أَياO ظبيةًa gazelle فيin رُبىthe hills of جاسِمِJasim
أَيا ظبيةً في رُبى جاسِمِ
سُقيتِmay you be watered حَياrain واكفٍdripping ساجِمِpouring
سُقيتِ حَيا واكفٍ ساجِمِ
O gazelle on the hills of Jasim,
O gazelle in the pasture of Jasim
may you be watered with dripping, pouring rain.
You were nourished with eternal, pouring life
طلعتِyou appeared لناto us فيin خلالِthe gaps among الهضابِthe hills
طلعتِ لنا في خلالِ الهضابِ
فبُحتِand you divulged بسرِّabout the secret of اِمرئٍa man كاتِمِkeeping it hidden
فبُحتِ بسرِّ اِمرئٍ كاتِمِ
You appeared to us among the hills,
You emerged for us amid the meadows
and revealed the secret of a man who kept it hidden.
So you blossomed with the secret of a silent man
تناهَىwent to extremes العواذلُthe female reproachers فيin عَذْلهِrebuking him
تناهَى العواذلُ في عَذْلهِ
وأعياand he proved intractable علىto رُقْيَةِthe incantation of اللّائِمِthe reproacher
وأعيا على رُقْيَةِ اللّائِمِ
The reproaching women went to extremes in rebuking him,
The lovers went too far in their love
and he defied the reproacher's incantation.
And my patience for blamers grew weary
فللّهِso, to God حلمُكَyour forbearance ياO ابنَson of الحسيal-Husayn (continued)
فللّهِ حلمُكَ يا ابنَ الحسي
نِ(completes al-Husayn) يومon the day اِلتَقيناwe met علىat واقِمِWaqim
نِ يوم اِلتَقينا على واقِمِ
By God, what forbearance was yours, O son of al-Husayn,
By God, your forbearance, O son of Al-Hussein
on the day we met at Waqim!
The day we met at the abode of pillars
وقدand already ضمّناbrought us together موقفٌa meeting-place للوداعfor farewell
وقد ضمّنا موقفٌ للوداع
خلاwas clear للمحبّينfor the lovers منof زاحِمِanyone crowding in
خلا للمحبّين من زاحِمِ
A place of farewell had brought us together,
And a stance of farewell embraced us
left clear for the lovers, with no one crowding in.
Empty of lovers and free of crowds
كأنّيas though I أُجيلُturn about لفقدfor lack of اليقيcertainty (continued)
كأنّي أُجيلُ لفقد اليقي
نِ(completes certainty) فيin صَحْنِهِits open space مُقْلَتَيْthe two eyes of حالِمِa dreamer
نِ في صَحْنِهِ مُقْلَتَيْ حالِمِ
As though, bereft of certainty, I were turning
It was as if I procrastinated the loss of conviction
a dreamer's two eyes about its open space.
In his basin were two of my dreaming eyes
وَبيضand bright الوجوهthe faces سباطgenerous الأكفthe hands (continued)
وَبيض الوجوه سباط الأكف
فِ(completes hands) فيin السِّرِّnoble stock والبيتُand the house منof هاشمِHashim
فِ في السِّرِّ والبيتُ من هاشمِ
And men of bright faces and open hands,
And the pale faces, youths with gentle palms
of noble stock, their house of Hashim,
Secretly, and the house was Hashimi
سَرَوْthey traveled by night يخبطونthey tread blindly through الدّجىthe gloom والظّلاand darkness (continued)
سَرَوْ يخبطون الدّجى والظّلا
مَ(completes darkness) غمدthe sheath of الفتىthe youth البطلِthe valiant الصارمِthe resolute
مَ غمد الفتى البطلِ الصارمِ
journeyed by night, groping through the gloom; and darkness
Cypresses swaying the darkness and shade
was the sheath of the valiant, resolute youth.
As the gallant hero sheathed his sword
أقولI say وقدand already بشّرواthey brought glad tidings بالوزيرِof the minister
أقول وقد بشّروا بالوزيرِ
ألاindeed مرحباًwelcome بكto you منas a قادمِnew arrival
ألا مرحباً بك من قادمِ
I say, now that they have heralded the minister:
I say, and they brought news of the minister
Welcome indeed to you, new arrival!
Welcome, welcome to you, O newcomer!
وردتَyou arrived ورودَlike the arrival of زُلالِthe sweet water of السّحاthe clouds (continued)
وردتَ ورودَ زُلالِ السّحا
بِ(completes clouds) شُنَّwas poured علىupon كَبِدِthe liver of الحائمِone circling in thirst
بِ شُنَّ على كَبِدِ الحائمِ
You arrived as the clouds' sweet water arrives,
You have returned like the drizzling rain
poured upon the liver of one circling in thirst.
Pouring down on the liver of the despondent one
وكنّاand we were وأنتَand you بعيدُfar المَزاthe visiting-place (continued)
وكنّا وأنتَ بعيدُ المَزا
رِ(completes visiting-place) نثراًscattered فرادىeach alone بلاwithout ناظمِa stringer
رِ نثراً فرادى بلا ناظمِ
And we, while you were far away,
While you were away we were, scattered and lonely, without an organizer
were scattered, each alone, with none to string us together.
Antagonizing the eyes of the enemies
نُصانعُwe dissemble فيكconcerning you عيونَthe eyes of العُداةِthe enemies
نُصانعُ فيك عيونَ العُداةِ
ونحذرand we beware منof قبضةِthe grip of الظّالمِthe tyrant
ونحذر من قبضةِ الظّالمِ
We dissembled about you before the enemies' eyes,
And taking precautions against the grip of the unjust
and feared the tyrant's grip.
So one whose passion appeared openly
فمنso one is مظهرٍdisplaying شوقَهُhis longing بائحٍopenly declaring it
فمن مظهرٍ شوقَهُ بائحٍ
ومنand one is كاتمٍconcealing وجْدَهhis passion كاظمِsuppressing it
ومن كاتمٍ وجْدَه كاظمِ
Some openly display their longing,
And another whose love was suppressed
and some hide their passion, holding it in.
When longing stirred in his heart
إِذاwhen اِضطرَبstirs الشوقyearning فيin قلبهِhis heart
إِذا اِضطرَب الشوق في قلبهِ
تمايلَhe sways كالغُصُنِlike the bough النّاعمِthe tender
تمايلَ كالغُصُنِ النّاعمِ
When yearning stirs in his heart,
He swayed like a delicate branch
he sways like a tender bough.
Be astonished at the events of time
أطِلْprolong عَجَباًwonder منat خطوبthe calamities of الزّمانtime
أطِلْ عَجَباً من خطوب الزّمان
ودُنياًand a world تَلاعَبُit toys بالعالمِwith humankind
ودُنياً تَلاعَبُ بالعالمِ
Marvel long at the calamities of time
And a world playing tricks on all people
and at a world that toys with humankind.
Do not assume that the course of time
ولاand do not تحسَبَنْever think أنّthat صرْفَthe vicissitudes of الزّماtime (continued)
ولا تحسَبَنْ أنّ صرْفَ الزّما
ن(completes time) تنبوrebound ظُباهُits blade-edges عنfrom الحازمِthe prudent man
ن تنبو ظُباهُ عن الحازمِ
Nor think that time's vicissitudes
Will awaken its gazelles from their slumber
have blade-edges that glance off the prudent man.
If half would sleep and half would rise
فلوfor if كانit were نَصْفاًjust أنامَit would put to sleep القيامthose standing
فلو كان نَصْفاً أنامَ القيام
وقامand would rise بكلّwith every فتىًyouth نائمِsleeping
وقام بكلّ فتىً نائمِ
For were it just, it would put those standing to sleep,
With every gallant youth that slept
and raise every sleeping youth to his feet.
