قد كان يُدرك عندكنّ السُّولُ

قد كان يُدرك عندكنّ السُّولُ

فالآن لا وَصْلٌ ولا تعليلُ

فالآن لا وَصْلٌ ولا تعليلُ

Once, with you, desire was fulfilled;

The longing was known to you, my loves

now there is neither union nor consolation.

Now there is no connection, no excuse

ليلي وأنتمْ نُزَّحٌ بمُحَجَّرٍ

ليلي وأنتمْ نُزَّحٌ بمُحَجَّرٍ

ليلٌ كما شاء الغرامُ طويلُ

ليلٌ كما شاء الغرامُ طويلُ

My night at Muhajjar, while you are far away,

A long night, as passion desired, O Layla

is long, just as passion has willed.

While you are in an impenetrable abode

لم يبق منّي بعد يوم فراقكمْ

لم يبق منّي بعد يوم فراقكمْ

إلّا دموعٌ للفراقِ تسيلُ

إلّا دموعٌ للفراقِ تسيلُ

After the day of parting from you, nothing of me remained

After the day we parted nothing of me remains

but tears flowing for the separation.

Except tears pouring for the separation

نَمَّتْ على وَجْدي بكمْ لو أنّها

نَمَّتْ على وَجْدي بكمْ لو أنّها

كتَمَتْهُ جامدةً لنمَّ نُحولُ

كتَمَتْهُ جامدةً لنمَّ نُحولُ

They betrayed my longing for you; had they

If the passion for you that sprouted in me

kept it hidden, unshed, my wasting would have betrayed it.

Had solidified, transformations would have sprouted

ومللتُمُ مَن لا يملُّ هواكُمُ

ومللتُمُ مَن لا يملُّ هواكُمُ

من غير جرمٍ والمَلولُ مَلولُ

من غير جرمٍ والمَلولُ مَلولُ

You tired of one who never tires of loving you,

And you got bored of one who does not get bored of your love

though he did no wrong—the fickle remain fickle.

Without any crime, and the bored is indeed bored

قالوا السّلوُّ دواءُ دائك منهُمُ

قالوا السّلوُّ دواءُ دائك منهُمُ

صدقوا ولكن ما إليه سبيلُ

صدقوا ولكن ما إليه سبيلُ

They said, 'Forgetting is the cure for your sickness from them.'

They said: “To forget is the cure for your malady”

They spoke truly, but there is no way to it.

They spoke true, but to it there is no way

رحنا وحشْو قلوبنا كَلَفٌ بكمْ

رحنا وحشْو قلوبنا كَلَفٌ بكمْ

نلوي على ألوائنا فنميلُ

نلوي على ألوائنا فنميلُ

We departed, our hearts brimful of love for you,

We left, while yearning resided our hearts

turning along our winding dunes and swaying.

We turn to our banners so we may lean

فكأنّما عبثتْ بنا دَيْرِيَّةٌ

فكأنّما عبثتْ بنا دَيْرِيَّةٌ

أو ساورتْ منَّا العظامَ شَمولُ

أو ساورتْ منَّا العظامَ شَمولُ

It was as though monastery wine had toyed with us,

So it was as if ghoul pestered us

or wine had assailed our very bones.

Or the bones were corroded by termites

كم دون خيماتِ الحسانِ حُشاشةٌ

كم دون خيماتِ الحسانِ حُشاشةٌ

تَفنى ضياعاً أو دمٌ مطلولُ

تَفنى ضياعاً أو دمٌ مطلولُ

How many a last spark of life, before the beauties' tents,

How many ardent lovers below the tents of beauty

perishes in vain—or blood goes unavenged!

Perish in wilderness or spilled blood

وحياضُهنَّ من الزّلالِ فواهقٌ

وحياضُهنَّ من الزّلالِ فواهقٌ

لو كان ينفع عندهنَّ غليلُ

لو كان ينفع عندهنَّ غليلُ

Their pools brim with limpid water,

While its maidens’ breasts are lofty peaks

if only burning thirst could move them!

If tears were of use, I would have cried

ودعوتِنِي عبثاً إلى خلعِ الهوى

ودعوتِنِي عبثاً إلى خلعِ الهوى

أنّى وقلبي بالهوى مكبولُ

أنّى وقلبي بالهوى مكبولُ

In vain you called me to cast off love;

You bid me in vain to rid my passion

how could I, when my heart is fettered by love?

How could I, when my heart is fettered to it?

لكِ يا اِبنةَ البكريّ بين قلوبنا

لكِ يا اِبنةَ البكريّ بين قلوبنا

حكمٌ يُطاع ومنزلٌ مأهولُ

حكمٌ يُطاع ومنزلٌ مأهولُ

Within our hearts, daughter of al-Bakri, yours are

O Bakri’s daughter, you have an authority over our hearts

a rule obeyed and a well-peopled dwelling.

That is obeyed and a frequented abode

وملكتِ منَّا بالجمال جماجماً

وملكتِ منَّا بالجمال جماجماً

إنْ كنتِ منصفةً فهنَّ غُلولُ

إنْ كنتِ منصفةً فهنَّ غُلولُ

By your beauty you have taken possession of our heads;

And you have conquered skulls amongst us with your beauty

if you are just, they are ill-gotten spoils.

If you were fair, they would indeed be slaves

لَمْ تحملي ثِقْلَ الهوى فَحَقَرْتِهِ

لَمْ تحملي ثِقْلَ الهوى فَحَقَرْتِهِ

وخفيفُ أعباءِ الغرامِ ثقيلُ

وخفيفُ أعباءِ الغرامِ ثقيلُ

You never bore love's burden, so you scorned it,

You did not carry the weight of passion and so belittled it

yet even passion's lightest burdens are heavy.

While the light loads of love are indeed heavy

وإذا رأينا منك طلعتك الّتي

وإذا رأينا منك طلعتك الّتي

هي رونقٌ أو جوهرٌ مصقولُ

هي رونقٌ أو جوهرٌ مصقولُ

When we behold that countenance of yours

Whenever we see your effulgence that is the gloss

which is radiance, or a polished jewel,

Or the polished essence, the literati are stunned

خرس اللُّحاةُ على هواك وعرّجوا

خرس اللُّحاةُ على هواك وعرّجوا

عنّا فأخيبُ مَن نراه عَذولُ

عنّا فأخيبُ مَن نراه عَذولُ

those who reproach our love for you fall silent and turn aside

The rules of grammar went haywire madly

from us; the most thwarted man we see is a love-reproacher.

And we are disappointed by him we see as apathetic

وطرقْنَني وَهْناً بأَجوازِ الرُّبا

وطرقْنَني وَهْناً بأَجوازِ الرُّبا

وطروقهنّ على النّوى تخييلُ

وطروقهنّ على النّوى تخييلُ

They visited me late at night, amid the hills;

You knocked unto me weakly with meters of love poetry

their visits, across the distance, were only visions.

While its knocking unto the spears is stimulation

في ليلةٍ وافى بها متمنّعٌ

في ليلةٍ وافى بها متمنّعٌ

ودنتْ بعيداتٌ وجاد بخيلُ

ودنتْ بعيداتٌ وجاد بخيلُ

On a night when the unapproachable arrived,

On a night, a refusal visited

distant women drew near, and a miser gave freely.

As the distant drew near and the stingy gave

يا ليت زائرَنا بفاحمة الدّجى

يا ليت زائرَنا بفاحمة الدّجى

لَم يأْتِ إِلّا والصَّباحُ رسولُ

لَم يأْتِ إِلّا والصَّباحُ رسولُ

Would that our visitor in the coal-black night

If only our visitor at Dajja’s darkness

had come only with dawn as a messenger!

