدلا

At al-‘Aqīq there was one cherished by every heart;

And at al-‘Aqiq dwells a nursling of hearts;

I gave him rule over my affairs, but he was unjust.

I entrusted him with my affairs, but he was not just.

دمثُ الشّمائِل بات يقتلني

دمثُ الشّمائِل بات يقتلني

وكأنّه من ضَعفه قُتلا

وكأنّه من ضَعفه قُتلا

Gentle in his ways, he spent the night killing me,

Gentle in his ways, he spends the night killing me,

as though, for all his frailty, he himself were slain.

though he himself seems slain by his frailty.

لمّا اِستَضاف إلى محاسنه

لمّا اِستَضاف إلى محاسنه

سَلَبَ الغزالَ الجيدَ والكَحَلا

سَلَبَ الغزالَ الجيدَ والكَحَلا

When he added to all his beauties

When he added to his beauties,

a gazelle’s neck and kohl-dark eyes,

he robbed the gazelle of its neck and dark-ringed eyes.

قل للّذي مِن فَرْطِ غُرّتِهِ

قل للّذي مِن فَرْطِ غُرّتِهِ

ما زال حتّى حرّم القُبَلا

ما زال حتّى حرّم القُبَلا

say to him whose heedlessness has gone too far

Say to him who, through his surpassing radiance,

and persisted until it denied me kisses:

went so far as to forbid kisses:

لا تعطني غبَّ المِطالِ فما

لا تعطني غبَّ المِطالِ فما

أعطاك ما تبغيه مَنْ مَطَلا

أعطاك ما تبغيه مَنْ مَطَلا

Do not make me bear the aftermath of all this delay:

Do not give to me after long delay, for

delay has never granted you the thing you seek.

one who delays has not given you what you seek.

فبما هَدَأْتَ تركتني قَلِقاً

فبما هَدَأْتَ تركتني قَلِقاً

وبما أمِنْتَ أبتّنِي وَجِلا

وبما أمِنْتَ أبتّنِي وَجِلا

Perhaps, while you grew calm, you left me restless,

For as you grew calm, you left me restless,

and while you felt safe, you made me spend the night afraid.

and as you felt safe, you made me spend the night afraid.

يا طيفُ زُرنا إن نَشِطْتَ لنا

يا طيفُ زُرنا إن نَشِطْتَ لنا

فالرّكبُ بالأبواءِ قد نَزَلا

فالرّكبُ بالأبواءِ قد نَزَلا

O apparition, visit us, if you are so inclined;

O apparition, visit us if you feel inclined toward us,

the caravan has halted at al-Abwāʾ.

for the caravan has halted at al-Abwa’.

عُدَّ النّهارَ مطيّةً لَغِبَتْ

عُدَّ النّهارَ مطيّةً لَغِبَتْ

وخذ الظّلامَ على السُّرى جَمَلا

وخذ الظّلامَ على السُّرى جَمَلا

Count the daylight as a weary mount,

Consider the day a mount grown weary,

and take the darkness as a camel for night travel.

and take darkness as a camel for your night journey.

ودع التعلّلَ فالحبيب إذا

ودع التعلّلَ فالحبيب إذا

مَلَّ الوِصالَ تطلّبَ العِلَلا

مَلَّ الوِصالَ تطلّبَ العِلَلا

Give up excuses: when a beloved

Abandon excuses, for when the beloved

tires of union, he goes hunting for pretexts.

tires of union, he seeks pretexts.

عجّل سُراك إلى مضاجعنا

عجّل سُراك إلى مضاجعنا

وإذا حضرتَ فلا تغبْ عَجِلا

وإذا حضرتَ فلا تغبْ عَجِلا

Hasten by night to our beds;

Hasten your night journey to our beds,

and when you arrive, do not swiftly disappear.

and once you arrive, do not depart in haste.

من أين يعلم من يحاذره

من أين يعلم من يحاذره

قطع الخيالُ الحبلَ أم وصلا

قطع الخيالُ الحبلَ أم وصلا

How am I to know whether the one he fears

How can the one who fears him know

has severed the apparition’s bond or joined it?

whether the phantom severed the bond or kept it joined?

قالوا سَلَوْتَ فقلتُ حاشَ لمنْ

قالوا سَلَوْتَ فقلتُ حاشَ لمنْ

عشق الفضائلَ أنْ يقال سَلا

عشق الفضائلَ أنْ يقال سَلا

They said, “You have forgotten.” I said, “Far be it—

They said, ‘You have ceased loving.’ I said, ‘Far be it from one

one who loves excellence cannot be called forgetful.”

who loves virtues to be said to have ceased loving.’

