أتت تنثني كالغصن والغصن يابس — أبو المعالي الطالوي

أَتَت تَنثَني كَالغُصنِ وَالغُصنُ يابِسُ

وَتَرنو بِطَرفٍ أَوطفٍ وَهوَ ناعِسُ

She came swaying like a branch, though the branch is dry,

and gazes with a long-lashed, drowsy eye.

رَداحٌ بخوط البانِ تُزري رَشاقَةً

وَتَهزَأُ بِالخَطّيِّ حينَ تُقايسُ

Full-hipped, she shames the bān tree's shoot in grace,

and mocks the Khattī spear when measured against it.

مِنَ القاصِراتِ الطَرفِ مَهضومة الحَشا

لَطيفةُ طَيِّ الكَشحِ هَيفاءُ آنِسُ

One of those with restrained gaze, slender-bellied,

delicate in the fold of her waist, slender and companionable.

يَفوقُ سَناها البَدرَ لَيلة تِمِّهِ

وَيَأوي لِداني أُفقِهِ وَهوَ ناكِسُ

Her radiance surpasses the moon on the night of its fullness,

and it retreats to its low horizon with head bowed.

إِذا ما رَنَت نَحوَ الحَليمِ اِستَفَزَّهُ

هَوىً وَاِستَمالَتهُ ظُنونٌ هَواجِسُ

Whenever she glances toward a forbearing man, he is stirred

by passion, and troubling fancies win him over.

أَتَت مَنزلي تَختالُ وَاللَيلُ دامِسٌ

كَما زارَني وَهناً حَبيبٌ مُؤانِسُ

She came to my dwelling, swaying proudly, while night was pitch-dark,

just as a companionable beloved visited me late at night.

فَما الرَوضُ بِالأَزهارِ كلّلَه النَدى

كَما كُلّلت تيجانَهنَّ عَرائِسُ

For no garden that dew has crowned with flowers,

as brides' crowns are adorned,

بَكاهُ الحَيا حَتّى تَضاحَكَ نَورُهُ

وَحَلّت عَزالَيها عَلَيهِ البَواجِسُ

over which rain wept until its blossoms laughed,

and over which gushing clouds unfastened their spouts,

كَسَتهُ يَدُ الأَنواءِ وَشياً كَأَنَّما

حَبته بِأَنواع التَصاوير فارِسُ

which the hand of the rains clothed in embroidery, as though

Persia had gifted it with varied designs,

فَأَصبَحَ غِبَّ القَطر يُزهى لِجَنَّةٍ

جَنيُّ جَناها لَم يُصافِحهُ لامِسُ

and which, after the rain, grew proud before a paradise

whose ripe fruit no hand had ever touched,

بِهِ الزَهرُ بِالأَكمامِ يَسطَعُ نَورُهُ

كَزُهرٍ لَها سَيفُ المَجَرَّةِ حارِسُ

where the flowers' bloom gleams within their calyxes,

like bright stars guarded by the Milky Way's sword,

يَطيفُ بِهِ واشي النَسيمِ فَتَنثَني

غُصونُ رُباه الهيفُ وَهيَ مَوائِسُ

around which the tale-bearing breeze circles, so that there bend

the slender boughs on its hills, swaying gracefully,

وَقامَ خَطيبُ الدَوحِ فيها مُغَرِّداً

عَلَيهِ قَميصٌ حاكَهُ الطلُّ وارِسُ

and where the orator of the great trees stood singing,

wearing a yellow-dyed shirt woven by the dew,

تُجاوبه ورقٌ بِأَلحانِ مَعبَدٍ

وَتَشدُو عَلى الأَغصانِ وَهيَ أَوانِسُ

answered by gray doves with Maʿbad's melodies,

which sing on the boughs as gentle companions,

تُذَكِّرني عَهدَ التَصابي فَأَنثَني

وَفي القَلبِ مِن فَرطِ الغمومِ وَساوِسُ

recalling for me the days of youthful dalliance, so that I turn aside,

with troubled whisperings in my heart from overwhelming sorrow,

بِأَحسَن مِنها بِهجَةً حينَ أَقبَلَت

وَحيّت كَما حَيّت ظِباءٌ كَوانِسٌ

is lovelier in splendor than she, when she approached

and greeted me as gazelles in their coverts greet.

وَكَيفَ وَمَن وَشّى مَعاطِفَها فَتىً

نَمتهُ إلى نَحوِ المَعالي مَغارِسُ

And how could it, when the one who embroidered her folds is a youth

whose ancestral roots have raised him toward lofty attainments?

رُقى مِن ذرى الآدابِ أَرفَع هَضبَة

فَمَن ذا يُضاهيهِ وَمَن ذا يُجانِسُ

He ascended the loftiest summit among the heights of letters;

so who can match him, and who can be his like?

فَيا اِبنَ الأُلى شادوا الفَخارَ بِعِزِّهم

وَلَيسَ لَهُم في غَيرِ مَجدٍ تَنافُسُ

So, O son of those who built up glory through their might,

and who compete for nothing but glory,

بَعَثتُ بِنَظمٍ كَالليالي مُنظّماً

حَكى دُرَّ دَمعي حينَ بانَ المجالِسُ

I sent verse, arranged like the nights,

resembling the pearls of my tears when my companion departed.

وَكَلَّفتَني عَنهُ الجَوابَ وَحَبَّذا

سُؤالٌ وَلَكِن أَينَ مِنّي تَجانُسُ

And you charged me to answer it—how welcome

a request! Yet how could I match it?

أَثبتكَ بِالرضراضِ مِن دُررٍ حَكَت

عَرائس زَهر قَد جَلَتها الحَنادِسُ

I repaid you with small pebbles of pearls, resembling

flower-brides that the dark nights have unveiled.

فَإِن يَكُ مِنهُ ما يَروقُ لِناظِرٍ

فإِنّي لَهُ مِن نُورِ وَصفِكَ قابِسُ

So if anything in it delights a beholder,

then I have kindled it from the light of your description.

وَدُونكها تَمشي الهوينى وَتَنثَني

حَياءً وَطَرفُ العَينِ فيها يُخالِسُ

And here she is for you, walking gently and swaying

in shyness, while the eye steals glances at her,

إِلى بابِكم تَرجُو القَبولَ تَفَضُّلاً

عَساها بِقُربٍ مِنكَ تَحظى وَتَأنَسُ

toward your door, hoping for acceptance as a favor;

may she find favor through nearness to you, and feel at ease.

فَلا زِلتَ بِالآدابِ تُتحِف صاحِباً

مَدى الدَهرِ ما طَنَّت بِعلمٍ مَدارِسُ

So may you never cease to offer a friend literary gifts,

throughout all time, as long as schools resound with knowledge,

وَما ناحَ قُمرِيُّ الرِياض مُغَرِّداً

وَحَنّ مُشَوقٌ نازِحُ الدارِ آيِسُ

and as long as the gardens' turtledove laments in song,

and a longing soul yearns, far from home and despairing.