Did not come but the dawn was its courier

فقليلُهُ وضَحَ الضُّحى مُستكثَرٌ

فقليلُهُ وضَحَ الضُّحى مُستكثَرٌ

وكثيرُهُ غَبَشَ الظّلامِ قليلُ

وكثيرُهُ غَبَشَ الظّلامِ قليلُ

For a brief visit in bright morning counts as much,

So, its little clearly dawned while its plenty

while a long one in the murk of darkness counts as little.

Muddled the darkness that was little

ما عابه وبه السرور زوالُهُ

ما عابه وبه السرور زوالُهُ

فجميع ما سرّ القلوبَ يزولُ

فجميع ما سرّ القلوبَ يزولُ

Its passing did not mar it, though it held delight;

Blame and happiness with it do not diminish it

for everything that gladdens hearts passes away.

For all that delighted the hearts will fade

أمَّا الشّعوبُ كثيرةٌ ولَشِعبُنا

أمَّا الشّعوبُ كثيرةٌ ولَشِعبُنا

من هاشمٍ شِعْبٌ هناك جليلُ

من هاشمٍ شِعْبٌ هناك جليلُ

The peoples are many, yet our branch

Many are the peoples but ours

of Hashim is a noble branch among them.

From Hashim is an exalted clan

الأُفق فيه مع الشّموسِ كواكبٌ

الأُفق فيه مع الشّموسِ كواكبٌ

والغابُ فيه مع الأسود شبولُ

والغابُ فيه مع الأسود شبولُ

A horizon with stars alongside suns,

The horizon in it has with the suns planets

a thicket with lion cubs alongside lions;

And the absence in it has with the lions cubs

والجانبُ الخَضِل النَّدى لم يُلْفَ عن

والجانبُ الخَضِل النَّدى لم يُلْفَ عن

جَدْواه ممنوعٌ ولا ممطولُ

جَدْواه ممنوعٌ ولا ممطولُ

a dew-moistened flank: none has ever been found

Its fresh humid side was not covered from

denied its bounty or made to wait.

Its bounty neither prevented nor stretched

وإذا الرّجالُ تفاخروا وتفاضلوا

وإذا الرّجالُ تفاخروا وتفاضلوا

أرسى بهمْ دون الورى التّفضيلُ

أرسى بهمْ دون الورى التّفضيلُ

When men vie in pride and excellence,

And if men prided and preferred

preeminence anchors with them alone among mankind.

Below the earth the preference anchored them

من كلِّ وضّاحِ الجبين كأنّه

من كلِّ وضّاحِ الجبين كأنّه

عَضبٌ جلاه الصَّيقلون صقيلُ

عَضبٌ جلاه الصَّيقلون صقيلُ

Every one bright of brow, as though he were

With every bright forehead that is as if it were

a keen, gleaming sword burnished by polishers;

An anger stripped bare by the polishers

ومُلَوَّمٍ في المكرُماتِ وطالما

ومُلَوَّمٍ في المكرُماتِ وطالما

عُذِر الضَّنينُ بها ولِيم بَذولُ

عُذِر الضَّنينُ بها ولِيم بَذولُ

and one reproached for noble deeds—how often

And one blamed regarding favors for long

has the miser been excused for them, and the lavish giver blamed!

The resentful was excused by it and the generous was stingy

وكأنّه فرداً إذا شهد الوغى

وكأنّه فرداً إذا شهد الوغى

ضرباً وطعناً معشرٌ وقبيلُ

ضرباً وطعناً معشرٌ وقبيلُ

As though he, alone when he enters battle,

And it was as if whenever mayhem was witnessed

were, in striking and thrusting, a company and a tribe.

He was battalion, stabbing and fighting

ومعاشرٍ لولاهُمُ ما بيننا

ومعاشرٍ لولاهُمُ ما بيننا

ما كان تعظيمٌ ولا تبجيلُ

ما كان تعظيمٌ ولا تبجيلُ

And companies of men: were they not among us,

And cohorts if not for them between us

there would be neither reverence nor veneration.

