Feedback

Though I have fallen short of a lengthy journey,

إن أك قد أقصرت عن طول رحلة

1. Though I have fallen short of a lengthy journey,
O Lord of noble friends I have sent as ransom,

١. إن أَكُ قَد أَقصَرتُ عَن طولِ رِحلَةٍ
فَيا رُبَّ أَصحابٍ بَعَثتُ كِرامِ

2. I said to them "Travel in ransom for my aunt,
Do you not find the blowing wind with arrows?"

٢. فَقُلتُ لَهُم سيروا فِدىً خالَتي لَكُم
أَما تَجِدونَ الريحَ ذاتَ سَهامِ

3. So they stood to a mare whose flesh was firm,
Halted, with its saddlebags attended by servants,

٣. فَقاموا إِلى عيسٍ قَدِ اِنضَمَّ لَحمُها
مُوَقَّفَةٍ أَرساغُها بِخَدام

4. And I stood to a mare like a mighty stallion,
Answering my pulling of its lead with neighing.

٤. وَقُمتُ إِلى وَجناءَ كَالفَحلِ جَبلَةٍ
تُجاوِبُ شَدِّيَ نِسعَها بِبُغام

5. I travel until sunrise breaks forth,
Though its darkness mixes with gloom.

٥. فَأُدلِجُ حَتّى تَطلُعَ الشَمسُ قاصِداً
وَلَو خُلِطَت ظَلماؤُها بِقَتامِ

6. I brought them to water at the time of its flowing,
On it a mixture of wildcats and pigeons.

٦. فَأَورَدتُهُم ماءً عَلى حينٍ وِردِهِ
عَلَيه خَليطٌ مِن قَطاً وَحَمامِ

7. The easiest palm causes you no harm,
A hand between hands in a bowl of food,

٧. وَأَهوَنُ كَفٍّ لا تَضيرُكَ ضَيرَةً
يَدٌ بَينَ أَيدٍ في إِناءِ طَعامِ

8. A hand from far or near that came with it,
Dusty, dark, from Syria.

٨. يَدٌ مِن بَعيدٍ أَو قَريبٍ أَتَت بِهِ
شَآمِيَّةٌ غَبَراءُ ذاتُ قَتامِ

9. As if I have crossed ninety pilgrimages,
By which I once cast off the mantle of my youth,

٩. كَأَنّي وَقَد جاوَزتُ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً
خَلَعتُ بِها يَوماً عِذارِ لِجامي

10. Once on my palms and once on my staff,
I sway thrice after them before my standing.

١٠. عَلى الراحَتَينِ مَرَّةً وَعَلى العَصا
أَنوءُ ثَلاثاً بَعدَهُنَّ قِيامي

11. The girls of fate have pelted me from where I see not,
So what of one pelted who has no pelter?

١١. رَمَتني بَناتُ الدَهرِ مِن حَيثُ لا أَرى
فَكَيفَ بِمَن يُرمى وَلَيسَ بِرامِ

12. If only they were arrows I would have avoided them,
But I am pelted with other than arrows.

١٢. فَلَو أَنَّها نَبلٌ إِذاً لَاِتَّقَيتُها
وَلَكِنَّني أُرمى بِغَيرِ سِهامِ

13. When people see me they say "Were you not once
Fresh, with a new cloak, not ragged?"

١٣. إِذا ما رَآني الناسُ قالوا أَلَم تَكُن
حَديثاً جَديدَ البَزِّ غَيرَ كَهامِ

14. I perished in a night from fate,
And that which I perished did not profit the course of fate,

١٤. وَأَفنى وَما أُفني مِنَ الدَهرِ لَيلَةً
وَلَم يُغنِ ما أَفنَيتُ سِلكَ نِظامِ

15. And thinking of a day and night destroyed me,
As did thinking of a year after that, and years.

١٥. وَأَهلَكَني تَأميلُ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ
وَتَأميلُ عامٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَعامِ