هَيِّنٌ ما يَقولُ فيكَ اللاحي

هَيِّنٌ ما يَقولُ فيكَ اللاحي

بَعدَ إِطفاءِ غُلَّتي وَاِلتِياحي

بَعدَ إِطفاءِ غُلَّتي وَاِلتِياحي

What the reprover says about you matters little

How trivial what the slanderers say of you

after my burning longing and parching thirst are quenched.

After my rage has subsided and I feel relieved

كُنتُ أَشكو شَكوى المُصَرِّحِ فَالآ

كُنتُ أَشكو شَكوى المُصَرِّحِ فَالآ

نَ أُلاقي النَوى بِدَمعٍ صُراحِ

نَ أُلاقي النَوى بِدَمعٍ صُراحِ

I used to complain as one who speaks openly; now

I used to complain the complaint of one being open

I face separation with pure, unmixed tears.

Yet now I meet adversity with flowing tears

هَل إِلى ذي تَجَنُّبٍ مِن سَبيلٍ

هَل إِلى ذي تَجَنُّبٍ مِن سَبيلٍ

أَم عَلى ذي صَبابَةٍ مِن جُناحِ

أَم عَلى ذي صَبابَةٍ مِن جُناحِ

Is there any way to one who keeps aloof,

Is it to one who avoids the path

or any blame upon one consumed with longing?

Or one who is youthful and bright of wing?

فَسَقى جانِبَ المَناظِرِ فَالقَص

فَسَقى جانِبَ المَناظِرِ فَالقَص

رِ هَزيمُ المُجَلجِلِ السَحّاحِ

رِ هَزيمُ المُجَلجِلِ السَحّاحِ

May the outskirts of al-Manazir and al-Qasr be watered

So it watered the cheeks with slapping

by the downpour of the thundering, pouring cloud.

The defeat of the rumbling, clamorous one

حينَ جاءَت فَوتَ الرَواحِ فَقُلنا

حينَ جاءَت فَوتَ الرَواحِ فَقُلنا

أَيُّ شَمسٍ تَجيءُ فَوتَ الرَواحِ

أَيُّ شَمسٍ تَجيءُ فَوتَ الرَواحِ

When she came after the evening hour, we said:

When the wafting breeze came, we said

What sun comes after the evening hour?

What sun comes on the wafting breeze?

هَزَّ مِنها شَرخُ الشَبابِ فَجالَت

هَزَّ مِنها شَرخُ الشَبابِ فَجالَت

فَوقَ خَصرٍ كَثيرِ جَولِ الوِشاحِ

فَوقَ خَصرٍ كَثيرِ جَولِ الوِشاحِ

Youth's bloom stirred her, and she swayed

From it shook the bloom of youth

above a waist where the sash had ample room to sway.

Above a waist of ample, billowing robe

وَأَرَتنا خَدّاً يَراحُ لَهُ الوَر

وَأَرَتنا خَدّاً يَراحُ لَهُ الوَر

دُ وَيَشتَمُّهُ جَنى التُفّاحِ

دُ وَيَشتَمُّهُ جَنى التُفّاحِ

And she showed us a cheek that makes the rose rejoice,

And it showed us a cheek, for which the rose fades

and whose scent ripe apples inhale;

And which the apple’s bloom envies

وَشَتيتاً يَغُضُّ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ النَظ

وَشَتيتاً يَغُضُّ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ النَظ

مِ وَيُزري عَلى شَتيتِ الأَقاحي

مِ وَيُزري عَلى شَتيتِ الأَقاحي

and spaced teeth that outshine strung pearls

And a disarrayed pearlshell

and put scattered daisies to shame.

That outshines the scattered pearls

فَأَضاءَت تَحتَ الدُجُنَّةِ لِلشَر

فَأَضاءَت تَحتَ الدُجُنَّةِ لِلشَر

بِ وَكادَت تُضيءُ لِلمِصباحِ

بِ وَكادَت تُضيءُ لِلمِصباحِ

So she shone for the drinkers beneath the darkness,

So it shone under the canopy for drinking

and almost gave light to the lamp.