لا تعذِلوا فالمجدُ ليس لمن

لا تعذِلوا فالمجدُ ليس لمن

سمع الملامَ وسوّغ العَذَلا

سمع الملامَ وسوّغ العَذَلا

Do not reproach me: glory does not belong to one

Do not reproach me: glory does not belong to one

who listens to blame and swallows rebuke.

who listens to blame and accepts reproach.

لِي يا عذولي في الهوى شَجَنٌ

لِي يا عذولي في الهوى شَجَنٌ

لم يخش منّي في هوىً مَلَلا

لم يخش منّي في هوىً مَلَلا

My censor’s rebuke in love is grief to me;

O my reproacher, I have an aching attachment in love

it has left no weariness in my love for you.

that never feared I would weary of love.

لمّا اِنقطعتُ إلى مودّتِهِ

لمّا اِنقطعتُ إلى مودّتِهِ

لم يُبقِ لِي عذلي به غَزَلا

لم يُبقِ لِي عذلي به غَزَلا

Once I devoted myself wholly to his affection,

When I devoted myself wholly to his affection,

no blame of mine for him remained mere dalliance.

censure of me over him left me no love-song.

لا تَحْفِلَنْ بالمرء تألفُهُ

لا تَحْفِلَنْ بالمرء تألفُهُ

أبداً لماء الوجهِ مُبتَذِلا

أبداً لماء الوجهِ مُبتَذِلا

Do not esteem a man whose companionship

Never esteem a man you befriend

shows him forever squandering his dignity.

who forever squanders his dignity.

واِرتَدْ لودّك كلّ منخَرِقٍ

واِرتَدْ لودّك كلّ منخَرِقٍ

يهب الجديدَ ويلبس السَّمَلا

يهب الجديدَ ويلبس السَّمَلا

Choose for your affection every open-handed man

Seek for your friendship every lavish giver

who gives away the new and wears the worn.

who gives away the new and wears the threadbare.

قد قلتُ للحادين أيقظهمْ

قد قلتُ للحادين أيقظهمْ

داعِي الرّحيلِ فأزعجوا الإبلا

داعِي الرّحيلِ فأزعجوا الإبلا

“Call out,” I told the camel-drivers, “and wake them:

I said to the camel-drivers, whom there had awakened

the summons to depart has roused the camels.

the call to depart, so they roused the camels:

أمّوا بها مَلْكَ الملوكِ فما

أمّوا بها مَلْكَ الملوكِ فما

نبغِي به عوضاً ولا بدلا

نبغِي به عوضاً ولا بدلا

Make for the king of kings with them, for we

Head with them toward the king of kings, for

desire no recompense and no substitute for him.

we seek no substitute or replacement for him.

عَقْراً لها أنْ لا تردّ بها

عَقْراً لها أنْ لا تردّ بها

وأضلّها مقتادُها السُّبُلا

وأضلّها مقتادُها السُّبُلا

Hamstring them if they do not carry us to him,

May they be hamstrung if you do not reach him with them,

and have their leader hurry them at the swift dhimāl pace.

and may their driver lead them astray from the paths,

ورَعتْ فِجاجاً لا تُصيب بها ال

ورَعتْ فِجاجاً لا تُصيب بها ال

حَوْذانَ مكتهلاً ولا النَّفَلا

حَوْذانَ مكتهلاً ولا النَّفَلا

Let them graze at Jājāk, touching neither

and may they graze in ravines where they find neither

ḥawdhān, muktahil, nor nafal.

full-grown buttercups nor clover.

يا أيّها الملكُ العريضُ ندىً

يا أيّها الملكُ العريضُ ندىً

في مُعتَفِيهِ والطّويلُ عُلا

في مُعتَفِيهِ والطّويلُ عُلا

O king, broad in generosity

O king, vast in bounty

toward those who seek your bounty, lofty in eminence;

toward his supplicants, and lofty in eminence,

واِبنَ الّذي بسديد سيرتِهِ

واِبنَ الّذي بسديد سيرتِهِ

يُضحي المُحَنَّكُ يضرب المَثَلا

يُضحي المُحَنَّكُ يضرب المَثَلا

son of one through whose right-guided conduct

and son of him whose upright conduct

the Indian sword became proverbial;

the seasoned man comes to cite as an example:

ما زال ثمّ قَفَوْتَ سُنّتَه

ما زال ثمّ قَفَوْتَ سُنّتَه

يطأ الهضابَ ويسكن القُلَلا

يطأ الهضابَ ويسكن القُلَلا

who pressed onward, his spear-tip lending him strength,

he never ceased—and then you followed his way—

treading the hills and dwelling on the peaks.

treading the highlands and dwelling on the summits.

ومطالع الجوزاء قبلَكُمُ

ومطالع الجوزاء قبلَكُمُ

ما داسها بشرٌ ولا اِنتعلا

ما داسها بشرٌ ولا اِنتعلا

Before you, the rising-places of Gemini

And the rising places of al-Jawza’, before you,

had never been trodden by man or worn as sandals.

no mortal had trodden, barefoot or shod.

اِسمعْ مديحاً ما أمنتُ به

اِسمعْ مديحاً ما أمنتُ به

لَولا اِهتِزازك عنده الزَّلَلا

لَولا اِهتِزازك عنده الزَّلَلا

Hear a praise-poem in which I could not feel safe from stumbling,

Hear praise in which I would not have felt safe

were it not for your delight in hearing it.

from missteps, were it not for your delighted stirring at it.

وإذا رضيتَ القولَ من أحدٍ

وإذا رضيتَ القولَ من أحدٍ

حاز الرِّهانَ وأدرك المَهَلا

حاز الرِّهانَ وأدرك المَهَلا

When you approve a man’s words,

And when you approve someone’s words,

they win the wager and attain the goal.

he wins the stakes and takes the lead.

أمّا الّذي أَوْليتَنِيه بما

أمّا الّذي أَوْليتَنِيه بما

شرّفتَ من ذكرى فقد وصلا

شرّفتَ من ذكرى فقد وصلا

As for what you bestowed upon me

As for what you bestowed on me when

by ennobling my renown—it has reached me.

you honored my name, it has reached me:

مدحٌ تُفَضِّلُهُ ولو نُظِمتْ

مدحٌ تُفَضِّلُهُ ولو نُظِمتْ

أبياتُهُ لسواك ما فَضَلا

أبياتُهُ لسواك ما فَضَلا

My praise is your own bounty; had I strung

praise you ennoble; had its

its verses for another, they would have had no merit.

verses been composed for another, it would not have excelled.

يَفديك مَن آمنتَ رَوْعتَه

يَفديك مَن آمنتَ رَوْعتَه

وكفيته من أمره الجَلَلا

وكفيته من أمره الجَلَلا

May the man whose terror you calmed ransom you,

May he ransom you whose fright you calmed,

the man you spared his grave ordeal,

and whom you spared the gravest of his troubles,

وأبَتَّهُ يَرِدُ الغِمارَ غِنىً

وأبَتَّهُ يَرِدُ الغِمارَ غِنىً

ولقد ثوى يَتَبرّض الوَشَلا

ولقد ثوى يَتَبرّض الوَشَلا

and sent home enriched from the engulfing depths,

and made spend the night, wealthy, drawing from deep pools,

after he had lingered, sipping scant seep-water.

though he had dwelt gleaning scant trickles.

وإذا الملوك جَرَوْا إلى أمَدٍ

وإذا الملوك جَرَوْا إلى أمَدٍ

كنتَ اللَّبانَ وكانت الكَفَلا

كنتَ اللَّبانَ وكانت الكَفَلا

When kings race toward a distant goal,

And when kings race toward a goal,

you are both the foremost mount and the guarantor.

you are the breast, and they the rump.

لمّا تَلَوْتهُمُ سبقتَهمُ

لمّا تَلَوْتهُمُ سبقتَهمُ

فخراً وإنْ كانوا لنا أُوَلا

فخراً وإنْ كانوا لنا أُوَلا

When you took charge of them, you surpassed them

Though you came after them, you surpassed them

in glory, though they had come before us.

in glory, though for us they were predecessors.

هذا وكم لك يومُ مَكْرُمةٍ

هذا وكم لك يومُ مَكْرُمةٍ

تروي الطِّلابَ وتُشبعُ الأملا

تروي الطِّلابَ وتُشبعُ الأملا

This—and how many days of noble giving are yours,

Such is this—and how many days of generosity are yours,

quenching seekers and satisfying hope!

when you quench the thirst of seeking and satisfy hope.

يومٌ تطيح به المعاذرُ وال

يومٌ تطيح به المعاذرُ وال

أقوالُ ترجُم وسْطَهُ العَمَلا

أقوالُ ترجُم وسْطَهُ العَمَلا

A day on which excuses and

A day on which excuses fall away, and

speeches lay cast down, while deeds thundered in its midst.

words cast guesses at the deeds in its midst.

بذلٌ إِذا قسنا سواه به

بذلٌ إِذا قسنا سواه به

فكأنّما بخل الّذي بذلا

فكأنّما بخل الّذي بذلا

You gave so freely that, when we measured others by you,

A giving which, if we measure any other against it,

even one who gave seemed miserly.

makes it seem that the giver had been miserly.

للَّه دَرُّك يا اِبنَ بَجْدَتِها

للَّه دَرُّك يا اِبنَ بَجْدَتِها

تَقرِي السّيوفَ وتُولِغُ الأَسَلا

تَقرِي السّيوفَ وتُولِغُ الأَسَلا

How admirable you are—a master of valor:

God bless your excellence, O master of the task!

you feast the swords and plunge the spearheads deep.