There would not have been reverence or veneration

عنهمْ تُلُقِّيَتِ العظاتُ وَمنهمُ

عنهمْ تُلُقِّيَتِ العظاتُ وَمنهمُ

فُهِمَ الهُدى وَتعُلِّم التأْويلُ

فُهِمَ الهُدى وَتعُلِّم التأْويلُ

From them admonitions were received, and from them

From them morals were rebuked and by them

guidance was understood and interpretation learned.

Guidance was perceived and interpretation learned

وبيوتُهمْ مَأْوَى الرَّشادِ وبينهمْ

وبيوتُهمْ مَأْوَى الرَّشادِ وبينهمْ

سُطِرَ الكتابُ ونُزِّلَ التّنزيلُ

سُطِرَ الكتابُ ونُزِّلَ التّنزيلُ

Their houses are the refuge of right guidance; among them

And their houses are the abode of integrity between them

the Book was inscribed and revelation sent down.

The book was transcribed and revelation descended

وتراهُمُ صبحاً وكلَّ عشيّةٍ

وتراهُمُ صبحاً وكلَّ عشيّةٍ

يأْتيهمُ مِيكالُ أو جبريلُ

يأْتيهمُ مِيكالُ أو جبريلُ

You see them at morning and every evening:

And you see them morning and every night

Mikal or Jibril comes to them.

Either Mikael or Gabriel descends upon them

لو أنّهمْ لم ينهجوا سُبُلَ التُّقى

لو أنّهمْ لم ينهجوا سُبُلَ التُّقى

ما بان تحريمٌ ولا تحليلُ

ما بان تحريمٌ ولا تحليلُ

Had they not traced the paths of piety,

If they did not take to the paths of righteousness

neither prohibition nor permission would have been clear.

Neither taboos nor permissions would have been distinct

فهُمُ عن الأمرِ الدّنيِّ جوامدٌ

فهُمُ عن الأمرِ الدّنيِّ جوامدٌ

وهُمُ إلى الأمر العليِّ سُيولُ

وهُمُ إلى الأمر العليِّ سُيولُ

Toward lowly deeds they are motionless,

So they are solid from base matters and they

but toward lofty deeds they are torrents.

To matters lofty are statutes

بيتٌ أقام دِعامَه وقبابَه

بيتٌ أقام دِعامَه وقبابَه

إمّا إمامٌ أو أخوه رسولُ

إمّا إمامٌ أو أخوه رسولُ

A house whose pillar and domes were raised

A house its pillars and domes established

either by an Imam or by his brother, the Messenger;

Either by an imam or his brother the messenger

بيتٌ يُناجِي اللَّهَ حَلّالٌ به

بيتٌ يُناجِي اللَّهَ حَلّالٌ به

وعليهمُ الأملاكُ فيه نُزولُ

وعليهمُ الأملاكُ فيه نُزولُ

a house where its dweller communes with God,

A house whose pure are spoken to by God

and where angels descend upon them.

Upon them the angels constantly descend

ومساكنٌ ما غاب عن أفواههمْ

ومساكنٌ ما غاب عن أفواههمْ

فيهنّ تقديسٌ ولا تهليلُ

فيهنّ تقديسٌ ولا تهليلُ

And dwellings where their lips never lack

And dwellings from which never dissipated from their mouths

sanctification or proclamations of God's oneness.