And almost illuminated the lantern

وَأَشارَت إِلى الغِناءِ بِأَلحا

وَأَشارَت إِلى الغِناءِ بِأَلحا

ظٍ مِراضٍ مِنَ التَصابي صِحاحِ

ظٍ مِراضٍ مِنَ التَصابي صِحاحِ

And she signaled for singing with glances

And it gestured to singing with glances

languid, yet free of affected coquetry.

Of pleasing, eloquent intoxication

فَطَرِبنا لَهُنَّ قَبلَ المَثاني

فَطَرِبنا لَهُنَّ قَبلَ المَثاني

وَسَكِرنا مِنهُنَّ قَبلَ الراحِ

وَسَكِرنا مِنهُنَّ قَبلَ الراحِ

So we thrilled to them before the lute strings,

So we were stirred by them before sobriety

and we grew drunk on them before the wine.

And drunk with them before comfort

قَد تُديرُ الجُفونُ مِن عَدَمِ الأَل

قَد تُديرُ الجُفونُ مِن عَدَمِ الأَل

بابِ ما لا يَدورُ في الأَقداحِ

بابِ ما لا يَدورُ في الأَقداحِ

Eyelids may pass round such loss of reason

The eyelids may whirl in the absence of causes

as never passes round in goblets.

What whirls not in the cups

يا أَبا مُسلِمٍ تَلَفَّت إِلى الشَر

يا أَبا مُسلِمٍ تَلَفَّت إِلى الشَر

قِ وَأَشرِف لِلبارِقِ اللَمّاحِ

قِ وَأَشرِف لِلبارِقِ اللَمّاحِ

O Abu Muslim, turn toward the east

O Abu Muslim, turn to the east

and look out for the flashing lightning:

And look out for the gleaming lightning

مُستَطيراً يَقومُ في جانِبِ اللَي

مُستَطيراً يَقومُ في جانِبِ اللَي

لِ عَلى عَرضِهِ مَقامَ الصَباحِ

لِ عَلى عَرضِهِ مَقامَ الصَباحِ

spreading wide, it rises in the flank of night,

A morning star rising on the side of night

across its breadth, taking the place of dawn.

Assuming the stance of dawn in its breadth

وَمُنيفاً يُريكَ مَنبِجَ نَصّاً

وَمُنيفاً يُريكَ مَنبِجَ نَصّاً

وَهِيَ زَهراءُ مِن جَميعِ النَواحي

وَهِيَ زَهراءُ مِن جَميعِ النَواحي

And towering high, it shows you Manbij plainly,

And a bright one showing you the nectar gushing

radiant on every side,

As it is blossoming from all sides

وَرِياضاً بَينَ العُبَيدِيِّ فَالقَص

وَرِياضاً بَينَ العُبَيدِيِّ فَالقَص

رِ فَأَعلى سِمعانَ فَالمُستَراحِ

رِ فَأَعلى سِمعانَ فَالمُستَراحِ

and meadows between al-Ubaydi and al-Qasr,

And gardens between Ubaydi and the palace

then upper Sim'an and al-Mustarah.

Above Sim’aan, below Al-Mustarah

عَرَصاتٌ قَد أَبرَحَت حُرَقَ الشَو

عَرَصاتٌ قَد أَبرَحَت حُرَقَ الشَو

قِ إِلَيهِنَّ أَيَّما إِبراحِ

قِ إِلَيهِنَّ أَيَّما إِبراحِ

Open grounds that have inflamed the fires of longing

Flat lands that have moved from burning passions

for them with the fiercest torment.