And how many destitute wanderers does it contain
وكمand how many فيهin it منof عادمٍone in want عائمٍthirsting
وكم فيه من عادمٍ عائمٍ
ومنand of واجدٍone possessing للغِنىof wealth آجمِweary
ومن واجدٍ للغِنى آجمِ
How many within it are needy and thirsting,
And how many wealthy misers
and how many possess wealth yet are sick of it!
And I point out advice that combines
وإنّيand I indeed أُشيرُadvise برأيٍwith a view يضمُّthat joins
وإنّي أُشيرُ برأيٍ يضمُّ
إلىto النُّصْحِsincere counsel تَجْرِبَةَthe experience of العالمِthe learned man
إلى النُّصْحِ تَجْرِبَةَ العالمِ
And I advise with a view that joins
The experience of life with good counsel
the learned man's experience to sincere counsel.
Stay where you vex the envious
أقِمْstay حيثwhere يُشجىare grieved بكby you الحاسدونthe envious
أقِمْ حيث يُشجى بك الحاسدون
وخلِّand leave الهوادَةَleniency للنّادِمِfor the repentant
وخلِّ الهوادَةَ للنّادِمِ
Stay where your presence grieves the envious,
And leave remorse to the regretful
and leave leniency for the repentant.
Be a lump in the throat of the enemy
وكنand be غُصّةًa choking lump فيin لَهاةِthe throat of العدوِّthe enemy
وكن غُصّةً في لَهاةِ العدوِّ
ورغماًand humiliating dust علىupon مَعْطِسِthe nose of الرّاغمِthe humbled one
ورغماً على مَعْطِسِ الرّاغمِ
Be a choking lump in the enemy's throat,
And bile in the throat of the choking adversary
and dust upon the humbled one's nose.
Do not distance yourself from the call of the screaming
ولاand do not تبعُدَنْever keep away عنfrom نداءِthe call of الصّريخِone crying for help
ولا تبعُدَنْ عن نداءِ الصّريخِ
وعنand from هبّةِthe charge of الثّائرِthe avenger العازِمthe resolute
وعن هبّةِ الثّائرِ العازِم
And do not keep away from the call of one crying for help,
Nor the resolve of the determined rebel
nor from the charge of a resolute avenger.
The predator must pounce suddenly
فلاfor there is no بدّescape منfrom وثْبٍةa leap للذّئاby the wolves (continued)
فلا بدّ من وثْبٍة للذّئا
بِ(completes wolves) طُلْساًdusky-coated إلىtoward الغنمِthe sheep السّائمِthe grazing
بِ طُلْساً إلى الغنمِ السّائمِ
For the wolves are bound to leap,
To the docile sheep gone astray
dusky-coated, toward the grazing sheep.
And I am not one who procrastinates with time
ولستُand I am not بمستبطئٍone finding too slow للزّمانtime
ولستُ بمستبطئٍ للزّمان
وقدand already ضمنواthey guaranteed سرعةَthe swiftness of السّالمِthe unharmed one
وقد ضمنوا سرعةَ السّالمِ
And I do not reckon time slow,
Since they guaranteed a swift peace
for they have guaranteed the unharmed one's swiftness.
And were it not for you, I would be
ولولاكand but for you كنتُI would have been نَفورَskittish الجَناthe heart (continued)
ولولاك كنتُ نَفورَ الجَنا
نِ(completes heart) لاnot أستنيمُI rest trustfully إلىwith رائِمِan affectionate one
نِ لا أستنيمُ إلى رائِمِ
But for you, I would have been skittish at heart,
Averse to sleepers in shelters
trusting no affectionate soul.
And when I experienced life, it disavowed me
ولمّاand when بلَوْتُI tested الورىhumankind أنكرتْit disowned
ولمّا بلَوْتُ الورى أنكرتْ
وَماand did not ظلمتْit wronged إصبعيmy finger خاتميmy ring
وَما ظلمتْ إصبعي خاتمي
And when I tested humankind, my finger disowned
And how my ring finger wronged my seal ring!
my ring—and did it no wrong.
Partial English translation: 51 of 52 Arabic lines translated.