Glorifications nor testimonies of faith

لهمُ مِنىً والموقفانِ وزَمْزَمٌ

لهمُ مِنىً والموقفانِ وزَمْزَمٌ

والبيتُ والتّطْوافُ والتجويلُ

والبيتُ والتّطْوافُ والتجويلُ

Theirs are Mina, the two standing-places, and Zamzam,

Theirs are Mina, the Station of Abraham, and Zamzam

the House, the circling, and the ranging about,

And the House, and the circumambulating and ferrying

والحِجْرُ والحَجَرُ الّذي لصفاتِهِ

والحِجْرُ والحَجَرُ الّذي لصفاتِهِ

أبَدَ الزّمانِ الضَّمُّ والتّقبيلُ

أبَدَ الزّمانِ الضَّمُّ والتّقبيلُ

the Hijr, and the Stone, whose smooth surfaces

And the Black Stone, and the stone which, due to its traits

are embraced and kissed for all time.

Always, the touching and the kissing were delightful

للَّهِ ما جَشِموه عن أديانِهمْ

للَّهِ ما جَشِموه عن أديانِهمْ

والدّارعون عن الطِّعان نُكولُ

والدّارعون عن الطِّعان نُكولُ

To God belongs what they endured in defense of their faith,

To God belongs what they defended from their religions

while armored men shrank from spear-thrusts.

And the charging warriors from criticisms to recoil

طرحوا الأناةَ وطوّحوا بحِذارهمْ

طرحوا الأناةَ وطوّحوا بحِذارهمْ

وتيقّنوا أنّ الجَبانَ ذليلُ

وتيقّنوا أنّ الجَبانَ ذليلُ

They cast aside deliberation and flung caution away,

They cast off temperance and down with their caution

certain that the coward is abased.

And became certain the coward is but miserable

وتراكبوا مثلَ الدَّبَى في غمرةٍ

وتراكبوا مثلَ الدَّبَى في غمرةٍ

ما إنْ بها إِلّا قَناً ونُصولُ

ما إنْ بها إِلّا قَناً ونُصولُ

They swarmed over one another like young locusts in a maelstrom

And rode like flood water in abundance

where there were nothing but spears and blades.

None therein save spearheads and assaults

والخيلُ ساطعة العجاج كأنّما

والخيلُ ساطعة العجاج كأنّما

لعجاجها ضوءُ الصّباحِ دليلُ

لعجاجها ضوءُ الصّباحِ دليلُ

The horses raised the dust, as though

And the steeds radiant, as if their gear

morning's light were guiding their dust-cloud.

For its glow the morning’s light is guide

ليلٌ نجومُ سمائِهِ زُرْقُ القنا

ليلٌ نجومُ سمائِهِ زُرْقُ القنا

والشّمسُ فيه صارمٌ مسلولُ

والشّمسُ فيه صارمٌ مسلولُ

A night whose sky has blue spearpoints for stars,

A night whose sky’s is the green of the spear

and whose sun is a keen, unsheathed sword.

And the sword in it an unsheathed gleam

ومغامرٍ يَلِجُ القَتام وما لَه

ومغامرٍ يَلِجُ القَتام وما لَه

إلّا حسامٌ في يديه دليلُ

إلّا حسامٌ في يديه دليلُ

And many a daredevil enters the battle-dust, having

And with a bold heart plunging the darkness while he has

no guide but a sword in his hands.

None but a sword in his hand as guide

ربح الحياةَ بطعنِه وضرابهِ

ربح الحياةَ بطعنِه وضرابهِ

والهائبُ النَّخِبُ الجبانُ قتيلُ

والهائبُ النَّخِبُ الجبانُ قتيلُ

He won life through his thrusts and blows,

Profiting life with his stabbing and striking

while the timid, fainthearted coward lies slain.

While the fleeing outcasts are the dead

خذها فما لطلوعها مُبيضّةً

خذها فما لطلوعها مُبيضّةً

كطلوع أوضاحِ الصّباحِ أُفولُ

كطلوع أوضاحِ الصّباحِ أُفولُ

Take it: its rising, radiant white—

Take them! For at their sunrise never whitening

like the rising gleams of morning—knows no setting.