To them, however far the moving

فَإِذا شِئتَ فَاِرفَعِ العيسَ يَنحَت

فَإِذا شِئتَ فَاِرفَعِ العيسَ يَنحَت

نَ بِحَرِّ الوَجيفِ نَحتَ القِداحِ

نَ بِحَرِّ الوَجيفِ نَحتَ القِداحِ

So if you wish, urge on the pale camels, wearing thin

So if you wish, then raise the noble one

in the heat of swift trotting, like pared arrow shafts,

To carve with the heat of carrion the cups

لِتُعينَ السَحابَ ثَمَّ عَلى إِس

لِتُعينَ السَحابَ ثَمَّ عَلى إِس

قاءِ أَرضٍ غَربَ الفُراتِ بَراحِ

قاءِ أَرضٍ غَربَ الفُراتِ بَراحِ

so you may help the clouds there to water

That you may help the clouds then to pour

a wide, open land west of the Euphrates.

Upon a land west of the Euphrates, pouring

لا تُتِمُّ السُقيا بِساحَةِ قَومٍ

لا تُتِمُّ السُقيا بِساحَةِ قَومٍ

لَم يَبيتوا في نائِلٍ وَسَماحِ

لَم يَبيتوا في نائِلٍ وَسَماحِ

Watering is not complete in the grounds of a people

Complete not the irrigation in the field of people

who have not spent their nights in bounty and generosity.

Who have not spent the night in plenty and generosity

وَلَعَمري لَئِن دَعَوتُكَ لِلجو

وَلَعَمري لَئِن دَعَوتُكَ لِلجو

دِ لَقِدماً لَبَيَّتَني بِالنَجاحِ

دِ لَقِدماً لَبَيَّتَني بِالنَجاحِ

And by my life, if I have called on you for generosity,

By my life, if I call you to generosity

you have long since answered me by granting my wish.

You would spend the night causing me success

خُلُقٌ كَالغَمامِ لَيسَ لَهُ بَر

خُلُقٌ كَالغَمامِ لَيسَ لَهُ بَر

قٌ سِوى بِشرِ وَجهِكَ الوَضّاحِ

قٌ سِوى بِشرِ وَجهِكَ الوَضّاحِ

A disposition like a raincloud, with no lightning

A nature like the clouds, having no lightning

but the cheer of your radiant face,

Except the good tidings of your shining face

إِرتِياحاً لِلطالِبينَ وَبَذلاً

إِرتِياحاً لِلطالِبينَ وَبَذلاً

وَالمَعالي لِلباذِلِ المُرتاحِ

وَالمَعالي لِلباذِلِ المُرتاحِ

eagerly welcoming petitioners and freely giving;

Comfort for the seekers and gifts

and high honors belong to the willing giver.

And the heights for the giver feeling comfort

أَيُّ جَدَّيكَ لَم يَفُت وَهُوَ ثانٍ

أَيُّ جَدَّيكَ لَم يَفُت وَهُوَ ثانٍ

مِن مَساعيهِ أَلسُنَ المُدّاحِ

مِن مَساعيهِ أَلسُنَ المُدّاحِ

Which of your two grandfathers did not outstrip—even while holding back

Which of your two ancestors missed, though late

some of his endeavors—the tongues of panegyrists?

The tongues of the eulogizers praising him?

وَكِلا جانِبَيكَ سَبطَ الخَوافي

وَكِلا جانِبَيكَ سَبطَ الخَوافي

حينَ تَسمو أَثيثُ ريشِ الجَناحِ

حينَ تَسمو أَثيثُ ريشِ الجَناحِ

Both your sides are sleek with inner feathers,

And on both your sides the noble descendants

when you soar, thick with the wing's plumage:

When the furnishings of the wing rise high

شَرَفٌ بَينَ مُسلِمِ المَج

شَرَفٌ بَينَ مُسلِمِ المَج

دِ وَعَبدِ العَزيزِ وَالصَبّاحِ

دِ وَعَبدِ العَزيزِ وَالصَبّاحِ

nobility spanning glorious Muslim

Noble between Muslim Al-Mujashshiʿ

and Abd al-Aziz and al-Sabbah.

And ʿAbdul ʿAziz and As-Sabbah