You feast the swords and set the spears lapping,

في موقفٍ حَمِيَ الحديدُ به

في موقفٍ حَمِيَ الحديدُ به

حتّى لو اِستَوقدتَه اِشتعلا

حتّى لو اِستَوقدتَه اِشتعلا

In a station where the iron grew so hot

in a battle-stand where iron grows so hot

that, had anyone tried to kindle it, it would have blazed;

that, if you tried to kindle it, it would blaze.

والخيلُ نازيةٌ كأَنّ بها

والخيلُ نازيةٌ كأَنّ بها

مَسّاً من الجِنّانِ أو خَبَلا

مَسّاً من الجِنّانِ أو خَبَلا

while horses strained as though afflicted

And the horses leap, as though afflicted

by a touch of jinn or by madness,

with a touch of the jinn or derangement.

تَسْتَنُّ بالفرسانِ ناجيةً

تَسْتَنُّ بالفرسانِ ناجيةً

كالوحشِ رِيعَ أو القطا جَفَلا

كالوحشِ رِيعَ أو القطا جَفَلا

racing away with their horsemen, swift,

They gallop swiftly with their riders,

like startled game or sandgrouse put to flight.

like startled wild beasts or sandgrouse fleeing in alarm.

سوّمْ جِيادَك واِرمِ عن عُرُضٍ

سوّمْ جِيادَك واِرمِ عن عُرُضٍ

جَيْحونَ بالأبطالِ منتضِلا

جَيْحونَ بالأبطالِ منتضِلا

Unleash your steeds, and shoot from the flank

Send your fine steeds forth, and shoot from the side

at Jayḥūn, though it vie with you through heroes in an archery contest.

at Jayhun with champions, competing as an archer.

فَعَلى الّذي وصل النجاحَ بما

فَعَلى الّذي وصل النجاحَ بما

تَهواه ثمّ عليَّ أن تصلا

تَهواه ثمّ عليَّ أن تصلا

So, when success has reached what

It rests with Him who bound success to what

you desire, let it then reach me.

you desire, then with me, to see you reach your goal.

هي دولةٌ بيديك واحدةٌ

هي دولةٌ بيديك واحدةٌ

لا تجعلنْها عامداً دُوَلا

لا تجعلنْها عامداً دُوَلا

This is my single turn of fortune in your hands;

It is one dominion in your two hands;

do not make it recur as shifting turns.

do not deliberately turn it into many dominions.

واِسعَد بيوم المِهْرَجانِ وخذْ

واِسعَد بيوم المِهْرَجانِ وخذْ

منه طويلَ العمرِ مُقتبلا

منه طويلَ العمرِ مُقتبلا

Good fortune attend the Festival Day; take from it

Rejoice in the day of Mihrjan, and take

a long life coming forward to meet you.

from it a long lifetime still to come.

وإِذا لبستَ اللّيلَ تلبسُهُ

وإِذا لبستَ اللّيلَ تلبسُهُ

عَطِرَ الغلائِلِ بارداً خَضِلا

عَطِرَ الغلائِلِ بارداً خَضِلا

When you put on the night, may you wear it

And when you put on night, may you wear it

in perfumed robes, cool and dew-fresh.

with fragrant under-robes, cool and dewy.

واِسلَمْ ولا سلب الزّمانُ لكمْ

واِسلَمْ ولا سلب الزّمانُ لكمْ

ظِلّاً يفيءُ لنا ولا نَقَلا

ظِلّاً يفيءُ لنا ولا نَقَلا

And peace—may time never strip from you

And remain safe; may time never rob you of

a precious bond that returns to us, nor remove it.

a shade returning over us, nor shift it away.

وعيونُنا لا أبصرتْ أبداً

وعيونُنا لا أبصرتْ أبداً

أمداً لأمركمُ ولا أجلا

أمداً لأمركمُ ولا أجلا

And may our eyes never behold

And may our eyes never behold

harm to your rule, nor its appointed end.

a limit to your rule, nor an end.

واِحتلّتِ النَّعماءُ دارَكمُ

واِحتلّتِ النَّعماءُ دارَكمُ

واِمتدّ فيها العزُّ واِتّصلا

واِمتدّ فيها العزُّ واِتّصلا

May blessings take possession of your dwelling,

May blessings take up residence in your house,

and may glory extend therein and endure.

and glory spread there and endure.

فعلى الإلهِ إِجابتي لكُمُ

فعلى الإلهِ إِجابتي لكُمُ

وعليَّ بِالإشفاقِ أن أَسَلا

وعليَّ بِالإشفاقِ أن أَسَلا

God must answer my prayer for you;

It rests with God to answer my prayer for you,

and I, out of anxious care, must continue to pray.

and with me, out of tender concern, to ask.