As the dawn’s emerging glow to descend

وكأنّما أُمنيّةٌ بُلِغَتْ بها

وكأنّما أُمنيّةٌ بُلِغَتْ بها

وكأنّها روضُ الثّرى المطلولُ

وكأنّها روضُ الثّرى المطلولُ

As though a wish had been attained through it,

As if a wish attained with it and as if it were

as though it were a meadow, its earth wet with dew.

The desired meadow of soil

سيّارة في عرضِ كلّ تَنوفةٍ

سيّارة في عرضِ كلّ تَنوفةٍ

ولغُرّ أبكارِ الكلام ذَميلُ

ولغُرّ أبكارِ الكلام ذَميلُ

It travels across the breadth of every desert,

Travelers despite any hardship

and speech's white-blazed firstlings have a brisk trot.

And for the strange of speech a pathfinder

وإذا قرنتَ بها سواها برّزتْ

وإذا قرنتَ بها سواها برّزتْ

غُرَرٌ لها لمّاعةٌ وحُجولُ

غُرَرٌ لها لمّاعةٌ وحُجولُ

When you set another beside it, there stand out

And if compared to it any other it brings out

its gleaming forehead-blazes and white stockings.

Flaws while it shines flawless

والشِّعْرُ منه ناصعٌ مُتَخَيّرٌ

والشِّعْرُ منه ناصعٌ مُتَخَيّرٌ

حُسناً ومنه الكاسفُ المرذولُ

حُسناً ومنه الكاسفُ المرذولُ

Some poetry is brilliant, exquisite

Poetry from it is dazzling selective excellence

in beauty; some is dim and scorned.

And from it the lackluster worthless

ومن القريض سعادةٌ وشقاوةٌ

ومن القريض سعادةٌ وشقاوةٌ

ومن القريض نباهةٌ وخُمولُ

ومن القريض نباهةٌ وخُمولُ

In verse there are fortune and misfortune,

And of prosody there is fortuity and misery

and in verse, renown and obscurity.

And of prosody, splendor and gloom

وقليلُهُ حيث الصّوابُ وكُثرُهُ

وقليلُهُ حيث الصّوابُ وكُثرُهُ

من قائليه وساوسٌ وخُبولُ

من قائليه وساوسٌ وخُبولُ

Only a little of it is sound; most of it,

Its little is soundness itself but much of it

from those who utter it, is vain imaginings and madness.

From its authors are urges and foolishness

والقارضون الشّعر إمّا مولَجٌ

والقارضون الشّعر إمّا مولَجٌ

أبوابهُ أو مُبعَدٌ معدولُ

أبوابهُ أو مُبعَدٌ معدولُ

Poetry's makers are either admitted

The composers of poetry either sincere

through its doors, or kept far away and turned aside.

Entering its doors or misguided barred

ولَكَمْ لطلّاعِ الثَّنايا نحوه

ولَكَمْ لطلّاعِ الثَّنايا نحوه

مُتَزحزِحٌ عن طُرْقِهِ وزَليلُ

مُتَزحزِحٌ عن طُرْقِهِ وزَليلُ

How many a climber of the passes toward it

And how to the descenders of the slopes towards it

veers from its paths and slips!

Are the diverged from its path and few

طلبوا وما وصلوا وكم من طالبٍ

طلبوا وما وصلوا وكم من طالبٍ

أمراً وليس له إليه وُصولُ

أمراً وليس له إليه وُصولُ

They sought but never reached; how many seek

They sought but never attained and how many a seeker

a thing to which they have no access!

Of something but to it there is no attainment

وإذا هُمُ لم يُحسنوا في قولهم

وإذا هُمُ لم يُحسنوا في قولهم

أشعارَهْم أحسنت كيف أقولُ

أشعارَهْم أحسنت كيف أقولُ

And if, in their speech, they have not perfected

But if they do not master in their poetry

their poems, I have mastered how to speak.

How could I master saying their poetry